ARIZONA CARDINALS

Domino effect of Cardinals losing Kirk hurts Rosen most

Dec 10, 2018, 4:17 PM | Updated: 10:21 pm

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen (3) reacts after being sacked against the Detroit Lions du...

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen (3) reacts after being sacked against the Detroit Lions during the first half of NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

TEMPE, Ariz. — The Cardinals want Josh Rosen to be safe.

They also want their rookie quarterback to play out the final three games of the year to build him a library of experiences he can recall as he grows in his career.

Accomplishing both things are difficult enough, and it got that much harder when then-leading receiver Christian Kirk went down with a foot injury before Arizona’s 17-3 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

As for Rosen, Arizona isn’t expecting to shut him down behind a makeshift offensive line that held up fairly decently in pass protection, head coach Steve Wilks said.

“He can’t get enough (reps),” Wilks said of Rosen on Monday. “Really talking to (offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich), it’s so many different looks that he needs to see. In saying that, I think we have to do a great job from a protection standpoint, whether it’s moving the pocket, seven-man protection and those kinds of things to help Josh.

“Sitting him — I don’t think it’d be advantageous to do that.”

Problem is, protecting Rosen and opening up the offense seems to be pulling them in opposite directions.

Detroit didn’t need to complicate things to nearly shut out Arizona at State Farm Stadium.

Losing Kirk made the Cardinals’ most obvious target in the passing game veteran Larry Fitzgerald. So the Lions used bracket coverages against him to shut him out of the first half.

As Arizona leaned more on rookie receivers Trent Sherfield and Jalen Tolliver in the passing game, the run game went through David Johnson.

He rushed 15 times for just 49 yards as Detroit predictably keyed in on him.

“You could see that watching the film. A couple times they were overplaying David,” Wilks said. “You really didn’t realize how much you missed Christian until yesterday.”

Detroit apparently did before the game.

For Arizona, keeping Rosen safe meant lots of max-protection packages and heavy sets. Only occasionally did Leftwich go to an empty set with five wideouts, or get creative by moving Johnson out to receiver.

So the Lions loaded the box and didn’t worry about a speedy Kirk motioning across the field pre-snap or running jet sweeps to stretch the defense horizontally.

There was nobody to replicate that.

Add it all up and Fitzgerald was bracketed, Johnson was stuffed, the offense was predictable and Rosen was left trying to make lemonade out of kumquats.

He was hit eight times, sacked three times and went 26-of-41 for 240 yards and a pick-six when Lions corner Darius Slay baited him into throwing to Sherfield, who was planted at the first-down marker.

“Again, it falls back on us as coaches putting those guys in position to be successful,” Wilks said.

“What I’ve seen a lot is just really loading the box; what teams have done against us as far as inability to go down the field, as far as the deep ball and then the inconsistency running the ball. I think as coaches we will address that — being able to see that and … now trying to combat that as far as spreading things out to give ourselves a chance.”

Presented By
Western Governors University

Arizona Cardinals

Desmond Ridder runs the rock against Houston...

Tyler Drake

Desmond Ridder eager to remind fellow Cardinals QB Clayton Tune about college wins

Cardinals quarterback Desmond Ridder may not know Kyler Murray just yet, but he and Clayton Tune go way back.

1 day ago

LSU's Malik Nabers, a top NFL Draft prospect...

Kevin Zimmerman

NFL Draft: Malik Nabers to visit Arizona Cardinals after LSU pro day, per report

Top NFL Draft receiver prospect Malik Nabers will reportedly visit with the Arizona Cardinals after the LSU Tigers' pro day.

1 day ago

Desmond Ridder looks to pass...

Tyler Drake

QB1 or not, Desmond Ridder keeping starter mentality with Cardinals

New Cardinals QB Desmond Ridder is focused on using the good and the bad from his first two seasons rather than listening to outside chatter.

2 days ago

Jonathan Gannon and Kyler Murray look on...

Tyler Drake

Cardinals’ Jonathan Gannon: Kyler Murray’s ‘best football is ahead of him’

Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon believes Kyler Murray will continue taking the necessary steps forward with a full offseason of work.

2 days ago

Kyler Murray chats with Jonathan Gannon...

Arizona Sports

Arizona Cardinals will face ‘really good’ AFC opponent for joint preseason practices

The Arizona Cardinals expect to hold joint practices in the preseason against a really good AFC opponent, in the words of Jonathan Gannon.

2 days ago

Patriots and Cardinals kick off return in 2020...

Associated Press

NFL owners approve new kickoff rules for 2024

NFL kickoff rules will take on a hybrid approach similar to the XFL. League owners approved the new measures Tuesday.

2 days ago

Domino effect of Cardinals losing Kirk hurts Rosen most