Arizona
Cardinals’ season hangs on what Arizona team shows up vs. Rams
TEMPE — If the Arizona Cardinals are going to get issues backs on observe, the turnaround should start this week towards the Los Angeles Rams.
After one other dreadful loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the Cardinals are as soon as once more the little brother of the NFC West, eyeing a last-place 3-6 mark with hardly any positives to hold their hats on.
One other loss to a divisional opponent, no matter the place the NFC at the moment stands, and the chance Arizona is caught watching the postseason on the sofa after posting a sub-.500 mark this season is even larger.
For weeks, the Cardinals have but to actually peg what’s going on with this 2022 squad, highlighted by the offense’s inconsistencies. It feels like Arizona really doesn’t know which crew it’s going to roll on the market on any given Sunday.
Gamers and coaches have spoken advert nauseum of the distinction they’re seeing from follow to sport day, acknowledging the mountain of points beneath the intense lights isn’t as evident inside the fences of the coaching facility in Tempe. So the place is the disconnect coming from?
Accidents have undoubtedly performed an element within the crew’s present state, particularly these to key gamers like beginning heart Rodney Hudson and broad receiver Hollywood Brown, however within the NFL, that excuse solely will get you to date. This league is about who’s on the sphere, not who isn’t.
On the finish of the day, it’s on the gamers and coaches to proper the ship earlier than it’s fully sunk beneath the waves of NFL mediocrity.
“All people’s searching for these solutions,” quarterback Kyler Murray mentioned Wednesday. “The reply is, do your job higher. Perceive what you need to do. … There’s no magic wand for the errors. All you bought to do is do your job. I can reside with me throwing a decide — I’m going to be pissed off however I can reside with anyone dropping a ball, anyone lacking a block, anyone lacking a minimize. That’s simply going to occur.
“However not understanding what you’re doing, the psychological errors, stuff like that, that simply can’t occur. We don’t have an opportunity at that time. All people makes errors on Sunday. … However the good groups don’t make these psychological errors, make penalties and simply doing stuff that’s not successful soccer. I don’t wish to hold happening about it, however we clear these issues up and we’re in all probability not trying the best way we’re.”
Outdoors of the Cardinals’ Week 1 debacle towards the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, who’s the cream of the NFL crop by means of 9 weeks, Arizona had possibilities at successful every of its 5 remaining losses up up to now. Solely twice has it misplaced by no fewer than 10 factors, each towards the Seahawks.
As an alternative of capitalizing on their opponents’ weak spots and miscues, the Cardinals had been caught coping with their very own points within the kind miscommunication combined in with poor execution.
The perfect instance of those points was final week towards Seattle.
Arizona had completed loads of good, together with scoring a landing on its opening drive and seeing the protection rating for a fifth time this season behind a Zaven Collins interception.
The negatives outweighed the positives, nonetheless, with the Cardinals committing manner too many penalties, essentially the most obtrusive being 5 false begins and a handful of holding calls. Toss in a few unneccessary roughness calls, encroachment and a handful of offsides and it was clear Arizona had two opponents in Week 9: Seattle and itself.
On either side of the soccer, the Cardinals are extra gifted than their file signifies 9 weeks into the season.
For a crew that persistently will get in its personal manner attempting to press the difficulty or get artistic, it might be so simple as getting again to the fundamentals given the disjointedness we’ve seen on show repeatedly in 2022.
The trajecotry of an NFL crew modifications from week to week. Typically, all a squad wants is a type of get-right video games which have seemingly eluded the Cardinals this season.
So why with personnel and miscommunication points is that this essentially the most opportune time for Arizona to get again on observe?
Simply take a look at their Week 10 opponent.
Head coach Sean McVay and the Rams are coming off a Tremendous Bowl victory and have routinely had Kingsbury’s quantity through the years — 7-1 all-time — however are in a a lot worse spot damage smart when it comes all the way down to it.
The extent of play has taken a noticeable shot, headlined by a lackluster offense that may’t appear to get it proper behind a hobbled Matthew Stafford and an abysmal run sport.
It’s clear L.A. has had Arizona’s quantity for years, which is why a victory on Sunday may go a lot additional than simply including a win to the file.
Not solely would they hold themselves afloat within the NFC Wild Card race with a W, the Cardinals would get an added jolt of confidence understanding they upended a crew that has been public enemy No. 1 for Arizona out west.
It simply has to (await it) execute. The Cardinals don’t need to proper each flawed we’ve seen on paper over the weeks, however they need to take a noticeable and prolonged step ahead on Sunday.
“All of us are annoyed with the little issues piece of it,” Kingsbury mentioned Monday. “You may by no means knock the trouble while you watch our groups play. They’re giving the whole lot they’ve received, however vital instances and important errors proceed to point out up. That’s one thing in some unspecified time in the future, we’ve received to determine earlier than it’s too late.
“I don’t assume we’ve proven what we could be. I believe our crew understands that, however we’ve received to discover a option to get it cleaned up.”
