Cardinals Defend 3 Controversial Late-Game Decisions

As expected, discussions swirl around the Arizona Cardinals and what transpired in the late stages of their overtime defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 12.

Such is life in the league when you lose and certain decisions get scrutinized, though clock/game management for Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has been a consistent theme throughout his tenure in the desert.

That reared its ugly head on Sunday, as a handful of late-game decisions ultimately cost the Cardinals.

Cardinals Punt With Game on the Line

Gaining possession with under four minutes to go and trailing by three, Arizona faced a fourth down deep in their own territory just before the two minute warning.

Many thought the Cardinals should have went for it, though Gannon opted to punt the ball and trust his defense.

The decision ultimately worked, though Jacksonville played a part in that, too. Instead of kicking a field goal, they unsuccessfully went for it on fourth-and-1 in an attempt to ice the game.

“I always say there are a couple of ways you can play it. I always try to err on the side of – when you punt it there, if it's not above the two-minute (warning), it starts to get a little dicey. Even if you stop them, you have no timeouts and you're probably backed up," Gannon said after the game.

"You need a stop anyhow, so in my mind it's like – that's an opportunity to keep the ball, go for it on fourth down, get a stop and then know what you need and you're not going to get bled out. That's probably not the right term, but in my mind, that's how I think of it.

"I never want to end the game with the ball in their hand. I always want to have a chance with the ball in our hands. There are a couple of different ways you can do that, which we've done multiple times since we've been here and it's not easy. It's not easy, but I thought that was the right thing to do.”

Final Drive Fiasco

The Cardinals did indeed get possession back and marched down the field, ultimately putting themselves in position to not only tie the game - but to win it in regulation.

Jacoby Brissett found Michael Wilson down the field with under 30 seconds remaining - and instead of spiking the ball to allow Arizona multiple shots at a touchdown, the Cardinals burned nearly 20 seconds off the clock and ultimately settled for a field goal.