The Arizona Cardinals make plenty of mistakes in loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers
It is hard to describe the Arizona Cardinals loss on Sunday afternoon to the Pittsburgh Steelers in just a couple of words. In fact, give me about 15-20 different ways to explain this one and then again you might not have the full picture.
However be that as it may, the Cardinals did lose and they have mostly themselves to thank for the loss. Yes and in case you are wondering, the referees certainly didn’t help the Cardinals cause on Sunday either.
Let it be known the referees weren’t the reason the Cardinals lost however their contributions to the field on Sunday certainly played a big part in the decision at the end. However, the Cardinals really beat themselves more than anything else.
Quarterback Carson Palmer was 29-45 for 421 yards. He threw on touchdown but also threw two interceptions, one of them a bad one as the Cardinals were trying to drive for the go-ahead score late in the game. Palmer threw 45 times on Sunday as opposed to only 14 times against the Detroit Lions.
The Cardinals were forced into more throwing situations on Sunday because the running game was not working. Chris Johnson carried the ball 14 times for just 40 yards. Overall the Cardinals carried the ball 20 times for just 55 yards, a 2.8 yards-per-carry average. That’s not going to win you football games in the NFL most Sunday’s.
Penalties. Yes, some were completely ridiculous and never should have been called. However you have to be able to overcome the incompetence on some of the calls and you can’t go blaming a loss because of it. The Cardinals were penalized nine times for 111 yards on Sunday. Ouch.
The Steelers were down to their third quarterback after they replaced Mike Vick with Landry Jones. That ignited a Steelers offense that hadn’t done anything all afternoon. Jones went 8-12 for 168 yards and two touchdowns. That’s just unacceptable if you are the Cardinals defense.
The Cardinals lost the turnover battle on Sunday as well. In addition to Palmer’s two picks, receiver John Brown also fumbled once. Brown, who otherwise had a great day with 10 receptions for 196 yards, dropped the ball as he was falling backwards after a catch. You can’t do those things, especially on the road, and expect to win. The Cardinals were not able to recover a single turnover on Sunday.
Now it is back home next week for the Cardinals against the Baltimore Ravens. The game is on Monday Night Football at 5:25 p.m.