PHOENIX — The Cardinals had a long flight home after a 34-28 loss to the Buffalo Bills Sunday, a game in which they had an early lead over last season’s AFC East winners.
This is the second consecutive year the Cardinals have opened their season with a loss on the East Coast. It also was the second year in a row that they blew a halftime lead in the opener. They led Washington 13-10 at halftime a year ago.
This time, they led 17-3 in the second quarter and 17-10 at halftime and failed to execute in the second half, but the team is moving forward with three straight games at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.
“When you have those opportunities to capitalize to force a punt, or a turnover, or make them kick a field goal in the red zone, you have to capitalize on them,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said Monday. “Good offenses are good, they’re good for a reason. We got to keep the score down a little bit more.”
The cross-country flight back to Arizona didn’t give the team a chance to think about much else besides the game, and they embraced it by diving right into the game film.
“We got to see the tape, talk to each other, just kind of brainstorm as a group of what we got to do,” Cardinals defensive lineman Roy Lopez said Monday. “We want to win, we want to get better.”
Lopez had a strip sack on Bills quarterback Josh Allen on Buffalo’s first drive of the game, turning over the Bills in Arizona territory and eventually leading to a Cardinals field goal that put them up 10-0 to start the second quarter.
“He’s Josh Allen,” Lopez said. “There’s a reason why everybody knows his name.”
Allen and the Bills have won four consecutive division titles, and the Cardinals knew they had their hands full entering the game against the dual-threat quarterback. Allen scored four total touchdowns Sunday, two rushing and two passing, while throwing for 232 yards and rushing for another 39.
Gannon said that, while the team fell short in the end, the Cardinals had the confidence necessary to return home with a win. Playing in a hostile environment showed the second-year coach that his team has what it takes.
They just need to limit mistakes in Week 2 when the Los Angeles Rams visit.
“There wasn’t any point in that game where we didn’t think we were going to win the game,” Gannon said. “It’s a good team on the road. They don’t lose a lot at home. Good hard-fought game, enthused that everything is correctable.
Lopez and the Cardinals defense are already flipping the switch to their home opener Sunday, when instead of facing a dual-threat quarterback in Allen, Arizona faces a more traditional pocket-passing quarterback in the Rams’ Matthew Stafford.
For Lopez, it’s just another week in the NFL season, with week-to-week changes based on the opponent.
“One day you’re going to play Lamar Jackson, the other day you can play Josh Allen, and you play Matthew Stafford,” Lopez said. “They’re all great quarterbacks in their own way. It’s something that we got to be ready for and that’s what we’re going to prepare for this week.”
Kyler Murray mostly pleased Gannon with his play Sunday, throwing for 162 yards on 21 of 31 passing and one touchdown, with no interceptions. He was sacked four times.
“With two three-and-outs, it’s hard to get in rhythm and get it going a little bit,” Gannon said. “I thought he operated well.”
Much was made of wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.’s Cardinals debut, which ended with just one catch for four yards. Drafted fourth overall out of Ohio State in the 2024 NFL Draft, many expect Harrison Jr. to have a big rookie season.
“Marvin will be fine,” Gannon said, smiling. “He’ll be back at it and go to work. Buffalo did a lot to take him out of the game.”
The Cardinals’ next two opponents are the Rams and the Detroit Lions, who played each other Sunday. Lopez watched Detroit’s 26-20 victory in overtime Sunday night.
The Cardinals won’t face Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, who left Sunday’s game in Detroit with a knee injury and was placed on injured reserve Monday. He is expected to miss at least four weeks.
The Rams also have multiple injuries on their starting offensive line, including offensive tackle Joe Noteboom and center Steve Avila, who are both candidates to be out for multiple weeks.
“As a fan of the game, it’s awesome,” Lopez said. “A lot of our guys have played against Matt Stafford before, so they understand what kind of quarterback he is, especially being in the division.
“Division game, home game. It doesn’t get more exciting than that.”
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