"Schematically, we were kind of f***ed" - Kyler Murray throws Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury under the bus, blames 4th down interception on scheme 

Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals suffered a close 25-24 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers at home on Sunday. Arizona led by seven points with only 18 seconds left in the game, but an Austin Ekeler touchdown gave the Chargers the opportunity to tie the game.

Instead of attempting an extra point kick to force overtime, the Chargers went for two and converted to take the lead with only 15 seconds left in the game. Here's the touchdown:

And here is the two-point conversion:

With so little time to respond, Arizona ended up losing the game by a point. This was made worse by the fact that they were in the driver's seat for most of the first and second quarters. However, midway through the second period, a massive error from the Cardinals' offense turned the tide of the contest. Facing a fourth-and-one from their own 35-yard line, the Cardinals decided to go for it.

Instead of keeping it on the ground with running back James Conner, Kyler Murray aired the ball out to DeAndre Hopkins. Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. read the play and intercepted the pass.

The Chargers took full advantage of the break and scored the go-ahead touchdown. In hindsight, running the ball with Conner or Murray or simply punting it away would have been the wiser option. Hindsight is always 20-20, but this one really hurt Arizona's chances this season.

In the post-game press conference, Murray was asked about the play. He responded:

"That wasn't even supposed [to go to] Hop. Schematically we were kinda f***ed."

Kyler Murray's response was interpreted as a jibe at head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who is likely walking on thin ice.

The Arizona Cardinals' playoff hopes may have been extinguished

With this loss, the Arizona Cardinals dropped to 4-8 for the season. The San Francisco 49ers hold a 4.5-game lead over Arizona in the race for the NFC West division title. The Seattle Seahawks are in second place with a 6-5 record. Barring a complete meltdown by both teams and a dramatic change of fortune, Arizona won't win the NFC West.

The Cardinals will have to run the table and hope teams currently occupying the wildcard positions have a disastrous end to their campaigns. In summary, their playoff hopes were all but dashed after this loss. Coach Kliff Kingsbury will have to finish the season strong to retain his place as head coach next season or he could be on his way out of Arizona at the end of the 2022 campaign.