An incomplete pass in the last minutes of overtime was the margin between the 27-24 loss between the Arizona Cardinals and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Yet, the coach doesn’t regret the play. The craziness in the Week 12 game reached its peak at the 4:07 mark in overtime. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett launched the ball from the Jaguars’ 42-yard line to the receiver Xavier Weaver.

“They played double-double. So, I threw it to the one-on-one,” Gannon said in the post-game conference. “Love the decision. Go win the game.”

Naturally, everyone also wanted to know the quarterback’s stance on the final play

“Trying to go win a game,” Brissett said. “Was the coverage for him? I got to make a better throw.”

The Jags were ahead 27-24, and the Cardinals needed a field goal to extend the overtime. But the 60-yard range might have been risky for their kicker, Chad Ryland, whose longest field goal record is from 58 yards. The other option was to score a touchdown. When the signal caller threw the ball, Weaver was under pressure.

Safety Andrew Wingard came from inside the field from Weaver’s right, and both players tackled the receiver as the ball fell incomplete. The deep pass failed, marking three consecutive losses. There were just two ways to avoid the loss, and the QB threw the ball deep.

While the final moment was thrilling, the team did not use the earlier chances in the game, creating trouble for themselves and taking the game to overtime.

Jonathan Gannon & Co. missed multiple chances

The Cardinals struck first with a big defensive play. Late in the first quarter, Trevor Lawrence fumbled under pressure, and defensive end Walter Nolen III scooped it up for a touchdown, giving Arizona an early boost. The Jaguars, however, refused to fold. Despite throwing three interceptions in the game, Lawrence and Jacksonville kept responding. Two of those picks came in the third quarter, yet the team’s resilience showed as they battled back.

In the fourth quarter, the Cardinals capitalized on another turnover, scoring a touchdown to pull within reach. But the Jaguars quickly reclaimed the lead on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Lawrence to Parker Washington, showing their knack for finishing drives when it mattered most.

Quarterback Jacoby Brissett faced relentless pressure from Jacksonville’s defense, surrendering six sacks but protecting the football cleanly. Late in the second quarter, Brissett overthrew a pass to Xavier Weaver in the end zone on a critical third-and-seven at the Jaguars’ 15-yard line. Kicker Chad Ryland followed with a 33-yard field goal attempt that missed, leaving points off the board.

Two years ago, Jonathan Gannon’s first season in Arizona ended with a 4–13 record. Last year, the Cardinals improved to 8–9 but still missed the playoffs. Heading into 2025, expectations were higher, yet another season of missed opportunities is shaping up, raising questions about whether immediate strategic adjustments are needed to avoid slipping back toward past struggles.

If there’s hope, the Cardinals have to perform against the Buccaneers and Rams in the next two games to keep even a sliver of a playoff chance alive.