The Arizona Cardinals find themselves in another season without making the playoffs, and while it was due to close games not going their way, it’s been a slog ever since.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon’s team has been declining on defense, allowing 40 or more points in four of their last six games, all of which have been losses.
One of the main culprits defensively is the Cardinals’ lack of tackling. They rank the lowest of any team in the NFL in that category, per Pro Football Focus.
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But Gannon believes that NFL rules have a part to play in his team’s struggles.
"How the rules are set up, it’s hard to get better as a tackler being in the NFL, I’ll say that" Gannon said, per ESPN.
With many missed tackles on tape from a 40-20 loss to the Houston Texans over the weekend during the Cardinals' 11th in 12 games, Gannon told reporters tackling was a topic of conversation among his staff this week.
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He added that the Cardinals have tackling drills at practice, but he maintains there is "no drill you can do that can mimic a game."
ESPN Research found that the Cardinals have allowed 40 rushes of at least five yards after first contact, which ranks third-most in the league.
The league, however, does limit padded practices to just 14 during the regular season, and 11 of them must be in the first 11 weeks of the season, according to the league’s 2020 collective bargaining agreement.
With players needing to hone their skills in the tackling department and having little opportunity to do so, Gannon sees a lack of developmental opportunities for his squad.
"The rules are the rules," Gannon replied when asked if he would like to see these rules changed.
Gannon even said it’s like telling PGA Tour star Scottie Scheffler that he can’t practice his wedges.
"It’s set up how it’s set up. That’s fine," Gannon explained. "But to get better at a skill, you have to practice the skill. You practice skill, you can scale it, you can scale the tempo, you can scale how you do it. But to practice a skill, you need to practice the skill.
"So, it’s a conundrum I think all defensive guys face, and there’s risk-reward to trying to practice it with it however you set things up."
Of course, every team is in the same position as the Cardinals with the league-wide rules.
"A lot of people think you can’t practice it. You better just acquire people that can tackle because you ain’t going to help them at all," Gannon added. "That’s a thought process, too. To each their own. But it’s a challenge."
With a 3-11 record and no playoffs in sight, the Cardinals are evaluating everyone on their roster in these remaining three games. Gannon and his staff hope tackling, and all phases, improve to snap their losing streak.
It starts Sunday with the Atlanta Falcons, who possess one of the most explosive running backs in the league, Bijan Robinson.
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