At the heart of his team, Cardinals General Manager Steve Keim thinks he has a pretty good idea he will have his top trio back next season. Asked Monday on his appearance on the "Doug and Wolf" show on Arizona Sports 98.7, Keim said "I know Coach (Bruce Arians) is coming back." He did say Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald should be asked directly, but "based on conversations I had with them in training camp, I'd be surprised if they didn't play next year."

Of course, that's next year, and the subject of next year is on the table because after Sunday's loss, this year is down to three games with the playoffs all but out of the question.

Keim said this feeling doesn't compare to the embarrassment he felt during that 58-0 loss in Seattle in late 2012, right before he got the GM job. "This is a constant frustration. I have a hard time putting your finger on issues as a whole. It starts with attention to detail, and ... guys we were counting on to make big plays have not shown up with any consistency. That's also very alarming for me."

What about going forward?

"I have a pretty good feel (for what I want to do)," Keim said. "I really do feel like our core talent on offense and on defense is in place. ... These last three games are critical for a lot of reasons. I want to identify who loves it. Which guys are passionate about the game. Who are our top competitors? If you're not going to compete and not play with passion you're not going to be on this roster in 2017."

-- While Keim said he was proud of the team for fighting back in the fourth quarter, there was plenty to improve. "The one thing I struggle with is the missed tackles," he said, adding that technique is involved but he also sees it as a matter of want-to.

-- The patchwork offensive line was up and down, particularly the right side. He liked how both money linebacker Deone Bucannon and left tackle D.J. Humphries were playing before their injuries (ankle and concussion, respectively). He thought newcomer Sio Moore made a couple of nice plays, and also noticed rookie cornerback Brandon Williams, who ended up playing 18 defensive snaps because of all the injuries. That was the most time Williams has spent on defense since the opener.

-- Keim's special teams evaluation: "Guys that we counted on, not getting it done. Starts with the snapper. It was an issue earlier in the year and we made the change, and I thought Aaron (Brewer) for most part done done a pretty good job. I don't know how much the conditions had to do with it but he had a few rough snaps (Sunday). But Chandler (Catanzaro) still has to make kicks and he has to show more consistency. Same goes for Drew Butler. Those positions will obviously be evaluated and if we need to make changes, we will do it."

-- When it comes to leadership, Keim said that for the most part, the message is stronger coming from the locker room than coaches. And one issue that could be a factor goes back to what Keim said earlier, that guys the Cardinals were counting on to play well have not. The best leaders also play well. If the Cards' top leaders aren't playing well, it likely impacts the attempted leadership.

-- Keim finished off by thanking the fans for the season despite the Cardinals failing to live up to expectations. He noted the tons of Cardinals fans in Miami for the game. That was something I noticed too -- there was an appreciable roar from the stands on the Cards' final TD and subsequent two-point conversion.