Arizona Cardinals not a team of thirds
By Scott Allen
Third downs and third conversions still a huge problem for the Arizona Cardinals after Sunday
It has been so frustrating to know that when the Arizona Cardinals get to third downs, we all know they are giving the ball back. When they hit halftime, we know they will be well rested on offense come the fourth quarter and end of game.
On Sunday, the Cardinals went 0-10 on third downs. Let that sink in, zero for 10. For the season they are 14-64. They are 2-22 over the last two weeks. Not good.
As for the third quarter, they’ve been outscored 42-0 this season after the Minnesota Vikings outscored them 14-0 on Sunday. Let’s just say halftime adjustments are not their forte.
Whether it is a coaching issue or personnel issue, I’m thinking a bit of both, it is becoming increasingly a major issue that needs addressing. Some on the radio and some on the team have dismissed it but it is a glaring statistic.
You can’t have those numbers and expect a win to be placed in the standings, not just in the NFL, but at any level. The Cardinals can say how much they are frustrated by it as well but they have control over how to fix it.
Right now, it isn’t being fixed. On Sunday, they were in a 13-10 dogfight. They knew the Vikings would start with the ball in the second half.
It didn’t matter. The Vikings marched right down the field on 10 plays, covering 75-yards in less than five minutes. Turn out the lights.
Not only did the Cardinals fail to convert a third down, they also failed to convert a fourth down. They failed on both attempts on Sunday. I will say this, the decisions to go for it on both fourth downs were right calls, so no controversy there.
They now have four days to figure it out again. The Denver Broncos may not be the Broncos of past, but they can still bring it. It won’t be easy to improve these numbers on Thursday night.