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Arizona Cardinals in the middle of the NFL power rankings – Week 1

By Sion Fawkes

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - AUGUST 21: Safety Tae Daley #48 of the Arizona Cardinals leads teammates onto the field before the NFL preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at State Farm Stadium on August 21, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. The Ravens defeated the Cardinals 24-17. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - AUGUST 21: Safety Tae Daley #48 of the Arizona Cardinals leads teammates onto the field before the NFL preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at State Farm Stadium on August 21, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. The Ravens defeated the Cardinals 24-17. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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The Arizona Cardinals are that team in 2022 who can backslide or take a giant step forward. In Week 1, they are the team in the middle. 

Many outlets, major and minor, have the Arizona Cardinals ranked in the middle of the NFL power rankings. Given the turbulence the Cardinals faced during the offseason and preseason, it makes sense that the sports media is not swaying them too far one way or the other.

Dan Hanzus of NFL.com implied the first one-third of the season rested on Kyler Murray’s shoulders. While losing DeAndre Hopkins to a six-game suspension would hurt even the best quarterbacks, it will also force Murray to up his game with the Cardinals star receiver gone. Hanzus had this to say about the depth of skill position players behind Hopkins:

"“It’s not a bad group, per se, but does it scare you?” – via NFL.com."

My answer: This group could scare opponents, but only if Murray plays well enough to elevate their talents. If he does, then we can expect Murray to weather the storm that is the Hopkins suspension and even move up into the NFL’s top-tier of quarterbacks.

The Arizona Cardinals start the season off in the middle of the NFL power rankings.

While Hanzus ranked the Arizona Cardinals at #16, a few other outlets were more or less optimistic. Jeremy Cluff of The Arizona Republic rounded up rankings from nine different outlets, both major and minor.

Of the sample size, Walter Football gave the Cardinals the highest ranking at #12, while Bo Wulf of The Athletic handed them a low ranking of just #21. Most of the rankings of the nine outlets placed the Cardinals between #14 and #18, which gives us an average of #16.

If you take the maximum high ranking and low ranking, you get 16.5, telling us across the board the Cardinals rank as arguably the league’s center-most team to start off the 2022 NFL Season.

light. Must Read. Cardinals WR Andy Isabella’s True Trade Value

Come Sunday, the moment of truth arrives. Will the Cardinals upset the mighty Kansas City Chiefs and presumably move up? Or will Murray be unable to lift the potentially shorthanded Cardinals over one of the league’s best and tumble down the rankings? We are about to find out.

Article Source: NFL Power Rankings, Week 1: Eagles, Lions rising heading into 2022 season; Cowboys slipping by Dan Hanzus

Article Source: NFL power rankings: Arizona Cardinals enter Week 1 of 2022 NFL season with questions by Jeremy Cluff

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