The team is
undisciplined. The offensive line is a liability
Joe Flacco Jersey , still. The defense can’t stop the tight end, still. But the one big takeaway for me has to be Bill Musgrave’s play calling.As Ian St.
Clair and I discussed on the MHR Radio Podcast in our postgame recap, it seems
as if Musgrave is incapable of creating a game plan that the offense can
execute. The offensive line struggles aside, for some reason Musgrave continues
to find ways to take a simple approach that is working, and complicate it with
unnecessary attempts at fancy or cute plays.Maybe Musgrave wants the world to
think he is an offensive genius in the same vane as the Los Angeles Rams Sean
McVay, or even Andy Reid. He isn’t, and all he is doing is convincing the world
that he can’t recognize a successful formula if it is shoved down his throat
with a spoon.As we said on the podcast, ask any fan what seems to be the thing
that works best for the offense. It usually sounds something like, “run the damn
ball.” After eight weeks of football, the recipe for offensive success is as
clear as cold Rocky Mountain water. Run the ball, use play action, and move Case
Keenum outside of the pocket.I am not blowing anyone’s mind here. Phillip
Lindsay averaged 5.3 yards per carry, and Devontae Booker averaged 8.7. This
isn’t rocket science. I wrote about this problem earlier in the week. The Chiefs
offense is so good that they scare teams away from running the ball. Denver
didn’t necessarily abandon the run, but they seemed to move away from it as the
game wore on. They rushed the ball 30 times, and passed it 34, but that doesn’t
really tell the story.This isn’t about stats. This is about making the decision
to choose an identity. As I watched the game I couldn’t help but wonder why
Musgrave seemingly chose to run plays that overcomplicated things. The failed
flea flicker may seem like the best example, but there were others. The 3rd and
2 left end run to Emmanuel Sanders that lost 6 yards and led to a 55 yard field
goal that Brandon McManus pushed wide. That cost the team points.At the halfway
point in the season the one big takeaway from the Broncos loss to the Chiefs is
that everyone who watches the team knows their identity. The only people who
don’t seem to know are Bill Musgrave and Vance Joseph. Not exactly a trait that
builds confidence. Not to worry Broncos Country, this will all be over soon.The
MHR Radio Podcast is now on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Acast, Stitcher,
TuneIn and a few other podcast hosts. Please subscribe to the one that fits your
fancy, and also rate and review what you hear. A season already gone bad turned
worse for the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night, before a national television
audience.The Cardinals absorbed a 45-10 drubbing by the Denver Broncos to fall
to 1-6, one of the worst home losses in franchise history. There were mistakes
across the board on offense, defense and special teams.The offense entered last
in the NFL in yards per game, and didn’t do much to help deflect further
criticism. With offensive coordinator Mike McCoy under pressure amid rumors of
his possible ousting, the Cardinals went 4 for 14 on third down and gained only
223 total yards.Forced to play from well behind
Phillip Lindsay Jersey , they managed only 69 rushing yards against the league’s worst rushing defense.“That’s premature to talk about any changes right
now,” Cardinals first-year head coach Steve Wilks said. “Everybody’s going to be
evaluated across the board. We’ve got to find ways to get this thing moving in
the right direction.”Wilks was pressed on McCoy’s status.“I didn’t say Mike
McCoy at all,” Wilks said. “I’m talking about changes that could personnel. It
could be players. Whatever it may be. It could be scheme.”Josh Rosen threw three
interceptions — two returned for touchdowns in the first quarter — and lost two
fumbles.Broncos linebacker Von Miller had earlier in the week said boldly
claimed that the Broncos would kick the Cardinals’ behind. The Broncos, 2-4
going in, helped their star linebacker back up his words.Rosen, the 10th overall
pick this year, was critical of himself. Miller stripped him of the ball twice
and he was sacked six times.“Obviously I didn’t play up to my standards or even
close to it, but there’s another one next week,” Rosen said.Things were already
in such dire straits at halftime that Cardinals fans booed their team off the
State Farm Stadium field going into the locker room, and even that was drowned
out in part by the cheers from a large number of fans in Broncos
orange.Defensively, the Cardinals were caught off guard by wide
receiver Emmanuel Sanders’ trick-play touchdown pass to a wide open Courtland
Sutton in the first quarter, and Sanders was so open on his 64-yard touchdown
reception that he had time to execute a flip into the end zone.“The one trick
play in the first quarter, that was a little surprising,” linebacker Haason
Reddick said. “No matter what the score is, whether we’re down 14, 15 or 60,
you’ve’ve just got to continue to play and try to get back on top.”Denver’s rush
defense was strong; Arizona, the second-worst rush defense in the league behind
the Broncos coming into Thursday, was gashed for a third-quarter 28-yard
touchdown run by Phillip Lindsay with the Broncos already ahead 35-3.On special
teams, Brandon Williams leg-whipped Broncos return man DaeSean Hamilton after he
called for a fair catch, and the Broncos got the ball at their own 21 instead of
the 6, already ahead 28-3.Rosen was replaced by backup Mike Glennon with 5:29 to
play and, by that time it was a celebration for Broncos fans in the Cardinals’
stadium.“Good question,” Wilks said when asked why Arizona’s offense continues
to struggle. “Whether it’s not getting movement up front, whether it’s not
protecting in the pass game, not being able to make the proper throws or make
the proper catches, there’s a lot that goes around.
