Anyone getting nervous yet?

Head Linesman Jerry Bergman, center, points to the spot where New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz gave himself up prior to fumbling the ball recovered by Arizona Cardinals cornerback Richard Marshall, right, during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011, in Glendale, Ariz. The Giants retained possession on the play and went on to win 31-27. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)
Head Linesman Jerry Bergman, center, points to the spot where New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz gave himself up prior to fumbling the ball recovered by Arizona Cardinals cornerback Richard Marshall, right, during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011, in Glendale, Ariz. The Giants retained possession on the play and went on to win 31-27. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)
We are through the first quarter of the NFL season and our beloved Arizona Cardinals are 1-3. If we were sending out report cards on the first four games, a lot of the players would have to race home to make sure they got the mail before their parents did. It's been that bad!

After the game ended Sunday I looked around at my surroundings making sure I was indeed inside the University of Phoenix stadium because I could have sworn it felt a lot like being at Sun Devil Stadium.

Anyone remember those days? You know, the 1-3 records and losses that just don't make sense to anyone in the stands until finally someone would shout "that's the Cardinals for ya!" I hated those days as a Cardinals fan and I'm starting to get that uneasy feeling once again.

I got home from the game and looked at the remaining 12 contests the Cardinals have on their schedule, and to be honest I can't definitively say there are more than three wins left on the schedule. Those three wins that I "think" will happen are St. Louis, Seattle and Cleveland all at home, but after that I am just not sure. That makes me very nervous for things to come. Of course they can win more than three games and they better, but the way the defense is playing right now -- especially late in games -- is going to make it very difficult.

Defensive coordinator Ray Horton is about our umpteenth former Steeler to join this organization and a lot like the others I am starting to have my doubts. I understand his defensive schemes are complicated and hopefully in time this team will figure it out. Their run defense is pretty solid. They haven't given up a 100 yard rushing day to a running back yet (Hightower had 96). Usually when you do that you should have success, but this team is struggling in the secondary.

Patrick Peterson is getting picked on every game. However, don't forget that a lot of Steelers defensive backs got picked on as well. That's part of the system with all the blitzing packages. Your corners are on an island by themselves a lot. Can you name the last Steelers cornerback to make a pro bowl? Think hard! Rod Woodson was the last Steeler to make a pro bowl. It's a tough position to play in the Steeler defense. I'm not making excuses for PP; I'm just saying maybe it's not such a good idea to leave him out there.

I was one of the first to say last year that something wasn't right with Adrian Wilson. Come to find out he was playing with a pretty serious injury that limited his play. That's cool and AW deserves a mulligan from us as he had done so much and been so good for years. Unfortunately, Wilson got injured again in the preseason, so I am not sure if I am allowed to say that Wilson is losing it or if we have a bicep to blame once again. Either way, he needs to be better. I would also like to take this opportunity to tell Kerry Rhodes it is OK if you try and take over the best safety on the team role. You were very good last year but haven't made any big plays so for in 2011.

While I am ripping defensive players in this column, maybe we should put some blame on the guys up front, too. One sack in the game against the Giants isn't good enough. To be fair there was some good pressure put on Manning, and I actually thought Darnell Dockett played one of his better games in some time.

I wrote a column last week asking Kevin Kolb to just go out and win some games. That's it, I don't care how many yards you throw for or how many touchdowns. Just win. He isn't winning right now and until he wins that game for the team we will continue to question the trade and his ability to lead this team. He was supposed to be the difference in this team's ability to make the playoffs. Well you are two games back of the 49ers already and it could get worse.

Beanie Wells was spectacular on Sunday. I know a lot of you play fantasy football and see games like that where a running back goes for 138 and 3 touchdowns, but that never happens for the Cardinals. Wells made it happen Sunday, let's just hope he didn't get injured in the process as he has a tendency to do.

I feel like I am nagging and being one of those fans who will only point out the negative, but I am frustrated with this start and I was disgusted walking out of the stadium listening to 3,000 Gambos chanting things about NY. Cardinals should have won that game and the season is already a fourth of the way over.

They say time flies when you are having fun, well in this case time flies when you aren't having fun too.

Mark Asher can be reached with your questions and comments by e-mail here, you can follow him on Twitter @Ash620, or you can be friends with him on Facebook. All of Mark Asher's past columns.
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  • Abuse
    DeeGirl wrote...
    Sun Devil Stadium Flashback
    Well said Ash, I felt the same way, it was a like day at Sun Devil Stadium. Ringing in my ears was the voice of a fellow fan who sat behind us there, "EVERY PLAY COUNTS". I saw him on the jumbotron yesterday with the same flag and no doubt chanting the same "cheer", EVERY PLAY COUNTS.
  • Abuse
    sundevil79 wrote...
    steelers
    The problem with getting all these steelers guys is that pittsburgh kept all of the good ones!
  • Abuse
    turkey101 wrote...
    Expectations Don't Fit Talent
    I think people had unrealistic expectations. Offensive line is average to weak. While I thought Dockett and Campbell played well, Porter is clearly out of gas and when they blitz, the secondary gets torched. To early to tell on Kolb. I think he can be successful, but he's not going to put the team on his back and carry it at this point. Welles has to continue to develop and they need another receiver to step up. Remember they were only 9-7 with a HOF QB and 2 All-Pro wide outs.
  • Abuse
    BrewCrewAZ wrote...
    Talent
    I hasn't felt like Sun Devil Stadium yet, but if this continues in to next year it certainly will. A big part of the problem is that they just don't have the talent to run the scheme. Porter and Haggans can't rush the passer, yet Schofield and Acho barely sniff the field on defense. Our corners are young and inexperienced, hence they look bad because we can never get any pressure. Why does it seem like all of our blitzes get picked up? Rod Graves needs to start feeling some heat again along with Whisenhunt.
  • Abuse
    HPB wrote...
    This is Just What I Expected...
    The team has done nothing to improve their defense or take the focus off of Fitzgerald. Teams know that they will get opportunities because the Cardinals are not a team with a lot of discipline. Kvein Kolb is one thing but the team should have taken a long look at each game they lost last season and addressed the reasons for those losses (lack of defense, and bone-headed mistakes).
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    FitzIsMyHero wrote...
    Newton's making Kolb look bad!
    Why's Cam getting 300 - 400 yds and a few TDs a game and our boy Kevin (who has loads of talent around him and more experience) playing like a college rookie?
  • Abuse
    jbaca20 wrote...
    Getting nervous are you nuts...
    You gotta be drinking some really good kool aid if you thought this team was going to win more than 8 games this season. At this rate they will be lucky to win 6. No offseason, 60% turnover of their core units. 4 Games for the new savior QB. This does not equal immediate success. Lets chat this coming offseason when every one puts down their special drinks. This is the NFL not arena ball it takes time.
  • Abuse
    Steve B. wrote...
    Problems are Obvious
    Patrick Peterson looks like and is playing like a rookie. A-Dub and Rhodes have not made an impact. And, unfortunately, Porter looks done. The "O" line needs help. Admit it Rod, Levi Brown is not a good tackle. Heck, he is not even a decent tackle. Upgrade is critcal. Finally, seems like I am always asking, "Who called THAT play?!?" We need to think about getting an offensive coordinator in here. Who knows, maybe Todd Haley won't last the year in KC (he shouldn't).
  • Abuse
    FitzIsMyHero wrote...
    Whisenhunt is making hisself look bad!
    There was alot of "who called dat play" moments. I think I set a acceptable expectation for Kolb. I think he's not a good Quarterback right now. But the issue is he's not improving. He's getting worse. You can't have that in the NFL. Whiz? Whiz doesnt call plays to their strenghts. I think the Beanie/Smith combo will work very well for AZ. He put in LSH on a 2nd & 10. I'm going to log Whiz's errors next week and post them on Mark Asher's 1st column after next Sundays game.
  • Abuse
    Jarrod P. wrote...
    Nervous about another top 5 pick? NAhh
    we are building, right? have been since 1986... Ecept for one great stretch of 3 playoff games, 16 regular season games, and 2 more playoff games.. Miss you on the air Asher!!!!!!
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