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Three things we learned in the Arizona Cardinals 27-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings

The Arizona Cardinals were bullied in Minnesota and it showed the glaring issues within the organization.

By Seth Cox
NFL: Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Six games into the Steve Wilks era and the Arizona Cardinals have a couple of things they can hang their hat on so far.

Here are three things we learned in the Arizona Cardinals 27-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

  1. The Arizona Cardinals run defense is the worst in the NFL.

This isn’t that shocking based on the stats, but the performance today was beyond comprehension.

The Minnesota Vikings came into the game with the 31st ranked run offense in the NFL. They not only didn’t run the ball well, they didn’t even try and run the football. Yet, against the Arizona Cardinals, they were able to change their mind set and the way they run their offense. They carried the ball 32 times, coming into the game they had run the ball only 96 times.

The Vikings had 329 yards rushing on the season, they had 195 yards in this game.

The Vikings were an awful running team, they completely ran over the Cardinals. This is a coaching issue as much as a player issue.

2. The Arizona Cardinals rushing offense is the worst in the NFL.

You know how to compound a bad thing and make it worse?

That is what is happening with the Arizona Cardinals. They have the worst run defense in the NFL, they also have the worst run offense in the NFL. Those two things combined cause the opposing teams to 100% control the clock. You know what that means? That the only way the Arizona Cardinals have a chance each and every game is on the shoulder of their rookie quarterback, with no help from a running game, with a bad offensive line and a coach who wants to be conservative. This is a recipe to be among the worst teams in the NFL.

3. The Arizona Cardinals have no identity

Who are the 2018 Arizona Cardinals? What is their identity and what type of team do they aspire to be?

They said they wanted to be a team built on running the ball and stopping the run on defense. Well, we know that’s not going to happen in 2018.

So, do Steve Wilks and company have something they can hang their hat on? Do they have an identity or are they a team lost, adrift and hopeless for this year?

Through six games, it seems the latter much more than the former.

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