Offensive issues compromising cardinal season

The Cardinals have had a poor offensive for six games and Steve Wilks is painfully aware of it.

As the Cardinals head coach sat down Monday to answer questions, he probably knew there was one who could ask questions about the status of the offensive coordinator position, Mike McCoy.

"I would say that all of our jobs are at risk, including mine, if we do not win," said Wilks.

There is little doubt that the season is now dedicated to developing rookie quarterback Josh Rosen as a long-term solution for the job. But the Cardinals, who host Denver Thursday night in a short week, are still waiting much more offensive side of the ball.

The last standings in yards per game, rushing yards, possession time and third-place conversions are not expected to happen even with a QB rookie, nor with David Johnson as running back and Larry Fitzgerald leading of the broad receiver body.

"When things are not going well, I think everyone should not change the game plan but also do not tie and be completely stubborn," Rosen said Monday. "You have to gather your ideas and solve the problem."

Some of these things might be simpler, in which Rosen played well Sunday in the Cardinals' only offensive for a touchdown. Rosen acknowledged that he had no preference for running more discreetly and pointed out that the Vikings had become less aggressive with a big lead, so the Cardinals "can not look too far" like a panacea to fix all the problems. offensive woes.

Wilks said the Cardinals could work more with the no-huddle, but he also stated that it was important to postpone the good things Rosen did and that the offense was committed in Minnesota, just to make sure it's easier for the unit to "deal with it quickly."

"We must do everything in our power to make this offense go in the right direction," said Wilks.

After scoring 0-0 on the third try, Rosen said the problems were a "microcosm" of larger offensive problems. These have been well documented – Johnson continues to fight, running for only 55 yards in 18 races and losing a breakaway on Sunday in addition to making only two catches. The offensive line has not played as well as hoped, and is now fighting against starting guards Justin Pugh (hand) and Mike Iupati (back) who could keep them from playing Thursday.

The Cardinals have yet to score in the third quarter as well, another reason why Wilks was so brutal in Monday's head coach's statement.

Rosen said that as a quarterback he had a "great deal of responsibility" in his efforts to repair the offense.

"Most of the time, you do not do it outside of what you can control," he said. "The second you try to play 'Hero Ball', you end up biting your ass."

With this in mind, he added that he or any other player could not worry about what might or might not happen to a coach who was starting a game.

"I think it would not be to my advantage to try to enroll in my psyche," Rosen said.

The Broncos have their own problems right now, having lost four games in a row after opening the season 2-0. Fitzgerald said Sunday that the Cardinals had made efforts to deal with the problem in an offensive manner, and that they would not have much time to get another opportunity to show it again.

"We are a very good football team that does not play very well, unlike a not very good football team that exploits its full potential," said Rosen. "Let's hope we are on our floor, instead of having a low ceiling."

SQUAD INJURY AND PRACTICE UPDATE

Wilks said that Pugh, Iupati and Jeremy Vujnovich (hamstrings) spent every day of the day, although he acknowledged that the cardinals did not fully assess the injuries. Pugh could have broken his hand and Vujnovich's injury could be a bit more serious. Pugh and Iupati are the starting guards, so there could be some reshuffle Thursday against the Broncos. Vujnovich had been one of the substitutes on Sunday; Daniel Munyer and John Wetzel finished in Minnesota.

"It does not really help because the game lives, breathes, dies in the front," Rosen said of the wounds. …

The Cardinals hired offensive lineman Coleman Shelton and offensive midfielder Brandon Wilds in training on Monday, cutting wide receiver Bernard Reedy and running back Jalen Simmons.