Realistic 8th Ranked Cardinals NFL Power Rankings

[oaken1]

They upgraded their run D by signing Poona Ford on a DLine that’s already proven & swapped out washed Kupp for Adams. On paper, they are more talented now than they were last year.

WOW... lol, Im as big a Devante fan as anyone else... but dude is 33, and while he is still apparently a baller his production has already started to slip the past couple seasons. Stafford has to be hoping Adams can win some crucial jump balls this season

 

[BurqueCardFan]

WOW... lol, Im as big a Devante fan as anyone else... but dude is 33, and while he is still apparently a baller his production has already started to slip the past couple seasons. Stafford has to be hoping Adams can win some crucial jump balls this season

Who’s been throwing to Adams the last couple years?
I think Stafford is a huge upgrade at QB from what Adams was getting.

 

[cardinals2025]

Yup. Rams made the playoffs with a -19 point differential and ranked 20th in points scored, 17th in points against. They outperformed their win expectancy by two games(!!).

That could mean they'll crash back to earth, and the result was an aberration. It could and likely does.

But it might also be that they were a young, extremely well-coached team that is likely to be better this season than last.

Your last sentence applies to us more and their offense was horrendous vs us and regarding Stafford vs Murray, we have the youth factor. Also Stafford has been in decline last 3 years.

We were a helmet and/or a healthy James Connor away from a sweep.

13 pts for the Rams at home vs our average defense last year is inexcusable.

 

[cardinals2025]

WOW... lol, Im as big a Devante fan as anyone else... but dude is 33, and while he is still apparently a baller his production has already started to slip the past couple seasons. Stafford has to be hoping Adams can win some crucial jump balls this season

Exactly. I am not saying A-rod is anywhere near Stafford at this point in his career, but we completely shut down Davante Adams when he was on the Jets.

Now we are adding Will Johnson. We might have a shot at actually limiting Nukua as well. Who is the bigger threat.

And like I keep saying...13 pts at home for the Rams last year vs us. They have no excuse for that performance.

The difference between Kupp and Adams is not huge.

 

[cardinals2025]

qbs win mvps and superbowls at age 37 - stafford isn't done

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Hes in decline. This is like Geno Smith 2 years ago in Seattle if you add on the fact Geno could actually run but Stafford is basically immobile now.

 

[BirdGangThing]

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Hes in decline. This is like Geno Smith 2 years ago in Seattle if you add on the fact Geno could actually run but Stafford is basically immobile

looks good to me

 

[cardinals2025]

I agree we should be better but to say we are top 8 in the NFL power rankings is a pretty big stretch/leap. Once again, everyone is trying to anoint Gannon as the best coach in Cardinals history and he hasn’t accomplished anything yet.

True. That has to be proven. But I think it is a realistic goal.

 

[cardinals2025]

They upgraded their run D by signing Poona Ford on a DLine that’s already proven & swapped out washed Kupp for Adams. On paper, they are more talented now than they were last year.

1 upgrade? And we matched that move for Adams by snagging Will Johnson who was a better prospect than Devin Witherspoon.

This is a very poor attempt at devils advocate.

Are they though? We ranked higher than them in offensive and defensive yardage and scoring. We split the season series.

The Rams 2024 NFC West title can easily be read as an artifact of luck and timing. I worry that McVay is just a much better coach and we have to be 125% more talented to overcome that.

Ah there it is. Leave out the fact the Rams offense scored 13 pts in a game where Connor didn't play the 2nd half.

Vs a cards def I am sure you would say was below avg last year. Where is the superior offensive genius playcalling there smart ass?

You make really horrible arguments against supposedly your own team.

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[cardinals2025]

looks good to me

Does it?

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Vs our below avg and injured def in LA last year. Still waiting for the excuse from someone for this performance.

 

[cardinals2025]

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LIKE IF YOU WANT TO TRADE FOR STAFFORD.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

9 wins and Kyler is gone.

We are 4 years into this take

 

[Chris_Sanders]

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LIKE IF YOU THINK WE WOULD OF MADE THE PLAYOFFS WITH GENO.

Take this crap to the Kyler Murray debate thread

 

[cardinals2025]

We are 4 years into this take

Really? Because since Gannon got here, the only people making this arguement were anti-Kyler and didn't want to give us a chance to rebuild with him.

If you have been paying attention to the general attitude of fans and az sports media this year, it is the majority opinion.

Murray may be cut some slack if we make the playoffs but I highly doubt it if he we don't. Unless god forbid a major injury happens again.

The difference is this is the best coach and defense Murray has ever had in his career.

The attitude of desperation all over social media and az sports radio this year is unlike anything I have ever seen since Murray was on the team.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Also all caps lay off the lay off the shouting / pwi

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Really? Because since Gannon got here, the only people making this arguement were anti-Kyler and didn't want to give us a chance to rebuild with him.

If you have been paying attention to the general attitude of fans and az sports media this year, it is the majority opinion.

Murray may be cut some slack if we make the playoffs but I highly doubt it if he we don't. Unless god forbid a major injury happens again.

The difference is this is the best coach and defense Murray has ever had in his career.

The attitude of desperation all over social media and az sports radio this year is unlike anything I have ever seen since Murray was on the team.

Take it to the Kyler Murray debate thread

 

[cardinals2025]

Take this crap to the Kyler Murray debate thread

Lol I was being sarcastic but I honestly believe some people like kerouac would.

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Drop that over there. There is no point in debating anymore. This basically defines the whole situation.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

There is a thread for this crap. Use it or go away

 

[cardinals2025]

There is a thread for this crap. Use it or go away

Ok fair enough. I deleted that. It is just frustrating to be continually attacked with constant negativity in every thread I start by the same 3 people.

It is like there should be a separate place for people who never have anything good to say about the team.

Especially when we are literally at a tipping point this season. I have seen other teams fans outside our division being more objective of our chances at times.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Ok fair enough. It is just frustrating to be continually attacked with constant negativity in every post I start by the same 3 people.

So I would say that's absolutely fair and it's the same on both sides. We have very passionate fans here who are 100% way cooler off the board than here. @kerouac9 is one of the nicest dudes I have ever met but here he gets...a little spicy. Hopefully people read this and try to be more considerate in the future.

Also Kyler Murray will overrun any thread he is in. He is the most divisive pro athlete to ever play in the state of Arizona. He's Joe Henry / Voldemort at this point. Say his name and it takes over everything. I even fell into it but I was talking more about the organization 's support for him than the player.

 

[BritCard]

They’re demonstrably worse than a 6-11 team? Is their rookie gonna get shot again? Is Brandon Aiyuk only gonna play seven games again?

Aiyuk was averaging 53 yards a game last year. Ricky Pearsall played 11 games.

They lost Deebo, Mason, Hargrave, Collins, Floyd, Hufanga, Greenlaw, Banks, Ward and Moore. All of which started of played significant games and replaced them with guys like Demarcus Robinson, Siran Neal and draft picks.

CMC has chronic achilles issues that need managing. They haven't agreed a deal with Purdy yet. This is not a better team than last year whereas we are clearly a better team.

Or do you think the Niners have got a better roster than last year?

 

[BritCard]

@BritCard just said they will be worse two posts above????



You can say this about any team in the NFL.

I said their roster is worse than last year, because it is.

 

[daves]

Your last sentence applies to us more and their offense was horrendous vs us and regarding Stafford vs Murray, we have the youth factor. Also Stafford has been in decline last 3 years.

Fun facts:
Stafford's passer ratings the last three years: 87.4, 92.5, 93.7. His career average: 91.2.
Murray's passer ratings the last three years: 87.2, 89.4, 93.5. His career average: 92.4.

 

[BritCard]

I don't know that this is true.

CMC played 4 games.

Brandon Aiyuk played 7 games.

Trent Williams played 10 games.

The argument is that they have lost players but they also had bad injury luck to three of their best players. Easy to argue that those players are good enough to offset any losses.

Aiyuk was poor before injury and is coming off an ACL and MCL. Reports say he is unlikely to return before mid season. CMC has chronic injury issues and will likely miss time this year too if history is anything to go by and Trent Williams will be 37 in July.

If the Niners are relying on them 3 being at their peak and healthy all year to be good then I don't like their odds.

 

[BritCard]

And yet despite all this the 2024 San Franciso 49ers were fourth in yardage and 13th in scoring. The problem was not the offense -- we scored 11 more points than them over the course of the season with essentially all our skill positions healthy.

The problem was their 29th-ranked defense. They brought back their Super Bowl coordinator and drafted four defensive players in their top 100 picks.

Will that be enough to put them in the top 15 in defense? Probably not. But will it help a ton? I think you'd have to say yes.

Their defense has got significantly worse unless all their draft picks are studs. Unless you think Tre Brown is an upgrade on Ward and Dee Winters an upgrade on Greenlaw. And so on through much of their defense.

Is Mykel Williams likely to replicate Floyds 10 sacks? Unlikely.

 

[BritCard]

Fun facts:
Stafford's passer ratings the last three years: 87.4, 92.5, 93.7. His career average: 91.2.
Murray's passer ratings the last three years: 87.2, 89.4, 93.5. His career average: 92.4.

The problem is when. Kyler is elite in garbage time and when were up 2 scores but sucks when the pressure is on.

Stafford is nails when it's crunch time.