Nashville, TN - 

The Arizona Cardinals had several questions about the direction of their team heading into the offseason.  The biggest question was the passing game behind Jimmy Garoppolo.  Also of concern was the lack of depth and big play ability from the Wide Receivers group.  The organization would find some answers to those questions on Sunday with their matchup against the Tennessee Titans.  

The passing game got off to a slow start with the team only putting up 162 yards in the air.  The offense was stagnant on passing plays for much of the game while the running game kept the Cardinals in the hunt for their first victory of the year.  David Johnson plowed his way to 216 yards on 25 carries and two touchdowns.   It was one of the best performances of his career and a lot of that was attributed to the unity of the offensive line.  Another bright spot of the offense was the presence of newly aquired Amare Cooper.  Cooper had 5 catches for 51 yards and was targeted often throughout the game. "We just need to develop that chemistry.  It takes time but the more reps I can get with Jimmy G, the better we will get."  John Brown also had a solid performance with 5 catches for 72 yards.  Jimmy Garoppolo seemed out of sync for most of the night.  One play in particular was a wheel route by David Johnson.  Johnson was able to get past the secondary and the throw was a little inaccurate down the field with no one in front of Johnson.  

On defense, the Cardinals looked solid for most of the night.  Big bruiser running back Derrick Henry broke off a few solid runs as he trucked and plowed over the secondary numerous times.  In the 2nd half, the Cardinals front seven was able to get some penetration in the backfield and was able to hold Henry in check with several runs stopped behind the line.  The biggest question on defense was the Cardinal's secondary who allowed Mariota to torch them through the air with 210 yards and two touchdowns through the air.  On the bright side, McKinney and Clark were able to come up with a few interceptions late in the game that made a difference in changing the momentun of the Titans offense.

That Cardinals will see another test next week as they welcome the Los Angeles Rams into Glendale, AZ.  

Glendale, AZ -  The Arizona Cardinals have been struggling this season and are currently sitting at a 3-7 record and last place in the NFC West.  Surprisingly, the Cardinals are experiencing a tremendous drop in performance from the last several winning seasons dating back to 2016.  What comes as an even more surprise is the steps the front office took on Monday.  After a disappointing loss to division foe 49ers on Sunday, there was an immediate change at head coach.  The Cardinals welcome in Coach Andy Mac to lead this football team and to get things turned around for the better.  

Andy Mac was a successful coach dating back to 2012, but with recent personal decisions, he stepped away from the coaching spotlight for a few years.  Coming in completely refreshed, he will look to earn the respect of the team quickly.  While he is not promising a winning season this year, he is setting some realistic expectations.  When asked about his plans for this team, Coach Mac stated "My goal with this team and focus of the remainder of the season is to create an atmosphere of encouragement, teamwork, and making the Cardinal organization a place where players want to come in the future.  My success in coaching in the past has been built on those foundations.  I want players who want to come in everyday, give it their all, build each other up, and want to get better each week.  We win and lose as a team!"

There is a lot of skepticism from the Cardinal fan base on the future of this team.  Coach Mac stated "We want to put on a show each week for these fans.  I truly believe that the Cardinal fan base is loyal and they deserve the best this organization can provide.  We will take risks and make things fun.  There will be frustrating times, no doubt, but if they want to see a fun and energetic team, I would encourage them to keep coming back."

The Cardinals will take on the Falcons next week in what should be a big conference battle.  "We will have to put in some work this week to make sure our guys are ready.  I have some tape to watch and will need to familiarize myself more with the Falcons organization and tendencies before I can answer any questions regarding our game plan.  Give me a few days to get settled in and working with my guys and then I will be glad to answer any questions you have on our upcoming matchup."