Josh Rosen concerned with winning games, limiting turnovers
Nov 21, 2018, 5:22 PM | Updated: Nov 22, 2018, 12:49 pm
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
TEMPE, Ariz. — In eight games, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen has committed 10 turnovers through the air.
But instead of shying away from the deep ball and looking to run more, the rookie is back at work, using what he’s learned over his short time as a starter.
“I think there are good things and bad things in every game, but obviously I haven’t played well enough,” Rosen said on what he can improve on Wednesday. “[I] won one game in those eight so I don’t think that’s good by anyone’s standards.
“Turnovers I think is a big thing, but just everything. Being 100 percent on your checks, 100 percent on your reads just constant improvement in as many possible areas,” Rosen added.
“Some of [the interceptions] are out of your control some of them are so try to control the ones that are.”
Against the Raiders last Sunday, Rosen showed he could overcome an early interception, throwing three touchdowns in the loss, but the game also saw a Cardinals offense struggle in the second and third quarters.
“I think he’s been pretty good, I’d like for him to be a little more consistent, we all would and he would probably tell you the same thing,” head coach Steve Wilks said of Rosen.
“The biggest thing is that we make sure we limit the takeaways. some of them are happenstance … but some of them could be just a lack of wanting to take the check down, he’s trying to force things in there sometimes.”
Not including the interceptions, the signal-caller has completed 54.8 percent of his throws for 1,416 and nine touchdowns since taking over the reins from former starter Sam Bradford against the Bears in Week 3.
The most glaring stat of his early career?
In just two of his eight games played, Rosen has not thrown an interception.
And while limiting turnovers is an essential part of the young quarterback’s game moving forward, Rosen is worried about one thing: winning.
“I think — I’m going off with no evidence whatsoever — you could probably say through the course, like however many picks someone has there’s probably a three-pick swing either way on luck but other than that you just got to control what you can control,” he said.
“Sometimes when your playing really well and have the hot hand things work, but I still will say I’d rather throw 100 picks and go undefeated than vice versa.”
Rosen will need that luck to swing in his favor as he faces a Los Angeles Chargers defense that is tied for 10th in the NFL with 10 interceptions.