Cardinals Coach Gannon Defends Play Calling After 49ers Loss

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon expressed firm support for offensive coordinator Drew Petzing after a challenging game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. During an interview on Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo, Gannon claimed, “I thought the best game he called this year was this one.”

The Cardinals lost to the 49ers 16-15, struggling offensively with a total of 260 yards compared to San Francisco’s 355. Even with more possession time—34 minutes for the Cardinals against 25 for the 49ers—the team’s performance did not meet expectations.

Through three games, the Cardinals rank 19th in the NFL in points (20.7) and 25th in yards (276.3) per game. Gannon acknowledged the team’s issues, stating, “There are definitely some issues with our offense. Our run game is not efficient enough.” He emphasized the need for improvement in both running and passing efficiency.

Gannon noted, “We have to play a little bit better to score more points.” The coach admitted that many offensive plays were not effective, citing that out of 24 running plays called, 17 were not executed efficiently. He attributed some struggles to individual performances, particularly on third downs, where the Cardinals have converted just 37.8% of their attempts.

The Cardinals now face the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night, and they will have to prepare without running back James Conner, who is out for the season due to a foot injury. Gannon remains confident in his team’s ability to address their shortcomings on a short week.

“We need to control our technique and fundamentals better than what we’re doing right now,” Gannon said. “It’s correctable. We just got to correct them as soon as possible.”