Arizona Cardinals: Why They Are the Worst 4-1 Team in NFL History

As a Cardinal fan, I hate to write this article. Just like I hated writing last week's article that the "Dream season will not last" after the victory over the Miami Dolphins, making the bold prediction that the Cards will NOT make the playoffs this season.

It's easy to listen to all the media hype and get excited about a 4-0 start, but fate had to catch up eventually, and the problem is, it will continue to bite the Cardinals the rest of the season.

When you have an offensive line as poor as Arizona's, you cannot and WILL not win many ball games in this league. You can have a good defense, a legendary receiver, a QB with a lot of heart, but you can not beat many teams when five large bags of manure could slow a defensive line down more than the Cardinals' O-line.

Even when QB Kevin Kolb had time to throw (which wasn't often), he didn't always read through progressions, he over- or under-threw open receivers, and failed to get the ball to his star receiver when he had single coverage. He did show signs of better pocket presence, but he will never gain much confidence when he's mugged every few plays.

A couple other things to note: The running backs Williams and Powell show nice moves and tackle breaking ability, but they need to trust the small holes in the line instead of waiting for something to open up. This O-line will never leave those wide lanes you see with other teams. Reggie Bush had the same problem when he first started in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints, although the Saints had a much better line. 

Secondly, the receivers have to catch the ball. With so few opportunities for Kolb to throw to receivers, when it comes their way, they better hold on to it. You have to play a mistake free game to have any chance of beating teams when you have such a poor offensive line.

Don't forget to look at the stats. Average yards per play, total offense yards, sacks given up...

I can only wonder why this team has had these issues for many years now and the Cardinals organization seems to overlook the need for solid offensive linemen. Well, poor leadership from the top down is just another reason this Arizona Cardinals team is the worst 4-1 bunch in NFL history...

The dream is definitely over.