“[It] seems to be something that will work itself out with time,” says Revenge of the Birds
The Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals look to avoid falling to 0-2 in a critical Week 2 matchup between the NFC West rivals. Both teams suffered tough opening week losses to presumed Super Bowl contenders.
Arizona is not a team to be taken lightly so the Rams cannot afford looking ahead to the 49ers the following week just yet. I spoke with Seth Cox from SB Nation’s Cardinals blog Revenge of the Birds to gain some intel about the opposition.
Q – The Cardinals jumped out to a 17-3 lead in the first half of their Week 1 matchup with the Bills before Josh Allen started doing Josh Allen things. Allen scored 4 total touchdowns en route to a 34-28 win. The season is young, but how would you assess Arizona’s performance in the opener and where must they improve the most?
A – Exactly what we expected, which is what the issue is. We knew the offense would be able to do things, but the defense is bad… maybe awful. That is a problem. Now, could that change? Maybe, but likely not until their first round pick Darius Robinson gets healthy and then acquainted with things and hopefully everyone else is healthy and improving as well.
So, can the Arizona Cardinals find a full game of offensive success and can the defense do anything positive?
Q – Kyler Murray played a solid game in Buffalo, yet struggled to find a connection with highly-touted first-rounder Marvin Harrison Jr. The former Ohio State star caught one pass for 4 yards and nearly had a game-changing touchdown if Murray looked his way. Was MHJ’s nonexistent production a result of the Bills doing their best to limit him or was it more so an early lack of connection between the rookie and Murray? Additionally, how do those two build chemistry moving forward?
A – I mean, the still photo thing was already addressed, as for the rest of it, there was definitely what seemed to be a lack of chemistry. Marvin had a bad drop on an open route, and while Kyler came back to him immediately the next play, he didn’t seem to trust him in certain situations.
That seems to be something that will work itself out with time.
Q – Despite the Week 1 loss, were there any surprise standouts on offense that Rams fans should be on the lookout for this week? What about on defense?
A – Offensively, the line for the Arizona Cardinals was surprisingly good, outside of Kelvin Beachum who replaced starter Jonah Williams after a first quarter injury and then proceeded to not play well at all.
Outside of that, Greg Dortch continues to be a revelation, but the Cardinals need more from their outside receivers in Michael Wilson and MHJ as addressed above. They also need Trey McBride to be a little more dynamic with the ball in his hands, as he was limited after the catch, and also had a bad drop on what looked like the chance for a big play screen in the fourth quarter.
Q – The Cardinals had a fairly strong offseason and a sneaky good draft which should keep them in the NFC playoff picture throughout Jonathan Gannon’s second season at the helm. What are your realistic expectations for Arizona this year and how does Gannon lead them back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021?
A – Tough question. I think the expectations are continued growth, winning games like last week instead of losing them, and then having a chance at the playoffs in late December and now January.
That is the goal, if you miss the playoffs at 8-9 and play a lot of games like last week, then I think people will be disappointed but also understand things are trending in the right direction.
If they end up with seven or less wins, and even if those games are close like last week, I think people will be concerned and restless with things because at some point you have to win games you have a lead in.
I think they still have some grace, but many more weeks like Week 1 that will run out.
Q – How do you expect the Cards to respond to their heartbreaking loss to Buffalo and what do they need to do to get into the win column against LA?
A – That’s the million dollar question. Being competitive against good teams is good, but moral victories can only last for so long.
If they are going to become a team like discussed above, they need to find ways to win games they have two touchdown leads in.
They need to find ways to stop teams from imposing their will for large chunks of the game and they need to find a way to get their playmakers going.
If they can do that, then they have a chance against a well coached and well prepared Rams team. If they don’t then it will be another Sunday of finding moral victories.
