Yes, things look a little bleak. Fortunately the schedule helps. It's easy to believe 3-4 wins are possible before the bye week. The defense will only get better. They can blitz more once Reddick has a better handle on the defense. Nkemdiche should help the line. Baker will be more of an impact player once he gets a handle on the defense. The Colts and Niners find scoring challenging anyway. Rams are improved, but will likely be inconsistent. The Bucs are something of a work in progress and Winston on the road in a hostile stadium can be thrown off with a aggressive pass rush. Finally the week after the bye is SF, another winnable game. It's not impossible for the Cards to be 5-2 with the Seahawks coming to town. Also Logan and maybe even DJ could be on the field for that game.
Still, they have to score to win. It starts with the line. Wetzel had a bad game. If he has another they should move Veldheer back to the left side. At least Palmer could see the threat. Likewise if Iupati has another poor game start Boone. He's not much of a run blocker, but he's outstsnding in pass protection and this team will have to win through the air.
This offense will have to establish the pass if they are going to run at all. I wouldn't be opposed to run hurry up more in the Bucs & Rams game, if only to keep Palmer safe. I don't think is necessary to show it for the Boys or Eagles as those games are almost surely out of reach without DJ. I'd keep a back in more often. I'd rotate receivers and run the legs off the CBs. The Cards don't lose much skill by rotating. Only Fitz stays on the field. I think the Foster move would be an attempt not to modify the offense much. That's a mistake. That offense won't work without Johnson. They need to change philosophy. CJ won't break any big runs but he can protect the QB. I wondered why the didn't run that Wildcat with Williams. It bothered defenses last year. It's time to get creative. If they run frequent short passes, some stop & go routes should enable them to throw deep. Like the missed catch by JJ, they can break down defenders quickly so you don't need a 7 count to throw deep. A 5 count will do. The tight ends have to block better. That's Niklas' specialty.
This team can win but they have to stay very disciplined. Peters often took a step forward, then a linemen moved behind him pushing him to the side. This opened a clear throwing/running lane for Stafford. Less aggression, more discipline would help. Steady forward and under control should be the mantra. Dansby was invisible. I have no idea what he was trying to do. I guess he was looking for that HOF interception. That's not good team play. He's got to close those gaps. On the RB touchdown reception he broke late then overran the play. That leg injury may still be bothering him. It's hard to recover quickly from injury at his age.
The time to panic will come after the Colts game. If the Cards don't show up for that one it may be time to think about major modifications.
Still, they have to score to win. It starts with the line. Wetzel had a bad game. If he has another they should move Veldheer back to the left side. At least Palmer could see the threat. Likewise if Iupati has another poor game start Boone. He's not much of a run blocker, but he's outstsnding in pass protection and this team will have to win through the air.
This offense will have to establish the pass if they are going to run at all. I wouldn't be opposed to run hurry up more in the Bucs & Rams game, if only to keep Palmer safe. I don't think is necessary to show it for the Boys or Eagles as those games are almost surely out of reach without DJ. I'd keep a back in more often. I'd rotate receivers and run the legs off the CBs. The Cards don't lose much skill by rotating. Only Fitz stays on the field. I think the Foster move would be an attempt not to modify the offense much. That's a mistake. That offense won't work without Johnson. They need to change philosophy. CJ won't break any big runs but he can protect the QB. I wondered why the didn't run that Wildcat with Williams. It bothered defenses last year. It's time to get creative. If they run frequent short passes, some stop & go routes should enable them to throw deep. Like the missed catch by JJ, they can break down defenders quickly so you don't need a 7 count to throw deep. A 5 count will do. The tight ends have to block better. That's Niklas' specialty.
This team can win but they have to stay very disciplined. Peters often took a step forward, then a linemen moved behind him pushing him to the side. This opened a clear throwing/running lane for Stafford. Less aggression, more discipline would help. Steady forward and under control should be the mantra. Dansby was invisible. I have no idea what he was trying to do. I guess he was looking for that HOF interception. That's not good team play. He's got to close those gaps. On the RB touchdown reception he broke late then overran the play. That leg injury may still be bothering him. It's hard to recover quickly from injury at his age.
The time to panic will come after the Colts game. If the Cards don't show up for that one it may be time to think about major modifications.
