Arizona Cardinals QB Issue Endangers Post Season Push
The Arizona Cardinals QB injuries are becoming an issue, there are no two ways around it. Drew Stanton went down during Thursday night football against St Louis Rams. That makes two Arizona Cardinals QB knowkced out by the Rams this season. After Stanton left the game Ryan Lindley came in to become the fourth Cardinal this season to play the QB spot.
But with some many injuries at such a key position there is cause ofr concern, even on a night when the Arizona Cardinals were able to ride their defense to a 12-6 victory and all but guarantee a play-off spot.
Going into the game it was the Rams defense on the back of two straight shut outs albeit against Oakland and Washington that was gathering all the headlines.Even without the Honey Badger this week, the Cardinals showed there was more than one great defense on that field, and shut down rookie sensation Tre Mason for just 33 yards and a fumble. Head Coach Bruce Arians was rightly pleased with his team and the defensive performance after the game, but how many 12-6 games can you regularly win in the NFL.
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The NFC west possesses the best group of defensive teams in the league and with games against Seattle and San Francisco to come, high scoring is unlikely to be on the agenda. However I am sure that we would like to see just a little more from the offense going into the post season.
Quarterback play for the Arizona Cardinals has been going slightly into decline since Carson Palmer went down against the Rams around 6 weeks ago, Drew Stanton has come in and appeared to have struggled. This may have something to do with the injury to Hall of Fame in waiting Receiver Larry Fitzgerald and the knocks picked up by Starting Running back Andre Ellington. The return of number eleven will bring a much required calming influence to the Cardinals huddle, not to mention obvious leadership qualities as well as free space again for Michael Floyd and John Brown as opposing defense have to account for Fitzgerald.
After an MRI, Drew Stanton was diagnosed with a sprained ACL and is officially week to week. Although Ryan Lindley was signed to back up Drew Stanton instead of Logan Thomas we we be happy even if Lindley can get a win against a Seattle or San Francisco. I found myself wondering which QB’s are out there that might be available should Drew be out for the season. Dare I mention the Tebow word, he has won a play off game before after all. Or maybe Kurt Warnercould pull a Brett Favre and come out of retirement.
Whilst there are obvious offensive issues to be overcome, the defense has shown that they are a group to be relied on and they have the Cardinals one game away from clinching the division title. Has there ever been a more underrated no 1 seed in history than this Cardinals team, but if San Francisco could somehow beat Seattle this week however unlikely that might seem the Cardinals all but have the division and a Home Field game wrapped up.
With the next two games promising to be defensive battles, the Cardinals may have a chance to get Stanton ready for the playoffs. With the home crowd advantage next week, if the Cardinals QB (whoever it may be) can generate something approaching 20 points that could well be enough, the Seahawks through Beast Mode and Russell Wilson like to run and one thing the Cardinals D can do is stop the run.
If Arizona go on to clinch the division and maybe the no 1 seed overall, this may prove to be Arians best coaching job yet. A performance that would certainly be a deserving recipient of the Coach of the Year award.