J.J. Watt rushed back from midseason shoulder surgery to rejoin the Arizona Cardinals for the postseason.
His return was supposed to be a heroic one and fans may have been fantasizing about one big play from the veteran being the ultimate difference.
But it was not meant to be.
The Cardinals offense looked like a high school squad and the Los Angeles Rams took home an easy 34-11 win.
Arizona was the NFL’s last unbeaten team at 7-0 and looked like a real contender for much of the season.
Then came a vintage Kliff Kingsbury collapse that culminated with a snoozer of a playoff game.
Watt spoke after the game and summed up the season in the best way possible.
J.J. Watt on the #AZCardinals season:
"It was a massive failure, from what we were capable of doing, to what we showed we can do, to today. There is no other way to describe it."
— Darren Urban (@Cardschatter) January 18, 2022
Watt described the Cardinals’ year as a “massive failure,” which is spot on analysis that everyone was thinking.
A Failure All Around
The Cardinals battled through injuries and adversity all season to finish at 11-6.
They played without Watt, Kyler Murray, DeAndre Hopkins, and many others for stretches of the season.
The team even sat at 10-2, seemingly looking like the NFC’s and perhaps the NFL’s top team.
But a 1-4 finish followed that included a 30-12 beatdown at the hands of the Detroit Lions.
That game alone raised major red flags about this Cardinals team.
Watt has to be extremely upset about working so hard to return, only to have his team suffer such an ugly loss.
They did not look like a playoff team and Murray’s pick-6 summed up the game in general.
RAMS PICK OFF KYLER MURRAY FOR SIX! 😲 pic.twitter.com/fV8PW1djFH
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 18, 2022
Watt is under contract in 2022 as fans are left wondering what the direction of this team will be.
Could Kingsbury get fired?
Is Murray still worthy of a massive extension?
There are so many questions and only frustration after what initially appeared to be a season of destiny in Arizona.
NEXT: Kliff Kingsbury Continues His Disturbing Trend As A Head Coach