Oct 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon stands on the field before their game against the Tennessee Titans at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Cardinals Coach Admits Crucial Late-Game Mistake

Originally posted on Arizona Cardinals on SI
By Donnie Druin | Last updated Oct 7, 2025 12:41 PM ET

The Arizona Cardinals fell victim to the previously winless Tennessee Titans on Sunday in dramatic fashion - a loss so shocking that its ramifications are still reverberating through the football world.

Out of the many wild plays that ultimately led to the Cardinals dropping their third consecutive game, a decision made by head coach Jonathan Gannon late in the fourth quarter has been a major talking point surrounding the team.

With Arizona possessing the ball, up by two points with just over two minutes left, the Cardinals opted to play conservative and ran the football - unsuccessfully - and eventually handed possession back to the Titans, who drove down the field with ease to kick their eventual game-winning field goal.

Arizona ran five plays on their last possession, all of which were runs, punting the ball back to Tennessee without giving quarterback Kyler Murray a chance to win the game on his own accord.

That was a mistake, according to Gannon.

Cardinals Admit Mistake in Not Letting Kyler Murray Win The Game

"We were in four-minute mechanics, but I understand what we were trying to do there," Gannon told reporters after the game.

"Did we put them in the best chance to gain a first down there? I don't know. We have to look at it. Typically, you're trying to make them burn timeouts where that was on the clock. I get it. I just have to do a better job and get a first down.”

Well, the Cardinals did look at it, and when meeting with media on Monday, Gannon came clean.

"I talked to Drew [Petzing] about it. I think we got to put our guys in a little bit better spot there. We were expecting one thing. They didn't give it to us. I could have used the timeout there," Gannon said when discussing the decision to run the ball on 3rd-and-8.

"That's something I could have did a little bit better, because I know he didn't really love the call either. So it's something that we talked about, and we got to put our guys in better spots."

With the Cardinals' run game struggling, many fans had hoped to see Murray give the team a chance to win with either his arm or legs, especially on a third-and-long with just over two minutes remaining.

We'll see if the Cardinals learned from those mistakes this week when they pack their bags and hit the road to face the Indianapolis Colts.