The Cardinals offense is dial up internet in a house with one phone line while the rest of the league is streaming movies on their whole home WiFi.
First:
The Cardinals outdated offense intentionally shrunk the field at a time in NFL history where teams are spreading the field to maximize their chances of big plays. The Cardinals did nothing to put David Johnson or Christian Kirk in space. The Cardinals offense is dial up internet in a house with one phone line while the rest of the league is streaming movies on their whole home WiFi. The Cardinals may as well store their offense on a floppy disk at this point.
Cardinals have a choice to make: Limiting Bradford’s injury risk or limiting their chances of finishing 2-14.
And 10:
1. The Cult of Sam Bradford is going to be a lonely meeting. Inaccurate and immobile is not exactly modern quarterbacking. A large part of the problem with the offense is it’s designed to insulate Bradford from taking any unnecessary risks. When it comes to the offense’s top priority the Cardinals have a choice to make: Limiting Bradford’s injury risk or limiting their chances of finishing 2-14.
2. WR play was another major concern outside of the great Larry Fitzgerald. Forget about any of these other WR’s making a defense sweat, they don’t even make a defense put on deodorant. The lack of any veteran additions to start opposite Fitz is one of Steve Keim’s most head scratching decision of the last two years and there are plenty to choose from. Add Chad Williams continuing disappearing act and its code blue for the Cardinals WR group.
3. The OL was not great but it also wasn’t anywhere near being the offense’s biggest problem which is the nicest thing I could actually say.. OL units require chemistry to perform at their highest level and with all of the new and healthy faces, it’s going to take some time.
Mike McCoy that caused John Elway to question his QB faith. After one game, Cardinals fans better start praying.
4. I’ve wondered on the show whether the Cardinals were going to get the Mike McCoy that transformed Jake Delhomme, Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow into leaders of capable NFL offenses like some wizard or whether they were going to get the Mike McCoy that caused John Elway to question his QB faith. After one game, Cardinals fans better start praying.
5. Now to the defense - the Cardinals defensive line was bullied by the Redskins rushing attack all afternoon and unfortunately in the NFL there are no safe spaces. Adrian Peterson made the Cardinals feel like the 2017 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.. While Robert Nkemdiche flashed for the first time in his career as a pass rusher, the Cardinals were repeatedly pushed off their spot on the ground. Unfortunately when you have a handful of 300 pound dudes at DL getting pushed around, it’s not an easy problem to fix.
6. Where will the Cardinals get their pass rush? Chandler Jones was dominant last season and one of the few no-doubt-about-it-home-runs for Steve Keim but with a change in scheme, can he repeat last years league leading sack total? The Cardinals depth issues are glaring here in the wake of Markus Golden’s continued absence and even his return doesn’t guarantee a boost given the lingering questions around Golden’s ability to get it done in a 4 man front.
Haason Reddick has been one of Steve Keim’s worst first round picks.
7. Chris Thompson was a Cardinals killer on Sunday. If only the Cardinals had a player in the second level who was young, extremely athletic and drafted in the first round to be the Cardinals own space eating defensive superhero. Haason Reddick has been one of Steve Keim’s worst first round picks. Fifteen of the next 19 picks following Reddick in the 2017 first round made immediate impacts in their rookie seasons and many did so at positions that are a greater need for the Cardinals than LB. And Reddick wasn’t the only former first round LB that failed miserably on Sunday as Deone Bucannon struggled in nearly every facet of the game.
8. The secondary problems other than Patrick Peterson continue to plague the Cardinals for like the 10th year in a row. It feels like Antonio Cromartie played for the Cardinals back when NFL player shoulder pads looked like a kid stuffing two body pillows under his dad’s t-shirt. Jamar Taylor was mistake prone and sloppy. Budda Baker played like the Honey Badger but the Honey Badger with two torn ACL’s. Redskins WR’s only combined for 8 catches and 65 yards but somehow the secondary still managed to undermine most important drives.
Josh Rosen’s stock is already soaring.
9. Bright spots personnel wise? Larry Fitzgerald was his usual reliable, productive self. His ability to bloom in any landfill remains one of footballs all time greatest career stories. Patrick Peterson remains the NFL’s best cornerback. Antoine Bethea makes more plays every game than you expect him to. Josh Bynes has a nose for the football. And Josh Rosen’s stock is already soaring.
On Sunday, you didn’t even need to squint to see that Wilks was the identical twin of Kevin Sumlin.
10. Finally, Steve Wilks. Everyone spent all camp joking about Wilks uncanny resemblance to Denzel Washington. I disagree. On Sunday, you didn’t even need to squint to see that Wilks was the identical twin of Kevin Sumlin. Offenses designed without any seeming consideration for actual personnel, uninspired and at times impotent effort on both sides of the ball, very little emotion on the sideline at any point and a debut so mired in disappointment it’s going to take a lot of time and/or a lot of unexpected wins to be the tomato juice bath for the losing stink their debuts caused. If only the Cardinals had hired Herm Edwards.