This Year Could Turn Out Very Different for Ken Whisenhunt

Are you ready for some football? Yes, the Hall of Fame has already been played, but football is back. While there are four games on tonight, the only one to be nationally televised is a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl. One of the biggest stories leading up to the Super Bowl was the Cardinals improbable run in the playoffs. When you consider that they lost 7 games in the regular season, went 3-7 outside of their division, and were 1-4 against playoff teams during the regular season, you start to wonderhow the heck this team caught fire. Some people even argued that the Cards were the worst team to ever make it to the Super Bowl. However, they gave the Steelers one heck of a game. If it wasn’t for a tip-toe catch by Santonio Holmes, the Cardinals fortunes would have been completely reversed. The team long seen as a joke, would have been World Champions. As we all know, that was not the case. Well, the new year is almost here for the Cardinals. Another chance to reverse their fortunes and seek out glory. However, tonight might be the only time the words “Arizona Cardinals” and “Super Bowl” are mentioned in the same sentence this season.

A Kurt Warner Injury Could Spell Disaster for the Cards

The Arizona Cardinals were incredibly lucky last season. Despite all of the stats that said they had no business winning a playoff game, they advanced all the way to the Super Bowl.  It was the underdog story of the year. A team that everyone doubted, with a quarterback everyone wrote off, was going to be playing against the power house Steelers. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, that quarterback that everyone wrote off is another year older. Kurt Warner will be 38 this upcoming season. Only two quarterbacks, Brett Farve and Warren Moon, have thrown for over 3,600 yards and 25 TDs at that age or older. While Warner has the weapons to make up for his age, he has also never played in 16 games in consecutive seasons. Should Warner get injured, former first round pick Matt Leinart would get a chance to step in. While I am one of the few that still has faith in Leinart, this would be a huge blow (and a huge downgrade) from Warner. Also consider, this is also the same Kurt Warner that looked pretty cooked when he was in New York mentoring Eli Manning. Yes, Warner has experienced a career resurgence in Arizona, but a few years ago he was fighting to save his NFL career.

Warner’s career resurrection can probably also be attributed to a coach that is no longer in Arizona. How will Kurt Warner function without Todd Haley? The former offensive coordinator left in the off-season to take the Chiefs head coaching position. While Warner knows the offense, he will have to function without one of the brightest offensive minds in the game. Haley’s departure could hurt this offense, and Warner, more than anyone realizes.

Even if Warner stays healthy and the offense is fine, the Defense still remains a problem. The Cardinals allowed 20+ points in 13 of 20 games last season. This season, their defense remains relatively unchanged. Coordinator, Clancy Pendergast is no longer with the team and they failed to pick up any playmakers in free agency. The Cardinals did use their 2nd and 3rd round picks on defensive players, but it’s unlikely that either player will make a huge impact on the team this season.

Can the Rams Shock the World this Season?

While the team has to worry about their aging quarterback, un-proven running backs, and poor defense, the biggest reason the Cardinals might not make the playoffs is because of their division. While no one in the NFL West seems threatening, all three other teams are on the rise. The Seahawks were hit with so many injuries, that their starting wide receievers were guys signed off the streets weeks into the season. By the end of the year, all 5 starting o-lineman were on the IR as well. Perhaps the biggest hit was losing veteran QB Matt Hasselbeck. It is highly unlikely that the Seahawks will be hit by that many injuries again, and this is a team that made the playoffs every year between 2003-2007. The Rams also had similar health issues last season and, while they only won two games, they were projected to win 8 games this season by Pro Football Almanac. However, even if the Rams don’t shock the world, they should improve from last season. Finally, at the end of the year the 49ers seemed to be playing much better. Mike Singletary led the 2-5 49ers, to a 5-4 finish. While the 49ers also did not do much to improve their team, the did play better under Singletary at the end of last season.

As clique as it sounds, the NFC West could truly be “wild” this season. The Cardinals have some concerns that could lead to a decline, while every other team in the division looks to be on the rise. If Warner can stay healthy, this team will be back in the mix. However, the number of quarterbacks who have fallen off at his age provides concern. All said, the Cardinals might want to savor last season’s miracle run. Come the regular season, they might need another one just to get to the playoffs.

*Some research was done using Pro Football Almanac 2009.