A busy weekend caused me to miss my comments about Sunday’s game between the Cardinals and Vikings.
The game resulted in a difficult loss for the redbirds, with the defense performing the way we have come to expect, and the offense sputtering and making mistakes.
That LaRod Stephens-Howling was able to rush for over 100 yards in his tiny body is about the only positive that can be taken from this game. Over the first six weeks, I have been converted into a believer in Kevin Kolb, satisfied to blame his inconsistency on the porous offensive line. John Skelton did not fare much better.
Fact of the matter is, the Vikings did have the Cardinals defense figured out in the form of Adrian Peterson. Had the Cardinals scored instead of turning the ball over, I think we would have seen 28 on the board for for Minnesota, and a steady diet of Adrian Peterson the way they used him for the second Minnesota touchdown.
But the defense still isn’t the problem. The Cardinals need an offensive line and they can get it two ways. First, get different players, second, change the offensive line coaching.
There was a similar situation last year on defense. The Cardinals had one of the worst defenses in the league. Ray Horton turned it around mid-season and that defense is now a believer. It was a mental change. Can Russ Grimm do the same thing for the offensive line? It would help for Grimm to have a long talk with Horton and try to copy the success. There are flashes of brilliance on that offensive line, but too many mistakes and not enough execution.
But this season is going to be difficult the rest of the way through. Arizona must go after offensive linemen the way Green Bay went after defensive players in the last draft. Green Bay is much, much improved on defense after just one draft. Arizona must do the same thing on the offensive line.
As for how good the Cardinals defense really is? That we will see in two weeks, when the Cardinals play the Packers. If they can hold Green Bay under 21 points, they are for real.
