The Cardinals have allowed 208 points through Week 7, the most in the NFL

Through Week 7, the Arizona Cardinals have allowed 208 points, the most of the league's 32 teams, per SportStrata's standings data. That is 29.7 per game in a season where the average team allows 23.2. Las Vegas, next on the list at 197 points allowed, is 11 behind Arizona.

Game by game

• Week 1: won 26-14 at Los Angeles Chargers
• Week 2: lost 7-31 to Seattle at home
• Week 3: lost 30-36 at San Francisco
• Week 4: lost 24-36 at New York Giants
• Week 5: lost 21-45 to Detroit at home
• Week 6: won 18-16 at Los Angeles Rams
• Week 7: lost 16-30 to Denver at home

Where it shows up

The split is stark. In Arizona's 2 wins, opponents scored 14 and 16 points. In Arizona's 5 losses, opponents scored 30 or more every time: 31, 36, 36, 45, and 30. Arizona has allowed 36 or more in 3 games, and Detroit's 45 is the most Arizona has allowed in a game. Arizona is 2-5, and its minus-66 point differential is the worst in the NFL; the Los Angeles Chargers, at minus-61, are next.

Not just a bad offense

The fair question is whether the offense shares the blame. It does, in part: Arizona scores 20.3 points per game, below the league average of 23.2. But the gap on defense is larger. Arizona allows 6.5 points per game more than the league average, while its offense scores 2.9 fewer. The defense is the larger problem.

The caveat

The caveat: 7 games is 7 games. Arizona's 2 wins show the formula on the record: hold an opponent under 20 points, and Arizona wins. No opponent has scored fewer than 14 against Arizona, so even the wins required a working defense. If the defense stays near 29.7 points per game, the wins will stay rare.