The Arizona Cardinals (2-3-0) have lost three straight games. Each one, they gave away. So, what do they need to do going forward?
They face a very good team in the Indianapolis Colts this weekend. Indy
is currently 4-1-0 and tied for the lead in the AFC South Division. They have scored the second-most points in the league this season.
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What will it take to defeat Indianapolis? How can the Cardinals stop this three-game losing streak and come away with a much-needed win?
Feed Trey McBride
The Cardinals are operating with their third and fourth string running backs. Emari Demercado began the season as RB3 and is now the starter. Michael Carter was on the practice squad and is now a featured back. This means the running game is in trouble and is barely treading along the best it can. Other viable options must be considered.
In order to keep the offense moving, Arizona needs to find TE Trey McBride and feed him a steady diet of passes the entire game. McBride is not being utilized enough.
Five catches against the Tennessee Titans. Is this correct? 41 yards? One touchdown catch for the year? Is anyone paying attention to how the team’s most versatile pass catcher is not being used?
The Colts’ defense has several weaknesses, but one is that they are frail against coverage on the tight end position. All of their linebackers are good tacklers in run support, but soft in coverage. SAM linebacker Segun Olubi is known for his ability to go sideline-to-sideline, but is slow to recognize passing plays if the quarterback has given a good fake to the running back. WILL linebacker Austin Ajiake has great speed, but is viewed as being too passive and is not good in coverage. The MIKE linebacker, Zaire Franklin, is the only one who will react quickly to passing downs and can cover.
Generally, it is the outside backers who cover the tight end.
McBride is a former star basketball player. He set school records in high school for both basketball and baseball, records that still stand today. He is 6’-4” and 246 pounds, so he isn’t going to go down easily. Of his 265 receiving yards this season, 117 are YAC (yards after contact) production. That is a lot of pushing, scraping, and hand fighting to gain those extra yards after catching the ball.
He knows how to box out his opponent in the paint for a rebound. He can jump and can use his body to protect the ball from being defended while the pass is in flight. McBride is excellent at making the defender have to go through him before reaching the ball. Plus, we have seen how he is able to get open.
Throw him the damn ball.
Stop Jonathan Taylor
The NFL has some top names at running back: Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, Josh Jacobs, and Alvin Kamara.
This year, the buzz talent in the offensive backfield is Indianapolis RB Jonathan Taylor.
The Colts have a tremendous run game. They want to run, and so far, have been successful.
They also have the horse to accomplish this. Taylor leads the league in rushing yards with 480 yards. That’s an average of 96 yards per contest. He is second in rushing attempts (94), one behind Barkley. Nobody has scored more rushing TDs than Taylor (6). He is ranked #4 in rushes for first down conversions (22).
Against Arizona on Sunday, be prepared for an excess of Jonathan Taylor.
Now, the caption states that the Cardinals’ defense needs to stop Taylor. That is quite an ask. Nobody has yet. He had 102 yards against the Titans and 165 versus a very stingy Denver Broncos defensive unit.
But the Cardinals’ rush defense is holding its own as well. They are ranked #10 in the league in stopping the run. DT Calais Campbell and DT Dalvin Tomlinson have been stout up the middle. DE Josh Sweat is doing a good job when the play comes his way, while MLB Mack Wilson recognizes the run pretty quickly, then makes up his mind and finds the best gap to attack the runner.
The Colts have a weakness: Their offensive line.
LG Quenton Nelson is a first ballot Hall of Famer. Both offensive tackles are having a fine season. The issue is at the center spot and at right guard.
During free agency in the offseason, the offense lost starting right guard Will Fries and center Ryan Kelly, both to the Minnesota Vikings. Fries signed a five-year, $88 million contract while Kelly inked a two-year, $18 million deal.
Kelly was their rock, having been named to four Pro Bowls. Fries was a Day 3 draft pick, but by his second season, he was starting until he left, so he developed into a very good interior lineman.
In their places are C Tanor Bortolini and RG Matt Gonclaves, who are both second-year players. Neither has performed at the level of their predecessors. If the tandem of Campbell and Tomlinson can work on these man-child’s, then perhaps the Colts’ game plan will be altered to send Taylor on more wide runs instead of attempting to run up the gut.
Somebody edit this heading to be more like “Decelerate Jonathan Taylor.”
Force Daniel Jones to remain in the pocket
Quarterback Daniel Jones is a traditional pocket passer, but he is also a good runner. Where he does his damage is on a scramble once he is flushed.
Not that he isn’t a good passer – he is. But he is also a crafty runner when the pocket falls apart. He can then carve up seven, nine, or double-digit rushing yards. He doesn’t escape the pocket and tries to find a receiver the majority of the time, so he just takes off. The front four defensive line is then already behind him, so all he has to do is deal with the linebackers and defensive backfield. And at the time, they are already focused on their own man spread out in coverage, so Jones is downfield before anyone knows he isn’t trying to pass the ball any longer.
Jones isn’t the runner like Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen, or Fran Tarkenton, but he does get valuable real estate and likes to get out in space. Being 6’-5” and a beefy 230 pounds, he is a tough bird to bring down and is shifty. In the last game, he had just 212 yards passing, so Jones is not lighting it up.
The dude really makes some insane throws in some tight situations.
The Colts are more of a run-first offense this year anyway. If the Cardinals’ defense can contain Jones without him getting out and taking off, every aspect of the defensive grip will be affected in a positive way.
