No. 2: The defense will bring their turnover party to the regular season
During their 2018 exhibition, the Cardinals had so many turnovers, you’d think they were serving them for an early Thanksgiving dinner.
In all, they totaled 17. Playing under a new 4-3 scheme and more zone coverages, they have adjusted well. Albeit the flavor of the preseason is very vanilla, it shows they they’re getting acclimated to new defensive coordinator Al Holcomb’s scheme pretty well.
The defense will react to the quarterback and make the offense adjust to their scheme. And being able to create so many turnovers in a year of transition bodes well for fans who might be concerned about this side of the ball.
After all, the Cardinals have had one of the best defense in the NFL over the last five-plus years. The last three seasons, under the departed defensive coordinator James Bettcher, they finished the regular seasons with a top-five unit. The first time that has happened in franchise history since the mid-1970s.
Cardinal fans are used to seeing a stout defense take the field every Sunday. This year should be no different with Holcomb pulling the strings. His side of the ball is the strength of the team, as it has been for the last few years.
He inherited a myriad of weapons, including the 2017 sack leader Chandler Jones. It is also interesting to see how he unleashes moneybacker Deone Bucannon, who happens to be one of the most versatile players in the NFL. And who can forget Patrick Peterson. He’s always at the top of the list when it comes to best cornerbacks in the league.
This unit will face a team that is also in a transitional year. The Redskins now employ Alex Smith at quarterback who, although he has won every where he’s gone, can’t seem to ditch the “game manager” title for his style of play. But a great QB, nonetheless.
And Holcomb knows it.
“We’ve got to do a good job of trying to still affect the quarterback in different ways, getting our hands up, playing good coverage, making him hold the ball,” Holcomb said. “Front and coverage work hand-in-hand, so it’s got to be a collaborative effort between the D-line and the back seven.”
With that collaborative effort in front of a noisy home crowd at State Farm Stadium, look for the Cards’ defense to bring it.
They’ll finish the day with three forced turnovers, as Smith and the Redskins offense struggle in their debut away from home.
