The defense wasn’t broken last night. In any given week, holding the opponent to 17 points generally means a win. The NFC West is the new Black and Blue division. All four teams have outstanding defense.
The problem with the Cardinals is the same as it has been for years. The offensive line is leaky. Kevin Kolb was sacked 15 times in the past two games over the course of 5 days. If I’m Ken Whisenhunt, I start John Skelton next weekend to give Kolb some time to heal, but Kolb keeps the starting job. He’s earned it and the loss was not his fault as much as the fault of the o-line. sure, he made mistakes, but most QBs make a few. Wide open Larry Fitzgerald is a target that can’t be missed, but it’s hard to hit that target if you don’t look in his direction.
On top of the offensive line issues, the Cardinals have most of their running backs injured. They need to find some talent there fast, or this season is going to be ugly. Neither Kolb nor Skelton can complete passes from their back with a lineman laying on top of them.
The defense is there. They kept the opponent under 20 points again. But, not many NFL games will be won by scoring a single field goal.
