Playing what was technically considered a ‘home’ game on Monday Night Football, the Arizona Cardinals were absolutely embarrassed in a 38-10 blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers. It didn’t help that starting quarterback Kyler Murray missed the contest with a hamstring injury, but All-Pro safety Budda Baker suggests the players who did take the field didn’t bring their best.
While the end result was a 28-point beatdown, there was a point when the Cardinals trailed by just four points in the second quarter. Where did it all go wrong?
As mentioned, one Arizona safety has a pretty good idea, or at least he thinks he does.
Budda Baker points the blame at Arizona Cardinals teammates
The Cardinals managed to get the score to 14-10 in the second quarter, but the Arizona offense apparently went to bed after that, as the 49ers scored 24 unanswered points the rest of the way.
Perhaps still heated following the loss to their NFC West division rivals, Budda Baker was asked after the game if he thought his teammates gave it their all. Here’s what he said:
“No, I don’t . . . At the end of the day we’re all grown men,” Baker said. “Women lie, men lie, that film never lies. Whatever the film says is what it is.”
Arizona Cardinals Budda Baker on his teammates’ lack of effort
While the Cardinals can get back to the drawing board, take a look at the tape and see which schematic errors they may have made, they cannot coach effort. Yet, as Baker mentioned, “that film never lies.”
It won’t be hard to see who was loafing, playing in the elevated elevation in Mexico City at Estadio Azteca, where the air is so thin, making it harder to breathe. But still, these are professional athletes in tip-top shape. They should be prepared, no matter what.
At the end of the day, both the 49ers and Cardinals played in the same conditions, so for one team to seemingly show up only for the other to give less than 100%, well, it’s not a good look. But the 49ers were more prepared, thanks to spending the previous week practicing in Colorado, trying to prepare for the air adjustment.
Still, Baker has a right to be mad. His Cardinals have slipped to 4-7. Meanwhile, they allowed the 49ers to grab a hold of the division lead.
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