- Slug: Sports-Heat on Cardinals coach.
- Photo attached below.
By SAM FICARRO
Cronkite News
TEMPE – The Arizona Cardinals were a rare favorite Sunday as they hosted the one-win Oakland Raiders.
Leading 21-20 in the waning minutes, all the Cardinals had to do was avoid disaster and run out the clock. Instead, a series of mistakes that included a dropped interception, two costly penalties and a blown coverage in the secondary led to another loss and only increased the pressure on first-year coach Steve Wilks.
With the Cardinals help, Oakland got the ball and moved into position for rookie Daniel Carlson’s 35-yard, game-winning field goal as time expired that handed the Cardinals a disappointing loss.
But while the losses continue to pile up, coach Steve Wilks hasn’t changed his demeanor with his 2-8 team.
“It hasn’t changed me from the standpoint of my approach with the guys,” Wilks said. “I continue to be the same guy regardless of (the losses) because I think that’s what they’re looking for.”
With each loss, Wilks’ seat grows hotter and the team’s fan base continues to express dismay after each disappointing performance. The first-year head coach understands their frustration.
“They should be (irate). (We are) disappointed in our performance but we’re trying to do everything we can to get on track,” Wilks said. “We got great fans, and they deserve better. We got to find a way to turn this around and get on track.”
The Cardinals are still experiencing the same problems that have plagued them all season and Wilks believes the coaches and players share a responsibility.
“Coaches and players each have 50-50 in this,” Wilks said. “Right now, we’re 2-8 and we’re open to a lot of things from the standpoint of personnel changes, things that you think will give us an opportunity to be successful and win football games.”
Arizona has endured a laundry list of injuries, specifically to the offensive line, but Wilks said he will continue to plug in guys he thinks will give the Cardinals the best chance to win.
“I think right now, based on where we’re at, we’re open to anything because I want to continue to evolve and try to get these guys in the best position to be successful and try to find the right mix,” he said.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Cardinals as they finish the season with four of their last six games on the road, beginning this week against the Chargers in Los Angeles.
Wilks has changed certain team-related activities to try to keep the team mentally engaged as the Cardinals try to salvage what remains of their season.
The changes include implementing more walk-through time, restructuring practice time and changing the number of repetitions in practice.
“I’m constantly looking to evolve and come up with new ideas,” Wilks said.
Wilks is trying to focus on the positives as the team embarks on their tough close to the season.
“No one is happy based on where we are right now,” he said. “We are) very disappointed in the loss we had, but one loss can turn into two if we continue to linger on this. We got to find a way to get this corrected, point out the good things, correct the bad things and move forward.”
There are a couple of things that Wilks has learned in his first year as an NFL head coach.
“Did I expect to be where we are? No,” he said. “But you got to learn how to persevere. You got to learn how to continue to push and be that example. I’m not going to quit. That’s what I told the guys, and neither are they. We’re going to find a way to get on track and win a football game.”
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First-year Arizona Cardinals coach Steve Wilks faces increasing pressure as his team falls to 2-8 after this weekend’s loss to the Oakland Raiders, who had only one win this season before the Cardinals game. (Photo by Sam Ficarro/Cronkite News)