Monday Musings: Cardinals continue to underachieve, Raiders' Carr in MVP talk
Cardinals' struggles on offense continue, but they still remain in the thick of the NFC West race
By
Pete Prisco
•
7 min read
They were a game from the Super Bowl a year ago, and had most of their team back this year, also adding a key piece in pass rusher Chandler Jones.
Yet here we have the Arizona Cardinals (3-4-1) this season, struggling to get any momentum. Fresh off a bad 30-20 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, losing to the same team that beat them in the NFC title game last January, the Cardinals barely resemble the team that won the NFC West last season with a 13-3 record.
Quarterback Carson Palmer hasn't looked the same as a year ago, and the offensive line has issues. The defense has played well, ranking second in the league coming into Sunday's game. In fact, the Cardinals were ranked in the top 10 in total offense and defense, which makes their slow start so tough to understand. Yes, special teams have been a disaster, but it's more than that.
They just haven't looked smooth on offense. The big play, which was such a big part of the offense a year ago, hasn't come as much. Going into this week, the Cardinals were averaging 6.7 yards per pass play. They averaged 8.5 yards per pass play in 2015. Think about that for a second. That's almost 2 yards more per pass play a year ago.
Against Carolina, it took Palmer a half to get going and it wasn't just his fault. He was sacked eight times, six in the first half, and his fumble -- which wasn't really a fumble on replay -- was returned 48 yards for a touchdown by Thomas Davis in the first quarter to set the tone for the day.
Palmer finished 35 of 46 for 363 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Those numbers look good on the surface, but most of it came when the game was out of line.
Even so, the Cardinals' season numbers don't add up. They aren't bad in any category -- other than special teams. They are 15th in scoring offense, despite being seventh in total offense, which is a direct reflection of the lack of big plays in the passing game. Teams, starting with the Patriots on opening night, have simply dared the Cardinals to be patient, and that has been a problem. That's not their nature. Coach Bruce Arians loves to go big or go home, and Palmer plays that way too.
They have to be more patient on offense and get David Johnson the ball earlier in games to help take the pressure off the offensive line to protect Palmer on the long throws. That will open things up if they do.
As for the defense, it is a unit that came into this week ranked second overall and fifth in scoring defense. Again, much better numbers than the record.
So clearly it's fixable. The talent is still there. The good news for the Cardinals as they head to their bye week is that the Seattle Seahawks also lost Sunday on the road to the Saints. That means they aren't separating. The Cardinals have time to get it going when they come out of the bye.
That good team from 2015 is still around. The numbers say so. When does it show up on the scoreboard?
More musings from around the NFL:
Oakland Raiders
There are games that define quarterbacks in their career growth. Oakland's Derek Carr had one of those games against Tampa Bay on Sunday. He threw for 513 yards with four touchdown passes, including the winning score in overtime to lead the Raiders past the Bucs.
Carr didn't throw a pick, making his game even more impressive. He also drove the ball down the field, hitting several big plays on passes that traveled 15-20 yards in the air. He was sensational. The winner came on a 41-yard shot to the middle of the field to Seth Roberts for the 30-24 victory.
The win puts the Raiders at 6-2 and tied for the lead in the AFC West. They've won five road games, which is impressive for a young team, all five being played as 1 p.m. ET starts.
On the season, Carr has 17 touchdown passes and three interceptions. That puts him on a pace for 34 and six. That would be MVP stuff. The way he has played so far, he should be in the conversation.
Remember that debate about the best quarterback from the 2014 draft this offseason? It's over. For now, that's an easy one. It's clearly Carr.
The Raiders do need to clean some things. They had 23 penalties for 200 yards, with the total flags being an NFL record. That can't happen. Carr bailed them out by rallying them from double-digits, and the penalties didn't help.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The decision by the Jaguars to fire offensive coordinator Greg Olson was made after a poor showing in Nashville last Thursday, mainly because of the direction of the offense and the fact that Blake Bortles has not progressed, but also regressed. The team hopes Nathanial Hackett, who they view as a better teacher, can help get Bortles get back on track. I would expect to see more wide-open play from the offense early in games and on early downs than what Olson used. And don't expect to see read-option plays with the quarterback down 21. As for the talk that Bortles is a basket case, which ESPN reported, a Jaguars source said that's a big stretch.
Should coach Gus Bradley have been fired last week after the debacle in Tennessee? Probably so, but what would the options on the staff be if they did? Doug Marrone? Please. Even so, it's hard to believe Bradley is still coaching after that effort in Tennessee. Nobody on the team has improved this year. That's all on coaching.
Kansas City Chiefs
It was a not a good look for the NFL when Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith took a shot to the head, was removed from his team's game with the Colts, but then put back into the game, only to leave later after another shot.
It was clear that Smith was woozy after the first shot, but the Chiefs said he was cleared in the concussion protocol to return. But why not just take a player that woozy out of the game for good? Isn't the NFL supposed to be more aware these days?
I was astounded he was allowed back into the game. After the second hit, he was not cleared to return.
Carolina Panthers
Carolina quarterback Cam Newton went on a rant after his team beat the Cardinals for a low hit he took from Calais Campbell. The rant was because Newton doesn't seem to get the calls other quarterbacks get in terms of flags.
He's right.
Because he's so big and strong, he doesn't get the same protections other passers do in the league. The NFL has to do a better job here policing the shots on Newton.
"I don't think there's a person that can go through what I go through and still keep their heads," Newton said. "Hits to the head, that's one thing. But when you're not protected in the pocket, that's another thing. The story of my life ever since I came in is, 'Oh, oh, well, we missed that one. I'm sorry. I'll try to get it.' That's bullcrap. As player in this league if we do something stupid we get fined. If you do something derogatory to somebody else, we get fined. I just can't keep accepting, 'Oh, we missed that one.' Or 'I apologize for doing that.' Or 'I didn't see it.' That's horsecrap. When I see other guys get calls, they don't have to be no MVP. They don't have to be this, that and the third of being this type of tier of a player. I look at how they get hit and for every hit that they get that's called, I can match a hit in my career that I didn't get called."
New England Patriots
The idea that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is slowing down at all as he gets close to 40 looks more absurd now than ever. He has been on fire since coming back from his four-game suspension for Deflategate.
Brady threw four touchdown passes to lead the Patriots past the Bills this week, which gives him 12 touchdown passes and no picks on the season.
Brady might be playing some of his best football right now, which is saying something.
The guy is a treat to watch, perhaps the best to ever play the game. He looks like a man possessed to put that four-game suspension in the past.
I bet he has played it out already in his head: Standing on the podium Super Bowl Sunday with another MVP and another title with a chance to basically tell Roger Goodell where to stick it.
Indianapolis Colts
After a sensational game last week at Tennessee, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck never looked good in the loss to the Chiefs this week. He turned it over twice in the first half and seemed to miss on a lot of his throws.
As a result, the Colts are now 3-5 and two games behind the Houston Texans in the AFC South.
