Cardinals defend Kliff Kingsbury as head coach after abysmal playoff loss to Rams
Following the playoff exit on Monday night, several Arizona Cardinals players defended their coach Kliff Kingsbury to reporters on Tuesday.
Kingsbury has been a target among NFL fans on social media and writers after Arizona dropped five of its final six games, including its season-ending rout by NFC West rival Los Angeles Rams 34-11 in the wild-card playoff round.
Offensive lineman and co-captain D.J. Humphries promptly answered "yes" if he feels Kingsbury is the right head coach for the team.
Kingsbury has a history of stellar starts and crash landings by the teams he's coached.
He was fired from Texas Tech after he built a 35-40 record from 2013 to 2018, and went 19-30 during those season's second halves.
In his three years with the Cardinals, he's built a 15-5-1 record through the first seven weeks of each season, but they've dwindled down the stretch to 9-19.
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That includes a 7-0 start this season. The Cardinals had the league's best record in Weeks 4 through 12, then dropped three consecutive chances in December to clinch a playoff spot, losing to the Rams, Detroit Lions, and Indianapolis Colts. The Cardinals finished at 11-7, and reached their first postseason appearance since 2015.
Kingsbury said Cardinals management will "do a deep dive" evaluating his coaching staff over the next few days, and hasn't done research on why his teams trend downward in the latter stages of seasons.
Kingsbury attributed what Kyler Murray and J.J. Watt titled the team's "massive failure" after losing in the playoffs to injuries suffered by their top players — DeAndre Hopkins, Murray and Watt. They missed a combined 20 games after their Week 7 win over the Houston Texans on Oct. 24.
"We started hot, there's no doubt," Kingsbury said. "I think Week 7, 8, you lose Hop, you lose J.J., you lose K-1 (Murray), that obviously makes it tough. I thought we did a good job overcoming adversity there, going 2-1 with Colt (McCoy), winning two big road games in the division, and then later on when adversity struck we didn't respond as well."
Cardinals wideout Antoine Wesley, who played for Kingsbury at Texas Tech, supported him longtime coach who helped add him to the Cardinals roster this season.
“It’s not a consistent issue. I feel that the team we get off track and we need to stay on track and make sure we have his back," Wesley said. "So, I don’t think it’s a consistent thing. It’s more of an ‘us’ thing than a ‘him’ thing.”
Cardinals veteran inside linebacker Jordan Hicks said he and Kingsbury have grown closer in their working relationship, and has helped "calm me down at times" when Hicks dealt with being told by general manager Steve Keim he'd lose his starting spot to rookie Zaven Collins during training camp and was given permission to request a trade.
"He’s been really good for me through that whole process, so it’s been a pleasure working for him and working with him," Hicks said. "He’s a great coach. I love being around him, his intensity, his ability to lead. I’ve had nothing but awesome experiences with him.”
Kingsbury has one year left on his four-year contract.
Zach Ertz, who played 12 games for the Cardinals after he was traded from the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 15, believes Kingsbury should retain his post and not change what he's been building.
“I think you’ve seen the progress the past three years, going from three wins before he got here to five wins, to eight wins to 11 wins,” Ertz said. “He’s so, so smart offensively, and I think he’s just continuing to get better, from what I’ve heard, in terms of leadership and just managing this football team. Each and every year it’s improved.
"And I think he’s one of the best offensive minds in this league. And he’s got a quarterback that’s perfect for him and his system, and they're gonna win a lot of games together."
Have tips for us? Reach the reporter at dana.scott@azcentral.com. Follow his Twitter @iam_DanaScott.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kliff Kingsbury has Cardinals players' support after NFL playoffs loss
