Arizona Cardinals: Run defense will be an X-factor in 2022

The Arizona Cardinals were among the worst run defenses in the NFL last season, allowing 4.6 yards per carry. It must improve in 2022. 

The Arizona Cardinals have got to get better in stopping the run. Last season, the run defense got off to a hot start, stuffing Derrick Henry of all running backs. After that first week against the Tennessee Titans, it was as though the run defense forgot to show.

Much of the Cardinals success hinges on how well quarterback Kyler Murray can move the offenses. But to make life easier on Murray and Co., the defense needs to find a way to stop opposing running backs.

The Arizona Cardinals will have a better chance at the playoffs if their run defense improves from last season’s debacle.

While the Seattle Seahawks look like the odd team out, the Cardinals must keep pace with the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams. The latter of whom has one of the better up-and-coming backs in football with Cam Akers, with one of the league’s better RB2s in Darrell Henderson.

The 49ers have a dual threat quarterback plus a former sixth-round pick in Elijah Mitchell who ran for nearly 1,000 yards in just 11 games in 2021. Of course, even subpar backfields that the Cardinals will inevitably face could run all over them if the run defense plays like they did last season.

And it’s not like the Cardinals don’t have solid puzzle pieces on the defensive side of the ball. J.J. Watt is still capable of wreaking havoc. Zach Allen came into his own in 2021, and there is the tandem of Zaven Collins and Isaiah Simmons.

The latter two are the biggest X-Factors here. Simmons recorded 105 total tackles, but only four went for a loss. He needs to make more plays at the line of scrimmage if the run defense hopes to enjoy a better season. Collins saw just 220 defensive snaps and he remains an unknown commodity.

Nose tackle Rashard Lawrence struggled with injuries over his first two seasons and he is also an unknown. He played in 20 regular season games out of a possible 33 and has not produced sparkling numbers. But for a player his size, it is all about staying healthy and filling gaps for either Simmons or Collins to converge.

I would say Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson could sneak up and help out, but the Cardinals cornerback situation remains bleak, which may force the duo to assist in coverage. Overall, the run defense must find a way to improve, and that improvement will rest on Simmons’ and Collins’ shoulders, especially if the projected trio of Watt, Lawrence, and Allen do their job and fill gaps.

The upside is that Simmons and Collins are still young enough to develop into playmakers and remove the underachiever labels. And playing in the rough division the NFC West remains, the pressure is on.

(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference)