The offense played poorly. They were coached poorly. The Cardinals were a bad team but the one thing they could do (5th in DVOA) was defend the pass. McCarthy and Rodgers responded by calling a run 20 times, and having Rodgers throw it 53 (he chose to scramble three times). It was inexcusable.
The defense played OK, especially considering the personnel hole the team is in due to multiple injuries to starters on that side of the ball. That effort, though, wasn't good enough. The Cardinals are the worst offense in the NFL, and they convereted a gotta-have-it 4th and 23.