Arizona Cardinals Power Rankings – Week 9
By Erich Becker
We’ve reached the half way point of the season, is your team where you expect them to be?
For Arizona Cardinals fans, right where they expect them to be is in the top five, and after a great second half in Cleveland the team is right there, sitting in number five after the Packers took a tumble losing to the Broncos on Sunday Night Football. The team is entering it’s “hard” part of the schedule with a bye, and prime time games lined up for Week 10 and Week 11.
The rest of the league is a battle of the haves and the have-nots as teams rise to the top (Cincinnati, New England, Carolina and Denver) and those that are feeling the crushing weight of expectations already leaving the building (along with fans). Detroit, San Diego, Tennessee and San Francisco have to feel as though the draft can’t come soon enough.
There are other surprises, the Oakland Raiders are peeking in at the top 10, now over .500 at Week 8 for the first time in over a decade. While some divisions are spoken for, others have two-to-three teams waiting to take over the crown and the lead which leads to late season divisional matchups as key to how the playoffs would shake out.
It’s just getting good!
Detroit Lions. 32. team. 50. Things just keep getting worse for the Lions, to the point where the coach and GM should start feeling the heat. After a down year, the team returns with playoff aspirations and are completely out of it by the midpoint in the season. Now injuries start to mount, as do interceptions. Time to rebuild (again)?. (1-7). Previous: 32nd
35. The Titans had lost 16 of 17 over the course of the last two seasons, and Ken Whisenhut was given the boot today because of it. Between the last three seasons with the Cardinals, a stop over in San Diego, and going 3-20 with the Titans, the former Super Bowl visiting coach is well below .500 for a career. That may have been the last chance Ken had at the chair.. (1-6). Previous: 28th. Tennesee Titans. 31. team
42. 49ers fans can take solace in the fact that Colin Kaepernick may never take a snap for the team again, however the fire sale that has begun may diminish their calm when they look at the absolute mess that’s left to put on the field.. (2-6). Previous: 26th. San Francisco 49ers. 30. team
Nov 1, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis (85) catches a pass and is tackled by St. Louis Rams strong safety Maurice Alexander (31) during the first half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 29. team. 48. The Bucs turned up a surprise win for Jameis Winston in his rookie season. This may be the game that he remembers for the entire season. Atlanta couldn’t hold on to the ball, and the Bucs showed them a better team (this week).. (3-4). Previous: 31st
26. You have to feel or Steve Smith, Sr. and hope that he comes back next year to end his career right. Until then, the Ravens recovered from the Monday Night loss in Arizona and took it to the very end, but came away ahead.. (2-6). Previous: 30th. Baltimore Ravens. 28. team