Cardinals GM Steve Keim: ‘Offensively, there were a lot of issues’
Aug 31, 2015, 8:53 AM
(AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
The Arizona Cardinals earned their first preseason win Sunday night, beating the Oakland Raiders 30-23 at O.com Coliseum.
Lost in the final score is the fact that 27 of those points posted by the Cardinals came in the second half, long after the starters had called it a night.
The Arizona first string had a hard time moving the ball in the first half, mustering only 115 total yards and three points on 37 offensive plays.
“Offensively, there were a lot of issues, to say the least,” general manager Steve Keim told Doug and Wolf Monday morning on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. “I think, to some degree, it was a great wake-up call. This team has read for the past several weeks about its potential, but potential doesn’t mean anything if you don’t execute, if you don’t make plays and if you don’t play physical.”
Chief among the issues posed by Keim was the play of the starting offensive line. Quarterback Carson Palmer was sacked three times and under constant duress while the running game averaged just 1.7 yards per attempt.
“Well the injuries and the suspension don’t help, but again, I’m not one to make excuses,” Keim said. “I thought, of the first five, (guard) Ted Larsen was the only one who even played solid. I thought that the other guys struggled.”
Keim was referring, of course, to the injury that has starting left guard Mike Iupati on the sideline and the pending league suspension of right tackle Bobby Massie that will keep him out at least the first two games of the regular season.
But the guys up front weren’t the only problem.
“I thought there were times where Carson held the ball too long,” the third-year GM continued. “There was some communication with routes, particularly with young receivers and the backs didn’t chip at times when they were supposed to. So when you have so many things go wrong at the same time, it’s a recipe for disaster.”
The main disruptor of the Cardinals’ offense was linebacker Khalil Mack. The second-year star finished the game with two sacks and four quarterback hurries. He also forced a fumble when he stripped Arizona rookie running back David Johnson of the football, but the Cardinals recovered.
“There’s no question the type of player Khalil Mack is. There is a reason he was either the first or second player on our board when he came out of Buffalo. We had grades that were off the charts on him — it’s good to see him live up to his potential,” Keim said. “But we’re going to face somebody that’s talented every week. Again, it’s a great reminder to our players, whether you’re Jared Veldheer or Bradley Sowell. It doesn’t matter who you are, you have to bring your A-game every week.
“They get paid on the other side as well. We just have to come together, use it as a wake-up call and a learning experience and get better this week.”