Nail in the coffin for Cardinals' Whisenhunt?

Nail in the coffin for Whisenhunt?

Posted by Brad Wilbricht
Monday, December 10 - 10:00 AM

Coach Ken Whisenhunt’s seat has been getting hotter by the week and Sunday’s 58-0 loss against the Seattle Seahawks could be the nail in the coffin that seals his fate with the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals have now lost nine straight outings and their fall from NFC West contender to cellar dweller has been painful to watch.

Arizona was dominated in all facets of the game being outgained in total yardage (493-154), first downs (22-10) and time of possession (34:17-25:33). The Cardinals committed eight turnovers on the afternoon, two of which resulted in touchdowns for the Seattle defense. QB John Skelton – who returned to the starting lineup this week – finished with a QB rating of just 18.2 before Ryan Lindley replaced him.

Whisenhunt tends to put blame on Arizona’s inefficiencies at quarterback, but such a lop-sided loss proves that the entire team has all but given up on the sixth-year head coach. With questionable personnel decisions and ugly player rifts going on (see DT Darnell Dockett) it’s going to be difficult for Whisenhunt to regain control and respect in the locker room.

Sunday’s contest couldn’t confirm more the opposite directions that Seattle and Arizona are heading. Under Pete Carroll, the Seahawks have been rapidly improving and are on the verge of cementing themselves as yearly playoff contenders. Rookie Russell Wilson appears to be the team’s long-term solution at quarterback while a strong running game and defense complete a well-rounded squad.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals are still searching for answers and look to be far away from solving their mounting problems.

Arizona does have a respectable defense, but it’s not as consistent or dynamic as Seattle’s. Looking at the other areas of the Cardinals’ team and that’s where the real differences become apparent. Arizona has been searching for a running game for years now but has been unable to gain any consistency on the ground. But even more alarming for the Cardinals has been the inauspicious play under center.

Neither Skelton or Lindley has been able to get the job done and it’s hard to determine whether Kevin Kolb – who’s missed the last seven games with a rib injury – would have been able to do much better. Before getting injured, Kolb had helped lead Arizona to a 4-1 record but it had been done with smoke and mirrors when most of the breaks were going the Cardinals' way.

And it’s not just the Seahawks are coming on strong in the division while Arizona continues to falter. The San Francisco 49ers are here to stay as the team to beat in the NFC West and even the St. Louis Rams are improving by leaps and bounds. The Rams are now 6-6-1 and coach Jeff Fisher has the recently beleaguered franchise poised to return as a formidable opponent.

Back to Whisenhunt for now, whose job security has to be at an all-time low. Many believed he would get the benefit of the doubt and return next year but Sunday’s massacre certainly has that in jeopardy. If Whisenhunt is able to right the ship and win a game or two over the final three weeks of the season, perhaps he’ll be brought back, but a 58-0 loss might spell the begining of the end of the Whisenhunt era.

---

Questions or comments? Contact Brad Wilbricht at

---

blog comments powered by Disqus

---

Questions or comments? Contact Brad Wilbricht at

---

blog comments powered by Disqus