The Arizona Cardinals had a record that is normally good enough to make the playoffs in 2013, but because they played in the toughest division in professional football, alongside the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers, they were shut out of the postseason while Green Bay, as the NFC North champion, made the playoffs despite winning fewer than nine games. Can the Cardinals get to the playoffs this year, even with the Niners and Seahawks on the slate two times apiece?
Strengths
The Cardinals fielded one of the better defenses in the NFL last season, a defense that was good enough to smother the Seattle Seahawks’ offense and give the Super Bowl champions their only home-field loss this past season. Arizona generated tremendous pressure with its front four, creating the kind of pass rush that did not allow opposing quarterbacks to feel very comfortable for any real length of time. The Cardinals were also physical and intimidating in their linebacking corps. Their middle layer of defense cleaned up what the front four was unable to finish. The secondary was solid as well – there were no gaping holes in this defense. It’s going to be the strength of this team in 2014 as well.
Weaknesses
The quarterback position did stabilize last season, as Carson Palmer played a lot better than many people expected, but a lot of people will wonder if Palmer can continue to be good. That’s going to be something to keep an eye on. The suspension to Daryl Washington will hurt the Cardinals’ defense on an immediate level, but what it will also do is that it will rob this team of the depth that’s probably going to be needed in the punishing and savage NFC West. Arizona needs an all-hands-on-deck approach to survive the West and somehow win enough games to get to the playoffs. Another weakness the Cardinals have is that they don’t have a home-run type of running back who will be able to help Palmer when the rubber meets the road. This team might play with smaller margins this season than it did in 2013.
Schedule
The Cardinals have a tough schedule playing in the NFC West. Two games against both the Niners and Seahawks is a terrible reality this team will have to play through. The Cardinals have to find a way to split those four games. Last year, they were only able to go 1-3 in those four games. The other really bad part of the Cardinals’ schedule is that their AFC games come against the division that might be the toughest in the AFC, the West. The Cardinals will have to play the Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, and Denver Broncos, all playoff teams last season. This is a nasty schedule, and it’s why the over-under for the Cardinals’ win total is 7.5.
Outlook
Bruce Arians has shown himself to be such a good coach with a knack for finding answers. The Cardinals might have a tough time winning 10 games, but a 7.5 over-under is a bit too generous. The Cardinals are tough enough that they should hit the over.
Pick: Over 7.5
