AP

The Cardinals had plenty of time with 6:33 remaining and down only 24-21. So coach Bruce Arians’ decision to go for it on fourth-and-one at his own 34-yard line was curious at the time.

After Adrian Peterson was stuffed and the Texans scored on the next play, Arians’ decision invited second-guessing.

Count Arians among the critics of his decision.

“It’s very simple: I cost our team the game,” Arians said, via postgame quotes distributed by the Texans. “Trust is a funny thing sometimes when you can’t get it to fit. You deserve to lose, especially when you make the decision I made and the play I called. So, there’s your headline. You can write it. It comes down to that call. At that point in the game, in retrospect, we should have punted.”

The Cardinals trailed 24-21 when Peterson was stopped for a one-yard loss by Jadeveon Clowney and Zach Cunningham on fourth-and-one. Texans running back D'Onta Foreman scored on a 34-yard touchdown run on the next play.

“It’s obvious. I thought we’d make it,” Arians said when asked why go for it. “I don’t call it if I don’t think it’s going to make it. I trusted Adrian, and we just turned too many guys loose up the middle.”

Peterson gained only 26 yards on 14 carries in the Cardinals’ 31-21 loss.