The onus is on Cardinals OL to set the tone vs. Vikings
Nov 29, 2024, 5:05 PM
Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals prepares for the hike during the first quarter asea at Lumen Field on November 24, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
TEMPE — The Arizona Cardinals starting offensive line didn’t need last Sunday’s tape to know the obvious:
It got handled last week against the Seattle Seahawks.
From an almost nonexistent run game that mustered 49 yards to the five sacks on quarterback Kyler Murray, it was an uncharacteristic showing for a unit usually credited for bringing the physicality to the trenches.
If the Cardinals are going to have any chance against the 9-2 Minnesota Vikings, that kind of performance cannot be replicated.
As quarterback Kyler Murray said Wednesday, “the game starts up front.”
RELATED STORIES
Heading into a matchup against a Vikings defense that’s excelled at the two very things the Cardinals struggled with last week, those words couldn’t be truer.
“It wasn’t our best effort and we didn’t play as cleanly as we needed to, but it’s not any different than Week 16 last year. … Whether you think you played good or you think you played bad, you got a lot of stuff to get better at,” Cardinals offensive line coach Klayton Adams said Friday.
“That’s the approach every single week for us is how do we maximize our opportunity to play well and get what we need to get done during the week. To me, the mindset doesn’t change at all.”
The mindset might not change, but the level of competition sure does against Minnesota.
Entering play Sunday, the Vikings are first in the NFL in rushing yards (74.7 yards per game) and rushing touchdowns allowed (five). In the sacks department, they sit fourth (38).
Linebackers Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard have been at the forefront of Minnesota’s success, combining for 18 sacks and 27 tackles for loss.
For a Cardinals offense that prides itself on running the rock — and running the rock well — this is the ultimate test as the season begins to wind down.
“I think every game is different. That’s the beautiful thing about football,” Murray said Wednesday. “You get to go out there and compete. Obviously, they’re very good against the run. We’ve been known to be good running the ball.
“We didn’t do it last week, but we get another opportunity to go out there and right those wrongs.”
