Inside the Box: Cardinals offense starts off right

After every Arizona Cardinals game we’ll examine the
box score and
provide you with instant analysis. So it’s time to go
Inside the Box for
August 11, 2011: Cardinals 24, Raiders 18

The Good:

The Cardinals offense may have taken a bit to get going, but they managed to put together a fairly consistent game in Thursday’s preseason win.

All the quarterbacks impressed. Kolb looked to be struggling a little and had a noticeable miscommunication with Larry Fitzgerald in his first set of downs, but easily made up for it with a great one-handed catch a little later in the game.

LaRod Stephens-Howling and rookie Ryan Williams looked to be the strongest runners in Oakland. They combined for 10 carries and 42 yards, but no touchdowns. The promise is there.

The Bad:

The defense may have been running a pretty boring game plan, but it’s making us nervous. While the secondary is clearly not the same — Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was traded and Adrian Wilson and Michael Adams are both injured — the young players need work.

A.J. Jefferson just didn’t look like he had what it takes to be a starting NFL cornerback. Look for Peterson to take his spot soon.

Hopefully the schemes, zones, blitzes, stunts and wrinkles used by Ray Horton in the regular season spices this defense up. Some coverage would be nice as well. There were a lot of Raiders who were wide open on Thursday.

The Ugly:

Hometown tight end Todd Heap left the game with a sprained left thumb and did not return during the game.

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