Cardinals Defense Gives Favre Career Day, Loses 27-24
By Scott Allen
For three quarters on Sunday, it appeared the Arizona Cardinals were on the verge of getting Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress fired. After losing 27-24 in overtime, that after holding a 24-10 lead going into the fourth quarter, you might be looking at the wrong bench for coach hot seat.
Really, I’m at a loss for words for why or how the Cardinals lost this game. It was a game they should have had the crowd running for the exits, instead it was a game the Cards defense had the crowd get louder and louder as the fourth quarter continued on.
Here are the top reasons why the Cards lost today:
1. Poor defense. The defense was opportunistic early, but there is no excuse for the way they gave up big play after big play in the fourth quarter. Honestly, they were lucky to be in the game at that point. If not for that opportunistic defense with a goal line pick and a fourth and goal stop, they would have had two more touchdowns scored on them.
2. Play calling. I don’t know what happened with the play calling , particularly in the second half, but it was awful. Where was Beanie Wells? A guy cleared to play, barely played at all. It was the Tim Hightower show, for what that show was worth, at the running back position.
3. Giving up 446 yards passing and 36 completed receptions for Brett Favre. Are you kidding me? Favre was about to be booed out of the stadium and instead gets a career high in completed receptions? Only the Cardinals could allow that to happen.
4. Cards offensive line protection or lack thereof. The Cards offensive line is joke. A complete and utter joke. Brandon Keith couldn’t protect a boulder in broad daylight from being stolen.
Would you like me to continue? Yeah I probably could, but why waste my time and yours. Let’s just get to the bottom line. The Cardinals are back to the old Cardinals. Close but no cigar Cardinals. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Cards don’t deserve the division crown. They don’t deserve a better quarterback if they can’t give the offense better plays to run.
Next week, another scheduled close loss to the Seattle Seahawks at home, who by the way are currently getting creamed at home to the New York Giants.