Future looks bright for Arizona Cardinals after blowout win

This past Sunday’s thrashing of the Cleveland Browns may be an indication that good things lie ahead for the Arizona Cardinals

Anyone who watched the Arizona Cardinals pummel the Cleveland Browns this past weekend must have been impressed. Sunday’s blowout victory was exactly what the club’s front office envisioned when they hired head coach Kliff Kingsbury last January. The dominating performance has given the fans of the Cardinals a tremendous amount of hope for the future.

Kingsbury’s squad did very little wrong during the 38-24 triumph over the Browns. Kenyan Drake, the star of the game, put a stranglehold on the Cards starting running back job going forward. The former Miami Dolphin slashed through the Cleveland defense for 137 rushing yards and four touchdowns in what may have been his best outing as a pro.

Rookie Kyler Murray was almost as spectacular. After several failed attempts, it appears that Arizona has finally found a franchise quarterback that they can build around. Murray completed 19 of his 25 passes for 219 yards and a score through the air, and added another 56 yards on the ground against the Browns.

The defensive side of the ball featured the best showing of the season for the much-maligned Patrick Peterson. There were plenty of doubts about what the perennial Pro Bowl cornerback’s role would be with the Cardinals beyond 2019. Peterson excelled versus Cleveland, however, registering seven tackles, three passes defensed and an interception in the end zone.

Chandler Jones continues to play like a superstar. The underrated outside linebacker recorded his 15th sack of the year. The trade for Jones back in 2016 is one of the best acquisitions in the history of the organization, and the 29-year old is under contract for two more campaigns.

The Cards top free agent pickup of this past offseason, Jordan Hicks, continues to prove he’s worthy of the lucrative deal he received back in March. The inside linebacker totaled 10 tackles versus the Browns, and has racked up 131 stops in his 14 appearances this season. Hicks is not scheduled to hit free agency until 2023.

Arizona followers have plenty to look forward to in the coming years. If general manager Steve Keim can fill a few holes, there’s no reason to think that the team can’t contend in 2020. And for many seasons beyond that as well.