Coach Arians must evolve to save his struggling offense
Football is a game of inches and blurred lines.
A veteran team that wins is hailed for its experience. A veteran team that loses is too old.
A head coach that wins his way is lauded for undying conviction. Until he starts losing, and then he’s just stubborn.
The 2017 Cardinals are straddling this fence, living this tale. This is what happens when high expectations intersect with low performance. And it’s time for Bruce
Arians to evolve until his offensive line proves it can protect an immobile quarterback.
The solution seemed apparent in the first half of Monday’s loss to the Cowboys. Carson Palmer delivered the ball quickly and decisively. An offense that prides itself on big plays suddenly displayed a ball-control philosophy.
At one point, the Cardinals had outgained the Cowboys 140-3. With 9:36 remaining in the second quarter, they had run 31 plays while Dallas had managed only six. The plan was working to perfection until Phil Dawson missed another field goal. And then it all fell apart.
The offensive line received most of the criticism for the breach in protection that occurred in the second half. Jared Veldheer took significant heat for his role in the outcome, a player who was switched to right tackle after 2016, considered retirement in training camp and didn’t seem to exhibit the brawler mentality necessary to negate fire-breathing pass rushers.
Arians insisted that Veldheer hasn't checked out mentality, that he remains one of the hardest workers on the team. He might be right or could be protecting a player who isn't providing much return on investment at the moment.
But the protection dissolved after the Cardinals reverted to their old ways, when a fast start against the Cowboys seemed to spawn a false sense of confidence. And when Palmer started looking downfield, holding the ball and going through progressions, he became an easy target for a defense that generated shocking amounts of pressure with four rushers or less.
The offensive line has been mostly brutal through three games and not equipped to sustain Arians' preferred strategy. The unit was tasked with preserving Palmer at all costs after the 37year old quarterback endured a physical beating the previous season. Yet Palmer is once again at the top of the list of quarterbacks under duress, sustaining 27 hits through the first three games. As a result, the offense has scored 19 points or fewer in two of three games.
There could be a reprieve this weekend if D.J. Humphries and Mike Iupati return from the injury list. But there can be no assumptions that a porous line will suddenly be fortified with those two in uniform. Those who believe the loss of David Johnson has crippled the offense must reconcile how a MVP candidate would’ve fared without open lanes or room to run. And a date with the winless 49ers is not a game the Cardinals can afford to lose.
In retrospect, Arians said an 0-2 start at University of Phoenix Stadium doomed the 2016 season, stealing the team’s swagger and breeding a fatalist attitude. We’ve already witnessed recurring issues from last year’s debacle, from a kicker who can’t split the uprights to a stout defense that still gives up too many big plays. A loss on Sunday would duplicate their early home-field shortcomings in 2016, and could be devastating.
That’s why Arians needs to change his mindset. He should use short passes to replicate the running game he doesn’t possess. Big plays are nice, but sustained drives wear down a defense. And the less Palmer gets hit, the better he performs.
When the Cardinals lit up the scoreboard in 2015, scoring 33 or more points in eight of 16 games, Arians was hailed for running the kind of offense rarely seen in today’s NFL. He has unshakable confidence in his approach and his coaching staff, making it clear he would not tolerate the dismissal of Amos Jones after the special teams sabotaged the 2016 season. With the right blend of talent, his aggressive personality can empower a team to great heights.
But change isn’t always an admission of weakness. To the contrary, it’s a sign of intelligence. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is the master at this chess game, constantly shifting schematics based on the opponent. He specializes in fielding teams that can look dramatically different from one week to the next.
Just ask former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin. He famously changed his rigid, authoritarian approach to better suit a new generation of players, and his evolution culminated in a Super Bowl triumph in Glendale.
It was proof that old dogs can learn new tricks, which is almost a necessity in the high-stakes arena of professional football. Arians must do the same, adapting to his team’s talent and its weaknesses. Even if a little pride is lost along the way.