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After an 0-2 start, Cardinals coach Steve Wilks says ‘We all need to look in the mirror’
Arizona Republic

On Monday, the day after the Cardinals were blown out for a second consecutive week, Steve Wilks didn’t look the part of a beleaguered first-year coach walking a high wire on a windy day.

Wilks projected calm and confidence as he met with reporters and tried to explain what has led to his team being outscored 58-6 this season, and just as importantly, how the Cardinals might come to win a game sometime soon.

But in reality, Wilks is trying to perform a balancing act required of a coach whose team is in trouble up to its chinstrap.

On one hand, making wholesale changes could be interpreted by players as panic moves and an admission that coaching and personnel decisions made the past six months or so ago were faulty.

On the other hand, consecutive blowouts indicate that significant change is needed. Wilks can’t stick with what’s not working. He seems to know that.

“We’re looking to make changes,” he said. “We’re looking to make this thing better and make it right. So, to say that we’re satisfied, (to say that) I’m satisfied to where we are right now, not scoring a touchdown in two games and having a lack of production on the offensive side of the ball, no. We’ve got to make some changes.”

That’s how bad the offense has been: The head coach momentarily forgot the Cardinals actually scored a touchdown in the season opener. Last Sunday’s performance in Los Angeles makes that seem like it happened months ago.

For now, Wilks seems to be striking the right balance with the changes being made on offense. The Cardinals need to be more creative in trying to get the ball in running back David Johnson’s hands, Wilks said. Wilks and offensive coordinator Mike McCoy have decided to “scale back” the playbook in the hopes that results in fewer mental errors.

When that message was relayed to fans via Twitter, the derisive replies came quickly.

Scale back from what? Throwing passes that are in the air no more than 5 yards? Calling consecutive run plays on first-and-20 and second-and-19? Gaining five first downs in a game?

But when placed in context, scaling back makes sense. McCoy’s playbook is large so it figures that each week’s game plans have been, too. Just because the Cardinals haven’t been able to run many plays – 94 in two games – doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of them in the game plan.

Reducing the number of plays introduced and practiced this week should decrease the mental errors the Cardinals believe are the main culprits of their offensive problems.

No, Wilks isn’t going to fire McCoy, or any other coaches, two weeks into his first season. That would be a panic move. But altering what, and how much, those coaches are teaching during the week is smart.

Longtime Cardinals fans know what panic moves look like.

In 2004, coach Dennis Green fired offensive line coach Bob Wylie two days before the seventh game of the season and replaced him with Everett Lindsay, who had been cut that year in training camp. Lindsay had one month’s experience as a coach.

Later that season, Green announced a quarterback change the night before a game.

In 2006, Green fired offensive coordinator Keith Rowen the day after the Cardinals lost on Monday night to the Bears, even though Rowen’s game plan worked perfectly before Green ordered a more conservative approach in the second half.

Green turned a bad situation into chaos. Wilks isn’t the type to do that, but he also realizes he can’t stand pat.

Two games into the season, the Cardinals already are using the boilerplate quotes favored by losing teams: each man needs to look in the mirror, no one should point fingers, etc.

Wilks said something similar to his players and coaches on Monday, advising them to “check ourselves and figure out, ‘What can I do to help this team win games?’ ”

In troubled times, players want two things from their head coach: steadiness and a plan that allows them to be successful.

It’s a difficult line for a coach to walk.

“Coaches want to see the players come out, practice hard, be attentive to all the details and vice versa,” said safety Antoine Bethea. “You want the coaches to be the same. Obviously, they are going to be on us, but at the end of the day, as we always say, we’re in this together. We’re going to win together, we’re going to lose together. We can’t waver day to day.”

That doesn’t mean jobs aren’t in jeopardy. Linebackers Haason Reddick and Deone Bucannon played less significant roles last week against the Rams. Sam Bradford won’t remain the starting quarterback if he doesn’t play significantly better.

“I don’t think your actual long-term vision changes and your expectations,” Wilks said, “but you have to be able to adapt in this league.”

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Mark Faller and Greg Moore talk about the Cardinals’ woes on offense and defense after an 0-2 start to their regular season.
Arizona Republic

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Reach Somers at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @kentsomers. Hear Somers every Friday between 4 and 4:30 p.m. on The Drive with Jody Oehler on Fox Sports 910 AM.