The game on Monday Night was a test to see what we have in our 2017 Arizona Cardinals. Well, as the old adage goes, “what you see is what you get”, and unfortunately for Cardinals Fans what you see is a very average NFL team. With David Johnson out until roughly Week 10 the Cardinals can’t run the football and they don’t seem to be able protect Quarterback Carson Palmer. However, please don’t assume something I’m not saying, since in my opinion the Cardinals have a top 10 defense. It’s just that it seems like drive after drive the opposing team starts in great field positioning and it absolutely dooms the Cardinals. For this reason – unless something drastically happens offensively – the Cardinals will not see a post season berth this year.
Offense:
- Offensively, one of the main problems with the Cardinals seems to be that no one can stay healthy on the Offensive Line. In addition, the Cardinals have started 3 different running backs in as many weeks – which seems unfair to each one since they have little to no time to warm up to the position. Sadly, Wide Receiver John Brown can’t be relied on to be healthy and come make plays as he’s perpetually injured. I’ve always been a fan of Head Coach Bruce Arians, but he needs to change the personal of this offense to a heavy tight end “dink and donk” passing game. It’s completely and utterly baffling that he still hasn’t changed the offense to complement what the Cardinals offer. Lastly, the Cardinals playmakers need to start leaving their mark on these close games. It seems as though they depend to heavily on Wide Receiver Larry Fitzgerald to make plays for them to win.
Defense:
- The Defense played very well for the 3rd straight week, as well as for the most part keeping All-Pro Running Back Ezekiel Elliot in check all game. However, the one thing that should worry all Cardinal fans is how slow and lethargic Safety Tyrann Mathieu looks. Although, the Cardinals defense does look like a top five defense, the Cardinals need Mathieu to be the playmaker he’s accustomed to being otherwise sooner or later it will come back to haunt them.
Special Teams:
- The Special teams kicking and punting units were very bad for most of the game from short punts to missing chip shot field goals.
- I won’t blame Andy Lee for his poor punting performance, because for the most part it was based on poor blocking and I believe the Cardinals will clean that up this week versus the 49ers.
- Kicker Phil Dawson was terrible again, once you start missing a Field Goal a game you are considered an awful kicker. Dawson used to be “Old Reliable” but now he seems to be more old than reliable. Arizona Cardinals went after him, and unfortunately it has not panned out in their favor. The Cardinals need to do something to build back Dawson’s confidence or the Cardinals will not have any hope in close games.
To be honest, the Cardinals after 3 weeks do not look like anything close to a playoff team. I’ll give the Cardinals one last week to change my mind as they take on the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday. If the Cardinals do somehow lose or barley escape a loss at home to a very bad 49ers football team then I’ll consider this season a wash.
