ARIZONA CARDINALS

First-quarter woes continue for Cardinals against Bills

Sep 25, 2016, 11:40 AM | Updated: 2:35 pm

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) is sacked by Buffalo Bills outside linebackers Jerr...

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) is sacked by Buffalo Bills outside linebackers Jerry Hughes (55) and Lorenzo Alexander during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Bill Wippert)

(AP Photo/Bill Wippert)

The Arizona Cardinals looked sleepy to begin.

Visiting the Buffalo Bills, the 10 a.m. MST start could maybe be blamed had the Cardinals not had the same sluggishness issue in each of their previous games that were played in the friendly confines of University of Phoenix Stadium.

In Week 3, Arizona fell behind the Bills 10-0 heading into the second quarter and for the third time in three games were scoreless in the first 15 minutes of a game.

It was an especially ugly brand of football to start.

“That’s unacceptable,” head coach Bruce Arians told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM’s Paul Calvisi after the final three quarter likewise didn’t go Arizona’s way in a 33-18 loss. “That’s the slowest in four years.”

Quarterback Carson Palmer was frequently under pressure and through four first-quarter series went 1-for-7 for three yards, and took a sack. Running back David Johnson hardly faired better with four carries for six yards (five on one run). The Cardinals didn’t earn one first down and four times went three-and-out.

Meanwhile, for the Bills, quarterback Tyrod Taylor completed 8 of 11 passes for 55 yards, including a 24-yard connection with Robert Woods on a diving reception that was ruled a catch despite the ball appearing to hit the ground. Arizona, however, didn’t challenge the play before Buffalo’s LeSean McCoy took a handoff for a 24-yard touchdown.

By the end of the first quarter, the Bills had rolled up 100 rushing yards, nearly half of which came on a Taylor 49-yard run that set up a field goal drive to put his team ahead of Arizona 3-0.

The Cardinals offense wouldn’t earn a first down until more than five minutes had passed in the second quarter.

Arizona went three-and-out on its first five drives of the game before falling behind 17-0 and putting together a 17-play, 84-yard drive — two big Bills penalties kept it alive — that spanned 9:20 and ended with a David Johnson touchdown run. The Cardinals trailed 17-7 at halftime.

Through three games, Arizona has fallen behind 10-0 against the New England Patriots, was in a scoreless tie the next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then trailed the Bills in Week 3.

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