NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
The Arizona Cardinals were in the playoff hunt until they weren’t. A team that started off 2024 looking like they were going to be a problem ultimately fell short of their expectations. Not only did they not make the playoffs, but even when they were playing at a high level, they didn’t look nearly as good as the rest of the NFC teams that did make the playoffs. One thing is for sure, you can put that on the roster if you want, but truth be told this team just doesn’t have enough star power to overcome the great teams.
Start with Kyler Murray. So far he’s been a good quarterback for the Cardinals, and at times he’s been great. The only problem with Murray is his consistency or lack thereof. He’ll go out and have the game of his life and you’ll think he’s finally starting to figure it out, only to be followed up with the next game of “what the hell is he doing?”
James Conner rushed for over 1,000 yards this season but only caught passes for 414 yards which is fine if not for the other playmakers at running back. Trey Benson rushed for 291 yards and Emari Demercado for 223 yards. The duo would also only catch a pass out of the backfield for 59 yards for Benson and 104 for Demercado. With that lack of productivity out of your relief players, it turns your offense into an easy target. If Conner wasn’t on the field. It was a dead giveaway that either of those players weren’t getting the football and would allow defenders to shift and cheat to other players to cover. There was no threat on the field when they were out there.
Then take a look at the receivers for the Cardinals. They hit the jackpot, or so they thought, with Marvin Harrison Jr. in last year’s draft but they had very little help out there for him again making their offense predictable. People were starting to, wrongfully, question whether Harrison Jr. was a bust simply because he was not lighting up the stat sheet. That is remarkably unfair to a rookie who is just getting started in the league on a team that doesn’t have a second threat at the wide receiver position. Trey McBride was a workhorse at tight end catching the ball for 1,100+ yards but he would be blanketed in the red zone and only catch 2 TD passes. The Cardinals’ next-best WR only caught the ball for 548 yards.
Do you see the common theme with the Arizona Cardinals? They’ve got playmakers, but they’re not built to be contenders. Defensive Coordinators love to see teams like this coming because their offense might as well be handing them their playbook. Sure, there are 11 guys on the field but you really only have to worry about covering 2-3. There are no dual back situations set up, there are no 5-wide sets that scare you off, and there are no two-TE sets that bulk up protection in the red zone. The Cardinals are set up as a team to say, here’s the play, let’s hope someone slips up. The Cardinals need to take their bloated cap space and find explosive playmakers in the offseason.
