OK, We've made it through the first quarter of the season and I think it is clear that this team is far from perfect. Here are my biggest concerns going forward:
- Pass Rush - I really thought that the Cards front 7 on Defense would be the strenght of the team. However I have yet to see them generate any sort of consistant pass rush. If the Cards continue to fail at making the opposing QBs uncomfortable, even the JTO's of the NFL will eventually find success against them. Brett Farve with one ankle looked way to comfortable back there.
- Offensive Line - This was a question mark going into the season. Was the O-Line good enough and what about the depth. Our running game still isn't that great and now our pass protection looks suspect. Levi Brown is struggling with speed rushers on the corner. Our interior O-linemen get overpowered way to often. I think the O-Line can get better. However I want to see better pass protection and a better Yard per carry average.
- Mental Mistakes - This is the same old cardinals right here. Endless mental mistakes, whether it be stupid penalties, kickoffs going out of bounds, or failures to protect the ball. Until the Cards can start to eliminate these they will be nothing more than an average team at best.
1. New York's OL is the most improved unit in the league. They showed it. The Cardinals D-front will put on consistent pressure as we go forward. Not worried about it.
2. Our O-line. Yes this is the second most worrysome unit on the Cardinals. Brown needs to step up and him and Lutui need to anchor some semblance of a power game. I don't see it happening so far. The left side is more consistent but also doesn't dominate.
3. Taking care of the football isn't so much mental as itis awarness of your surrounding and solid fundamentals. Warner did a better job of it in the second half but when your getting blitzed you need to go to a check-off and he didn't seem to do that enough. Sometimes you just need to pick that check-down or just toss it out. He can't seem to do that enough and is forcing it under pressure.. That's the book on Warner...force him and he'll make mistakes.
Of course he's not the only one. The veterans who should know better like James and Boldin have coughed it up as well.
* The secondary is the most vulnerable unit on this team. Rolle hasn't steped up the way this team needs him to. The corners are average at best. DRC will have to work his way in and we'll hope for the best there , but this unit is going to cost us more games this season unfortunately..
