12 NFL teams who will be playoff contenders in 2015-16
By Will Osgood
6) Arizona Cardinals
In contrast to the Eagles, these birds will fly in 2015 based on their defense. In fact, Bruce Arians can only dream for his offense to near the production of the Eagles’ unit. If they were able to near Philadelphia’s ability to score points, they might just take the crown.
Even so, the defense is good enough to earn another playoff spot. Like the Seahawks, the Cardinals have a dynamic secondary, led of course by Patrick Peterson.
The only issue the Cardinals have had in the past defensively is a lack of a pass rush. Alex Okafor came on last season to lead the team in that department, but his offseason arrest calls into question just how much time he’ll be able to play this upcoming season.
The Cardinals drafted two “EDGE” players—Markus Golden of Missouri, thought by some to be a better pass rushing talent than college teammate Shane Ray, and West Virginia’s Shaq Riddick. They hope to be able to scrap together a pass rush to keep the secondary from having to shoulder too much of the defensive burden.
It would help, too, if Larry Fitzgerald could be Larry Fitzgerald again. It wouldn’t hurt, either, if Carson Palmer went circa-2005 Palmer when he led the league in completion percentage and touchdown passes.
By upgrading the offensive line, there’s at least a chance Palmer can do just that in Arians’ long-developing pass schemes. He starts the 2015 season against two awful 2014 pass defenses, and should be able to get on a roll early.
Not only will the Cardinals outclass all other teams competing for a Wild Card spot, but Palmer will play his best football in nearly a decade.
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