Arizona Cardinals blown out in season opening loss to Washington Redskins

When the Arizona Cardinals deferred to the second half after winning the opening coin toss http://www.authenticsarizonacardinals.com/cheap-mike-iupati-jersey , Steve Wilks wanted to send a message.This team is built on defense and running the football.After the first game of the Wilks era, the team may want to be built on those principles, but they don’t have the personnel to do that just yet, as the Cardinals were throttled by the Washington Redskins 24-6 in Steve Wilks opening game.The Cardinals were manhandled in the first half, being out gained 261 to 36, and in the second half, while they were able to gain some yards and finally put some points on the board, they still did it through the air.In the first half, after forcing a punt on the Skins first drive of the game, the Skins and Alex Smith went on scoring drives of 80 yards over 5:53, 73 yards over 9:06 and then 92 yards over 3:11.That was what the Cardinals wanted their offense to look like, yet their defense could not get off the field defensively and could not establish anything offensively.The Cardinals running game was limited, not by the Skins defense, but instead the inability to use it.They only were able to run the ball 15 times, only nine with David Johnson, for 68 yards and their lone touchdown, a David Johnson two-yard touchdown run.Offensively, it was still the Cardinals passing game that dominated the day.Yet, despite the accuracy and carefulness we heard about throughout the offseason, Sam Bradford was nothing short of brutal in his debut.Bradford finished 20/34 for 153 yards no touchdowns, one interception and one fumble.4.5 yards per attempt is not ideal for a quarterback.Larry Fitzgerald finished with seven catches for 76 yards Black Haason Reddick Jersey , the Cardinals wide receivers only had one other reception on the day.David Jonson caught five passes for 30 yards, Ricky Seals-Jones had three catches for 19 yards, yet had a bad drop on a tough catch in the endzone late in the fourth quarter that would have made the game look a little more respectable.It was a concern coming in and it remains a concern after game one.The biggest concern for the Cardinals has to be their offense though, that had no flow, no momentum and no big plays.We are on to LA for a matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Josh Rosen is a smart young man and in the early stages of Arizona Cardinals training camp he's doing a lot of thinking.The rookie from UCLA is looking forward to the day where the pro offense he is trying so hard to master is second nature and he can play with pure reaction. Because he's had a few decision-making errors lately, including an ill-advised interception on Saturday.Asked Sunday about the rookie quarterback's first training camp so far, Arizona coach Steve Wilks mixed praise with a bit of criticism."Throughout practice you could see again the accuracy," Wilks said. "He threw one ball right down on the seam that was on-point. I showed that in the team meeting. Again, his decision-making sometimes, we've got to make sure we can shore that up."It's a valid point, Rosen said."I absolutely understand what he's saying," Rosen said before Sunday's practice. "I turned the ball over a little bit last practice and at a couple of OTAs. He has a goal and I have a process in which to go about it and my process is I have to own the playbook."Once he has mastered the plays, he reasons, he will not have to think so much but simply react, and that will lead to the right decisions on the field. All the while not losing his trademark aggressiveness."I'm focusing so much on getting lined up and get everyone doing the right thing and trying to give it to the right guy," Rosen said. "When all that stuff is second nature you can focus on other things, but you can never give the ball to the other team. That's the biggest thing that most every coach presses in football is just take care of the ball."I'm not going to play overly conservative and not play who I am, but you just have to feel that soft spot. I'm definitely am aggressive and take shots but after to be very aware of situations and not make it too easy for the other team to get the ball, hand them the ball."The Cardinals got Rosen, the man they consider their future franchise quarterback, by pulling off a trade to draft him 10th overall out of UCLA.This isn't Rosen's team yet.Wilks said Saturday that the starter's job is Sam Bradford's to lose. For now Black Ricky Seals-Jones Jersey , Rosen fights against Mike Glennon for the No. 2 job.Bradford has impressed Rosen."I think people forget how good he is," Rosen said. "He's just unbelievably quick and decisive with everything he does and the ball doesn't touch the ground. It's his first year in this offense, too, and it seems like it's been his fourth. ... He's unbelievable and I'm going to try and top that. Whether now, later, whenever."The easygoing Bradford says he is glad to help Rosen all he can."He's a good kid," Bradford said. "He's eager to learn, he wants to learn. He wants to be great. I think he's got the right attitude and the right mindset for this position and this league. I'm going to continue to do everything I can to help and make him the player that he's capable of being."Rosen's confidence and ability have won over Larry Fitzgerald, one of the game's greatest receivers."Obviously, watching him through offseason, training camp, practice yesterday, he's got a wealth of talent," 14-year NFL veteran receiver said. "The guy's got just an unbelievable skillset. He can make all the throws. He really picks up on things well, communicates real well with his teammates."And the professionalism required to succeed at this level seems to suit Rosen."It's still very teammate oriented, there's a lot of chemistry things that you have to take into account," he said, "but it's like 'Go out on the field and do your job.' You're not worrying about anything else."Right now, he said, his job is "owning" the playbook and showing he can implement it at a high level in practice and the preseason.Bradford has a history of injuries. Rosen's big chance could come at any time.