Pro Football Focus: Offensive line struggles in run game, passing game for Arizona Cardinals in win

The eye test tells use a couple of things about the 19-13 win the Arizona Cardinals had on Sunday over the San Francisco 49ers. One is the offensive line struggled. It was a game in which the Cardinals did not control the line of scrimmage.

Pro Football Focus graded the game and showed more or less the same thing, only with grades and numbers.

The offensive line had a poor showing in both the running game and the passing game.

The numbers show clearly statistically. Arizona ran the ball 29 times for only 70 yards. According to PFF, only one lineman graded positively in run blocking. Jared Veldheer was given a +3.0, but the rest of the line combined for a -14.0 in run blocking.

Another damning stat for the running game was the fact that Chris Johnson managed to only gain a total of six yards before contact in his 12 carries. The line wasn't opening holes for him.

In pass blocking, Carson Palmer was under pressure on 19 of his 42 dropbacks. The only lineman not to be credited for allowing a pressure was guard Mike Iupati.

Overall, Lyle Sendlein and Ted Larsen graded out the worst, earning overall grades of -6.1 and -6.9 for the game.

PFF also shows the line has not been as good in pass protection as they appear to be. Yes, they have allowed few sacks, but Palmer is under pressure a lot. PFF has the line's total pass blocking efficiency rate at 73.5, which is good for 29th in the league.

With another physical game coming up in St. Louis, there is a lot to fix this week in practice. According to Bruce Arians, it is all correctable. It was not a case of the line getting beat physically for the most part. The tight ends didn't block well, Larry Fitzgerald missed a key block and there was bad technique on a couple of plays. Mike Iupati "just buried his head in the ground and the linebacker ran through." Bobby Massie, when on the goal line, "stepped with the wrong foot and got beat inside."

Physical or mental mistakes, with a rookie running back likely getting the start, the line must play better so the running game can have success, thus making things better for Carson Palmer.