Steve Wilks knew the question would be coming after his team’s 45-10 loss at home to the Denver Broncos on Thursday night.
The Arizona Cardinals gained just 223 yards of total offense against the Broncos. It was the seventh straight game to open the season that the Cardinals had failed to gain 300 yards as an offense. Josh Rosen was intercepted three times with two returned for touchdowns and was sacked six times with a pair of lost fumbles. David Johnson gained just 39 yards on 14 carries.
With the continued inability to produce by the Cardinals offense, its head coach knew the question about possible changes - specifically the status of offensive coordinator Mike McCoy - would be coming after the game. Wilks didn’t wait around and broached the topic himself.
“You guys are going to ask me about changes,” Wilks said. “That’s premature to talk about any changes right now. Everybody is going to be evaluated across the board. We’ve got to find ways to get this thing moving int the right direction. Not acceptable and our fans deserve better.”
Wilks was then asked if he was referring to McCoy when it came to saying it was premature to discuss changes.
“I didn’t say Mike McCoy at all,” Wilks said. “When we were talking about changes I’m talking about changes from... it could be personnel, could be players. Whatever it may be, it could be scheme. When I say it’s premature, it’s premature to talk about it at this particular time without going through the evaluation.”
That evaluation will show an offense that has been highly incapable of producing much of anything through the first seven games of the season.
The Cardinals are averaging 220.7 yards of offense per game over the first seven weeks of the season. The Houston Texans averaged 223.2 yards per game in 2002 and the Cleveland Browns averaged 220.6 yards per game in 2000, which represent the two most offensively challenged seasons in the NFL since the turn of the millennium. With the rule changes in the NFL since then skewed heavily to help bolster offensive production, it’s that much more of an indictment of Arizona’s offensive performances so far this year.
“Six sacks, three interceptions, two for touchdowns... (you) can go on and on. Unacceptable,” Wilks said in reference to Thursday night’s performance.
Given the ineptitude of the team so far this year, changes seem inevitable as Wilks tries to get himself established in the desert.