NFC West
Head Coach: Ken Whisenhunt
Experience: First Year Head Coach
Prior Experience:
1995-1996: Vanderbilt University (special teams & tight ends coach)
1997-1998: Baltimore Ravens (tight ends coach)
1999: Cleveland Browns (special teams coach)
2000: New York Jets (tight ends coach)
2001-2003: Pittsburgh Steelers (tight ends coach)
2004-2006: Pittsburgh Steelers (offensive coordinator)
2007 Arizona Cardinals Schedule (SOS:32)
HOME
AWAY
WK DATE OPPONENT TIME (ET)
1 Mon, Sep 10 at San Francisco 10:15 PM
2 Sun, Sep 16 Seattle 4:05 PM
3 Sun, Sep 23 at Baltimore 1:00 PM
4 Sun, Sep 30 Pittsburgh 4:15 PM
5 Sun, Oct 7 at St. Louis 1:00 PM
6 Sun, Oct 14 Carolina 4:05 PM
7 Sun, Oct 21 at Washington 1:00 PM
8 BYE WEEK
9 Sun, Nov 4 at Tampa Bay 1:00 PM
10 Sun, Nov 11 Detroit 4:15 PM
11 Sun, Nov 18 at Cincinnati 1:00 PM
12 Sun, Nov 25 San Francisco 4:05 PM
13 Sun, Dec 2 Cleveland 4:05 PM
14 Sun, Dec 9 at Seattle 4:05 PM
15 Sun, Dec 16 at New Orleans 1:00 PM
16 Sun, Dec 23 Atlanta 4:05 PM
17 Sun, Dec 30 St. Louis 4:15 PM
NFL fans, do not let the strength of schedule impact your feelings on the Arizona Cardinals. Firstly, strength of schedule is based solely on last year's record and winning percentage. Secondly, some teams that were awful last year have improved mightily over the off season. Thirdly, the Arizona Cardinals are still the Arizona Cardinals. Year after year, analyst after analyst predicts that the Cardinals will win the NFC West. Every year, the Cardinals disappoint and embarrass those analysts. However, once again the question arises, can this year be the year? Well, to find out, we will analyze the Cardinals in all three phases of the game: offense, defense, and special teams. Then, we will dissect their coach and determine whether or not the Arizona Cardinals can finally do something other than disappoint.
OFFENSE
To the known world, Arizona's offense is just an offense. But to those who really pay attention to football, they know that Arizona's offense is more than just an offense. A more likely comparison would be to an infantry, one full of weapons. It all starts at wide receiver. Quarterback Matt Leinart has been blessed with the best wide receiver duo in the NFC, in standout wideouts Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. With a coach who has as brilliant an offensive mind as Ken Whisenhunt has, expect these two guys to go above and beyond what they have done in the past. Those two aren't Leinarts only weapons. The man in the backfield is out to prove himself once again. Last year, Edgerrin James didn't even reach 1200 yards rushing and had an average of 3.4 yards per carry. Now, we all know what the 'edge' is capable of, now it is up to him to make it happen. Along with Ken Whisenhunt, came his assistant coach and offensive line coach Russ Grimm. Grimm is the man behind the scenes that made Pittsburgh's running attack so deadly over the past couple years. There is no doubt that Grimm can return Edgerrin to where he was back in his Colts days, if not beyond that. How can one forget about second year tight end Leonard Pope. He's big, he's strong, but he can move and run solid routes, becoming another weapon in Leinart's artillery. Pope has a build similar to that of Antonio Gates, but not nearly the skills. Two questions remain that separate the Cardinals from having an elite offense. One, how good will the offense line be? With the departure of Leonard Davis, the Cardinals have somewhat of a weakness on the left side of the line. The Cardinals drafted right tackle Levi Brown, fifth overall, and he will start there. Other than that, the Cardinals have no recognizable names on the line. However, they don't need to be pro bowlers, they just need to give Matt Leinart enough time to get the ball to the playmakers. That leads us into our next question, how good will Matt Leinart be? In his rookie season last year, Leinart put up far from stellar numbers. After replacing Kurt Warner as the starting quarterback midway through last season, Leinart managed to achieve an unimpressive quarterback rating of 74. His 56.8 completing percentage was decent, but his 11 touchdowns to 12 interceptions are nothing to get excited about. This year, should be a decent story. Fans, coaches, teammates, and the media are expecting big numbers out of the USC alum. So much so, that there is talk of him being a tier one fantasy player. Leinart has all the weapons to become a star, but the success of his team rides on his ability to be a leader and do just enough to send Arizona to the playoffs.
GRADE: B+
DEFENSE
For the Arizona Cardinals, defense has always been a main concern. This year, nothing changes. It is the play of the defense that will ultimately be the difference between a mediocre season and a playoff-type season. Outside of their physical, hard nosed, star strong safety Adrian Wilson, the Cardinals lack of playmakers could hurt them. Now, a stud could emerge sometime this season, but without a known force the Cardinals could struggle. On the defensive line, in the middle, are the big boys Darnell Dockett and Gabe Watson. These two guys have been steady. To the outsides are Bertrand Berry, a six sack man, and Antonio Smith. Second round pick Alan Branch, out of Michigan, will see a ton of playing time behind Smith, especially if he struggles. These guys will have to put more pressure on the quarterback, or else it will begin a ripple effect that will end up hurting the defensive backfield. At middle linebacker, is a guy not many people have heard of, but they should learn his name. Gerald Hayes recorded 93 tackles last year and also had three interceptions. Hayes is a very talented, young middle linebacker who will make plays for a defense short on playmakers. In the seconday, along with Adrian Wilson, is a young cornerback who's name says it all. Antrel Rolle is looking to have another spectacular year. Rolle brought down 87 opponents. Although he only had one interception, his sure tackling will be tremendous support for the run stopping defense. Don't forget his coverage skills as well. The bottom line for this defense is that they have to work together. The defensive line needs to put pressure on the quarterback, and not let the opposing quarterback have all day to throw. The linebackers need to help the defensive line cut down the running back. If the front seven plays well, the defensive backs will fit right in, and shut down the opposition. If the defense plays mediocre the entire year, that will be enough to let the Cardinals fly right into the playoffs.
GRADE: C+
SPECIAL TEAMS
To compliment a high flying offense and an above average defense, the Arizona Cardinals have put together a very satisfactory special teams unit. As for punting, it doesn't get much better than Scott Player and his 45 yard per punt average and 18 punts inside the 20 are tremendous. However, the punt coverage wasn't as stellar. That is something that must be improved upon, because field position will be key for the Cardinals defense. Neil Rackers followed up his pro bowl season with what, to many, would be considered a very mediocre season. However, venture into the numbers and you will see that Rackers' 28/37 field goals last year wasn't all that bad. Rackers was money in the bank from inside the 40, going 20/20. But from the 40 and beyond, Rackers was a dreadful 8/17, including just 1/7 from beyond fifty. We all know that Rackers has the leg, but even dating back to his years in Cincinnati, accuracy was always an issue. A field goal percentage of 76 will not cut it this year. As for kickoff returning, joining J.J. Arrington back to return kicks this year will most likely be Marcel Shipp. Although Shipp did not return a kickoff last season, Arrington had plenty of action. Arrington had an unimpressive 23 yard kickoff return average, but did have a long of 99 yards, which went for a score. The Cardinals would love to see more than 23 yards per kickoff return, as they would love to have to go just 40 yards to get into field goal range. When Steve Breaston was drafted by the Cardinals his role was immediately known: punt returning. He was a successful punt returner at the University of Michigan, and he hopes to continue that success for the Cardinals this season. He hopes to improve on Troy Walters' 10.4 yards per return last season. Special teams plays a key role in games for all teams. The Cardinals have the potential to win the field position battle every week, but it is imperative that every special teamer executes on every down.
GRADE: B
COACHING
A new regime has arrived in Arizona, it was a change that was needed greatly, after the years of failure under former Head Coach Denny Green. Whisenhunt was a highly sought after coach this past off season, and it is no mystery as to why. Not only has he been a hot candidate for coaching jobs over the past year or two, but his creative offensive mind made him a very valuable coach, especially to a team with as great a potential on offense as the Cardinals do. Although Whisenhunt is in his first year as a Head Coach, he has had experience coaching in big games, including calling all the plays for the Steelers as they won the Superbowl two years ago. Not only does he have big game experience, but he has learned from one of the most highly respected coaches in all of the game, Bill Cowher. All signs coming from Arizona are that Whisenhunt has gained the respect of his team, and is on his way to making this team better than they have been in a very long time. With Whisenhunt now on the sideline, calling all the plays, I think the world can finally expect big things from the Arizona Cardinals.
GRADE: B
The Sleeper
Although he isn't much of a sleeper, Edgerrin James will have a season unlike any he has had before. This year, many people were hesitant to draft James in their fantasy drafts, due to one bad season. However, with Ken Whisenhunt now calling the plays, and expert offensive line coach Russ Grimm installing his blocking style, Edgerrin James will be able to explode through holes all game, even with a mediocre offensive line. Expect James to return back to his stardom and play like he is back in a Colts uniform.
The Bust
No one is saying he won't put up tremendous numbers again, but it appears that coach Ken Whisenhunt is making Anquan Boldin his 'Hines Ward'. What this means, is lots of quick routes and catches, that will allow Boldin to get plenty of yards after the catch. Whisenhunt really wants to utilize Boldin a ton in his offense, which will definitely hurt our bust Larry Fitzgerald. He will still have a Fitzgerald type season, but he may feel the effects of Boldin becoming the number one guy. Expect Larry to still have a great year, but Anquan Boldin to put up better numbers.
OVERALL
Overall, the Arizona Cardinals seem to be on their way to making a playoff push. Whether Whisenhunt can engineer that turnaround this year, or if it takes him until next year, the Arizona Cardinals are not a team to sleep on. They, just like the 49ers last year, be in the playoff race until the end of the season. Even if eliminated early, the Cardinals could very likely play spoiler in the NFC West. Watch out for the Cardinals, because before you know it, they could be flying right by you.
OVERALL TEAM GRADE: B-
RECORD PREDICTION: 8-8, no playoffs
Brandon
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