Kansas City Chiefs @ Arizona Cardinals Pregame Thread. 9/2/22-9/10/22

dreamcastrocks

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Telling me my opinion is weird. We can disagree without making is personal like Cheese, Shane and ASUChris just did.
I'm sorry, but this isn't an insult.
 

DaHilg

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Everywhere? The blurb below pretty much says it all.


Kliff Kingsbury should’ve sent defensive coordinator Vance Joseph a thank-you note when Kingsbury got his contract extension this offseason. The Cardinals defense has kept the team afloat at times throughout the last two years and has outperformed the offense, finishing seventh and 10th in defensive DVOA.

But 2022 could be ugly. The Cardinals lost two key cogs—edge defender Chandler Jones and linebacker Jordan Hicks—in free agency. GM Steve Keim used first-round picks on linebackers Isaiah Simmons and Zaven Collins in back-to-back years, but neither has looked like an impact player so far. Up front, the Cardinals are counting on J.J. Watt to stay healthy (he missed 10 games last year and is 33) and play well. Arizona’s cornerback situation can best be described as shaky. They finished second behind only the Cowboys in turnover EPA. If they don’t produce those takeaways at such a high rate, they might not be nearly as good.


This defense lacks talent. If Joseph can coach this group to a top-10 ranking again, he should be in the conversation as one of the NFL’s brightest defensive minds. A more likely scenario is that the Cardinals defense takes a big step back in 2022.

Those rankings are awfully misleading. We had a ton of forced turnovers the first 7 games. We couldn’t stop anyone the second half of the season aside from the lowly Bears. If Dak didn’t suck so much on finishing/comeback drives we would have lost to Dallas.

I for one am glad we don’t have to watch a slow, mediocre Hicks and the disappearing act that is Chandler Jones here in 2022.

Forced to play the young talent.

CB’s are my #1 concern. Bad last year and bad this year.
 

Krangodnzr

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Everywhere? The blurb below pretty much says it all.


Kliff Kingsbury should’ve sent defensive coordinator Vance Joseph a thank-you note when Kingsbury got his contract extension this offseason. The Cardinals defense has kept the team afloat at times throughout the last two years and has outperformed the offense, finishing seventh and 10th in defensive DVOA.

But 2022 could be ugly. The Cardinals lost two key cogs—edge defender Chandler Jones and linebacker Jordan Hicks—in free agency. GM Steve Keim used first-round picks on linebackers Isaiah Simmons and Zaven Collins in back-to-back years, but neither has looked like an impact player so far. Up front, the Cardinals are counting on J.J. Watt to stay healthy (he missed 10 games last year and is 33) and play well. Arizona’s cornerback situation can best be described as shaky. They finished second behind only the Cowboys in turnover EPA. If they don’t produce those takeaways at such a high rate, they might not be nearly as good.


This defense lacks talent. If Joseph can coach this group to a top-10 ranking again, he should be in the conversation as one of the NFL’s brightest defensive minds. A more likely scenario is that the Cardinals defense takes a big step back in 2022.
Weird take that they think the defense is going to be so bad but then they acknowledge the defense has been good the past two years and actually mention Jordan Hicks as a reason.
 

ASUCHRIS

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Those rankings are awfully misleading. We had a ton of forced turnovers the first 7 games. We couldn’t stop anyone the second half of the season aside from the lowly Bears. If Dak didn’t suck so much on finishing/comeback drives we would have lost to Dallas.

I for one am glad we don’t have to watch a slow, mediocre Hicks and the disappearing act that is Chandler Jones here in 2022.

Forced to play the young talent.

CB’s are my #1 concern. Bad last year and bad this year.
Misleading in what sense? We couldn't stop anyone in the second half, and lost much more than we gained in the offseason. Does anyone want to seriously argue this is a top half D? I think our D is much more likely to be near the bottom than it is the top.

I'm not here to defend Hicks or Jones, but neither have been effectively replaced.
 

bankybruce

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We need a new strength and conditioning coach!

I'll throw my hat in the ring, I seriously couldn't do any worse!
 

ASUCHRIS

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Why so many lower body injuries though? It doesn't make a lick is sense.
Because guys like Ertz/Watt/Rondale are always injured, and a guy like Trayvon Mullen was given away, and is injured again after playing 4 games last year.

It's hard to imagine it's a strength and conditioning program issue. More likely brittle players breaking down.
 

QuebecCard

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Misleading in what sense? We couldn't stop anyone in the second half, and lost much more than we gained in the offseason. Does anyone want to seriously argue this is a top half D? I think our D is much more likely to be near the bottom than it is the top.

I'm not here to defend Hicks or Jones, but neither have been effectively replaced.

It can't be said one way or another whether Hicks and Jones have been effectively replaced.
 

DaHilg

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Misleading in what sense? We couldn't stop anyone in the second half, and lost much more than we gained in the offseason. Does anyone want to seriously argue this is a top half D? I think our D is much more likely to be near the bottom than it is the top.

I'm not here to defend Hicks or Jones, but neither have been effectively replaced.
Misleading in the rankings.. this defense wasn’t even close to a top 16 let alone top defense last year
 

bankybruce

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Because guys like Ertz/Watt/Rondale are always injured, and a guy like Trayvon Mullen was given away, and is injured again after playing 4 games last year.

It's hard to imagine it's a strength and conditioning program issue. More likely brittle players breaking down.
Maybe you're right. Seems odd that guys who weren't practicing pulled calfs/hamstrings being so fresh. But i could be over thinking it.
 

QuebecCard

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bankybruce

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It can't be said one way or another whether Hicks and Jones have been effectively replaced.
The Collins Hicks swap will be interesting. Hicks was slowing down, so Collins will make up there, but will his head react quick enough.

Vance has shown that we can at least generate sacks. So I'm not as worried about Jones. I feel this paet will end up being a wash.
 

bankybruce

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My main fear was that camp cupcake would have us unprepared for the battles ahead. Who thought that we couldn't even get to the battlefield?
I liked the idea of it at first, but boy was I wrong!!
 
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