The name of the game is to score in the NFL and the Arizona Cardinals did not succeed in doing that last season. Now, part of the reason as to why is because Kyler Murray was out for half of the season from a torn ACL he suffered the season prior. In addition, the Cardinals did not have any true threats on the outside. Fast forward to this offseason and the Cardinals look different on paper on both sides of the ball, and will look to have a more dynamic offense.
Murray has had success with a number one wideout in DeAndre Hopkins in the past, and now he has the future in Marvin Harrison Jr. who the Cardinals drafted with 4th overall pick. Not only does adding Harrison make the Cardinals better for the passing game, but Monti Ossenfort has also brought in complimentary pieces to both the run and pass game for Arizona.
Heading into the 2024 season, the Cardinals will look to get back into competing for the NFC West and their offense is going to need to step up big time for that to happen.
Here are three realistic expectations that Cardinals fans should have for the offense.
3.) The Kyler Murray-to-Marvin Harrison Jr. combo clicks sooner than later
There is a new (and hopefully) dynamic quarterback/wide receiver duo with Murray and Harrison. When looking at the rest of the NFC West, there are highly rated passing attacks in the division. Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp immediately clicked in their first season together which resulted in a Super Bowl for the Rams. Then last season, it was Stafford and Puka Nacua that were dynamic. With the Seattle Seahawks, Geno Smith and D.K. Metcalf had some dynamic plays that led the Seahawks to victory. Finally, the 49ers had Brock Purdy throwing to guys like Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel which created a force in the passing attack. Arizona finally has that same presence, but it will obviously be the newest in the division.
We have seen plenty of first year QB/WR combos that have success right from the start. Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs, Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown, Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, and C.J. Stroud with Nico Collins. There is pressure for Murray and Harrison to click right away and bring this passing offense back up to relevancy. The Cardinals' passing offense ranked 26th in the league last season. If Murray and Harrison are able to connect and have success, we should see that number increase rapidly.
2.) James Conner stays as true go-to RB in backfield
If there was one highlight area for the Cardinals last season, it was their running attack that was led by James Conner. In 13 games, Conner managed to rush for 1,040 yards and 7 touchdowns, averaging over 80 yards per game. In Conner’s absence, the Cardinals had Michael Carter, Emari Demercado and Keaontay Ingram combine for 507 yards on the ground. With Arizona not having a true starting quarterback for half of the season, the running game was their main focus. Before Murray made his return, the Cardinals averaged 127 yards per game on the ground.
In the NFL Draft, Ossenfort drafted Florida State running back Trey Benson who had back-to-back 900+ rushing yard seasons the last two seasons. Benson is a perfect complimentary player for this offense and can certainly take some pressure off of Conner. However, make no mistake about it, Conner should be leading the charge for the run game. He is going into a contract year and is coming off a career year. Conner is set to be even better than last season as long as he stays healthy.
1.) Cardinals’ offense averages over 22 points a game
Kyler Murray returned to action last season in Week 10 against the Atlanta Falcons, where the Cardinals would get their second win of the season. Arizona would win three games with Murray under center but the Cardinals were competitive down the stretch. In five of his eight games that Murray played in, the Cardinals scored 20+ points. Overall, the Cardinals averaged 22 points upon Murray returning as the starter.
There is no reason as to why the Cardinals can’t repeat that or even go higher in scoring offense. Ossenfort managed to not only bring in a weapon like Marvin Harrison Jr. but he also added a running back in Trey Benson to go with James Conner to create a force of a duo. Not only that, but the Cardinals also added offensive linemen who can run block and can protect Murray when he drops back in the pocket. Maybe Arizona ends up being in a lot of high scoring games, depending on how the defense performs. However, when the Cardinals’ offense goes onto the field, they should be able to light up the scoreboard if all the pieces click.