Arizona Cardinals Disappoint Nation in Sunday Night Football Dud

It was a disappointing outing for the Cardinals tonight as they were rocked by the Colts 31-10 on Sunday Night Football.

What was supposed to be a shoot out turned into a Prime Time schooling by one of the better teams of the past decade over a Cardinals squad that is still new to success.

If there is anything Arizona should have learned from the Dolphins failure to beat the Colts this past Monday, is that with Peyton’s Colts, you simply can’t mess around. It simply doesn’t matter what positives you accomplish, if you don’t score a TD when you are in the red zone you are not going to win.

And you certainly can’t turn the ball over.

Both teams’ first four combined possessions mirrored each other: two three and outs followed by two six and outs. The Cardinals looked strong early, getting pressure on Manning and allowing Warner enough time to throw. They couldn’t run the ball effectively but were stopping Indy’s run game also.

After another Indy three and out, Arizona put together the first scoring drive culminating in a FG by Neil Rackers. Yet with a 3-0 lead and on an impressive drive, Tim Hightower fumbled on the Indianapolis 10 yard line and Indy recovered.

The momentum shifted there and it was never to return to Arizona.

When Darnell Dockett went out of the game with an ankle sprain, the team was no longer able to consistently pressure Manning, who sliced and diced his way through the porous secondary for 379 yards and 4 TDs, truly making it look easy.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie’s lack of fundamentals was exposed by Manning and he was burnt badly for two TDs, including one on the money 53-yarder to Pierre Garcon.