Arizona Cardinals

Looking back on a loss, teams must take into account many of the positives that occurred in the game. In a 17-10 loss at St. Louis, there were plenty of positives following the game, but fans also were demoralized by the poor play. The loss was the Cardinals 14th-straight road loss, which is now the record for any team in the NFL as the Lions ended their streak this week. Arizona comes home next week to face the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots, and looks to improve upon some mistakes they have made throughout the preseason and the first game.

Positives:

Turnover Differential
Last season, the Cardinals ranked 24th in takeaways, forcing only 23 turnovers, and had a differential of -13, 30th in the NFL. This season has been a lot different though, as Arizona is +3 in turnover differential, forcing three fumbles and not turning the ball over, surprisingly with a young quarterback at the helm.

Red-Zone Defense Played Extremely Well
The Rams aren’t an easy performance for any defense they face, and Arizona seemed up to the challenge. While St. Louis put up 448 total yards, only 17 points were scored due to the effective red-zone defense by the Cardinals. In three attempts in the red-zone, only once was the potent Rams offense able to score a touchdown, as a stingy Cardinals defense forced turnovers in clutch situations, keeping the game close.

Emmitt Smith
It was stunning to many to see how well Smith played Sunday, carrying the ball 16 times for 87 yards (5.4 ypc) including a touchdown. Smith looked better than he has the past two seasons and has seemed to rejuvenate his career under Dennis Green. A perfect fit in the new offense, Smith has already shown that he is going to be able to carry the load this season.

Negatives:

Cardinals Receiving Corps
Other than Larry Fitzgerald, the Cardinals receivers were held to five receptions for just 64 yards. Fitzgerald was actually quite impressive in his rookie debut, hauling in four receptions for 70 yards, and has quickly become a favorite target for Josh McCown. He should get better once Anquan Boldin returns to the starting lineup.

Penalties
Arizona racked up eight penalties for 60 yards, and many of them were in clutch situations. On the first drive, a false start by Leonard Davis cost Arizona a first down and most assuredly points on the board. Later, Levar Woods cost the Cardinals a game-changing play by getting caught for defensive holding, nullifying the James Darling 92-yard interception return that would have put Arizona up 17-9. Instead, the Rams took advantage and took the lead, never looking back.

No Defensive Sacks the Entire Game
After it seemed an improvement was made on the defensive line with the acquisitions of Peppi Zellner and Bertrand Berry, Arizona failed to record a sack, continuing their defensive line woes that have been troublesome for many consecutive seasons.