PHX Reporter

The Cardinals are grappling with the aftermath of a significant 42-14 defeat to the Commanders at State Farm Stadium. This loss has left them with a 1-3 record and searching for solutions as they look to improve.

Coach Jonathan Gannon addressed the team's performance candidly: "We can't look like that," he said. When asked about positives, he replied, "Not a lot, honestly. This league is very humbling, and we got humbled today."

Despite some highlights, such as Kyler Murray connecting with Marvin Harrison Jr. for a touchdown and Garrett Williams intercepting Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the overall performance was lacking. James Conner's 104 rushing yards on 18 carries provided some hope after an unproductive previous week.

However, the Commanders showcased a more robust offense under coordinator and former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Daniels performed well, completing 26 of 30 passes for 233 yards with one interception and one touchdown. He also rushed for 47 yards and another touchdown. Brian Robinson Jr.'s contribution of 101 rushing yards was part of Washington's total of 216 rushing yards.

Defensive lineman Roy Lopez commented on the need for improvement: "Hopefully we can watch the film and see where they are getting the leaky yardage and everything... It's not good enough."

The Cardinals struggled offensively despite avoiding turnovers. Murray finished with modest statistics, completing 16-of-22 passes for 147 yards and one rush for three yards. Harrison recorded five catches for 45 yards.

Murray reflected on the game: "I'm just trying to process what just happened... Something's got to change... That wasn't the brand of football we want to play." He remained optimistic about the season: "It's one game... The season's not over. No one is panicking, anything like that."

Gannon acknowledged his responsibility in addressing team issues: "You get beat by whatever we got beat by today, it doesn't feel real good."

A crucial moment came early in the third quarter when a pass interference penalty against Sean Murphy-Bunting set up a Commanders touchdown run by Daniels, extending their lead to 24-7.

Notable performances included safety Budda Baker's 14 tackles and Marvin Harrison Jr.'s fourth touchdown in four games. Conner also had a strong showing as a runner.

The absence of tight end Trey McBride due to concussion impacted the offense significantly. Elijah Higgins stepped in but managed only two catches for 12 yards from three targets.

The Cardinals face upcoming road trips against San Francisco and Green Bay, both known for their strong running games, necessitating improvements in run defense which might be aided by Darius Robinson's potential return from injury reserve.