The Arizona Cardinals have a good coach on the roster and his name is Vance Joseph, who is far and away the team’s MVP through six games.
For each of the first five weeks of the 2022 NFL Season, I recognized one player on the Arizona Cardinals as the game MVP. Even if the Redbirds didn’t win, someone at least enjoyed a decent outing. Well this week, I’m mixing things up and handing the overall six game honor to defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
While Kliff Kingsbury continues to bumble his way through what is becoming a forgettable season, Joseph’s defense at least has the Cardinals playing watchable football. Since the Week 1 debacle, the Cardinals have allowed 23, 20, 16, 20, and 19 points. They really allowed fewer, considering the pick six Murray threw in Week 4, and remind me if I’m missing anything else.
Take the pick six out of the equation, and Joseph’s defense has allowed just 92 points in the last five games. That’s 18.4 points per game, and it seems as though they are getting better with each passing week.
Vance Joseph is hands down the Arizona Cardinals MVP so far
This week, Joseph’s defense ravaged Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith for five sacks, with Zaven Collins getting two of them to go along with nine tackles, two quarterback hits, and two tackles for loss. If I had to choose a player to be this week’s MVP, Collins would get the honor, but his resurgence this season shows us what Joseph can do for his defense.
Markus Golden logged his first sack of the year, while Cameron Thomas and Myjai Sanders jumped in on the fun. Despite the 19-9 meltdown that was, the Cardinals defense is slowly looking as though it’s championship caliber, and that’s what makes this season so frustrating.
How many defenses in today’s NFL are capable of allowing 23 or fewer points in five straight games? Very few. Joseph has this defense playing at a championship level, and unfortunately, Kingsbury’s lack of direction is messing up what should be a far more competitive team on both sides of the ball.
Because of Joseph’s performances this season, I have no doubt he will be a head coach in this league once again. Maybe it will be with the Cardinals if owner Michael Bidwill and general manager Steve Keim perk up the courage to admit their mistake in Kliff Kingsbury.
No guarantees Joseph would excel in the position. But after building a defense from predominantly mid-to-low tier starters should at least put him into consideration.
(Statistics provided by ESPN.com)