Oct 5, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Logan Thomas (6) looks to throw the ball as he is pressured from Denver Broncos defensive tackle Sylvester Williams (92) during the second half at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos won 41-20. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Looking over the Arizona Cardinals 41-20 loss to the Denver Broncos, on the surface a lot of what happened looked bad. There were some good things, some positives, that came out of the game. They weren’t hard to find but at the same time there was a lot of ugly out there too.
The Good:
So you ask yourself what good came out of this game? Well, you had hoped he wouldn’t have to play at any point but given the way people get hurt, its not too shocking that quarterback Logan Thomas found his way into the game. I immediately tweeted that Logan was not ready. I didn’t and still don’t feel that Thomas is NFL regular season ready.
His 1-8 showed that. He held onto the ball too long at times. That’s just showing his inexperience though. I don’t think that has anything to do with his potential or talent. He will learn.
What I did like though was his arm. The kid can throw. He somehow threaded the needle to running back Andre Ellington down the sidelines for an 81-yard touchdown. He threw a pass many quarterbacks may not throw. He may just not know any better.
The Bad:
Third down conversions. Even before quarterback Drew Stanton left the game, they were struggling on third downs. The Cards started 3-4 on third down conversions. It was a nice start to the game. However they finished 3-16 on third down conversions.
The lack of conversions on third down was huge. It stalled drives. It shortened drives. It kept the defense out on the field longer and ultimately led to their breakdown in what was a very close game still early on in the fourth quarter.
The Ugly:
Injuries. The Cards were falling down fast and often. Calais Campbell, Stanton, Troy Niklas, Patrick Peterson, Deone Bucannon. They all went down at some point on Sunday. Campbell is probably the worst. He will have an MRI today. Niklas, Peterson, and Bucannon should all be just fine. Stanton will have to go through his concussion protocol.
Back to the Campbell injury for a moment though. Head coach Bruce Arians called it dirty. Denver Broncos tight end Julius Thomas did appear to have no business with that chop block. There certainly appeared to have some kind of intent. I don’t know if he meant to injure. I know I said that yesterday but at the same time, if there is intent, what are the chances for injury on such a play? Maybe he didn’t think that through. If that is the case, I don’t want a football player who doesn’t think of huge consequences like that on the field. I don’t care how good or who he is.