Most disappointing Cardinals from Week 1 win over Titans

Which members of the Arizona Cardinals were the most disappointing in their win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 1?

In Week 1, the Arizona Cardinals surprised some people with an easy victory on the road over the Tennessee Titans.

As positive as that was, there were still some disappointing members of the Cardinals from the matchup. No matter how you slice it, the few minutes of the first quarter were infuriating as it looked like nothing had really changed from last season for Arizona.

The Cardinals’ offense could not just stop flirting with that yellow flag. There were also frustrating penalties that negated a lot of work that Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray put in with his legs. So who were some of the Cardinals that disappointed on Sunday?

Most disappointing Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 vs. the Tennessee Titans

Honorable Mention:

• A.J. Green – WR

A.J. Green sure looked rusty against the Titans. Green finished with just two receptions for 25 yards and he’s been touted as someone who was supposed to help take the attention away from DeAndre Hopkins. That couldn’t have been further from what actually transpired in Tennessee.

There was also Green’s holding call in the second quarter that wiped out a great scramble by Murray. It’s only one game and he’s on a cheap deal, but this was Kliff Kingsbury not diversifying his targets.

Most disappointing Cardinals of Week 1:

• Kliff Kingsbury – head coach
• Sean Kugler – offensive line coach/run game coordinator

The first quarter was a time machine back to the final weeks of the 2020 season for Arizona. The Cardinals accumulated a total of eight penalties for 59 yards in Week 1, and most of them came in the first quarter with the team in scoring position.

Arizona’s rushing attack was uninspiring against Tennessee’s substandard defense as the Cardinals’ offensive line never really showed any dominance on run plays. Arizona offensive line coach Sean Kugler is still working to get the unit to be better.

Some are trying to pass off Murray not needing the preseason to be good, and there may be some truth in that. However, not being able to see the play clock winding down and get the ball snapped in the fourth quarter is inexcusable with how much time Kingsbury and Murray have spent together.

Yes, Arizona wound up blowing out the Titans. Did anyone expect it? Not really. The message here is just to be cautious about buying into the hype too early for the Cardinals.

Arizona’s entire fan base did this last year after the team’s 2-0 start and then two losses to the Detroit Lions in Week 3 and the Carolina Panthers in Week 4 really hurt the Cardinals’ playoff chances last season.

Hope for consistency when it comes to Arizona, not just the big wins.