It's hard being a Cardinal out there these days.
As receiver Larry Fitzgerald noted last week, fans want to know when the team would stop losing, when the offense would stop floundering, if the playoffs were still possible.
Michael Bidwill, team president, hears it, too. Five consecutive losses - the team's longest losing streak in four years - have dropped the Cardinals to 3-7 and to the bottom of the NFC West.
Fans are frustrated, and Bidwill knows it.
"Absolutely," he said Tuesday. "I'm a fan and this is really frustrating to all of us. I know the guys are working hard and we're trying to get this thing rectified. The good news is we're only two games out of first, but we have to focus on getting out there on Monday (vs. the 49ers), against an NFC West opponent, and take care of business."
Like many people, Bidwill was taken aback by the team's struggles this season. A dip after consecutive winning seasons and NFC titles? Sure. A spiral into the basement of the NFL's worst division? Never.
"I'm a fan and this is really frustrating," he said. "We are going to get through these challenging times and we'll do it together. This team continues to have fight in it."
On Tuesday, Bidwill wasn't about to say anything bold enough to be tweeted 10 seconds later.
He declined to discuss player-personnel issues, such as the decisions that led to starting Derek Anderson at quarterback. He also refused to discuss broader issues, especially if his potential answer could be construed as criticism of those working under him: General Manager Rod Graves and coach Ken Whisenhunt.
Bidwill wasn't about to answer questions about the off-season pursuit of a quarterback or the potential firing of assistant coaches.
He brushed off even the broadest question: Is this team underachieving, or did those in power misjudge talent?
"I'll probably defer those kinds of questions to Ken and Rod Graves," Bidwill said. "I feel like we've got a lot of talent on the team. We're not just getting it done."
This team has shown few signs of being able to get it done. The Cardinals have their longest losing streak since 2006.
Three of those losses were against teams that are now .500 or worse, so it's not as if the Cardinals have been burdened by a difficult schedule.
As torturous as the present is, the Cardinals do have hope for the rest of this season and beyond. Whisenhunt has proven he can lead a team through difficult times. The NFC West is horrible, so the Cardinals remain in contention.
And more fans than ever seem to care. It wasn't long ago that only 20,000 or so bothered to attend games at Sun Devil Stadium.
Bidwill did say he thinks the team has the organizational structure in place to fix what's gone wrong. Of course, that's what you would expect him to say, given that last year he extended the contracts of Whisenhunt and Graves through 2013.
"This is the structure that got us success in years past," Bidwill said. "I think when you step back from it and look at teams in the NFL, they will go through cycles, including good teams.
"When it's happening to you, it's very frustrating. We're trying to work our way through it and hope that we can get it rectified. I think the important thing is we stay focused . . . and not over-react. We've had some close games and made some mistakes. What we've got to do is work on fixing those and not getting ahead of ourselves."
Patient is a word rarely used to describe Bidwill, however. Though Bidwill refuses to make public his opinions about the quarterback situation, the defensive deficiencies and the performance of the coaching staff, Whisenhunt and Graves probably have heard from him already.
Bidwill is, as he says, a fan, too.
Note
The Cardinals on Tuesday placed linebacker Will Davis (leg) on injured reserve, re-signed wide receiver Max Komar, elevated cornerback Marshay Green from the practice squad to the 53-man roster and released running back Alfonso Smith.
Coach's corner: Ken Whisenhunt
"When we were winning three games in a row last year, we were making mistakes, but we were overcoming those. We're now making mistakes that we're not able to overcome. We're not able to come back offensively like we have been able to in the past. Some of it is attributed to our guys maybe trying to play too perfect. We get to a point where we're so worried about making a mistake that maybe we make mistakes."
Stat pack
Losing streaks haven't been uncommon for the Cardinals during their time in Arizona. In 23 seasons, they have lost at least five consecutive games 10 times.
8 losses: 1991, 2006.
7 losses: 2000, 2003.
6 losses: 1989, 1997, 2002.
5 losses: 1988, 1990, 2010.
Numbers
Kicker Jay Feely hasn't received much attention but he's quietly having a solid season. He has made 11 of 12 field goal attempts, with his only miss coming from 54 yards. He has 13 touchbacks. His percentage of touchbacks per kickoff (32.5) is fifth in the NFL.
- The Cardinals rank 31st in converting third downs, doing so just 28.8 percent of the time. Only the Redskins (25.2) are worse.
- Quarterback Derek Anderson ranks next to last in the league in touchdowns per pass attempt, 2.6 percent. Among starters, only Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck (2.5) is worse.
