Can Arizona Cardinals fix troubled secondary in 2023?

Even though it's only preseason and none of these games count, Patrick Mahomes is still a nightmare for any defense to face and it was no different even in an exhibition game. Mahomes appeared to already be in midseason form as he threw for 105 yards on 10 for 15 passing and a TD pass to go along with it against the Arizona Cardinals.

That kind of performance is expected from the reigning NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP. But after Mahomes exited the game the Chiefs offensive onslaught continued as the Cardinals young secondary got abused all game long. The two quarterbacks behind Mahomes, Shane Buechele and Blaine Gabbert made it appear as if the Cardinals were playing against Pro Bowl caliber players as both backup quarterbacks combined for 225 yards, 17 for 18 passing with 2 TD passes.

The Cardinals will face the Minnesota Vikings in their preseason finale and it's a possibility that they could face another test if Kirk Cousins plays. This is a very important game for the young players trying to earn a spot on the roster, most notably the defensive backs.

Kyler McMichael and Christian Matthew are two of the young defensive backs trying to make the final cut. These players will have their hands full if they are assigned to cover WR Justin Jefferson in this game and KJ Osborne isn't an easy cover either. But if either one of these young players do well against the Vikings it will bolster their cases to make the final cut.

Can the Arizona Cardinals secondary fix their issues this season?

New defensive coordinator Nick Rallis will be tasked with the responsibility of fixing the issues within the defense. The Cardinals were casualties of poor tackling, blown coverages and a non-existent pass rush as it all ended up resulting in the ugly loss.

Rallis experimented with Isaiah Simmons at safety and he got exposed big time as he gave up a lot of big plays. Rallis is trying to figure out exactly how to use Simmons due to his unique skill set as a football player.

He could be utilized in pass coverage in short spaces as opposed to him being the last line of defense. Rallis could also consider using Simmons as a pass rusher especially on third downs where his length and height could be beneficial.

It was apparent that Simmons had trouble adjusting to receivers routes as the Chiefs quarterbacks picked on him all game. He was susceptible to the big play due to him biting on pump fakes play action.

But looking at it from another perspective, no matter how bad it looked for Simmons, it's still only preseason and the coaches have time to figure it out. Simmons is learning a new system and even though he did play some safety while he was in college, it's still a hard position to learn in the NFL.
Hopefully the Arizona Cardinals secondary will have a better showing against the Vikings in their next preseason game.