NFL: Arizona Cardinals Loss to the Seahawks Would Spell Disaster

The Arizona Cardinals are coming off a very disappointing Week 2 loss where they were outplayed by the Washington Redskins.  The game was decided by only one point, but the numbers on the scoreboard were not indicative of the play on the field.

On Sunday the Cardinals will have a chance to redeem themselves against the Seattle Seahawks, a team widely considered as one of the worst in the NFL.

Is Week 3 a must win for the Cardinals?

Absolutely.

It’s not a must win in the sense that if they are defeated then the season is over, but it is crucial that the much maligned Cardinal defense holds up to what has been the worst offense in football.

If the Cardinals can’t stop the Seahawks then there is little hope for the rest of the season.

The Seahawks offense has been completely anemic, compiling only 383 yards in two games. The Cardinals gave up nearly that amount in two quarters against the Panthers. The Seahawks are ranked 28th in passing yards and 32nd in rushing yards among all NFL teams.

This will be a battle of a very stoppable object meeting an incredibly movable force.

Should the Cardinals defense transition from completely porous to slightly permeable they can leave the Emerald City with a win.

The Cardinals offense should be enough to propel them to victory if the defense can hold. Outside of a few costly turnovers inside the red zone the Cardinals have moved the ball well the previous two games.

Kevin Kolb has looked as good as anyone could have wanted.  His only glaring mistake was an ill-advised pass into double coverage against Washington that was picked off.  His four to one touchdown to interception ratio is one of the few positives that have come from the Cardinals' first two games.

The Cardinals can improve their chances against the Seahawks if they are able control the clock better than in the first two games.  Last week the Redskins time of possession was nearly twice as much as the Cardinals.  Granted the Cardinals defense has been poor, but it would be difficult for any team’s defense to put up a late fourth quarter stop after being on the field for two-thirds of the game.

To control the clock the Cardinals will need to run the ball more.  Beanie Wells is eighth in the league in rushing yards, and is averaging a nice 5.7 yards per carry.  He looks ready to shoulder more of a load for the offense.

With the Rams and Seahawks off to terrible starts the only real competition for the NFC West should be the 49ers, but a loss this weekend would show that the Cardinals’ fiercest opponent is themselves.