What Went Right, Wrong in Cardinals' Last-Minute Stunner vs. Titans

Take a look at what impressed and disappointed throughout the Cardinals' matchup with the Tennessee Titans.

Arizona Cardinals tight end Elijah Higgins (84) attempts to stiff arm against the Tennessee Titans cornerback Roger McCreary (21) at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Oct. 5, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Well, that was certainly something.

The Arizona Cardinals lost in heartbreaking fashion for the third straight week, but this was the worst defeat of the season by a long shot.

Tennessee did put up an impressive fight in the second half, but it was self-inflicted wounds that led to the Cardinals’ demise.

A fumbled snap off Kyler Murray’s helmet, a fumble from Emari Demercado dropping the ball before he crossed the end zone, and a fumble after a Dadrion Taylor-Demerson interception were all head-scratchers, but when you put them together you get an embarrassing performance that set social media ablaze.

It wasn’t just these plays that resulted in the 22-21 loss, though, as there was a ton to take away from the Week 5 matchup with Tennessee. It was certainly easy to forget, but the game started out exactly as Arizona had planned. There actually was some good, but there was also a lot of bad.

With all that happened in an absolutely wild 60 minutes of football, let's take a look at which aspects of the Cardinals saw their stock rise, and which parts saw their stock fall.

Stock down: Mental mistakes

Oct 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado (31) runs the ball for 71 yards before fumbling against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Above all else, the Cardinals simply made too many inexcusable mistakes in the second half. It wasn’t just Hjalte Froholdt snapping the ball directly into Murray’s facemask, Demercado letting go of the ball before he scored, or Taylor-Demerson fumbling the ball and it getting kicked into the end zone, as there were other mental errors made throughout the game as well.

Arizona had eight penalties for 47 yards, and that doesn’t count the flags that were declined by Tennessee. A couple of drives were derailed by major penalties, as you could make the argument that if the three game-changing plays didn’t occur, we’d be talking about how sloppy the Cardinals were with penalties.

Of course, the three plays stand alone as what was the difference. If the Cardinals were able to stay composed and not make these mental errors, the game would’ve been wrapped up early in the fourth quarter, but instead, it allowed the Titans to hang around and eventually win.

It wasn’t just that the Cardinals lost, it was how they lost. It was a complete malpractice of a ballgame, and it was 100% avoidable. If you’re Murray and Froholdt, you have to be on the same page; if you’re Demercado, you can’t let go of the ball; and if you’re the Cardinals’ defense, you have to secure the ball once Taylor-Demerson fumbled the INT.

These are nonnegotiables if you want to be a successful football team, yet the Cardinals didn’t do them.

That’s the clear-cut reason why the Cardinals lost, and it might lead to some serious changes before Week 6.

MORE: NFL World Rips Cardinals After Unexplainable Loss

Stock up: Offense to open the game

Oct 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) makes a catch while defended by Tennessee Titans free safety Xavier Woods (25) and cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (18) during the first quarter at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

It was 21-3 Cardinals with 10:43 left in the second quarter thanks to a high-flying offense to begin the ballgame. Murray was connecting with Harrison Jr. with ease, and the rest of the offense was firing on all cylinders.

It appeared like Drew Petzing was dialing up the right plays, and for a moment, all the frustration of the previous two weeks seemed to fade away.

The Cardinals scored a touchdown on their opening drive for the first time since Week 14 of last year, and they scored on their second drive as well. The running game, even minus James Conner and Trey Benson, looked good, as Michael Carter and Bam Knight were able to find the end zone en route to the 18-point lead.

While the rest of the ballgame saw zero points for the Cardinals, what we saw in the first 20 minutes was exactly what Arizona set out to do. Both the rushing and passing games were working, and it seemed as if the Cardinals were on their way to a big win.

Stock down: Offense’s response to adversity

Oct 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) is sacked by Tennessee Titans linebacker Jihad Ward (53) during the fourth quarter at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

For as good as the offense was to begin the game, it was far worse for the final 20 minutes of the action. When it needed to make a play, the offense simply couldn’t, and the zero points outside of the first four drives were reflective of that.

The Cardinals had just two drives over 15 yards in the last 40 minutes, with both of those being drives that resulted in the two fumbles. Outside of that, the offense was inept, and Murray and Petzing are certainly to blame.

No adjustments were made, and Murray even went to the locker room for a bit with a foot injury. He was spectacular to start, but when the pressure was put on due to the mental errors, the Cardinals’ quarterback couldn’t perform.

The rest of the offense followed, and it couldn’t overcome the adversity put on it when the Titans were making their comeback. Petzing’s job has fallen into question, and for good reason, as the offense was simply not good enough for the vast majority of the game.

READ: Key Factors in Cardinals Eye-Opening Loss to Titans

Stock up: Defense setting the tone

Oct 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (20) ris tackled by Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson (34) and defensive tackle Zachary Carter (90) during the first quarter at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Similar to the offense, the defense got out to a solid start, and it even continued well into the second half.

Outside of two field goals allowed in the first half — one of which was caused solely by field position and nothing the defense did — the defense was flawless. It wasn’t until well into the second half when the Titans scored their first touchdown, and their second touchdown, well, that was caused by the fumble on the Taylor-Demerson interception.

The defense allowed the game-winning field goal, which was certainly a knock on its record, but outside of that and the first touchdown drive, the Cardinals’ defense was impressive once again.

The pressure put on Cam Ward was exactly what Arizona set out to do, and the two sacks and four tackles for loss proved that. In a heartbreaking defeat, the defense was hardly the problem.

For the third straight game, the Cardinals lost on a walk-off field goal, but their defense was a bright spot.

Not much else went right for the majority of the game, but if you’re looking for a reason for optimism, look at the defense’s performance before the Cardinals’ eventual collapse.