Have you had enough of the game coverage? I hope not, as PFF has given its observations an impressions about the game on Sunday. The published their "First Impressions" post and and focused on three areas.
They, of course, were Kevin Kolb, John Skelton and the defense.
On the defense:
Arizona missed seven tackles on that opening drive and their only other positive play came courtesy of an uncharacteristically off target pass from Brees. Things improved on the second drive, concluding a solid series with a third down sack, but this was against backups and the Cardinals will need a confidence boost when they next face a first string offense.
Wow! Seven missed tackles in a 10-play drive. Here's hoping that the issues were due to being the first preseason game without a lot of tackling in camp.
On Kolb:
As efficient as Kolb was on out routes last season, this throw highlights just how wrong you can get it on out routes. Kolb was under pressure on that throw and that theme continued on his subsequent passes. His second pass was a ‘safe' incompletion on a back shoulder throw, again targeting Andre Roberts, the disconnect on that throw illustrating the work the Cardinals still have to do to round out their receiving corps. From then on in Kolb was running for his life, taking one hit to the knees (could easily have been flagged as roughing the passer based upon last season) and then that final knockout blow when he was again flushed from the pocket. Kolb dug himself a hole with his first pass and his offensive line was unable to throw him a rope to help himself out of it.
It looked like the offensive line was having the same jitters that the defense did. Adam Snyder was particularly guilty. Let's hope that improves.
On Skelton:
Skelton did not look good early on, making a late pass over the middle to Todd Heap that should have been a first down if the throw was on time, and then missed his fullback a play later. After the Cardinals gave him an easy play to Larry Fitzgerald he appeared to settle. He only threw two passes after that but both were good. His fifth pass of the night found Andre Roberts in soft spot on a hitch for a first down and his sixth and final pass was a good throw across his body moving up through the pocket for another first down. From there on in he simply rode the Cardinals' running game which got on track nicely behind the running of Alfonso Smith. We didn't see much from Skelton, but by not making that catastrophic error he wins round one here. The Cardinals will need to see far more from both as the preseason rolls on.
Any new thoughts? I looked at the throws he made again and he did get better. He was off target early and slow to decisions. The issue is always can he duplicate that play and make it against a real defense. If he can do that, then the starting job is his to lose.
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