Top 3 Arizona Cardinals players to watch vs. Minnesota
By Sion Fawkes
The Arizona Cardinals square off against a tough Vikings team in Week 8, but do they have enough in them to pull out the upset?
Even at 3-4, the Arizona Cardinals are still very much in the NFC playoff race. But they cannot afford to lose this week, as falling to 3-5 will make their margin of error even slimmer than it already is.
Below, I’ve listed three impact players who must perform if the Cardinals plan on winning this week. By impact, I don’t necessarily mean elite or even solid performers, but those who, when they reach certain milestones, increase the Cardinals odds of winning dramatically.
Player #1 – DeAndre Hopkins
Hopkins is the one elite talent on this list, however. His 10 catches and 103 receiving yards catapulted the Arizona Cardinals to a big win last Thursday, and the offense’s first 30-point outing of the season.
Given how poorly the Minnesota Vikings defense has played in terms of net yards gained per pass attempt – 7.3 and in a three-way tie for most in the league – Hopkins could have a huge game. And if Hopkins enjoys a repeat of last week’s success, the Cardinals should find themselves once again on the verge of scoring a lot of points.
Player #2 – Isaiah Simmons
At this point, you should know how I feel about Isaiah Simmons, who currently holds a 55.7 PFF grade, ranking 56th out of 79 linebackers. Last week, Simmons was one of my top three players the Cardinals should consider trading while his value is still at least moderately high, because it’s likely to freefall after this season if he doesn’t start producing consistently.
However, I listed him as an impact player because it seems like when he makes a big play, the Cardinals win. Last week, it was a pick six. In Week 2, he forced a fumble that led to Byron Murphy’s walkoff touchdown. What I’m getting at is, if Simmons makes just one play in the contest, and it happens to be a game-changer, the Cardinals will probably win this thing.
Player #3 – Eno Benjamin
The Arizona Cardinals are 3-1 this season when Eno Benjamin rushes for over 30 yards. Their one loss with Benjamin attaining the feat occurred in Week 6’s 19-9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks when he logged a career high in carries with 15, juxtaposed with a season-low 2.47 yards per carry.
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Benjamin’s lowest per carry total when rushing for 30 yards in a game is 3.9. His other two games in achieving the milestone garnered 7.20 and 7.67 yards per carry, respectively. Simply put, if Benjamin averages four per rush and encroaches 30 yards, the Cardinals once again have a better chance to snag the W.
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