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The Arizona Cardinals are having their worst season yet, struggling with questionable coaching, dropped passes, poor run defense, and a winless record. Despite the 0-4 start to the season, the Cardinals have a lot to look forward to in the games ahead.
There have been a lot of inconsistencies that this team has shown every week thus far but Josh Rosen is the exception. He is the spark plug that this team has needed since week one. The energy that he brings to the huddle and the locker room seems to have renewed the confidence of the team.
The 21-year-old rookie quarterback started his first game in the NFL last weekend in place of Sam Bradford, who was benched and demoted to third on the depth chart.
Even though his first start was a loss, he played like a winner.
In his first start, #AZCardinals QB Josh Rosen earned an 89.9 overall grade, which was tied for the 3rd highest in week 4.
— PFF ARZ Cardinals (@PFF_Cardinals) October 1, 2018
He made 5 Big-Time-Throws (PFF's highest graded throws), which was tied for the most of any QB
Not only this but his 89.9 overall grade was the best among all rookie quarterbacks since Pro Football Focus started tracking them in 2006.
Rosen was sacked only once but there was more than enough pressure allowed by the Cardinals’ offensive line to get him rattled last weekend. But he remained calm and collected, making smart decisions throughout the game.
He completed 15 of 27 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown. There were at least five drops in the game and a touchdown pass that was wiped off the board. The rookie demonstrated his poise in the pocket and his accuracy last weekend was nothing short of phenomenal.
You can’t really ask for a much better performance from him than this. He worked with what he had and it wasn’t a lot.
At the end of the day, Rosen needs more help. The dropped passes by J.J. Nelson, Chad Williams, Ricky Seals-Jones, and many others are unacceptable. Sooner or later, the Cardinals will need to add a veteran wide receiver and/or tight end through trade or free agency. Rosen is trending in the right direction and that means the Cardinals are too.
Thanks to Rosen, Cardinals fans have another reason to watch football: to watch their franchise quarterback rise and shine. He is not going to be perfect and he will have his shares of struggles. But he gives fans a lot of hope and optimism for the future.
The Cardinals are visiting the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. Rosen will have another opportunity to get the first win for the Cardinals and the first win of his NFL career.