One major issue facing the Arizona Cardinals at midseason

The Arizona Cardinals are at a paltry 3-4 as midseason approaches. And there is one huge issue facing this trying football team. 

The Arizona Cardinals may have celebrated a big win over the New Orleans Saints. And with DeAndre Hopkins back in the fold, the offense scored 30 points, with an additional 12 coming from the defense.

And while it’s always fun to celebrate a victory, it doesn’t take away from the harsh reality that the Cardinals three wins have come against opponents with a combined 4-14 record. The Carolina Panthers are just 1-5 while their division rival Saints are 2-5, and the Las Vegas Raiders currently sit at 1-4.

As for the four teams the Cardinals could not beat, they own a combined record of 16-8. Quite the difference! While the Cardinals did keep three of their four losses somewhat close, it doesn’t detract from the reality that this football team has yet to show it’s capable of beating the league’s more talented football teams.

Arizona Cardinals must prove they can win against tougher competition

Of course, getting Hopkins back into the fold will be a tremendous boost for a Cardinals team that has struggled to sit one game below 0.500 this season, and he can definitely change the team’s dynamic moving forward. But they are facing a gauntlet in the coming weeks. Here are the next five opponents:

• Minnesota Vikings (5-1)
• Seattle Seahawks (3-3)
• Los Angeles Rams (3-3)
• San Francisco 49ers (3-3)
• Los Angeles Chargers (4-2)

The Vikings jump out more than any other team on the list. The Cardinals should have an easier time against Seattle with Hopkins back, but the final three games before their Week 13 bye have me cringing.

The Cardinals routinely have struggled against the Rams during the Kingsbury era, and they are also the defending Super Bowl Champions. The 49ers just added a dynamic puzzle piece in Christian McCaffrey, and somehow did so without giving up a first round pick, and the Chargers have one of the league’s better quarterbacks in Justin Herbert.

To make matters more trying for the Cardinals, the combined record of these opponents sits at 18-12, and not a single losing record on the slate. This is not a good look for a team that has struggled against opponents 0.500 or better this season.

Maybe Hopkins’ presence will help change a few things? Or was the Cardinals offensive success the product of facing a weak defense with Hopkins? Before Thursday’s game, the Cardinals played a Saints defense that allowed 158 points, the fourth-highest total in football. The offense was also seeking redemption after falling flat on its face against the Seahawks weak defense.

Either way, the Cardinals must figure out how to beat better teams this season and fast. Just two losses will mathematically make it a longer uphill climb than it already is if this team plans on making the playoffs.

(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference)