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TAMPA, Fla. — It does not seem to matter how close the Arizona Cardinals get. It does not seem to matter what they do well or what they do poorly. It does not seem to matter who their opponent is or where the game is played.

No matter the circumstances, the results are consistent. These Cardinals, now 3-9 and officially eliminated in a season that began with playoff hopes, manage to find a way to lose.

In that sense, their 20-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Nov. 30, brought a fresh version of a familiar story.

With 1:49 to play, the Cardinals got the ball on their 10-yard line, needing a field goal to tie or a touchdown to win. It was a situation in which this team earned a master’s degree in losing.

This time, they could not even conjure up a first down. When Jacoby Brissett’s final pass clattered incomplete, the Cardinals fell to 0-7 in games decided by four points or fewer. No NFL team has ever begun a season with a worse record in such games. The Buccaneers, meanwhile, are now 5-0 in those contests.

“We've only won three games since September,� defensive lineman Darius Robinson said. “That's terrible.�

Here are five key takeaways.

Players defend Gannon

After the game, Brissett was asked for his message to a fan base that would be justified in tuning out — in finding another use for its Sundays.

He began by discussing the Cardinals’ effort and their togetherness. Then, he offered this.

“We have the right man in charge in JG,� Brissett said, of head coach Jonathan Gannon.

Nearly three years into his tenure, Gannon is now 15-31. If he returns in 2026, he will become just the second head coach in the past decade to be given a fourth season without once finishing above .500.

But in the locker room, Brissett’s message was shared by his teammates.

“JG is phenomenal,� Robinson said. “Great leader. He's perfect. It's us. We're the problem.�

Both Brissett and Robinson credited Gannon with keeping the locker room together during this lost season.

“His attitude and his energy never wavers,� Brissett said. “We play hard, it's 'cause we play hard for him. He brings that out of us, and we've just gotta clean it up and find ways to get wins.�

Wasted opportunities

Early in the third quarter, the Cardinals found themselves in plus territory with a chance to tie the game. It was the type of opportunity that good teams wrap their hands around and grab hold of, clawing their way back into the game.

Instead, the Cardinals' ensuing sequence was emblematic of a 3-9 team.

On third down, Brissett had Trey McBride wide open over the middle as McBride ran a short hook route with no defender in the vicinity. But Brissett opted to try Marvin Harrison Jr., who was running a go route along the right sideline. Harrison had a half-step on his defender, but it was still a difficult throw — in contrast to the virtually guaranteed first down to McBride. Brissett wasn’t able to make the play, and Arizona had to settle for a field goal.

“We got one of our best players vs. a guy one on one,� Brissett said. “I just gotta make a better throw.�

Then, on a 43-yard field goal attempt, Chad Ryland pushed his kick wide right. It was his third miss to the right in as many weeks, which the Fox broadcast attributed to the angle of his foot at impact.

That wasn’t the only sequence on which the Cardinals squandered an opportunity for points. On their first possession of the game, Brissett threw an interception into double coverage to squash a 73-yard drive. The first possession of the second half was a similar story, as Bam Knight fumbled at midfield under minimal contact.

Arizona was also stopped in a pair of fourth-and-short situations late in the game.

Those moments, put together, are how the Cardinals have built a habit of painfully close losses.

“It starts with us coaches making sure that we're on the details,� Gannon said. “And start converting more of those plays so we can win.�

Pressure disparity

There was a scene that repeated itself all afternoon at Raymond James Stadium. Brissett would drop back to pass and have pressure in his face before he could even scan his eyes downfield in search of a receiver.

By the second half, Brissett adapted, getting the ball out quicker, to his running backs and tight ends underneath. Those players did what they could with the opportunities, helping the Cardinals’ offense find some semblance of a rhythm.

“We just settled down,� Brissett said. “The bad part is, against a good team like that, you can't wait until the second half.�

And even then, it remained clear that this passing attack couldn’t unlock the deep looks that it wanted — at least not consistently. Whenever they tried, pressure arrived in Brissett’s face, forcing him to escape, throw the ball away or take sacks.

Meanwhile, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield seemed to have unlimited time to throw — unless Josh Sweat was operating his one-man show, forcing his way into the pocket. That time repeatedly enabled him to scan the field, waiting until receivers came open.

Brissett did not have that luxury.

And like so many aspects of this loss, it was a familiar story. The Cardinals have not had enough production out of the trenches this season, offense or defense.

Tackling woes continue

Entering this week, Pro Football Focus graded the Cardinals as the worst tackling team in the NFL. As a team, they had missed 114 tackles — just over 10 per game.

That number ticked up against the Buccaneers. PFF’s initial charting charged the Cardinals with 16 missed tackles, including three from safety Budda Baker, who now leads the team with 14 on the year.

One play, on the first drive of the game, was particularly telling.

With the Buccaneers facing a third-and-9, the Cardinals twice got two hands on Mayfield. First, Baker whiffed on a sack after defensive coordinator Nick Rallis had schemed him up as a free rusher. Then, safety Jalen Thompson seemingly had Mayfield wrapped up well short of the sticks, only to let him escape for a first down.

“They've got some good players over there,� Gannon said. “But there's no doubt that when we get to the ball, the ball has to go down a little bit better.�

Marvin Harrison Jr. steps back into WR1 role

During Harrison’s two-game absence with appendicitis, Michael Wilson stepped up in a way that Harrison never has. He finished those two games with 25 catches for 303 yards, a ridiculous stretch of production that raised inevitable questions: Why has Harrison never done this? Is Wilson the better option?

But in his return, Harrison made an impressive statement, with six catches for 69 yards, despite exiting late with a heel injury. When Brissett needed him, on key third downs and deep one-on-one routes, Harrison was there, getting open and making important catches.

“He came out, did a lot of good things,� Brissett said. “Played hard. I thought he was running well.�

Statistically, it might not have been so outlandish as Wilson’s performances over the past two weeks, but there are more mouths to feed now, with three high-level pass catchers healthy. That’s a good problem to have, and it will be one of the main reasons for optimism in 2026.