The Arizona Cardinals promise an improved team in 2020. How improved? In Peter King’s offseason power rankings, the Cardinals make it in the top 20, but are one of the most interesting teams to watch this coming season.
In all the excitement about the offensively intriguing Cardinals—has there ever been the kind of national sis-boom-bah about a team coming off a five-win season?—it’s good to remember a couple of things. As compelling as the Kyler/Kliff Kards are entering year two of their marriage, they were 21st in total yards and 16th in points last year, and 29th in Red Zone efficiency. But I have them rising nonetheless. Kliff Kingsbury, though no one believed him, kept saying last year the key to his offense was the run game, and he proved it: Only one team had a better per-carry average than Arizona’s 5.03 yards. The underappreciated Kenyan Drake returns after 166, 137 and 110-yard rushing games in his eight weeks as a Card, and, of course, DeAndre Hopkins instantly becomes the NFL’s acquisition of the year. One of the best receivers in the NFL should be Kyler Murray’s best friend long after Larry Fitzgerald (37 in August) retires.
I’d have had the Cards higher if I trusted the defense (28th in points allowed, 32nd in yards allowed in ’19). Other than Joe Burrow, Isaiah Simmons is probably the rookie with the most juice in the NFL entering the season. Will he be an enforcer safety? A hybrid safety/linebacker who, in a pinch, lines up in the slot? Strictly linebacker? Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph seems inclined to make him a linebacker as a rookie, which, in this odd offseason without much onfield practice time to experiment, might make the most sense. Putting Simmons in the middle of the defense could still enable the Cards to play a bunch of imbalanced defenses, with Simmons still able to spy or cover or blitz. So many interesting teams to watch in 2020 . . . Arizona’s in the top five.
With Kenyan Drake returning and the offensive line intact, there is no reason to believe the running game will be bad. Murray should improve and the passing game should with the addition of Hopkins.
The talent level on defense is immensely better entering this season. They don’t have to be a top-10 unit. If they are even average or slightly below average instead of awful, like they were in 2019, the Cardinals will win more games.
As it is, the Cardinals could have won three more games than they did had the defense simply gotten one stop in games where they had a lead late in the fourth quarter or overtime.
Keys to their improvement? Protecting Murray, being better in the red zone and improving at least some defensively.
If they do all three, this is a team who will compete for the playoffs.
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Ep. 268
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Ep. 267
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