Ep. 838 - On this first day of 2025, the focus remains on 2024, at least in terms of the football season. Yes, the calendar has flipped to the new year, but there remains one more game to be played before the new season can be discussed. With that said, however, Craig Grialou and Dani Sureck talk about what they'd like to see in the regular-season finale that may carryover to next season, i.e., the chemistry between Kyler Murray and his wide receivers (namely Marvin Harrison Jr.). Also, Craig and Dani react to the breaking news that James Conner will not play against the San Francisco 49ers, and what that may mean for Michael Carter and the rest of the running back room. Plus, will the Cardinals see a familiar face as QB1 for the Niners? Will it be Joshua Dobbs against his former team?

Ep. 839 - It is the last Football Friday of the 2024 season. So, how do you want to go out? How do you want to be remembered? With a win, of course. The Cardinals will look to do just that on Sunday. They host the San Francisco 49ers in the regular-season finale. Craig Grialou and Zach Gershman discuss why a win in Week 18 matters to the coaches and to the players, and why it should matter to the fans. Plus, as the guys have done all season, they head into enemy territory. Lindsey Pallares, team reporter for 49ers.com, joins the show. The 49ers are coming off a short week; they're banged up; and they'll be quarterbacked by a familiar face, Joshua Dobbs, who was QB1 for eight games just last season as the Cardinals waited for the return of a healthy Kyler Murray.

Ep. 837 - Heart-breaking. There's no other way to describe it. The win was there until it wasn't. And that's been the story of the Arizona Cardinals' season more times than not in 2024. Craig Grialou and Paul Calvisi, aka Paulie Play-By-Play, look back at the 13-9 loss on Saturday night in Los Angeles. For much of the game, the offense looked good; in fact, the numbers said as much. Defensively, the same thing. The Cardinals played well enough to win, but the only thing that matters in sports is did you score more points than your opponent. The Cardinals did not. The guys discuss everything. Plus, Paul hands out his weekly Angry Bird Award; and this week, it goes to a player who stepped up his game in the absence of his teammate.

Ep. 836 - So, the stakes are not as high as we all had hoped, but there is still plenty on the line coming up on Saturday night in Los Angeles. Craig Grialou and Zach Gershman look ahead to the Week 17 matchup against the Rams, an opponent the Cardinals have not seen since early September. A lot has changed since then, which is discussed when Jourdan Rodrigue joins the show, as she did ahead of Week 2. Rodrigue covers the Rams for The Athletic. Before that conversation, though, Craig and Zach have a conversation about where the Cardinals are at, coming off the loss at Carolina that eliminated them from playoff contention; what can still be accomplished over the final two games; plus, who is and who isn't available to play this weekend.

Ep. 835 - And that's the sad reality, unfortunately. Losing at Carolina plus the Rams winning at the New York Jets equaled playoff elimination for the Cardinals. So, what happened? How did the Cardinals fall to a three-win team (at the time) in a got-to-have-it game? Craig Grialou and Paul Calvisi discuss the 36-30 defeat to the Panthers in overtime. Yes, injuries were a factor; too many penalties, especially at the start of the game; the run defense was not great. The Cardinals dug themselves a 17-point hole halfway through the second quarter before digging themselves out thanks to James Conner (before he got hurt; Conner, by the way, earned Paul's Angry Bird Award) and the right leg of Chad Ryland. And now, with two games left, the Cardinals are forced to play the role of spoiler.

Ep. 834 - The Cardinals took care of business last week, beating a three-win opponent. They face another three-win opponent this week. Craig Grialou and Zach Gershman, before he heads to the airport to join the team on its flight to Carolina, discuss the game against the Panthers coming up on Sunday. What are the key matchups? What must the Cardinals do in order to win to help keep their playoff hopes alive? (Spoiler alert: run the football.) Also, they are joined by Darin Gantt, senior writer for panthers-dot-com, as they head into enemy territory ahead of Week 16. Before any of those conversations, however, Craig and Zach react to the injury report: two starters and two key backups will not play in the game.

Ep. 833 - One of the bigger questions this offseason has been answered in-season: Budda Baker isn't going anywhere. He and the Cardinals reached agreement on a three-year contract extension, keeping him in Arizona through the 2027 season. Craig Grialou and Dani Sureck react to the news. They then discuss why the team rewarded the player, and maybe more importantly, the person; what the extension says about where the team is headed; and what GM Monti Ossenfort is building after extensions to Baker, James Conner, Hjalte Froholdt and Zaven Collins. Plus, Craig and Dani go over the roster moves made on Wednesday and wonder if it's too early in the week to worry about Paris Johnson Jr. missing Wednesday's practice because of a knee injury.

Ep. 832 - It was a much-needed win on Sunday. No, it wasn't perfect. But thanks to the play of James Conner and Trey McBride, the Cardinals "stayed relevant" in the playoff hunt, according to head coach Jonathan Gannon. And let's not forget the defense. In fact, that's where Craig Grialou and Dani Sureck begin their discussion when looking back at the 30-17 victory over the New England Patriots. The defense played well despite losing Mack Wilson Sr. and Jesse Luketa five plays into the first quarter; a number of players stepped up in their absence. And, yes, the Cardinals got lucky - and there's nothing wrong with that - from an interception that wasn't to a fumble that turned into a touchdown, for a second time this season. Playoff football remains a very real possibility.