Even though they played excellent football in the 1st half of Sunday's loss against the New York Giants, the Arizona Cardinals were in prime position to win this game. Jonathan Gannon and his coaching staff could have called a better game than what they did, but we have to remember that Gannon is a rookie head coach and that he is still learning.
As with all rookie head coaches, he will experience the growing pains of coaching in this league, but they are necessary for success. Take this loss on the chin, learn from it, get better, take accountability, and move on. Gannon and his staff should be fine moving forward as they learned never to underestimate any team in this league, no matter how big of a lead you have.
3 things the Arizona Cardinals defense MUST improve before Week 3
Coaches Must Make Better Adjustments
The Arizona Cardinals defense compiled 3 sacks and had an interception by safety Jalen Thompson all in the 1st half. The 2nd half of the game turned out to be a nightmare for the Cardinals defenders as they struggled to get pressure on Giants quarterback Daniel Jones as he torched the back end of the Cardinals secondary as he he threw for 321 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Cardinals All-Pro safety Budda Baker did not suit up for this game due to injury and his absence was evident as Jones was able to extend plays on several drives with his arm and his feet. Even though the Giants are clearly the more talented team, the coaching staff must do a better job when it comes to putting these young players in position to protect the lead.
Instead of remaining aggressive and putting the pressure on Jones like they did in the 1st half, the Cardinals appeared to relax as they went into "protect the lead" mode and got conservative with their play calling. Gannon and his staff must adapt to making adjustments, especially after halftime and when protecting a lead.
A veteran head coach and play caller like Brian Daboll is too good of a coach who is equipped with an innovative offensive mind to be taken lightly, even with a double digit lead. The Cardinals coaches have to accept the blame for this loss and improve going forward.