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After a single game, the naysayers sure do feel like they were right.
The Arizona Cardinals were bludgeoned 24-6 in their first game of the Steve Wilks era, and the national pundits are quick to bring down any positive will that the Cardinals had coming into the 2018 season.
One week in and the Cardinals find themselves among the worst teams in the NFL, according to the national power rankings.
The roundup:
ESPN: Arizona Cardinals 31 (previous 24)
Sam Bradford couldn’t find a groove in his Cardinals debut, going 7-of-16 passing through three quarters as the Cardinals dug themselves a 21-0 hole. Overall, 18.2 percent of his passes for the game were off-target incompletions, his third-highest rate among 18 games played since 2016. -- Clawson
USA Today: Arizona Cardinals 28 (previous 18)
Preseason feeling like fool’s gold as Arizona lost turnover battle and surrendered 429 yards (more than double what offense generated).
Bleacher Report: Arizona Cardinals 31 (previous 28)
Bradford doesn’t deserve all the blame for Arizona’s Week 1 face-plant. The team was flat on both offense and defense and was manhandled in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Tailback David Johnson was a non-factor, and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald did almost all of his damage in garbage time.
Washington Post: Arizona Cardinals 30 (previous 24)
The performance against the Redskins was bad all around. There already is room to wonder how long the Cardinals should stick with Sam Bradford before a youth movement with Josh Rosen taking over at QB will be in order.
SB Nation: Arizona Cardinals 31 (previous 26)
CBS Sports: Arizona Cardinals 27 (previous 27)
That was a dud against the Redskins. If it stays that way for the offense, when do they turn to Josh Rosen?
Sporting News: Arizona Cardinals 31 (previous 28)
What was that? Steve Wilks, Al Holcomb and Mike McCoy had a tough debut scheming for Arizona. As long as they’re playing Sam Bradford, it won’t be getting much better.
Yahoo Sports: Arizona Cardinals 30 (previous 28)
Not sure where the Cardinals go after that performance on Sunday. If you are utterly uncompetitive against Washington at home, which games are you going to win? On the bright side, we’re only four months away from the annual offseason tradition of everyone telling each other than Sam Bradford is actually really good despite what he has shown on the field over his entire NFL career.
It is only one week, but the consensus seems to be dancing on the Cardinals grave already.