Josh Rosen should start at quarterback for the hapless Arizona Cardinals after two consecutive miserable performances from current starter Sam Bradford.
The 0-2 Cardinals have scored a measly six points on the young season and are dead last in the league in yards per game, passing yards per game, and points.
Bradford has been one of the league’s worst signal callers in 2018. He has only 243 passing yards and two interceptions this season. The offensive woes are not completely on him, but the former first overall pick isn’t doing enough to warrant keeping the starting job.
It’s at this point that the Cardinals should make the switch to Rosen.
Josh Rosen Should Start Immediately
Bradford Has Played Poorly
Bradford was signed to a $20 million deal in the off-season, despite being able to play a 16-game season only twice in his nine-year career.
The move made some sense since it was unknown if the Cardinals would select a quarterback in the draft to replace the recently retired Carson Palmer. However, they ended up trading up to draft the most pro-ready quarterback available in this year’s draft, in Rosen.
It was apparent in the preseason that the rookie was impressive and surprised many of his teammates, including star receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Yet the Cardinals did not make it a true competition, reiterating multiple times that it was Bradford’s job to lose.
Bradford was bad in the season opener, completing 20 of 34 passes for a meager 153 yards and an interception. He followed that up with a worse performance in Week two, completing 17 of 27 passes for only 90 yards and an interception. Bradford’s passer rating on the season is 55.6 and he has an awful 3.5 yards per attempt on the year.
Rosen is the Better Quarterback
While Sammy Sleeves has been underwhelming his entire career, whether due to injuries or poor play, Rosen proved in college and during the preseason that he has much more talent.
Rosen regularly took shots and maintained aggressiveness as UCLA’s starter. This mentality could get him into trouble at times in the NFL, but the Cardinals desperately need a passer that will take chances. Bradford thus far has been indecisive and uber conservative. This has rendered the Cardinals incapable of moving the football downfield.
Rosen has impeccable footwork and has exceptional arm talent. His upper and lower-body mechanics are pretty much flawless and he throws one of the prettiest passes in the league. He also has the ability to fit the football into tight windows and can read the field well. This was on display in Week two of the preseason, when he threw a 13-yard touchdown strike to receiver Christian Kirk.
His talent outweighs that of Bradford and the only thing that Bradford has over the rookie is NFL experience.
Cardinals Need A Spark on Offense
The Cardinals offense has been miserably bad this season and the blame belongs to multiple parties. The coaching staff hasn’t found a way to utilize one of the most electric players in the NFL, running back David Johnson. Johnson is extremely effective when used as a wide receiver, something the Cardinals have seemingly forgotten.
In 2016, David Johnson was split out as a wide receiver (in the slot or out wide) on 26% of his routes run.
In Weeks 1-2 this year, Johnson has been split off from formation as a receiver on just 9% of his routes.
— Graham Barfield (@GrahamBarfield) September 16, 2018
Plus, Bradford has only thrown Johnson’s way 11 times in two games. Head coach Steve Wilks said after Week two that they need to do a better job in getting creative with their use of their star running back.
The offensive line also has been porous, playing more like turnstiles than anything else. They have to improve, especially with a below-average passer in Bradford under center. Starting center A.Q. Shipley was lost for the year during the preseason after tearing his ACL. The unit had already been struggling against opposing defenses, so their newfound lack of cohesiveness hasn’t helped.
The Cardinals need to make some big changes in order to save their season and at least make their offense respectable. Perhaps a more potent passing attack can open things up for Johnson. It’s unknown if Rosen will make that much of a difference, but it couldn’t hurt to find out. This decision will make or break their season.
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