Arizona Cardinals receive a low grade for the first half of 2022
By Sion Fawkes
The Arizona Cardinals have been a massive disappointment in nearly every facet of the game over the first nine weeks of the 2022 season.
The 2022 season has not been a fun ride for the Arizona Cardinals. We have a head coach who can barely manage the game properly, a general manager whose wheeling and dealing fell flat (though he didn’t give up an incredible amount of compensation), and a fourth-year quarterback who has stagnated and shown immaturity several times.
If I had to use one adjective to describe my current feelings regarding the Cardinals, it would be disarray. This team, even with DeAndre Hopkins in the lineup, still can’t function properly. Through the first six weeks of the season, the defense helped carry the load and keep the Cardinals in games amidst Hopkins’ absence.
Then in the previous three weeks, it was as though the defense forgot to show up while the offense hasn’t quite returned to its explosive form with the star receiver. And of course, the usual problems like a plethora of penalties have pretty much ousted the Cardinals from seriously contending for the playoffs this year.
Grade: D: I won’t fail the Cardinals, because they at least wowed us in Week 2 following an embarrassing loss in Week 1. They also kept things interesting against the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings, who have a combined record of 15-1. But the 3-6 record overall plus an 0-3 record in the NFC West has sunk this team.
Outlook on the second half of the Arizona Cardinals 2022 season
Unfortunately, I had to “boldly” predict the Arizona Cardinals would lose their next three contests against the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Los Angeles Chargers. One reason stems from head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s abysmal record in the second half of the season.
In 2020 and 2021, Kingsbury, after nine games, had a combined record of 14-4. His last seven games in 2020 and eight games in 2021 saw a combined record of just 5-10. This averages out, over two seasons, to 2.5 wins and 5 losses. I’ll be generous and round the 2.5 up to three, and predict the Cardinals finish with a record of 6-11.
Related Story. Cardinals defense leads the NFL in this special category. light
This five-game differential could make Kingsbury’s seat boil, or it could be time to let the fourth-year head coach go less than one year after he signed an extension to stay in the desert. And if that’s the case, the sports world will let the Bidwill family know all too well about their latest of many gaffes since 1947, given the amount of money they would be paying Kingsbury to watch NFL football on Sundays from his lush home.
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Article Source: NFL 2022 midseason report: AFC, NFC questions and key injuries by NFL Nation