Do the Arizona Cardinals Have Enough Talent to Make a Run?

With all of their injuries, it’s very hard to see the Arizona Cardinals going far in the playoffs.

Injuries are a big part of the NFL. Each year, teams are affected by injuries and for some of the less fortunate teams, injuries can ruin a season. That is the case with the Arizona Cardinals. There was a time this season when the Cardinals were 9-1. Their defense was getting pressure on the quarterback, their special teams was getting them great field position, and their offense was moving the football up and down the field.

However in Week 10, Carson Palmer, their franchise quarterback, tore his ACL. At the time, losing Palmer was a huge concern, but Drew Stanton had played for head coach Bruce Arians for years so he knew Arians’ system. Stanton, who was a second-round pick in 2007, is one of the league’s best backups and that was made clear when the Cardinals beat the Detroit Lions the following week, which was Stanton’s first start for the Cardinals.

From there, Stanton and the Cardinals would run into the red-hot Seattle Seahawks on the road and then against the Atlanta Falcons. The two-game road trip was a tough one because not only did they lose two games in a row, but Tyrann Mathieu needed surgery for his thumb. Regarding Mathieu and his thumb, the good news for the Cardinals is that their star safety has returned to practice and Mathieu will give it a go on Sunday.

Although the Cardinals are on a two-game winning streak, NFL pundits are still looking at them as a pretender and that is obviously with good reasoning. Not only is Palmer out for the season, but in Week 15, Stanton also had a scary injury. Stanton suffered a Grade 2 ACL and MCL sprain, which is very concerning not only for the short-term, but for the long-term as well. With Palmer done and Stanton out for the time being, the Cardinals have given the keys to the offense to third-string quarterback Ryan Lindley.

In Week 16, the Cardinals will host the Seahawks in a game that has huge implications for the playoffs. The Cardinals are a guaranteed lock for the playoffs thanks to their hot start to start the season. On the other hand, the Seahawks haven’t clinched a playoff berth just yet, but it’s only a matter of time until they do because of how well they are playing. The winner of this game will likely win the NFC West, which means they will get at least one home game in the postseason. For the Cardinals, getting a playoff game at home is huge considering they are 7-0 on the season when playing at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Because of their injuries at the quarterback position, common logic is that they will run the football more. However, as you guessed it, Andre Ellington is also out for the season as he had surgery for a sports-hernia injury. It isn’t talked about throughout the league, perhaps because he plays in a small market in Arizona, but Ellington is one of the league’s best running backs. Ellington is one of the only three-down backs in this league and his value to this offense is crucial towards its success.

So where does all of this leave the Cardinals? In the NFC, although there are only two weeks left in the season, five teams are vying for one of the first-round bye positions and the No. 1 seed. With that being said, the reality is that the Cardinals are likely out of luck in terms of their Super Bowl prospects.

Before the season, coach Arians told his team to not let anyone else dress in their locker room by the end of the year. What that means is that Arians doesn’t want a different NFC team playing in the Super Bowl. Without their starting quarterback, their backup quarterback, and their prolific running back, it’s hard to see the Cardinals even winning a game in the playoffs.

If they get the first-round bye, it will be huge, but they would still likely have to play the Dallas Cowboys or the Lions in the divisional round. Yes, the Cardinals beat both of these teams earlier in the year, but the Cowboys were without Tony Romo and the Lions had a banged up Calvin Johnson.

Ever since coming over from Indianapolis, Arians has made this franchise into one of the best in the NFL after years of a mediocre stage under Ken Whisenhunt. Arians’ bunch is battle-tested and they love playing the underdog role. However, in terms of talent, because of all their injuries, the Cardinals simply can’t compete with the rest of the NFC teams in the playoffs. Knowing that, the Cardinals’ chances of going far in the playoffs look real bleak. It’s truly sad considering how good this team was at one point in the season.

Next: Where do the Cardinals fall all-time among all 32 NFL franchises?