I’m not sure which of these teams had the biggest dumpster fire of a Week One game. At least for the Indianapolis Colts (0-1), they can point to the fact that they were without Andrew Luck. Until David Johnson went out with a wrist injury the Arizona Cardinals (0-1) were at full strength and still got beaten by two scores against the Detroit Lions.
The Game: Arizona Cardinals at Indianapolis Colts (+7)
The History
For two teams that have been around since the old NFL, they don’t have much of a shared history. Since 1950 the Cardinals and Colts have only played a total of 16 games and this contest will be the rubber match. They are currently dead even at 8-8.
The Cardinals won the last match up between the two teams and it wasn’t close. Carson Palmer threw for 314 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-11 beat down of the Andrew Luck led Colts at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Before that game the Colts had won four consecutive games over Arizona from December, 1992 to September, 2009. It was a streak that began with Jeff George as Indianapolis’ quarterback, them Jim Harbaugh (now head coach at Michigan), then a couple of games with a guy named Peyton Manning calling the signals.
ARIZONA CARDINALS (0-1)
As bad as losing in Week One is, the news was even worse for the Cardinals when they found out star running back David Johnson will miss at least half the season with a wrist injury. Like I predicted Tuesday, the team re-signed Chris Johnson and don’t be surprised if he gets the most work at running back over the next two months.
Carson Palmer looked as bad as he ever has against the Lions, completing just a little over 50 percent of his passes for 268 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. When not actively tossing the ball to the other team, he leaned heavily on Larry Fitzgerald and Johnson, who caught 12 passes for 143 yards between them. With Johnson gone, so is Palmer’s safety net.
As bad as the offense was, the defense was worse. Arizona held a 17-15 lead heading into the fourth quarter and the vaunted Cardinals defense surrended 20 points not only allowing Matthew Stafford to record another come from behind win, but to basically run them out of the city. Arizona produced one sack, one interception and forced one fumble they didn’t even recover.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (0-1)
No team, and that includes the New York Jets, looked worse Sunday than the Indianapolis Colts. I had a friend message me for some fantasy advice about T.Y. Hilton’s prospects against the Rams. I said sit him and felt justified in that advice when, on quarterback Scott Tolzien’s first pass attempt to Hilton, he immediately tossed a pick six to Trumaine Johnson.
Tolzien’s ass will be firmly planted on the bench this week as the Colts are going with newly acquired Jacoby Brissett at quarterback with Andrew Luck still nowhere in sight. There’s no way Brissett knows even half the playbook at this point and there’s not a strong running game to lean on for help.
Indianapolis did field a solid run defense against the Rams, but all that did was open up passing lanes all the way down the field. The Cardinals have the wide receiver talent to exploit the same flaw, even if their quarterback is dying to toss a few picks in the process.
The Pick
I don’t see the Colts winning a game until Andrew Luck gets back and even then, it’ll be tough. This is one of the worst coached, prepared and staffed teams in the league. The Cardinals have major issues and Palmer’s downhill dive is one of them. It shouldn’t matter in this game. If Brissett can keep Arizona from covering he deserves consideration for NFC Offensive Player of the Week. He won’t. Cardinals 31, Colts 16
This week
Straight up: 0-1
Against the spread: 1-0
Season
Straight up: 10-6
Against the spread: 9-7
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