The Arizona Cardinals entered Week 16 with some playoff hopes. They were 7-7 and trailed the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams by a game. A win over the 3-11 Carolina Panthers would set up a critical Week 18 Saturday night game with the Rams, no matter what happened in other games.
However, the one scenario that could eliminate the Cardinals happened. A loss to the Panthers and a win by the Rams over the New York Jets would eliminate Arizona from being able to win the NFC West and make the postseason.
Unfortunately, that is what happened.
The Rams beat the Jets 19-9 behind two New York turnovers and 122 yards and a touchdown by Kyren Williams. Then, the Cardinals lost in overtime to the Panthers 36-30, as Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard, who had 152 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the game, had a 21-yard touchdown to end the game.
With two games to go, the Cardinals are 7-8 and face the Rams on the road and the San Francisco 49ers at home.
It seals yet another season without the postseason. Since the Cardinals moved to Arizona, they have made the playoffs only six times and only once since 2015.
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