NFL
By: Brock Vierra
The Arizona Cardinals are off to an interesting start to the season. Defying the doubters, Jonathan Gannon and his team are playing fast, playing hard, and playing with the type of defensive innovation that springs championships. Now the team is in a clear rebuilding period but that doesn’t mean they can’t play sound, inspired football and that’s exactly what they’ve been doing. Despite their 1-3 record, the Cardinals have been highly competitive despite the losses of J.J. Watt and Deandre Hopkins along with franchise QB Kyler Murray starting the year on IR.
Yes, they lost to the Niners but they’re the best team in the league. However, their other two losses have come from a combined seven points and they’re still getting used to a complex system. Now the Cards have an interesting matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals today. The AFC runner-up is off to a 1-3 start as frustrations have begun to rise in their locker room. With Joe Burrow and his health up in the air, here are three keys to ensure a Cardinals victory.
1. Stack The Line
As previously mentioned, the Cardinals run a very complex defensive scheme. The Bengals have been awful offensively since the start of the season, leading to Ja’Marr Chase’s mini locker room blowup. With Joe Burrow still dealing with a calf issue that has caused him to have a career-low start to the year, he doesn’t look like the confident gunslinger that we’re accustomed to. By stacking the line, you can disguise blitzes while having players bail out in a variety of coverages that should confuse the first overall pick. Also, it will force Burrow to make quick decisions and quick passes so if you jam their receivers at the line, they should remain ineffective. It will also prohibit Joe Mixon from having success. Keep in mind he had a 4.8-yard per-carry average last week at Tennessee. The Bengals are averaging 12.25 points per game this season so prohibiting them from getting into a rhythm while forcing them to throw downfield will give the Cards a high percentage of having success against this star-studded offense.
2. Field Position Is Everything
There is nothing wrong with a punt. Now the Cardinals offense is a massive question mark. Joshua Dobbs has outperformed expectations while James Conner has over 300 rushing yards for the year. However, points might be a premium in this game so do not give the Bengals any favors. The Bengals have not shown the ability to constantly drive down the field so pinning them deep in their own half of the field is half the battle. Not giving them a short field is the other. Now the good thing is that Joshua Dobbs has yet to throw an interception this season but the Cardinals offensive line is full of injuries so Dobbs needs to worry about the strip sack as well. Remember a punt is a good thing.
3. Keep feeding Zach Ertz
The veteran tight end has been a favorite of Joshua Dobbs. He trails only Marquise “Hollywood” Brown is receptions and receiving yards with his big presence being noticed and attended to by opposing defenses. Even though he has yet to score a touchdown and isn’t going to make much noise after the catch, his sure hands and veteran presence has been a welcomed safety valve for Dobbs. Also, the attention he commands has opened up space for Brown, Michael Wilson, and Rondale Moore to exploit. Get Ertz involved early, especially through play action, and reap the rewards when your offense has naturally developing running lanes for both the run and pass game due to the linebackers having to shut down Ertz.
The Cardinals are the underdogs for a reason but they play at home and their team obviously loves Jonathan Gannon and will play hard for him. Keep showing exotic looks defensively, be aggressive on defense, and be intelligent on offense. Should a few plays bounce the Cards way, we could see Arizona snatch their second win of the season.
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