The Arizona Cardinals were one game away from the Super Bowl last year, and they look poised to take another crack at a championship run this season in upgrading their already great defense while fans hope that the team’s young offense continues to mature. Carson Palmer, while another year older, is coming off his best year ever, after passing for 4671 yards and 35 touchdowns. Even if his production declines, the Cardinals’ passing game should still be high scoring, especially with Larry Fitzgerald coming off a rebound year as well, the up-and-coming young duo of Michael Floyd and John Brown, and the development of prospects J.J. Nelson and Jaron Brown. If Palmer were to get injured, the Cardinals has Drew Stanton, who has proven that he is a very capable caretaker over the past couple of years.
The reason the Cardinals were such an offensive force last year was that their running game was much stronger than expected. Chris Johnson ended up being a great free agent pick-up last year, although running backs tend to decline in production after turning 30, which Chris did last year. Fortunately, Coach Bruce Arians has David Johnson, who had a breakout rookie year while gaining more yards from scrimmage than Chris did. Arians has had a tendency to use young backs sparingly, so Andre Ellington, slightly more veteran than David, will probably stay in the mix. The running game is helped by their offensive line, which is stronger on the left side with veterans Jared Veldheer and Mike Iupati. Free agent signing Evan Mathis, a surprising late entry into the market, is an excellent run blocker, which should keep the Johnsons productive.
The Cardinals defense also rebounded in 2015, ranking in the top ten in almost every defensive category. While their defensive line was already strong with Calais Campbell, general manager Steve Keim shored that section up with free agent Chandler Jones from New England and 1st-round draft pick Robert Nkemdiche from Ole Miss. Campbell was a competent pass rusher last season, but the addition of Jones and Nkemdiche, provided they can both control themselves off the field, will cause opposing quarterbacks to find themselves on the turf all season. If there’s a weak spot on the Cardinals roster, it’s the linebacker group. Deone Bucannon and Kevin Minter still have upside, but no big signings or draft picks to that position signals that the Cardinals staff believe in the defensive line and defensive backfield to protect the players in the middle, and the team has plenty of reasons to believe in the secondary. Patrick Peterson is still an excellent cornerback and Tyrann Mathieu has shown he is a ball hog at safety. Justin Bethel is good enough to complement Peterson on the other side of the field, although 3rd-round pick Brandon Williams has a chance to start, given the weak cornerback depth behind Bethel.
The Cardinals has the seventh-hardest schedule in the NFL this year, and will be on national television a lot more thanks to their NFC Championship appearance last year. Fortunately, the Seahawks and 49ers ended up receiving even harder schedules, so the Cardinals should have a great shot at the division once again. The offense could be afflicted by the effects of age, but if Palmer, Fitzgerald, Chris Johnson and the veteran offensive linemen stay healthy, the Cardinals could even have a chance to hoist their first-ever Lombardi Trophy in a Cinderella situation.
