Broncos Just Got A Lesson In Trap Games From Cardinals

The Denver Broncos are 4-2, but they’re not exactly flying high right now. They have half a football team that hasn’t been playing good football for four quarters, with flat, desultory halves being a new trademark of a team that used to know how to play complete games. 

Next up for Denver is a road game against the Arizona Cardinals, and any thought that the Broncos might have an eaasier time against a team that came into Sunday’s action at 1-4 was destroyed when the Cardinals rose up and upset the Los Angeles Rams, 18-16, on a last-second 43-yard field goal from kicker Chad Ryland. 

This was a classic case of a contender playing with its food against an inferior opponent. The Cardinals came into the game wih a four-game losing streak and a struggling defense, but the Rams were also coming in after a tough Monday night overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills the previous week. 

The results were predictable but still shocking. The Rams couldn’t finish drives, and they let Arizona hang around. The game was tied 9-9 at halftime, and the Rams never did get the wake-up call that should have happened in the second half. 

Instead it was Arizona that came out and slowly took control of the game with a series of field goals that gave the Cardinals a 16-9 lead. The Cardinals then did the inevitable by allowing the Rams to drive the field and tie the game with a late touchdown, but LA left Arizona with 47 seconds, which was enough time for the Cardinals to make a few plays and get themselves in position for the game winner. 

The common thread is that the Broncos have also struggled to finish drives, and that’s where all thoughts that this might be a trap game should end. Denver did post a couple of touchdowns in the first half of their 17-14 win over the Seattle Seahawks in overtime on Thursday night, but they were the picture of offensive futility in the second half as they couldn’t even get first downs, much less mount drives. If that happens again on Sunday, the Broncos could easily find themselves in the same position as the Rams. 

One advantage the Broncos should have against Arizona is their formidable defense. If Denver decides to show up, they should easily shut down quarterback Jacoby Brissett and company, but the Broncos also need to take the lesson here learn from what just happened to the Rams.