Arizona Cardinals Secondary Leaves Much to Be Desired

The Cardinals are 1-0.  They barely defeated the Carolina Panthers Sunday, relying on a last-minute red zone stand.

If anything, the game showed that the Cardinals are far from a lock to win the NFC West.

Beanie Wells played well, gaining 90 yards on 18 carries; however, he fumbled inside the red zone.

Perhaps the most anticipated aspect of the game for Cardinals fans was the debut of quarterback Kevin Kolb.  Kolb did not disappoint, completing 18 of 27 passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns despite being pressured most of the game. He did not receive much protection and was unable to utilize his No. 1 target due to double coverage on Larry Fitzgerald, who had only three catches.

The defensive front seven was able to put pressure on Cam Newton much of the game and inside linebacker Daryl Washington continued his development into a dominant defensive player.

Washington was the recipient of Cam Newton’s first official NFL interception.  He would have had two on the day if not for a questionable penalty.

That is where the positives ended for the Cardinals.

The secondary left much to be desired.  They made a quarterback making his first start look considerably better than he should have.

There were several times where there wasn’t a Cardinal defender within five yards of a Carolina receiver.

By the end of the third quarter, the Panthers were moving the ball at will with the Cardinals’ pass coverage being non-existent. 

Two rookie cornerbacks are ill equipped to handle NFL offenses.  If they were dominated by Cam Newton, when faced with a more capable quarterback they will be completely overmatched. 

Veteran Pro Bowl receiver Steve Smith and the Panthers took advantage of the porous Cardinals secondary.  Smith had a huge day and seemingly could not be stopped.

Peterson, who showed he is a rookie on pass coverage, removed any doubts by also almost turning a terrific punt return into a tragic embarrassment.  With only daylight left between him and the end zone Peterson began to stride step and showboat at about the 20-yard line and was nearly caught by a Carolina player.

Two 2011 top-10 draft picks were on the field today and one was clearly inferior.

The Cardinals were lucky to escape with a win against a team that many predict to be one of the worst in the NFL.  The defense will need to improve drastically if the Cardinals will have any hope at making the playoffs in 2011.

If you’re heading to Vegas and laying some money down on the Cardinals, make a mental note to yourself and bet the over.