At home last Sunday, the Arizona Cardinals found yet another way to finish the day with a loss. After the team scored the most points against the New Orleans Saints than against any other opponent this season, it still wasn’t enough to come away with the win. The Cardinals did what they could to make the game exciting for the fans, entertaining as well, but excitement and entertainment doesn’t win games. In the end, the Cardinals lost to the Saints 48-41 and will fall very short of the team’s season expectations.
“They (the Saints) ran the ball on us and they ran it well, which slowed the pass rush down,” said coach Bruce Arians, on Monday. “They picked up the pressures, the blitz pressures pretty well, and we did just a poor job of coverage.”
Battle of the Birds Part II: Arizona Cardinals Preparing For Seattle
Last Sunday’s loss against the Saints is one the Cardinals are looking to put behind them as quickly as they can. Coach Arians spoke vague and very little about the loss at Monday’s press conference, instead focusing the attention mainly on preparing for the match up on Saturday against the Seattle Seahawks.
Looking ahead is good after losing such a hard fought game, but accountability is essential to a team’s success. The Cardinals (5-8-1) have lost their second game in a row…again. After 14 games, the team has been able to put together one two-game winning streak (San Francisco 49ers / New York Jets).
Losing against the Saints only emphasized the issues that the Cardinals have been struggling with all season. Missed opportunities, penalties, missed field goals, dropped passes, fumbles, a complete lack of defensive presence, and the inability to finish games are the problems mainly hampering the efforts of the team. It is these bugaboos that are the most frustrating, especially for the fans.
Not indicative of their record, the Cardinals a have very talented group of players. At least three players (wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, cornerback Patrick Peterson, and first-timer, running back David Johnson) have been selected to attend this season’s Pro Bowl. If only the credit received could be substituted for a couple more victories, at 7-6-1, the team would be looking good going into the last two games of the season…if only.
Preparing For The Seahawks
Regardless of standings, or records, or opportunities sorely missed, the show must go on. The Cardinals are playing the Seahawks in Seattle on Saturday and, for now, that is what’s important. The Seahawks (9-4-1) lead the NFC West division. Playing the role of spoiler, the Cardinals have a propitious chance for redemption against the Seahawks, a team so inflated with self-righteousness and arrogance, and so very much in need of a let-down.
Unforgettably, the first match up against the Seahawks was in October and ended in a 6-6 tie. The Cardinals were given chance after chance to finish off the Seahawks and walk away victorious, but the forces of football weren’t allowing it happen. Kicker Chandler Catanzaro missed a game-winning chip shot, wide left and the fans left the University of Phoenix Stadium bewildered, wondering how they can get back the three hours of wasted time and a refund for their ticket. Case in point, NFL football games should never end in a tie.
Going into enemy territory against a team as deep as Seattle, Arizona has their work cut out for them. The Seahawks are not unbeatable. If the Cardinals can stay focused and limit nagging miscues, they have a good chance of winning this match up. Below are three things the team must do in order to seal the win.
Clock Management
Quarterback Carson Palmer has shown that he can manage the offense as well as any quarterback in the league. He has very talented weapons to choose from, and the ability to take his offense up and down the field at will. Taking advantage of opportunities is important against the Seahawks.
For Palmer, he needs to use the clock to his advantage. Running and “dink and dunk” plays and long drawn out drives work well against Seattle’s beat up defense. Milk the clock. The longer the Seahawks offense remains on the sideline, the better.
Defensive Pressure
Last week against the Saints, Brees was able to find open players all day long. Zone-style defense doesn’t work, and will not work against Seattle. Hopefully, Coach Arians has addressed this issue, as well.
Pressure against quarterback Russell Wilson is crucial in this match up. Though he does like to scramble, Wilson doesn’t appear as nimble as he used to be. Pressuring the quarterback, swarming the ball, and tight coverage in the backfield are key in this match up.
Special Teams
The very thorn in the side of the Cardinals always strikes in the most inopportune times. Since the beginning of the season, the reliability of special teams has been very questionable at best. Winning close games has always been the trademark of the Cardinals. Missed opportunities only create losses.
