 The Arizona Cardinals were confident they were not going to be hit by the curse that damns all Super Bowl losers. So, far the jury is still out as to whether they are just in a little slump or are bound to fail. The Cardinals are not playing the high-octane brand of football that the fans at the University of Phoenix Stadium became accustomed to last year. The Cardinals are 2-2, which is good for second place in the NFC West, and are averaging just 21.3 (17th in the league) points a game. Last year they posted 26.7 points per game (3rd in the NFL). The team's offense has been hamstrung by the 49ers and the Colts in the two losses, posting a combined 26 points in the two games. In the two wins Arizona scored 31 (against the Jaguars) and 28 (against the Texans). Warner has kept the passing game near the top of the league, with 292.1 yards a game as a team. Still, all these yards have yielded a mere six touchdown receptions in four games. The running game has not been picking up the slack, scoring two touchdowns and sputtering along with 3.1 yards a carry. Perhaps the real problem for the team is the fact that the offense is simply turning the ball over too much. Every coach knows that winning the turnover battle is a huge part of winning the football game. So far, the Cardinals are losing that battle for the season, giving the ball up eight times and taking the ball back just six times. Despite the fact that Arizona has run the ball a total of 73 times, the running backs have coughed up that football four times. That is a dreadful turnover rate and makes every time Tim Hightower or rookie Beanie Wells touch the ball a potential drive killer. Arizona's scoring defense has been respectable, allowing 22.3 points a game (19th in the league). In fact, the Cardinals have the league's second best running defense, holding teams to 2.9 yards a carry. The secondary is full of gigantic holes that have allowed over 300 yards of passing each contest. No football team can win if any club can simply throw the ball easily on third and long every single time. Of course, those are the numbers after two of the four games have been against prolific passing teams like the Texans and the Colts, so take them with a grain of salt. The road ahead has a few land mines. The away games against the Giants in Week 7 and the Bears in Week 9 are going to be true tests. The Arizona Cardinals have a chance to make headway in the NFC West in Week 6 and 10 with games against the Seahawks. The NFC South is still up grabs, so the Cardinals can avoid delivering that disappointment that seems to follow the losers of the Super Bowl every season.
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