TEMPE, Ariz. — Run the ball. It sounds like a simple formula for success for an Arizona Cardinals club strong on defense and strong on special teams.
It seems like a necessary approach for a club whose quarterbacks haven’t demonstrated the requisite ability or mastery of the offense to succeed in what has become a pass-happy league.
It seems like a logical approach for a club that boasts three dangerous backfield weapons in power back Beanie Wells, big-play back Ryan Williams and the elusive, diminutive LaRod Stephens-Howling.
It seems like a survivor’s approach for a club that will ask two inexperienced offensive tackles to fend off pass rushes from some of the league’s best athletes.
If only the solution were that simple.
The Cardinals coaching staff has talked for years about establishing more of a run mentality, but they did not intend that to mean a radical shift in philosophy so much as an improvement over poor prior years.
“A lot of times, a run mentality is one where you have a lead late in the game and you’re able to run the football and take time off the clock,” said coach Ken Whisenhunt, whose Cards host the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in the teams' regular-season opener.
“Being able to run the football in a situation where the other team knows you’re going to do it and you can do it successfully, that’s where you have a run mentality.”
Changes in the game such as bigger, faster athletes and defensive innovations have made running the ball more difficult. But the Cardinals certainly have made strides in the run game in Whisenhunt’s tenure.
Wells rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season, the first time the Cards had a 1,000-yard rusher since Edgerrin James in 2007, and the first time a Cardinals 1,000-yard rusher also averaged at least 4 yards per carry since Stump Mitchell did it in 1985 — in St. Louis.
But in order to have a successful running game, the Cards also must have a competent passing game.
“You want to keep defenses off balance. You don’t want them to be able to key in on certain situations, knowing it’s going to be a pass or a run,” wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald said. “I think we’ve done a pretty good job of establishing the run. I know it’s preseason and you can’t put a lot of stock in it, but it’s been impressive. That’s going to definitely open things down the field.”
Whether the Cardinals will be able to take advantage of those opportunities remains to be seen. They had those opportunities last season with John Skelton and Kevin Kolb at the helm, and they missed on a lot of them, particularly instances where Fitzgerald had single coverage.
Whisenhunt won’t discuss whether the offense will look different, given the inexperience at tackle and quarterback.
“That would fall under the category of strategy, so I don’t think I’m going to share that information,” he said.
But Skelton did provide some glimpses, albeit obvious ones, of what the Cardinals might do to help their tackles. The Cards will give them blocking help from the tight ends and running backs, but some of the onus also falls on Skelton.
“Get the ball out of the hands quick,” he said. “The longer I am holding it back there, the longer they have to hold their blocks. And also mixing up the snap count. That way, the D-ends can’t get a jump on the ball or anything like that.”
Getting rid of the ball quickly is one of the surest ways to offset a fierce pass rush. So are screen passes — a skill the Cardinals never have seemed to master in their years in Arizona. But to get the ball out quickly, Skelton will have to make quick reads — an ability he didn’t exhibit with regularity during training camp or the preseason.
One weapon the Cardinals must use with more regularity is the tight end. They have a pair of catch-catching specialists in Todd Heap and Rob Housler who can exploit the seam route and mismatches in coverage. They also have an underrated third option in Jeff King.
But the Cards’ best option this season will still be to keep the ball on the ground, limiting Skelton’s (or Kolb’s) opportunities for mistakes while setting up pass plays. Can the offensive line and tight ends block well enough and consistently enough to make that happen? Good question.
“You want guys to get comfortable with each other. You want guys to get some playing time,” new starting left tackle D’Anthony Batiste said. “It could be Week 1, and that’s what we’re going for.”
There are at least two guys who hope the guys in the trenches can manage that monumental task: running backs Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams.
“It’s going to be interesting to see because we don’t have an identity yet,” Wells said. “I don’t think you can just run the ball all the time. I definitely wish you could. If it was up to me, I would have it a 90 percent running football team.”
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