Final Thoughts
This season has certainly been up-and-down for the Cardinals and their fans. There was the frustrating start to the season in which Kliff Kingsbury’s red-zone playcalling and conservative approach limited the team’s potential. Things then began to click and the Cardinals went on a three-game winning streak. Following the win over the Giants, the Cards were unable to win another game until December, highlighted by a pair of painful losses to the No. 1 seed 49ers. The past two weeks have given fans a Cardinals team playing much closer to their potential.
2020 will be one of the more anticipated seasons for the Cards if Steve Keim and Michael Bidwill use their offseason resources effectively. Sophomore quarterbacks have often taken huge leaps in their game, and Kyler Murray will be primed to do just that. Kliff Kingsbury’s evolution of the Cardinals offense throughout this season has proven he can be a great offensive mind in the NFL.
There are pieces on the roster that are very promising for the future. Patrick Peterson’s recent play has reverted back to the level of play everyone is used to seeing. Chandler Jones is potentially the NFL’s best defensive player. Jordan Hicks and Budda Baker are impact players on defense. Kenyan Drake and Christian Kirk are great pieces to move forward with. Also, the offensive line is far improved over last year. That is really an underrated development of this season.
And what of Larry Fitzgerald? The general vibe seems to be that Fitz will return for another season. Reporters and players on both the Cardinals and opposing teams have been outspoken on Fitz having fun with this core of players. He has to be encouraged by playing with Kyler Murray. If his body is still in good shape, I think it’s likely he returns. If not, however, Fitzgerald has been the best player the Cardinals have ever had, and he will be forever missed.
Thank you to everyone who tuned into the game previews every week and supported the site. There will be tons of offseason content with all the free agency, draft, and trade rumors surrounding the Cardinals. Here’s to a great 2020 season.
You can reach me @alexsutton27 on Twitter.
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Ep. 253:
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Ep. 252:
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