The Arizona Cardinals’ new offense, led by head coach Mike LaFleur, is gonna take some time to get going, we all get that. Patience is totally needed. But holy moly, their defense is just plain struggling this season, and one thing is screaming louder than a 12th Man on game day: where the heck is their pass rush? It’s just GONE.
The 3-4 Scheme Is Letting ‘Em Down Big Time
Seriously, what’s going on out there? Part of the issue looks like it’s their 3-4 formation. Think about it: opponents are often blocking five guys against just three rushers. That forces the Cards’ defense to send an outside linebacker after the QB instead of a full-on defensive end, which is what you’d normally see in a 4-3 setup. Yeah, linebackers are fast, but offensive linemen are absolute monsters for a reason. Take a guy like LB Baron Browning, who’s got good speed at 255 pounds. How’s that supposed to match up with a 325-pound offensive tackle in the trenches? It’s just not a fair fight.
This 3-4 scheme also gives the other team a huge advantage because they don’t have to keep their running back in to block. We saw it against the San Francisco 49ers, where they just kept using Christian McCaffrey as an outlet receiver all game long. That’s pure gold for an offense! Five blockers can usually handle a rush, even if the defense sends an extra guy, or even two. Their offensive line just isn’t getting outmatched. It’s like @Kosher_dude said on September 28, “Sweat had a critical penalty that could have swayed the game. We are not playing disciplined or inspired ball.” That right there tells you everything you need to know about the lack of focus.
Where’d the Edge Go? Sweat’s Shocking Drop-Off and Lopez’s Role
Let’s talk about EDGE rusher Josh Sweat. Man, last year he was a beast. He put up 12 sacks, 17 QB hits, 13 tackles for loss, 9 hurries, 7 knockdowns, 2 batted passes, 540 snaps, and 28 pressures, plus 30 total tackles. That’s a serious resume! So what’s he doing this year? Hold onto your hats: 3 tackles, 0 sacks, 1 tackle for loss, 0 batted passes, 0 QB hits, 3 hurries, and 3 pressures. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? His Pro Football Focus grade for the first three games is a dismal 42.3. Forty-two point three! Watching the film, he’s just not getting any penetration into the backfield. No first step, no burst. What happened to this guy? And it’s not like he’s gassed from playing every snap, he’s only out there for 49% of defensive plays. The kicker? Sweat is ranked 111th out of 112 EDGE rushers in the league right now. That’s brutal.
Then you’ve got nose tackle Roy Lopez in the middle. He’s the interior guy, and to his credit, he’s good at plugging his gap and stopping the run. He’s got 8 total tackles so far, with four of those coming against the Los Angeles Chargers and another four against our very own **Seattle Seahawks**. But let’s be real, Lopez is not, and never has been, a pass rusher. He stays home, patrols the “A” gap, and he’s tough to move. Offensive coordinators have to scheme runs to other gaps because Lopez is just not budging. His stats for this year are 8 total tackles, 0 tackles for loss, 0 batted passes, 0 sacks, 0 QB hits, 1 hurry, and 1 pressure. Great run stopper, absolutely zero help with the pass rush.
The Cardinals have got to figure out this pass rush situation, and fast. If they don’t, it’s gonna be a loooong season for that defense.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Revenge of the Birds.
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