After a disastrous 45-10 loss to the Broncos on Thursday night, the Cardinals fired offensive coordinator Mike McCoy. To replace him, the Cardinals promoted quarterbacks coach Byron Leftwich. 
McCoy’s job security has been a topic of discussion for weeks. Through seven games, the Cardinals have averaged just 13.1 points per game, which ranks 31st in the NFL. They’re also dead last in total yards per game, third-down conversion percentage, time of possession, and rushing yards. Something had to give, and the embarrassing loss to Denver was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
It’s an ironic end to McCoy’s tenure in Arizona since the Broncos fired McCoy in the midst of the 2017 season. Denver started off strong with a 3-1 start last year, but the team lost patience after a six-game losing streak knocked them out of playoff contention. This year, the Cardinals had enough after a 1-5 start and an embarrassing primetime loss in which Josh Rosen lobbed his third, fourth, and fifth interceptions of the year.
Leftwich, the Jaguars’ longtime quarterback, was brought in by former coach Bruce Arians as a coaching intern in 2016. Last year, he was hired as the team’s quarterbacks coach. Leftwich doesn’t have previous OC experience, but he did call plays in a couple of 2017 exhibition games.
“I’m a pretty confident guy, but I had never done it, and I had never practiced it,” Leftwich said of his OC audition. “That’s the tough part. Knowing B.A., B.A. ain’t going to give you two weeks in practice to prepare. He gave me a 10-play period to call them. The first time I ever called plays was in the game. I wish I would have done a few things here and there better, but that’s the exciting part of growing in this business. That helped my growth.”
Leftwich will make his OC debut on Sunday, Oct. 28 against the 49ers. After that, the Cardinals have a Week 9 bye.
Leftwich who has 2 years of coaching experience is your new OC? Is the staff that thin? You are trusting your rookie QB of the future with a guy who called plays in preseason. Good luck with that. But guess it couldn’t be worse than McCoy
Fired by the 2 of worst offenses in 1 year. Both teams unfortunately had a mediocer O core to work with
I really wish Rosen had a good OC and a good OLine. I want to see what he can do with any time in the pocket.
I agree. But that’s pretty much every QB at the NFL level, isn’t it?
makes sense. I mean who calls that many pick 6’s and sack fumbles.
Oh man…. just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse than McCoy, the are going with Byron Leftwich!!! He better have Bruce Arians dialed into his headset from home. Hopefully his time with Bruce with the steelers/cardinals have him SOME knowledge…. otherwise, poor David Johnson fantasy owners (myself….) are in for even more disappointment. People can’t have too high of expectations. It’s not like Leftwich is installing a new offensive system…. the terrible formations, runs up the middle, lack of johnson split out wide or in the slot…. that’s all the same offensive scheme. The only thing that changes mid season, especially in the first week or so of a change, is a different person calling those plays…
Just give the damn ball to Johnson to justify my 1st round fantasy pick
It can’t get any worse……….or can it?
The only way it could get worse for Cardinal fans is if Larry Fitzgerald was overlooked for induction into Canton the way Don Coryell was….but that would be an injustice of epic proportions.
Or Johnson demands a trade
Leftwich is in a bad situation to be taking over. If he can make the Cards offense go, he’ll be a head coach in the next couple of years.
Though I think the problem is that the Cards just don’t have the talent they think they have and will have to do a major rebuild.
The cardinals offensive line is swiss cheese. Pretty bad when your whole offensive line cant get on the same page to run the offensive play called. Doesn’t matter who is calling the plays if the fundamentals of blocking are absent.
Probably shouldn’t have taken another job without an established QB whoops
Cardinals looking like the Browns of previous years. I get the players sucking, but the coaching moves…Geez.