APIt’s been an entertaining first half in St. Louis and offseason acquisitions for both the Cardinals and Rams have played a big role in getting the teams to halftime at a 10-10 tie.
Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, acquired in a trade with the Raiders, has completed 14-of-19 passes for 204 yards, cooling off after completing 10-of-11 throws to start the game. He threw a touchdown to Larry Fitzgerald and got help from Michael Floyd on a ridiculous catch on the previous play to put them in position to score. The offensive line issues haven’t disappeared, Palmer was sacked twice, but the passing offense is light years ahead of where we left the Cardinals in 2012.
That was the only touchdown of the game until Sam Bradford hit Jared Cook, signed as a free agent this offseason, to tie the game at 10 with 26 seconds to go in the half. Cook has three catches for 71 yards, but cost the team a chance to score when he was stripped by Cardinals rookie safety Tyrann Mathieu near the goal line and the Cardinals recovered for a touchback.
It was a good, opportunistic play by Mathieu that likely saved a touchdown and sets up what should be 30 more hard-fought minutes between two closely matched teams.
Honey Badger knows!
Honey Badger looks good! Need to stop the run with the front 7 and get some pass rush with Dockett and Campbell tho…
Unfortunately Levi Brown is still there.
worst part of the game is having to listen to ronde barber try to commentate
The bad performances by Levi Brown costs the Cards’ offense its rhythm and effectiveness, not to mention the sacks and fumbles his poor blocking produces.
Bruce Arians calls Levi Brown an ‘Elite’ left tackle. Sure that’s true, but only in the Arena Football League, and sure not in the NFL.
Make no mistake, Levi Brown and Bruce Arians cost the Cardinals this game, especially when Arians elected not to keep extra blocking help for Brown to help him to his job. As long as the Cards insist on keep Brown in at tackle instead of guard where he is better suited, the Cards will have another ugly losing season, no matter what Palmer, Fitz, Petersen, or any other players may do because playing Brown at left tackle is like playing NFL football with a high school all-star in one of your starting positions, much less the left tackle spot. Poor Carson Palmer, he will probably be out with a concussion by the 3rd or 4th game when Levi Brown’s man hits him square with a clean shot.