My Case As To Why The Cards Will Not Have As Bad A Season As Most Experts Predict

[NJCardFan]

Last season was a disaster. No one can dispute this. There was nothing positive that came out of it other than Wilks being shown the door. Now we have to start from scratch. But several factors took place that made last season a disaster. Most notable, the head coach. Wilks was obviously not ready for prime time. There were time where he literally had the deer in the headlights look. His supporting staff wasn't much better. His first mistake was hiring Mike McCoy as OC then throwing a dumptruck full of money at Sam Bradford(the holy hell was Keim thinking about). This proved true as Bradford was about as effective as a lightswitch on the diving board and McCoy's offensive game plans made Ken Whisenhunt's look like Bill Walsh's by comparison. Throw in the injury bug and the team basically throwing in the towel by week 8 and we have what we got. We finished 3-13 and in reality had Garopolo not gotten hurt, we wouldn't have beaten the 49ers twice.

That said, the tools on this team were basically the same as the team that went 8-8 with trash heap QB's leading the way and now with an innovative new coach and an exciting looking new QB, this team won't be as bad as last year unless they want to. The line should be improved only because compared to last season, you couldn't get much worse and since Murray is a scrambler, he should be able to buy himself some time. DJ should be healthy and with Kirk returning following a knee injury, Larry being Larry, and Isabella looking like our version of Julian Edleman. My only worry is TE but offensively, we should be improved even if by accident.

Defensively, the line looks good and the secondary has promise but the LB core is a little shaky but we should be better than last season. Zach Allen, IMO, is going to turn out to be the steal of the draft as is Deionte Thompson. The one hiccup is going to be being without PP for 6 games. If we can by some miracle go 3-3 in that time period, we might be in decent shape for the final 10 games.

IMO, and it all stands on being relatively healthy and if Kingsbury and Murray are the real deal, we could win 7-8 games this year. Is this a playoff team? No. There are still more leaks to seal but this isn't a 3 or 4 win team either. If we win 7 games and real progress is shown then I will consider it a successful season. If we flop, then Keim needs to be shown the door. I hope the former is true.

 

[Jim Otis]

I really believe that we are better than any of us could have hoped for , we have a Unique QB ( Mike Vick feet -- Dan Marino passing arm ) that already knows the offence system that he will run . I predict a winning season , yep that means 9 or more . Famine to Feast , Prince K2 slipped that glass slipper on K1's foot and it fit perfectly !

 

[Garthshort]

NJ, I like your view and will just add two things. One a big thing and one not so big. First the not so big:
From all I've read the TE position is not very important in the KK offense.

The big thing for me is:
KK himself. This is his first NFL HC gig and how well he does will probably determine our success or failure. I do like that he has turned over the defense to his DC.

 

[DVontel]

Andy Isabella is nothing like Julian Edelman except being white.

 

[Garthshort]

Isn't Isabella also a WR and not too tall.

P.S. DVontel, seriously, I know that their 'games' are different.

 

[JeffGollin]

I'm not big on predictions/more a believer in odds and tendencies.

Therefore: While I don't know if the Cards will be successful, I do think they're set up to win a bunch of games.

On the Upside - Murray could turn out to be the real-deal, the OL could not hurt or help us and remain injury free, David Johnson could regain at least. 80% of his mojo and our defense (like the OL) could operate at a 50-50 level.

All things considered, let's just say I wouldn't be shocked if we wound up on the north side of .500.

 

[PJ1]

I agree on the win totals if the OL is at least decent. If not we will be picking in the top 5 in the next draft.

 

[BigRedRage]

Andy Isabella is nothing like Julian Edelman except being white.

I am just like Isabella and Edelman.

 

[Zeno]

This team should be better. The coaching last year was truly the worst we had seen in Arizona, no longer is McGinnis worst coach in AZ Cardinals history. Injuries piled up too, you can't count or coach for injuries so that is bad luck but this year it appears we are going in to the season with fingers crossed on the OL---IF Humphries stays healthy, IF Gilbert stays healthy, IF Pugh stays healthy.

The team at the very least has to be more fun to watch this season--last years team was sleep inducing.

Also Kirk didn't have a knee injury it was a foot injury.

 

[kerouac9]

This team should be better. The coaching last year was truly the worst we had seen in Arizona, no longer is McGinnis worst coach in AZ Cardinals history. Injuries piled up too, you can't count or coach for injuries so that is bad luck but this year it appears we are going in to the season with fingers crossed on the OL---IF Humphries stays healthy, IF Gilbert stays healthy, IF Pugh stays healthy.

The team at the very least has to be more fun to watch this season--last years team was sleep inducing.

Also Kirk didn't have a knee injury it was a foot injury.

This isn't backed by the evidence:

https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stat-analysis/2019/2018-adjusted-games-lost-part-i

The Cards were 28th in Adjusted Games Lost, but the Bucs and Washington were significantly worse off. In fact, I think this is the best argument that Arians + better injury luck will take the Bucs to a new level and earn Jameis a $160 million contract extension.

 

[Solar7]

Everyone knows how I feel, so I won't harp on it too much but to say I don't understand how anyone can say we are clearly better talent-wise or coaching-wise.

The vast majority of our key additions are brand new to professional football. I'm totally worried that if we think we saw a deer in the headlights look last year from Wilks, that we're gonna see a "I just got pistol whipped" look from KK when an experienced NFL coach takes him to the woodshed.

Maybe it won't happen, but the overall lack of NFL experience here scares me.

 

[kerouac9]

IMO, and it all stands on being relatively healthy and if Kingsbury and Murray are the real deal, we could win 7-8 games this year. Is this a playoff team? No. There are still more leaks to seal but this isn't a 3 or 4 win team either. If we win 7 games and real progress is shown then I will consider it a successful season. If we flop, then Keim needs to be shown the door. I hope the former is true.

Deshaun Watston came in for the Texans and went 3-3 with the 32nd-ranked defense in the NFL before tearing up his knee.
Andrew Luck came in for Indy and went 11-5 with the 21st-ranked defense in the NFL (his leading rusher was Vick Ballard)
RG3 went 10-6 with the 22nd-ranked defense in the NFL (his leading rusher was Alfred Morris and his leading receiver was Josh Morgan)
Cam Newton went 6-10 with the 27th-best defense in the NFL
Carson Wentz went 7-9 with the 12-ranked defense.

Anything less than 6 wins for this team should be unacceptable.

 

[NJCardFan]

Deshaun Watston came in for the Texans and went 3-3 with the 32nd-ranked defense in the NFL before tearing up his knee.
Andrew Luck came in for Indy and went 11-5 with the 21st-ranked defense in the NFL (his leading rusher was Vick Ballard)
RG3 went 10-6 with the 22nd-ranked defense in the NFL (his leading rusher was Alfred Morris and his leading receiver was Josh Morgan)
Cam Newton went 6-10 with the 27th-best defense in the NFL
Carson Wentz went 7-9 with the 12-ranked defense.

Anything less than 6 wins for this team should be unacceptable.

Our offense was a far worse mess than any of those teams were. Luck shouldn't even be in the conversation because the Colts were one of the top teams in the NFL and everyone knows the Colts tanked 2011 but the rest are all true.

 

[TJ]

Deshaun Watston came in for the Texans and went 3-3 with the 32nd-ranked defense in the NFL before tearing up his knee.
Andrew Luck came in for Indy and went 11-5 with the 21st-ranked defense in the NFL (his leading rusher was Vick Ballard)
RG3 went 10-6 with the 22nd-ranked defense in the NFL (his leading rusher was Alfred Morris and his leading receiver was Josh Morgan)
Cam Newton went 6-10 with the 27th-best defense in the NFL
Carson Wentz went 7-9 with the 12-ranked defense.

Anything less than 6 wins for this team should be unacceptable.

Yep. Six wins along with being somewhat competitive HAS to be the hard line for this team. I think if the team goes 5-11, that's not enough progress to justify keeping Keim for additional seasons. If we win less than six, that's solid evidence that the QB/HC combo that people have sold us as being revolutionary is a farce.

 

[NJCardFan]

NJ, I like your view and will just add two things. One a big thing and one not so big. First the not so big:
From all I've read the TE position is not very important in the KK offense.

The big thing for me is:
KK himself. This is his first NFL HC gig and how well he does will probably determine our success or failure. I do like that he has turned over the defense to his DC.

The thing with KK was that he was a failure in college. This is the first time a college coach with a losing head coaching record got a head coaching job in the NFL at least to my knowledge. That's the only thing that concerns me about him. Hopefully his philosophy translates to the pro game.

 

[Zeno]

This isn't backed by the evidence:

https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stat-analysis/2019/2018-adjusted-games-lost-part-i

The Cards were 28th in Adjusted Games Lost, but the Bucs and Washington were significantly worse off. In fact, I think this is the best argument that Arians + better injury luck will take the Bucs to a new level and earn Jameis a $160 million contract extension.

I don't follow other teams too closely but did any of those teams have OL's made up of street free agents and rookies by the last month of the season? If your OL is broken your offense has little chance and that's with good coaching.

 

[NJCardFan]

Everyone knows how I feel, so I won't harp on it too much but to say I don't understand how anyone can say we are clearly better talent-wise or coaching-wise.

Because, frankly, we can't get any worse that's why. Last season was a train wreck. You can forgive a new coach for taking the team backwards for a season if they're trying to instill a new system but Wilks had no system or direction. To me he simply threw stuff against the wall hoping something would stick.

 

[kerouac9]

I don't follow other teams too closely but did any of those teams have OL's made up of street free agents and rookies by the last month of the season? If your OL is broken your offense has little chance and that's with good coaching.

What's the difference? We started with Andre Smith and Mason Cole at the beginning of the year. The step down to whomever we were starting at the end isn't huge.

But, I looked for fun. Here was Tampa Bay's Week 1 OL:

Donovan Smith LT (2nd rounder)
Ali Marpet LG (2nd rounder)
Ryan Jensen C (6th rounder)
Caleb Benenoch RG (5th rounder)
Demar Dotson RT (UDFA)

Tampa finished with that group, as well.

I think we started with 1st round picks at 4 out of 5 OL positions? The reality is that Sam Bradford was sacked twice and David Johnson rushed for 37 yards in that first game. This offense wasn't going to be good even if everyone stayed healthy. Look at this drive chart from Week 1 (At home!) and despair:

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[Brak]

Andy Isabella is nothing like Julian Edelman except being white.

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[slanidrac16]

I consider KK a way above average offensive coach. He also seems to be very good at adjusting as needed. He is surrounded by some experienced coaches that I’m sure have scrutinised the playbook and offered their input of why or why not a play will work. I also believe we will be doing a lot of no huddle but not in s chip kelly way. More sugar huddles to prevent defenses from substituting as much as they’d like.

The defense will be improved. If for no other reason is I highly doubt we are going to lead the league in 3 and outs on offense. Also if this offense performs as we all hope, we will never really be out of any game no matter what the score. You all know last year if we fell behind 10-0 it felt hopeless.

It would be awesome to be 6-6 heading into the last 4 games. It would make December exciting again. I just hope we can stay relatively healthy and a couple wr’s Other than Fitz and Kirk step up.

 

[gimpy]

Hopeless at 10-0? How about 3-0?

 

[slanidrac16]

Hopeless at 10-0? How about 3-0?

Lol! Yes...what was I thinking!

 

[BigRedRage]

I consider KK a way above average offensive coach. He also seems to be very good at adjusting as needed. He is surrounded by some experienced coaches that I’m sure have scrutinised the playbook and offered their input of why or why not a play will work. I also believe we will be doing a lot of no huddle but not in s chip kelly way. More sugar huddles to prevent defenses from substituting as much as they’d like.

The defense will be improved. If for no other reason is I highly doubt we are going to lead the league in 3 and outs on offense. Also if this offense performs as we all hope, we will never really be out of any game no matter what the score. You all know last year if we fell behind 10-0 it felt hopeless.

It would be awesome to be 6-6 heading into the last 4 games. It would make December exciting again. I just hope we can stay relatively healthy and a couple wr’s Other than Fitz and Kirk step up.

Players have come out and said they will primarily operate out of a no huddle as of today

 

[Cheesebeef]

Players have come out and said they will primarily operate out of a no huddle as of today

i am so damn curious to see what this is going to look like!

 

[blindseyed]

i am so damn curious to see what this is going to look like!

As long as it doesn't look like Chip Kellys offense getting our defense all tired from lack of rest then I'm okay with it lol

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