Glendale, Ariz. – Growing pains are expected when a rookie quarterback is running an offense, but with a set of receivers such as the Arizona Cardinals’, Matt Leinart’s development should be akin to a baby teething.
The pain is dull and constant, but bearable until some ice can soothe it. Instead it was the Arizona receivers who were iced Sunday in the first half of their 37-20 loss to the Broncos at University of Phoenix Stadium.
The offense had come together in recent weeks, but ineffectiveness and less than nine minutes of possession led to a mere two completions to wide receivers in the first half.
Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, the tandem that combined for more than 200 catches and 2,800 yards last season, were held without a reception in the first half, while Bryant Johnson and Troy Walters grabbed one each.
“We had some three-and-outs, and we weren’t on the field that much because (Denver) had the ball,” Boldin said. “We couldn’t get anything going.
“In the second half, we opened up the offense a little bit and threw the ball down the field.”
Fitzgerald, who wasn’t available to the media, and Boldin each grabbed five passes in the second half, which was half of Leinart’s 20 completions for the game. Most of those came in soft coverage as the Broncos protected a double-digit lead for most of the final 30 minutes.
“For whatever reason, we just couldn’t get them the ball,” Leinart said. “(The offensive line) gave me a lot of time back there and enabled me to make some plays. It’s just one of those games, we couldn’t get things going.”
The receivers struggled to find free space in the Broncos’ cover-2 defense as all-pro cornerback Champ Bailey shut down half the field. The Cardinals had several dropped passes as well, none bigger than the ball that bounced off Johnson’s shoulder pads in the end zone.
The Cardinals trailed 23-10 in the third and mounted a drive to answer Denver’s first score of the second half, but faced third-and-9 from the Broncos’ 20. Leinart did a good job of deflecting a tackler, scrambled to his right and floated a pass into the back of the end zone. It cleared two Denver defenders, but Johnson’s leaping attempt went for naught when the ball bounced off his shoulder pads.
“He got his hand on it, but I’ve still got to make that play,” Johnson said.
“It don’t really matter (if it was tipped). I have to come down with that ball.”
It was just part of an all-around tough day for Cardinals receivers.
“We weren’t crisp,” said Boldin, who eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in four years. “I don’t know if we took a step back, but we weren’t as sharp. We just weren’t on the field, and if you’re not on the field, you can’t catch the ball.”
