Technically, a win is a win, but for the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday’s victory over the Oakland Raiders is like beating Danny Devito in a game of one-on-one hoops.
In short, it was embarrassing.
Two fumbles, one interception and 227 yards on offense barely represent how bad the game actually was.
A team that won a total of 29 games from 2003 to 2009 came within three missed field goals of embarrassing the Cardinals even more.
Sure, the Cardinals have two wins in a division that probably won’t finish with a cumulative victory total higher than 15, but how can sloppy wins over St. Louis and Oakland forecast any level of success?
Derek Anderson isn’t much different than his later days with the Cleveland Browns.
The nagging accuracy problem isn’t anything new, and it was more than obvious in a 12-for-26 performance on Sunday.
At this point, recently available Trent Edwards is a viable quarterback option.
What made the Cardinals so fun to watch in 2008 and 2009 was their ability to strike at any moment, both on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.
It’s what made the team different from its opponents.
But now that’s gone, and replaced with a stagnant offense full of ‘potential’ — one of the worst words in the history of sports.
Potential is the nice way of saying “You’re not good yet.”
There is no way this team is going to finish at or close to 400 points this season.
The Cardinals’ next two games are going to determine much more than they expected about their season.
Win at least one of the two against either San Diego or New Orleans and earn back at least a little respect from your division.
In the same division that many predicted San Francisco, now 0-3, to win, anything less than a division title would be a disappointment.
If Arizona played in the same division as Green Bay, Chicago and Minnesota, Cardinals fans would be facing a five-win season.
If anything, the organization made the mistake of letting its fans get a taste of victory.
After years of competitive starvation, the Cardinals faithful had been rewarded, and none of them want to go back to the struggles.
Whether it’s by starting rookie Max Hall or by bringing in a whole new offensive scheme, something has to be changed for the winning to continue.
The last time the Cardinals organization had three or more consecutive seasons without a losing record was from 1974 through 1977 while still located in St. Louis.
Now the team has the opportunity to surpass that with a Super Bowl appearance on its record.
They can at least become a team that is decent week in and week out.
Alright, so a win is a win, and the team is in no way out of a race for the division title.
Running back Beanie Wells is healthy again and ran well against Oakland, wide receiver Steve Breaston has proved his ability to replace the departed Anquan Boldin, and the special teams unit has at least some big play ability.
But that just leads us down the road to ‘potential’ again.
‘Potential’ is the Cardinals of the past and, hopefully, not the Cardinals of the future.
No one needs flashbacks to the hot, frustrating Sunday afternoons in the bleachers of Sun Devil stadium.
Reach the reporter at nathan.meacham@asu.edu
