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Cardinals coach: Team issues go beyond Sam Bradford

With only one touchdown to his name so far as an NFL head coach, Steve Wilks isn't hitting the panic button on the Arizona Cardinals' slow start.

In the wake of their 34-0 thrashing by the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Wilks said everyone on team would be evaluated -- even quarterback Sam Bradford. On Monday, Wilks indicated he wasn't ready to give Bradford's starting job to rookie Josh Rosen.

"I think Sam is doing well," Wilks said during a news conference Monday. "Is he inconsistent? Yes. Does he need to be a little bit more accurate? Yes. But that's just not Sam, we need to get a little bit more protection.

"He needs to have a little bit more time to go through his progression. I don't think it's just one particular unit -- offense, defense or special teams -- or one particular guy. There's plenty of things we need to improve on across the board."

While Wilks is correct in his assessment that the Cardinals' struggles aren't sequestered to the quarterback position, it's clear through two games that Bradford isn't getting the job done. Against the Rams, he completed 17 of 27 passes for 90 yards. In the season-opening loss, he fared only a little better with 153 yards on 20 of 34 passing.

At this point, it's difficult to imagine the Cardinals doing any worse with Rosen leading the offense. Arizona wouldn't had made him the No. 10 overall pick of the draft if it didn't believe he was capable of being a franchise signal-caller. So why isn't he being considered for the start next week against the Chicago Bears?

"If I thought it was just that one position, I'd be more than willing to say 'You know what? We need to make a change. We need a spark. We need something to happen.' But it's not just Sam.

"I'm trying to find a way to rectify these problems, be a little bit more productive on the offensive side of the ball, while still try to get off the field on the defensive side of the ball to give these guys more opportunities. It's not just that one position."

Wilks believes mistakes and a lack of accountability are the biggest culprits behind the team's bad start. He doesn't believe the team's problems -- particularly on offense -- are a result of bad decision-making.

"I have total confidence in [offensive coordinator] Mike [McCoy]," Wilks said. "I have total confidence in all the staff and what we're doing. I'm not going to sit here and waver from what I consider to be a great coaching staff."

If the Cardinals don't change course quickly, Wilks might be forced to take more drastic changes. Whether that involves Rosen taking snaps in the weeks ahead remains to be seen.

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