Five Things to Hate About the 2014 Arizona Cardinals

Nov 24, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) is pursued by Arizona Cardinals linebacker John Abraham (55) at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Colts 40-11. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

4. Weak QB Pressure

The Cardinals strong defense lost valuable contributors this offseason. In preseason they seem to be able to manage in all but one area: pass rush. The Cardinals are last in the league in sacks thus far, which has limited their ability to keep opposing offenses in check. This isn’t a new problem, though. During a four game win streak in 2013, the Cardinals managed only nine sacks, seven of which came from John Abraham. In a league with growing reliance on the passing game, getting pressure on the quarterback is crucial, and Arizona showed it could get it done. Despite its bad streaks, the Cardinals ranked 7th in sacks last season.

The other blows to the defense will be mentioned later, but the most recent loss was Darnell Dockett, who suffered a torn ACL in practice. Dockett was a valuable piece of the front seven, not only for his 4.5 sacks, but his vocal leadership as a veteran. Arians believes that Frostee Rucker, his replacement, will be enough to check the ground game, but is still concerned about getting pressure on the QB.

His concern is justifiable, and the Cards will have to get to the quarterback more often to succeed in 2014.