BURNS AND GAMBO

Feel better, Cardinals fans?

Oct 17, 2016, 10:39 PM | Updated: Oct 18, 2016, 2:20 pm

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) greets New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (...

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) greets New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) after an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals won 28-3. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

There. Feel better?

It’s okay if you don’t 100 percent better. After all, it was the Jets, and perhaps more importantly, it was Ryan Fitzpatrick.

But for the second straight week, the Cardinals did exactly what we needed them to do — dismantle an inferior opponent. Ask Cam Newton if he’d like to trade places. On second thought, don’t. He probably won’t answer you.

The 28-3 win wasn’t perfect, never is. The offense was sluggish at times in the first half. It took a while for anyone not named David Johnson to get going. But it was good enough to make you feel like this team is on a road trip to recovery with a “prove it” game looming against Seattle.

Here’s what stood out to me on a Monday Night.

The David Johnson Show is real. There was a time this summer where I grew concerned there was too much hype surrounding the second year back. Maybe there wasn’t enough. Johnson plowed through a defense that’s been stout against the run all year. Yes, half of his 111 yards came on the 58 yard touchdown. But so what? He rushed for 111 yards, three touchdowns and 5 yards per carry against a defense that was giving up around 68 yards per game. It wasn’t just Johnson, either. The Cards ran for 171 yards as a team on 35 carries. Balance that with 35 pass attempts for Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton and you have, well, balance. Bruce Arians had nothing but praise for Johnson after the game, which is rare.

Uncle Bruce isn’t so stubborn after all. It was clear from the outset the Cardinals weren’t looking to do any deep damage. Arians acknowledged after the game it was not in the plan to test the Jets deep. Instead it was shorter, intermediate routes. Get the ball out quick. Good run-pass balance. According to Pro Football Focus, Palmer was 9-of-10 for 107 yards and a TD when throwing the ball 10-19 yards down the field. Anything deeper down the field and you might have risked exposure to that Jets pass rush. The Cards adapted and it worked to perfection.

The Jerome Boger Show. Sounds like a failed 90s late-night talk show. Instead, it was the head ref getting way too much air time as penalty after penalty was called. You could practically hear the remote controls changing the channel looking for something else.

Gabbert got benched, is Fitzpatrick next? Todd Bowles said the starting quarterback will keep his job after the game but there seems to be little gained by sticking with the Valley product. The offense was listless under his command and at 1-5 it’s just about time to starting planning ahead. Give the Cardinals’ defense credit. It allowed 33 rushing yards for the night, which gave the Jets very little in the way of options.

Next up? Your rival. The Seahawks have not only won every game played against the Cards in University of Phoenix Stadium, they’ve embarrassed them. To the Seahawks’ credit, they’ve been able to survive Russell Wilson’s injuries and give themselves a nice early cushion in the division. We know the Cards are on the uptick. On Sunday night, we’ll find out how far they’ve come.

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New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) makes the catch as Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson defends during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Deone Bucannon (20) pressures New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson (31) scores a touchdown against the New York Jets during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson (31) celebrates his touchdown with teammate Jaron Brown (13) during the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) throws against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson is tackled by New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis (24), rear,during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) Arizona Cardinals defensive back D.J. Swearinger (36) celebrates his interception against the New York Jets with teammate Patrick Peterson (21) during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) New York Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson (11) pulls in a catch as Arizona Cardinals cornerback Tharold Simon (29) defends during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) Arizona Cardinals defensive back D.J. Swearinger (36) celebrates his interception against the New York Jets with teammate atrick Peterson (21) as New York Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson (11) looks on during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) New York Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson, center, is hit by Arizona Cardinals defensive end Frostee Rucker (92) and cornerback Tharold Simon (29) during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Floyd (15) pulls in a touchdown pass as New York Jets cornerback Darryl Roberts defends during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Floyd (15) celebrates his touchdown catch with teammates Larry Fitzgerald (11) and D.J. Humphries during the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) New York Jets outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins (48) helps Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) up after a hit during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) throws against the New York Jets during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians, right, greets New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles after an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals won 28-3. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) greets New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) after an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals won 28-3. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) greets New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) after an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals won 28-3. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) Arizona Cardinals fans with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton masks cheer during the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals won 28-3. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) Arizona Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell (93) talks with New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) after an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals won 28-3. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson catches a pass while dressed as a dinosaur prior to an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016 in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rob Schumacher, Arizona Republic via AP) New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles watches his team prior to an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) New York Jets defensive tackle Leonard Williams (92) yells prior to an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians watches his team prior to an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) New York Jets cheer prior to an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) warms up prior to an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) warms up prior to an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) New York Jets running back Matt Forte (22) is hit by Arizona Cardinals nose tackle Josh Mauro (97) during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) is pressured by New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (96) during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson (31) runs for a touchdown against the New York Jets as teammate Larry Fitzgerald (11) follows during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson (31) runs for a touchdown against the New York Jets during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson, center, celebrates his touchdown run with guard Earl Watford (78) and tight end Darren Fells (85) during the first half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson (31) runs for a touchdown against the New York Jets as teammate Larry Fitzgerald (11) follows during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) looks to pass against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

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