The 1-8 Arizona Cardinals are a team with a laundry list of questions, but there are five that stand out more than any others. And no, the question of, Is this team really tanking? is a hard no. Injuries and being forced to roll with a journeyman at quarterback for the first eight games better explains the 1-8 start than any claims of tanking.
Now that we’ve gotten that question out of the way, let’s focus on some real ones that are facing the Cards, particularly how their starting quarterback will fare in the final eight matchups. But it goes beyond Kyler Murray. How will the rooks look, and which players from the Keim era will ultimately stick around?
Keep reading, and you will get some answers regarding Murray, the rooks, and even which struggling player(s) will redeem themselves.
5 biggest questions facing the Arizona Cardinals
1 - How will Kyler Murray fare in the last eight games?
Kyler Murray is finally making his season debut, but it doesn’t mean he will be a rockstar in this new-look offense just yet. Murray may take at least a half if not longer to get going, but this is a former number one overall pick who has been to a pair of Pro Bowls, so it’s not like he won’t eventually figure things out.
Murray’s playing a good defense in the Atlanta Falcons this week, but that same defense also allowed some guy named Joshua Dobbs (you may have heard of him) to throw all over them last week, so the Falcons are beatable. However, Murray will have a tough outing next week against a pretty good Houston Texans team, whose defense is currently ninth.
He will be facing a pair of weak units the following two weeks in the Los Angeles Rams (27th) and Pittsburgh Steelers (25th). Or better yet, weak as long as he can stay away from Aaron Donald and TJ Watt. He will face some stiff competition after the Arizona Cardinals bye week, but Murray should fare rather well IF he can find receivers quickly and move around in the pocket.
2 - Can the Cardinals get and stay healthy?
As previously mentioned, the myth is that the Arizona Cardinals are tanking and because they are 1-8, the season has been going “according to plan.” The fact is that the Cardinals were forced to place some key players on injured reserve like Budda Baker and James Conner, and they also lost key contributors on the defensive line for the entire season in the opening weeks of 2023.
The Cardinals were also forced to go without a talented cornerback in Garrett Williams because of his own injury, and of course, they couldn’t play Kyler Murray. Now that everyone is healthy with James Conner perhaps being the next in line, the Cards can and will pull off some upsets thanks to the fact they’re veering closer to full strength.
3 - Which rookies will make the biggest impact?
Dante Stills has been eye-catching lately, but he’s also on a weak unit, so chances are that he posts rather steady numbers. Garrett Williams has been awesome so far since he debuted against the Seattle Seahawks, and he’s showing support in pass AND run coverage - with PFF giving him an outstanding 75.5 run defense grade.
Pro-Football-Reference has Williams allowing just five catches on 11 targets for 39 yards, which averages to just 3.5 yards per target and 7.8 yards per completion, plus a 16.9 passer rating. Look for Williams to perhaps lock down the CB1 job come season’s end when he keeps up his monumental play.
Michael Wilson is another one that has been sensational this year, and if he stays healthy, he may be the best in the entire bunch.
4 - Which players from the Keim era will prove they are worth keeping?
This is an interesting one, because Monti Ossenfort basically dumped two players onto other teams for late-round draft picks and he also cut Myjai Sanders. But there are several Keim era players who may be worth keeping, like tight end Trey McBride.
There will be other players vying for attention, like Zaven Collins, who has been so-so through the season’s first nine weeks, Marco Wilson, who should be shown the door via a release when the new league year begins, and Leki Fotu, who needs a solid final eight games to show he’s worth keeping.
5 - Which struggling players will rebound from now until Week 18?
Marco Wilson is the first player to come to mind, but given how poorly he’s performed this year, there’s little to expect. Collins is one to keep an eye on, because it seems as though he’s right there, yet for some odd reason, he just can’t seem to be any more than average. But if he makes just two or three big plays per game, he’s a keeper heading into 2023-24.
On the offensive side of the ball, Rondale Moore is one to watch. While he hasn’t struggled mightily, the third-year receiver has been a better running back than he’s been at his natural position. However, he’s often enjoyed sound chemistry with Kyler Murray, so his meager 53.4 PFF Grade should increase.
(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference, Grades provided by PFF [subscription])