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This is one of those posts that I absolutely take no pleasure in writing. The Cardinals absolutely stunk up the stadium last night as they made an awful game look closer than it actually was. Sure, the Titans only had a five point margin of victory, but it seemed like they let off the gas before the first half was even over.
After watching the chaos ensue, there really isn't a whole lot to be excited about. The team is going to have their fair share of struggles this season, that much is apparent. But in terms of just last night, let's look at five negatives from their performance to see where they can improve.
As always, feel free to add your own negatives in the comments section below.
The Offensive Line:
I felt like naming this section 'the left tackle', but when I thought about, the whole line looked pretty awful. The quarterbacks hardly even had a chance to display what they had on most of the plays because they were too busy getting sacked to the ground as soon as they snapped the ball. D.J. Young, in particular, was extremely awful and doesn't appear to be in the running for the starting job anymore. What the Cards do about this debacle is really going to define their season more than anything else.
Skolb:
You didn't think I would leave these guys out, did you? John Skelton (or Jonathan, as Trent Dilfer would call him) wasn't in the game for long, but when he was, he didn't look all that sharp. As for Kevin Kolb, he threw two really unnecessary interceptions and just when you thought he was heating up, he would slump back down again. He truly is the definition of an enigma.
Marc Mariani:
I know he isn't a Cardinals player, but I have to give a shout out to Mariani and place his gruesome injury as a negative. It doesn't matter what team you player for, when someone breaks a bone the way Mariani broke his fibula last night, you have to feel for the guy. His season is now likely over and if it's anything like Joe Theismann's leg, possibly his career.
Patrick Peterson:
This is the first, and hopefully the last time that I mention PP21 as a negative. Let's face it: Kendall Wright had his number. He made three big catches with Peterson covering him, including one for a touchdown. Peterson has been a shutdown player this preseason up until this game, so let's hope it's just a blip on the radar screen.
Fumble!:
The Cardinals fumbled the football four times against the Titans (!) and lost two of them. A couple came because of bad o-line play, one came from Jaymar Johnson botching a punt, etc. Either way, the Cardinals will need to address their ball security issues before the regular season begins. Their last chance comes next week against Peyton Manning's Denver Broncos.
What were some of your negatives in this game? Share them with us in the comments section below.
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