In stark contrast from the Kliff Kingsbury era, Cardinals are NFL's best at avoiding flags

Michael Wilson motioned right, established himself at the line of scrimmage, and then did something the Arizona Cardinals seldom have this season: He flinched. With that, second-and-5 became second-and-10. The next play went for one yard and soon, the Cardinals were settling for a frustrating field goal.

This is the impact of committing needless penalties. It’s also something the Cardinals have avoided remarkably well in 2024.

On Sunday, Wilson’s third-quarter false start was their only penalty. On the season, they’ve been flagged just 19 times — the fewest in the NFL. Their 200 total penalty yards are the eighth-fewest in the league.

Around these parts, that’s an unusual place to be. Under Kliff Kingsbury, the Cardinals had the following annual ranks in total penalties: fifth, first, fourth, first. Put those seasons together and they were comfortably the league’s most penalized team over that four-year span.

Last year, in Jonathan Gannon’s first season, the Cardinals dropped to 11th in penalties committed, a marked improvement. And if the first five games of this year are any indication, their transformation into a disciplined team is now complete.

On Wednesday, Kyler Murray sheepishly admitted that Gannon and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing treat penalties differently than previous coaching staffs he’s worked with. However, he did not want to expand on any comparisons and risk stirring drama.

“That just goes back to the culture and accountability and doing things the right way,” Murray said. “Really honing in on being a well-coached, smart football team.”

How the Arizona Cardinals avoid penalties

During off-season work, Gannon and director of football strategy Kenny Bell prioritize educating players on rule changes and which areas the NFL is emphasizing. During the season, that expands to understanding the tendencies of each individual refereeing crew.

Each Saturday, they meet with players to review the nuances of how to avoid penalties, both pre-snap and on plays that are susceptible to calls like roughing the passer and pass interference.

“You've gotta educate your guys,” Gannon said. “You've gotta hold them accountable. It starts in practice.”

That doesn’t mean Gannon expects perfection. There are always going to be penalties, he acknowledges, on bang-bang plays.

“Sometimes it’s gonna happen,” he said — although by harping on technique, the Cardinals aim to minimize those occurrences.

But where they can really separate themselves is by limiting self-inflicted mistakes. So far this season, the Cardinals have not committed a delay of game penalty or jumped offsides. They’ve committed the second-fewest false starts.

To left guard Evan Brown, that focus was evident shortly after he signed with the Cardinals this spring.

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An emphasis on limiting penalties within Cardinals culture

“You hear it for sure from everybody, but I think it's truly an emphasis here,” Brown said. “And when you really go out of your way to focus on certain areas — you only have so much time but when you make that one of your focus areas, you better be good at it.”

Brown has played for six teams in his seven NFL seasons. He’s seen the full spectrum of how coaching staffs treat penalties, giving him an appreciation for the Cardinals’ methodology.

“It's something that from day one was there,” Brown said. “With understanding snap counts, making sure everybody's on the same page with everything that we're doing and constant repetition with the guys for everybody kinda getting comfortable with how the procedures work. And I think we've done that through many reps.”

For offensive linemen, though, there’s a balance. They want to avoid holding penalties but still block their man. They want to avoid false starts but still get a good jump.

To left tackle Paris Johnson, that starts with trusting center Hjalte Froholdt, who’s now in his second year with the Cardinals.

“Me and him just have that chemistry that I understand his tempo to where I want to be off (the line) before every receiver,” Johnson said. “I want to be the first one out every single time. His consistency allows me to do what I do, which I'm thankful for.”

This is, of course, just one small part of football. Avoiding penalties isn’t going to flip a 28-point loss, as the Cardinals suffered two weeks ago against Washington.

It can, though, flip tight contests. Sunday’s win over the 49ers came down to the slimmest margins. Just one point and 26 yards of offense separated the sides. It’s in those games that discipline can help produce wins.

“It's going good right now,” Gannon said. “It has to stay consistent.”

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: In stark contrast from the Kliff Kingsbury era, Cardinals are NFL's best at avoiding flags