Dave Jones said: "We just didn't turn up today. The only people who turned up were the fans. They were fantastic.
"Maybe it's all caught up with us. I didn't think we did the basics that we have been doing all season.
"We talked of not giving away silly free kicks and then we give away two. All of a sudden you are 3-0 down and trying to chase the game. I don't think that Preston had to work really hard to get the result. In the second half we looked as if we were going through the motions."
Jones continued: "It was a big job for us today. Maybe one or two of the players thought they had already done it and talking of being on the beach in May and all this rubbish. Maybe it's a kick up the backside for one or two of them.
"Nobody saw it coming. We have to dust ourselves down and start again. Mathematically it's still not impossible.
"There are still a lot of twists and turns. It is one defeat in five or six games and maybe it was due to happen.
"I just didn't see it coming and the way that it did come. Maybe we can now turn a negative into a positive and get one or two back down to earth, feet on the ground and get them doing what they were doing for 40-odd games.
"We have done things today we don't do in training. We were so wide open."
Preston notched up their best ever win under Alan Irvine. The last time they scored six was in 2001 at home to Stockport.
Irvine said: "It's still not in our hands. We are waiting to see what happens. We have kept ourselves in with a chance.
"Before the game the gist of my talk to them was that it's now or never, that they had to go out and do the job.
"But I certainly didn't see this coming. I don't think anyone would have imagined that happening for a moment.
"I don't think Cardiff deserved that either. They are a terrific team full of really good players. I'm sure they will bounce back in the remaining games to come.
"If they are in the play-offs they will be formidable opponents for anybody. They are in a much better position than we are at the moment.
"We went 2-0 up and I felt that was probably a bit harsh on Cardiff. They were probably the better team in the first half and we got our goals pretty much against the run of play.
"The penalty save by Andy Lonergan I felt was a key moment. Also I had made a decision to put our two wide players on opposite wings, to do something a little bit unexpected perhaps that Cardiff would not be prepared for. It worked, but on another day it might not have.
"I am delighted with the way the lads have responded since the Blackpool game a week ago. That was probably the lowest time here that I have certainly felt."