Arizona Cardinals: Where, Oh Where Did 2015 Cards Go?

Who is to blame for the Arizona Cardinals disaster of a season? Palmer and Floyd? Or special teams and the O-line? Everyone is guilty in this season.

The Arizona Cardinals (4-6-1)  are having a disastrous season and have failed the expectations set on them. While not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, the Cardinals best scenario is finishing with 8 wins. A team with only 8 wins has not clinched a Wild Card spot since the season was lengthened to 16 games in 1978.

But there’s still a chance that the Seahawks lose the rest of their games and the Cardinals win the division. Just like there’s a chance that Tom Brady didn’t know his balls were being deflated.

I was a hyper-optimist at the beginning of this season. David Johnson was being compared to Eric Dickerson, Carson Palmer just finished his best statistical season ever, and we had gigantic, talented players on the offensive and defensive line.

So what happened? The players believed the hype.

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That definitely starts with the guys at the bottom of the roster. The ones who made it because of their special teams play. Catanzaro lost the first game single-handedly and has continued to kick erratically since. The punting game was never good and I think Drew Butler’s absence could have benefited the team. Justin Bethel has gone back to form in the last few games, but the other gunners think they’re playing flag football.

Without the weapon of David Johnson, Arizona would have one of the worst offenses in the league. Veldheer is drinking too much of his homemade beer, and Iupati doesn’t know who he’s supposed to guard half the time. Michael Floyd and JJ Nelson have struggled to catch this ball this season, too. 

John Brown, the Cardinals speedy threat on offense, hasn’t been the same, either. That concussion at the beginning of the season may have ruined the trajectory of his emerging star. I will note he has played better of late, but not nearly as well as last year.

Last but not least, Carson Palmer is either losing the fight to father time very abruptly, or he forgot the playbook. It´s like it´s the 2012 season again. Either way, this isn’t any way an All-Pro quarterback should be playing a year later.

Head coach Bruce Arians said that he isn’t worried about the Cardinals. “We just gotta win one and we’ll be OK.” This sentiment is entirely too late. Arizona is 4-7-1 and now BA is going for the consoling message to his team.

Next: Arizona Diamondbacks: Predicting the Starting Rotation in '17

Why do we have to be fans of such a frustrating team?