After scoring just 13.1 points per game (31st in the NFL) through the team’s first seven games and accumulating 220.3 yards per game and 63.8 rushing yards per game (both last in the NFL), the Arizona Cardinals relieved offensive coordinator Mike McCoy of his duties Friday night. The team is coming off a 45-10 loss to the Denver Broncos in Thursday Night Football.
“When you really have an opportunity to sit back and see where the offense is going, or where we didn’t go rather, from a standpoint of production, it’s my job as head coach to figure out what needs to be done,” Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks said. “I felt we needed a change,.”
The offense never found a rhythm this season, with Sam Bradford struggling early and Josh Rosen taking over the reigns. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald caught his first touchdown pass in Thursday night’s loss and David Johnson has accumulated just 3.2 yards per attempt in his comeback season.
“We weren’t productive enough, let’s just say that,” Wilks said. “That may be an understatement, and hopefully moving forward that we can try to create some things, number one and how we’re producting to give Josh an opportunity to go through his progressions.”
Rosen did leave the game in the fourth quarter with an injury. Wilks said on Friday that in was a sprained left toe and the rookie quarterback “should be fine.”
Quarterbacks coach Byron Leftwich has been named offensive coordinator and will oversee play-calling duties. He has already worked closely with Rosen, and Wilks is hopeful that Johnson can return to form under Leftwich’s play-calling.
“You definitely want to try to get David Johnson in the run game as well as the pass game,” Wilks said. “With Byron being here before and being a part of that, understanding some of the success (Johnson) has had in the past, hopefully we can tap back into some of the things David was doing in the past.”
The Arizona Cardinals host the San Francisco 49ers on October 28th.
