The Arizona Cardinals squeezed by the Houston Texans, defeating them by a field goal. Although they did win their Saturday night preseason opener, Coach Ken Whisenhunt has not 100% impressed with their performance as a team. He summed it all up into two simple words: “Too sloppy”. Now the quarterback of a football team is the equivalent to a point guard on a b-ball squad. So in the eyes of the avid sports fan, they are essentially responsible for how well the team plays as a unit. Whisenhunt was quick to share his thoughts on the offense’s performance as a whole:
“I’m not pleased with how our offense performed in general,” he said. “It’s not so much the quarterback. We had guys (run) the wrong routes, guys in the wrong spot. We had a protection breakdown, not a breakdown, but we got beat. All things that we’ve got to clean up.”
His comments were fueled by the Cardinals’ careless mistakes that were made during the first two quarters of the game. Cardinals’ quarterback Matt Leinart completed 6 of 7 passes for 49 yards. But he also got sacked several times, thanks to Texans’ Mario Williams, who had recently suffered a hip injury. In addition to being taken down by Williams, Leinart was unable to connect with Tim Hightower on a handoff, resulting in a fumble. Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Derek Anderson threw a 2-yard touchdown pass. But his accomplishment was overshadowed by two thrown interceptions. The Cardinals may have snagged a win against the Texans. But they will definitely have to polish up their offense for future games.
As for the Seahawks, they too emerged victorious. And the return of head coach Pete Carroll surely added a lift to their spirits. From fist pumps to running along the side lines with much enthusiasm, Carroll didn’t appear at all like a man coming off a two-week old surgery. The way his team performed against the Tennessee Titans was definitely something to be happy about. Mike Williams, a former USC star under Coach Carroll, hasn’t lost his touch. After catching a short pass from teammate Charlie Whitehurst, Williams ran for a 51-yard touchdown, which put the Seahawks ahead by three. Whitehurst made yet another TD pass to tight end Anthony McCoy, giving the Seahawks the last touchdown that they needed to seal the deal. The Titans did however comeback but weren’t able to surpass the Seahawks in the final quarter. Pete Carroll’s hugs must have really helped his team, as the entire tone of the game was very positive and uplifting.
