The Setup
Cards came into the game 1 & 5. The Broncs were coming off four straight defeat. Their star pass rusher, Von Miller threatened to "kick some ass." Cards as a group kind of dead-panned the whole food fighting thingy. Which team would reign supreme.

Lede
Boo!

On Thursday, October 18 - aka "The Night of the Living Dead", the Cardinals (aka Th Little Red Hens) laid a huge egg in the form of three Denver 1st quarter TD's and a 35 to 3 halftime deficit en route to a 45 - 10 thrashing.

The Bottom Line:
The Cards were down 14 - 0 before the die on their spiffy black and red jerseys had time to dry off. They did it the old fashioned way - via the Pick 6 and some halfback to wr passing trickeration. Follow that up with another Pick 6 (this one for 58 yards) and a 64 deep pass and we were well on our way to being blown out - which we were: down 35 - 3 by halftime. Cards looked inept in all aspects throughout the entire game. Read this and weep.

• Broncos win toss/"defer."

• KO returned to Card 21.

• Cards run one play and have to use up a time out before play #2.

• On the next play, Rosen's pass is either tipped - or bounces off a Bronco helmut. It's intercepted by T Davis and run back 20 yds for a TD. Broncos 7 - Cardinals 0.

• Defensive offsides penalty on XP (Peteson)
  Cards go 3 & out. Punt o-o-b at Denv 23.

• Next series includes a 22-yd up the middle by Lindsay to Card 33. Two plays later, Sanders hits Sutton on a HB Pass for a 28-yd TD. (El Hole-O Diggo). Broncos 14 - Cards 0

• Cards start off the next series on their own 14. Offense begins to click. +9. +6, +8. +7,, +10, Inc. +6, Inc. 43 yd FG. (9 plays/61 yds). Denv 14 - Cards 3.

• Stop by Bynes on 3rd & 2 forces Denver to punt.

• On second play of possession, Rosen's pass for Nelson is pick-sixed by C Harris (53 yd Denver TD). Denver 21 - Cards 3

• Cards go 3 & out to end the quarter.

• 1st Quarter Score: Denver 21 - Cards 3

  2nd Quarter

• Punt returned to Denv 36.

  On the first play of this Denver possession, Keenum hits Sanders deep right for a 64-yd TD. Denver 28 - Cards 3.

  Cards pick up a couple of short 1st downs before being forced to punt....Denv goes 3 & out. Cards go 3 & out (features "delay of game" penalty on Cards and 10-yd sack by Barrett)....Denver picks up a 1st down but is then forced to punt. Cards go 3 & out...

  Denver sustains next drive via the short-yardage on 3rd down and penalty route. Just before halftime, Keenum hits Sanders for +13 and two plays later, Freeman runs up the middle for a one-yd TD. Denver 35 - Cards 3.

  At halftime. Rosen has gone 8 for 17 and 60 yds, n TD's and 2 pics. Johnson has carried 10-times for 35 yds. Fitz has 12 catches for 18 yds.

• Halfitme Score: Broncos 35 - Cards 3

Broncs receive and pick up one first down before P Peterson picks off a Keenum for Sanders pass down the left sideline. No return yardage (PP21 cruised out of bounds). Card ball at their own 37. On the next play, Rosen hits Williams for +16 and Fitz for +18 yds. A 14-yd scramble by Rosen sustains the drive as does a defensive holding penalty two plays later. On the third play after that, Rosen hit Fitz for a 4-yd TD (Drive Totals: 11 plays/63 yds). Denver 35 - Cards 10..

(Note - Since points were scored by the Cards in the barron third quarter, consider this a moral victory. Also worth noting - this was Fitz's first TD of the season).

Denver goes 3 & out. A sack fumble turnover reversed on review - ruled incomplete pass - still Cardinal ball.

Two plays later, Rosen loses ball on a sack/fumble (Seals-Jones hurt)

Two plays after that, Lindsay runs 28-yds off RT for a TD. Denver 42 - Cards 10

On the next series, the two teams exchange 3 & outs to end the quarter. .

• Third Quarter Score: Denver 42 - Cards 10

On the next possession, Cards pick up a couple of short-yardage 1st downs and then Rosen hits Kirk deep middle for +21 yds and D Johnson (short- middle) for +17 yds. Two plays later, Rosen's pass for Kirk is picked off in the end zone by Roby for a touchback.

Denver goes 3 & out. Two plays later (why always 2 plays?) Rosen is sacked by Von Miller who recovers Rosen's fumble at the Cardinal 12. Broncs go 3 and a FG (nice sack by Zeke Moore). Denver 45 - Cards 10

A 27-yd (deep middle) completion to Kirk highlighted the next Cardinal possession. Rosen barely survives pummeling (2 sacks) by Chubb (injured at 2:00 mark). Denver takes over and runs out the clock (3 knees)

Final Score: Denver 45 - Cards 10

Last Word:
Whew! We sure did suck last night. Ask me tomorrow and I'll give you the same answer as I will today: This is turning out to be a long season, and I don't see ourselves playing our way out of it - I have no confidence in the coaches and confidence in maybe a dozen or so players.

In a different universe, I'd strongly recommend we all find a different team to root for, because things aren't going to get better any time soon. But "this ain't Madden" - if we were 100% sure of the outcome of every game, "why play the games?" I just suggest we all grit our teeth (or hold our noses), hang in there for the duration and hope that Josh Rosen protects the ball better (& our pass blockers protect Josh better).