2012 Arizona Cardinals Preview

2012 Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals seem like they are only a couple of players away from making a run at the NFC West, if not the entire NFC itself. Unfortunately, one of those players missing is a franchise quarterback, which is a necessary ingredient for a championship team. For the last two years, Arizona has been holding a quarterback competition between it’s two best QBs on the roster: Kevin Kolb and John Skelton. Kolb, the guy with the big contract, hasn’t been able to produce and is always hurt. This is a big reason why Arizona started out 1-6 last season. Then, all of a sudden, John Skelton came in and the Cardinals went 7-2 for the rest of the season, which nobody saw coming. Now, Skelton will be the starting quarterback heading into Week 1 of the 2012 season. Can he repeat that same success? No. The NFC West plays the AFC East and the NFC North, which means that it will be really hard for the Cardinals to get back to .500. They have a viable offense and a solid defense, but that doesn’t matter if they don’t have the quarterback to lead the way for them. Maybe Skelton will have a great season and is the answer at QB for the Cardinals. I’ll believe it when I see it.

Offense

John Skelton will be the starter to open the 2012 campaign, which is good and bad. Good because he performed very 

well last season, but bad because he probably can’t keep that level of play going again. Arizona still has Larry Fitzgerald, one of the top receivers in the game, but who has also been stuck out in the dessert trying to put up big numbers with backups throwing to him. The Cardinals used their first round pick in this year’s draft to select Michael Floyd, a talented wide receiver to line up opposite Fitz, but wide out isn’t the place that Arizona is lacking. They might have a decent running game this year, also. Beanie Wells is possibly the most frustrating running back in the NFL, because although he doesn’t get really injured, he always has something bothering him and is always on the injury report. He either doesn’t play, or is limited. This year, they get Ryan Williams back from a torn ACL, and many people think that he has the inside track for the starting job before the end of the season. With good quarterback play, this offense can move the ball, but that is a lot to ask for this team.

Defense

The Arizona Cardinals have potentially the most underrated defense in the entire NFL. They are always overlooked because the Cardinals aren’t a very good team, but this group has star power and plenty of ability. Their defensive line is anchored by Darnell Dockett, who has grown into a stud, which is huge for this team, especially considering that Arizona plays a 3-4 scheme. They have two very able middle linebackers, the better of them being Daryl Washington, who was near the lead league in tackles last season. Sam Acho is someone who experts think is a sleeper for double digit sacks this season, and if Acho can provide that kind of production, this front seven could potentially be top 10 in the NFL. Their secondary is great also, with rising superstar Patrick Peterson becoming one of the best corners in the league. Adrian Wilson and Kerry Rhodes are two savvy veterans who can also tackle very well. William Gay is no slouch at the number two corner spot either. If opposing offenses underestimate this Arizona defense, they can find themselves really struggling.

Schedule

As you may have noticed, I have said mostly good things about this Arizona team (which is a surprise, even to me), so you might be assuming that I think they can make a run at the division title this season, or maybe a wild card. Well, I don’t. In fact, I think that Seattle is the team in this division that you have to watch out for. If John Skelton proves me wrong and shines, this team is quite complete, even if it is elite. However, I think they will be outplayed this season by better opponents, and I’m not quite buying Skelton leading this team. I do like him better than Kolb, though, so at least they made the right choice for their leader. How will Arizona do this season?

Week 1: L vs SEA

Week 2: L at NE

Week 3: W vs PHI (won in PHI last year, win at home this year)

Week 4: W vs MIA

Week 5: L at STL

Week 6: W vs BUF

Week 7: L at MIN

Week 8: W vs SF

Week 9: L at GB (4-5, not too shabby)

Week 10: Bye

Week 11: L at ATL

Week 12: W vs STL

Week 13: L at NYJ

Week 14: L at SEA

Week 15: L vs DET

Week 16: W vs CHI

Week 17: L at SF

That 4-5 start by Arizona isn’t too bad, but 2-6 down the stretch is a bad way to end the season, at a 6-10 record. This team has talent, but until they have a long tern answer at quarterback, they will continue to stay out of the postseason. After my bold prediction, I’ll look at the San Francisco 49ers, and see whether they can repeat their magical 2011.

Bold Prediction: Patrick Peterson will have 3 more return touchdowns this year, and Larry Fitzgerald will lead the NFL in receiving yards with 1,456.