The short version of the Cardinals’ 4th quarter meltdowns is that Kliff Kingsbury has been trying to succeed in close games by having his offense run out the clock and be in position to make the game winning FG or TD, ideally with 0:00 on the clock.
The concept is understandable—-only if, however, Kingsbury can rely on 5 things:
1—-good, crisp interior run blocking
2—-being able to convert 3rd and 4th downs in short yardage situations
3—-going penalty free, or at least being able to recover from penalties to still move the chains
4—-a clutch FG kicker
5—-a clutch defense that can close out the win
All of these five elements have one thing in common—-they have to be performed under the highest of pressure—-but—-as Diana Ross of The Supremes said so aptly:
“Pressure can burst pipes or make you a diamond.