Will the Kliff, Keim, and Kyler Trio Work?
I can neither say whether it will or won’t. Instead, it is safe to say that the Kliff, Keim, and Kyler trio can work for the Arizona Cardinals. But it all needs to start in 2022 with Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray finding ways to win games in the second half of the season.
And no, injuries can no longer be an excuse. Murray is being paid like a franchise quarterback. Kingsbury is paid like a coach expected to be with the Arizona Cardinals long-term.
This means coach and quarterback need to take the pieces they have playing around them on the field and elevate their talent level. Even if Murray has nothing but backups surrounding him, it is his job to make the entire unit better.
And it is Kingsbury’s job to call the right plays to help Murray succeed in that endeavor. This means no more going for it on fourth and five in your own territory. It also means making sensible play calls instead of trying something exotic in hopes that you will outsmart the opponent and the 70,000-plus in attendance.
As for Keim, it means hitting and not whiffing on first-round draft and top picks. He’d better hope Simmons and Collins play better than they have in their careers. He better hope Trey McBride is the long-term solution at tight end in the future. Even Day Three picks like Marco Wilson – If they are starting, it means they better play like starters and not single-season stop gaps.
Overall, player, coach, and general manager have the potential to make this happen. They’ve been to the playoffs. That’s Step One. Now, they need to execute for an entire season. And Keim needs to continually try to add talent. This also needs to happen every in every single year of their respective contracts.