When the season started, my thinking was the Arizona Cardinals would be a nice story -- an undermanned team that was well coached to the point they would be a tough out every week, but one that might not win a lot of games.
Ten games into the season, they are much more than that.
They are winning. They are leading the NFC West. They are for real.
The Cardinals dominated the New York Jets and Aaron Rodgers on Sunday to win their third straight game and improve to 6-4 on the season. They did so with Kyler Murray playing near-flawless football, a running game again keyed by the toughness of James Conner, and a no-name defense that flies around and plays all out on every play.
The latter is a tribute to second-year head coach Jonathan Gannon, who cut his bones on the defensive side of the ball. But it's the way the team plays that speaks volumes about Gannon and his coaching. They always seem to play hard and tough, which keeps them in games.
The Cardinals aren't a sexy team. They don't get clicks or create buzz like the Cowboys or Steelers or 49ers. The average NFL fan would be hard-pressed to name one starter on defense not named Budda Baker. But they are a real contender. Just ask the Jets. Just ask Rodgers, who seemed to be finding the offense before the Cardinals' domination on Sunday.
As for the offense, Murray has taken to it in his second season, with his first ending with an injury. He looks as comfortable as any point in his career. With playmakers to throw to in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride, and Conner running over people, the offense has a flow.
But it's the defense that is the true surprise so far. It is tied for 13th in scoring defense at 22 points per game, but it has allowed just 14.0 points per game in the three-game winning streak. It gives up 5.5 yards per play on the season, but 4.4 over the last three. A pass rush that averages 2.4 sacks per game has averaged 3.3 per game over the past three.
The Cardinals are doing it without an elite edge player and a lot of youth. But that goes to the coaching of Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, who is a young coach teams should watch closely going forward, and he's starting to get some rave reviews around the league.
The Cardinals are up to 12th in my Power Rankings this week as they head into their bye. The schedule isn't crushing after that bye. This is the task they face: At Seattle, at Minnesota, home against Seattle and New England, at Carolina, at the Rams and home against the 49ers. Not too bad.
So maybe this team can win the division (they're currently +140 at FanDuel Sportsbook) or at least earn a wild-card spot. If so, it's a heck of a story. I thought they would be a year away, but that timetable seems to be accelerated now and Gannon is now a Coach of the Year candidate. (To see all of the betting odds for Coach of the Year, head on over to FanDuel)
| Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | -- | 9-0-0 | |
It isn't pretty, but they keep finding a way. Now comes the real test against the Bills on the road. They will need to score in that game.
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| 2 | -- | 8-1-0 | |
Winning the way they did on Sunday night against the Texans is proof of just how tough this team can be. They rallied in a big way, which shows their Dan Campbell grit.
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| 3 | -- | 8-2-0 | |
Here come the Chiefs this week. It's the Bills chance to show they are the class of the AFC with a game against the kings of the conference -- their nemesis.
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| 4 | 1 | 7-3-0 | |
The offense is dynamic, but it has to be. That defense is a mess, especially the pass defense. They can't win a Super Bowl if it stays that way, and it has to change this week against the Steelers.
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| 5 | 1 | 7-2-0 | |
Mike Tomlin would be Coach of the Year right now. He's earned that with his team's 7-2 start. Russell Wilson and the moon balls keep winning, but here come the Ravens.
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| 6 | 3 | 7-2-0 | |
They have righted things in a big way. Their game Thursday with the Commanders is a big one in terms of division race. They are playing a lot better.
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| 7 | -- | 7-2-0 | |
Sam Darnold needs to get back playing good football. That showing in Jacksonville was bad with his three picks. Good teams will make him pay for it.
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| 8 | -- | 6-3-0 | |
They come off their much-needed bye -- injuries were piling up -- with a division road game at Chicago. Jordan Love should be much healthier after the week off, which is a good thing for this team.
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| 9 | 1 | 6-3-0 | |
They can run it, throw it and play defense. Oh, they also have a great coach. This team will be dangerous come playoff time.
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| 10 | 6 | 7-3-0 | |
Blowing a 10-point lead in losing to the Steelers will be tough to get past. But they have no choice with an enormous Thursday game with the Eagles this week.
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| 11 | 2 | 5-4-0 | |
Getting guys like Christian McCaffrey back is big for the playoff push. They still don't look as crisp as I expect them look in the coming weeks.
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| 12 | 2 | 6-4-0 | |
The "first-place Cardinals" doesn't sound right this late in the season. They face a tough division game at Seattle after the bye to stay there.
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| 13 | 2 | 6-4-0 | |
That was a horrible loss on the road to the Saints. The good news for them is the Bucs lost behind them, but that wasn't a good look in New Orleans.
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| 14 | 2 | 6-4-0 | |
At 6-4, they have to be thankful the division isn't good. They will win it, but they have to get back on track and start winning some games.
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| 15 | 1 | 5-5-0 | |
The loss to the Chiefs on the blocked field goal will be a tough one to get over. But if the playoffs started today, they would be in, so there is no time for sulking.
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| 16 | 1 | 4-6-0 | |
They are the best 4-6 team this league has seen in a long time. Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase are special. But they must win the next two against the Chargers and Steelers to have a playoff chance.
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| 17 | 2 | 4-5-0 | |
Did they find a defense during the bye? If not, their spiraling will continue, starting this week with a big road division game with the 49ers.
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| 18 | 3 | 4-5-0 | |
So much for that momentum they had from their three-game winning streak. The offense did nothing in the loss to the Dolphins on Monday.
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| 19 | 1 | 4-6-0 | |
The injuries have crippled this team, yet they are in games against good teams and still have a playoff shot. But they can't afford many more losses.
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| 20 | 3 | 3-6-0 | |
That was a season-saving victory against the Rams. The defense came up big in that game. They are still alive.
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| 21 | 3 | 4-5-0 | |
They have to be making offensive changes after doing nothing the past three weeks. Caleb Williams has looked bad behind a bad offensive line.
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| 22 | -- | 4-6-0 | |
Two straight losses may have this team reconsidering the decision to play Joe Flacco. Maybe it's time to go back to Anthony Richardson.
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| 23 | 1 | 2-7-0 | |
They simply have too many injuries to overcome this season. Now they have to stew in the mess that is the Deshaun Watson situation for a few years. Good luck.
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| 24 | 3 | 3-7-0 | |
Aaron Rodgers looks lost, the defense stinks and the coaching moves and trades to add guys like Davante Adams have done nothing to save the season. They quit against the Cardinals.
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| 25 | -- | 3-6-0 | |
They are done. Their quarterback is out for the year, and the backups aren't any good. See ya.
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| 26 | 3 | 3-7-0 | |
Seeing Drake Maye outplay Caleb Williams in their victory over the Bears has to make them feel good. The defense came up big in that one.
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| 27 | 3 | 3-7-0 | |
They have to be encouraged by a lot of things the past two weeks. Bryce Young isn't putting up gaudy numbers, but there is progress.
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| 28 | 3 | 3-7-0 | |
Darren Rizzi brought some juice to this team as the interim coach. The question now is whether that bump carries over.
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| 29 | 3 | 2-7-0 | |
Will Levis came back to play after missing three weeks in the loss to the Chargers and did some good things. That is a good sign for the future. Now he needs to build on it.
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| 30 | 3 | 2-8-0 | |
It might be time to sit down Daniel Jones, especially for the injury guarantees. He isn't playing well enough to risk injury, and he clearly isn't their future.
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| 31 | 3 | 2-8-0 | |
Trevor Lawrence's injured shoulder bears watching going forward. The defense actually showed up against the Vikings, but it didn't matter. This week might get ugly against the Lions.
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| 32 | -- | 2-7-0 | |
We will find out if a change at offensive coordinator does anything for the offense, but it's hard to do much when the quarterback position isn't good. They have to find one in the draft.
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