The Cardinals took a 24-17 lead over the Chargers on a touchdown by James Conner early in the fourth quarter and their defense forced punts on the next three Chargers possessions, which seems like a pretty good formula for winning a football game.
Sunday’s final score didn’t show the Cardinals on top, however. While the defense was forcing punts, the Cardinals offense picked up 16 yards on nine plays to keep giving the Chargers more chances. They took advantage of the last one by driving for a touchdown and go-ahead two-point conversion with seconds to play.
The 25-24 loss drops the Cardinals to 4-8 as they head into their bye week and the lack of success this season led to a question for head coach Kliff Kingsbury about whether he’s worried about his job security.
“I’m not,” Kingsbury said, via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com.
Kingsbury, like General Manager Steve Keim and quarterback Kyler Murray, signed a contract extension earlier this year, but this season has gone poorly enough that sticking with the status quo may not be a possibility in Arizona. The next five games could determine just how sweeping the changes will be.