The Arizona Cardinals struggled to get back to their 2015 level last season, and they’re looking to make one more charge toward a title.
After a great 2015 campaign that led them to the playoffs and a NFC Championship appearance, the Arizona Cardinals saw things dwindle throughout the 2016 season.
The Cardinals finished with a 7-8-1 record, which somehow still landed them a second-place finish in the NFC West last season. The Seattle Seahawks only finished 10-5-1, and won a division title with that lackluster season.
The Cardinals’ performance came as a bit of a shocker, especially given the incredible run they went on to end 2015. Many expected them to be a top team in the league, but they proved how a poor start to the season can derail an entire year in an instant, starting with their loss to a Tom Brady-less New England Patriots squad for openers.
Last year, many thought the addition of Chandler Jones to the defensive front would make them a terror in the NFC. However, even though their defense was solid and stacked throughout, it was their offensive line that truly gave the team troubles throughout the year. Now, the defense is more of a question mark with the subtractions of Tony Jefferson, Calais Campbell, Keith Minter and Alex Okafor.
A big piece of Arizona’s offense during its successful times was the ability to have a balanced attack. Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald are a solid duo, and it works especially well when David Johnson is dominating out of the backfield. Unfortunately for the team, however, it’s tough to get anything going when the offensive line is letting anyone through.
The line allowed the third-most hits to the quarterback last season. Additionally, much o the rushing yardage was created by Johnson, not helped out much by holes in front of him. If the Cardinals are going to bounce back in 2017, that has to change.
The time for Palmer’s career to come to a close is coming soon. At the same time, Johnson’s deal only has two years left, and if the offensive line doesn’t begin to provide lanes for him, we’ll begin seeing the inevitable wear and tear a running back endures.
Meanwhile, the defense has its aforementioned uncertainty. There are some players returning after missing time from last year including Tyrann Mathieu, who missed six games. Hopefully he and Patrick Peterson will be able to play a full season together, as the rest of the secondary is full of question marks.
As mentioned, the Cardinals lost Campbell in free agency to the Jacksonville Jaguars, a key piece of their defensive line. The team also lost Jefferson from their secondary to the Baltimore Ravens, which could be a major loss if Mathieu goes down again. Despite the losses, the team did add Karlos Dansby and Antoine Bethea to help fill voids.
The NFC West is a weird division with two perennial threats and two teams who likely won’t be contending during the year. The teams will all have to battle with the NFC East and the AFC South on their schedules. The Seahawks will be a big threat to any possible return to the top of the division for the Cardinals, but both teams have huge questions marks heading into the year to make things interesting.
X-Factor
It seems like every season Mathieu is a widely-talked about name for the Cardinals.
Mathieu is one of the league’s best defenders, and has turned his career (and life) around over the years since his controversial collegiate career came to an end. However, he’s gone down with injuries over the last two seasons for the Cardinals.
Mathieu’s health seems to be a big concern for the Cardinals’ defense, and the team needs its secondary to be on point heading into 2017 considering how the Seahawks have returned to full health on offense in their passing game. If Mathieu goes down again, it could take the team down with him, just like him staying healthy could carry this team to a serious run in the playoffs.
Best case:
The Cardinals have proved in the past that they can get it done in the NFC West even when the Seahawks are on their game, and they have the potential to do so in 2017 as well.
Mathieu’s injury in 2016 was a big downfall for the team, but he and Peterson can easily carry the team if they can both stay away from injuries on defense, and Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald could do some damage on offense, as well.
Should things all stay in the Cardinals’ favor this season, they could get back on top of the NFC West with their loaded defense. They have had a lot of changes in their lineup over the years, but if they can find their rhythm, the sky is the limit in a wide-open NFC this year.
Worst case
Just like how staying away from injuries can send the Cardinals to the promised land, they can also send them right back to Earth.
They proved last season how big injuries can be for a roster, and if some of their big names have any health issues throughout the year, specifically on defense, it could signal serious trouble for the Cardinals in the NFC West. If it gets bad enough, we could easily see a repeat of last season’s rough campaign, and another below .500 season.
They should still finish second in the division even in their worst nightmares, given the talent level of the Rams and the 49ers. They benefit from being in a weak division, so even their bad days could be good elsewhere.
Next: Top 20 NFL breakout candidates for 2017
Final word
The Cardinals really have their destiny in their own hands, and it’s just going to be about which way their bounces roll throughout the regular season.
If things can go roll in their favor, players stay healthy and their big competition in the NFC have issues like the Cardinals had in 2016, we could see the Cardinals right back in the fray for the NFC title.
However, if things roll the opposite way, we’re getting a repeat of last year’s disappointment of a season for Arizona, and fans won’t be happy with the drop-off from the 2015 success. The choice is (kind of ) yours, Cardinals.