Arizona Cardinals: What Happened?

Sep 22, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) runs as Arizona Cardinals inside linebacker Jasper Brinkley (52) pursues during the second half of a game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints defeated the Cardinals 31-7. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Cardinals played the New Orleans Saints in week three and got beat up like as if they there the 2012 Cardinals. They started the game off strong going on a 11 play, 80 yard drive to score a touchdown.

The Saints responded by driving down the field to tie the game up with a perfect pass by Drew Brees and then it was all down hill from there. The Cardinals` offense had their hands full is the Saints` defense and I for one did not expect they would play as they did.

After the Cardinals` first drive, they just could`nt get it together. Levi Brown could`nt hold his man, yet again, and the receivers could`nt get open quick enough causing Carson Palmer to hold onto the ball way to long.

In the fourth quarter, Palmer was setting up a drive until he threw an interception sealing the Cardinals loss early in the period. Even if he did`nt throw that interception, I don`t think it would be enough to switch the momentum and put a fire under the defense.

The defensive line was doing their job, but the linebackers and secondary could`nt cover and tackle allowing Jimmy Graham to run wild. They just could`nt get off the field and by the fourth can around, they were spent and Brees took over from there.

The Cardinals` defense loss Dan Williams before the game and ended up losing Lorenzo Alexander and Sam Acho during. With the way things turned out, I don`t believe they would have helped win the game, but I believe the score would`nt of been so high.

Todd Bowles was mainly at fault for the defense`s play, but not fully to blame. He needed to either put Patrick Peterson on Graham full-time or put double coverage on him and not just play man to man the whole game.

The Cardinals` offense had the ability to put up the same points the Saints did, but they were on the sideline for so long that it hindered their ability to get the ball rolling. The team as a whole was to blame for the loss, but most of it falls on Bowles and the defense.

As painful as it was to watch the Cardinals get man handled, I for one am glad it was early enough in the season so the rookies can take a lesson learned and apply it the next time something like this comes along.