The Cardinals are on a line between good and bad team after the Seahawks’ loss

In the NFL, there is a big difference between a bad day and a bad team.

The Cardinals are on a precarious line.

After a 30-18 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday at State Farm Stadium, they can no longer be considered a good team. They are no longer a winning team. They’re 6-7 and declining fast, a team whose playoff odds dropped as low as 12 percent.

“Disappointing loss,” Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said. “(We) didn’t play our best ball there. I need to find some answers to help us move forward a little.”

The turnaround was ugly and demoralizing.

The Cardinals entered their bye week on a three-game winning streak, including two blowout victories in a row. Gannon was in the running for Coach of the Year honors, while Kyler Murray was eyeing an MVP candidacy.

Three weeks later they were exposed from the start; Murray is once again in the crosshairs of a growing band of critics; and the Cardinals are now on a three-game losing streak.

There was real hope once. Today there is real disgust. Murray is playing his worst football of the season. His two interceptions in the first quarter led to 14 Seattle points, marking the first time in his career that he threw picks on consecutive passes.

Since the bye week, Murray has lost twice to Geno Smith and is now 0-5 lifetime against the Seahawks’ quarterback. He also made a series of late mental errors in a loss to Sam Darnold’s Vikings. The NFL is a league for closers and finishers, and Murray struggled mightily in December, now losing 13 of 20 games. It seems like he’s fading once again.

After the game, Gannon thought Murray fought admirably after the two interceptions and made the following statement to his critics:

“The reason we play meaningful games in December … he’s a big part of it,” Gannon said.

Even more frustrating is that their conservative approach has become cowardly on offense. One negative play and it feels like offensive coordinator Drew Petzing immediately raises a white flag, leading to abandoned plays and passive checkdowns.

It’s the opposite of what Valley fans get from ASU football under Kenny Dillingham, which makes the aesthetic even worse.

We thank the Seahawks, a team with a long history at State Farm Stadium. They lost a Super Bowl win here against the Patriots in 2015. Here, Marshawn Lynch made an obscene gesture while catapulting himself backwards into the end zone. They lost Earl Thomas in that building, a player who suffered a serious injury and knocked out his head coach (Pete Carroll) as he was carted off the field. This is the site of Russell Wilson’s first and last game in Seattle.

On Sunday, everything went well for the Seahawks, who posted 176 rushing yards; held Trey McBride without a reception in the first half; and earned a two-game lead over the Cardinals with all tiebreakers. And things continued to slip for the Cardinals, who missed the chance to record four straight wins at home for the first time since 2015.

Maybe the Cardinals aren’t ready for prime time or the postseason. Entering Sunday’s game, they had only beaten one team with a winning record (Chargers). Maybe they just need more time.

Or maybe they’re still missing a true franchise quarterback and are a lot further away than anyone wants to admit.

Reach Bickley at [email protected]. Listen to Bickley & Marotta mornings from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Arizona Sports.

Follow @danbickley