Omletnator13
All-Star
Good Day to all No Fly Zone fans! What a year it has been! 13-3. Down the stretch, we had a shot for the division after beating Seattle in Arizona but fate had a different plan. Carson Palmer going down and forcing first round disappointment Blaine Gabbert into the mix was a nightmare come to fruition. To complicate matters, the minute the rain started to poor down, not even Bruce Arians thought that game would go well. 9-7 final score, the most NFC West rivalry game like score ever, sealed the Cardinals into a wildcard spot against the New York Giants. That is what we have to look forward to, now let's take a step back for a moment. How do we get here? Let's talk about our best performers from this 13-3 season.
Offense:
The offense this year at first glance might look disappointing, but when looking at how how the defense outsnapped the offense, you can understand why. The bend don't break defensive approach served the team well but left some stats off the final sheet for the Arizona offense. Palmer made a habit of keeping the rock safe while David Johnson and the gang ran pretty well as a unit for the year. Over 1,500 yards combined and 19 rushing touchdowns. Arizona did experience some bumps along the way as both of the Cardinals speed threats, John Brown and J.J. Nelson went down. One of Larry Fitzgerald's least efficient seasons by far, he looked a little out of place being moved back to an outside receiver due to injuries and need. The offensive line looked very bad to start the year, as starting LT D.J. Humphries nearly ruined Palmer and David Johnson through 11 games. The switch was made after giving up at the time the league high in sacks at 13. Dorian Johnson was thrown from the practice squad to starting RG and since then, the line has looked strong. Despite the lack of yards, the team did finish top 15 in PPG.
Defense:
This is the unit that really shines for the Cards and won them each and every one of those 13 games. Led by the Honey Badger Tyronn Mathieu and shutdown corner Patrick Peterson, this unit lived up to its name and played lights out despite how long they were on the field. They had a bit of everything this season, as the rankings speak for themselves: 4th in PPG allowed, 5th YPG allowed, 4th in Passing Yards allowed and 9th in Rushing Yards allowed. Chandler Jones may have become that household name in Arizona after his high volume of sacks this season. Speaking of household names, who here now owns a Haasan Reddick jersey? I know I do. DROY was announced for him, as he had an unbelievable rookie campaign, highlighted by being the 4th highest in the league in interceptions with 9. Now, if we want to talk linebackers, look no farther than Mr. Tackle himself, Deone Bucannon. 140 total tackles to lead the league to go along with 17 TFL 6 sacks and 5 ints. He was the best defensive player in the leaue...besides division foe and DPOY and LOY award winner Bobby Wagner. Screw that guy.
Preview:
It's simple really, Bruce Arians believes we are in any game that we can play good defense and hold onto the ball, no matter the personnel. That includes Blaine Gabbert at QB. The Giants are a good first round test, as hopefully there is no rain in East Rutherford. Either way, expect a heavy dose of David Johnson, Andre Ellington, and Terron Ward. If we were to make it past this big hurdle we would get a chance to face the 1 loss Vikings, which would be an absolute war that as an organization we hope Carson Palmer can come back for.
This has been an amazing year, and we have a very exciting offseason ahead as we look to build on what we have here in Arizona. This staff has us set for good things, now let's fly on the back of them Cardinals, unless of course you aren't one of us. Because that would mean you're violating the Arizona No Fly Zone Policy, and for that we'll have to take you down.
Offense:
The offense this year at first glance might look disappointing, but when looking at how how the defense outsnapped the offense, you can understand why. The bend don't break defensive approach served the team well but left some stats off the final sheet for the Arizona offense. Palmer made a habit of keeping the rock safe while David Johnson and the gang ran pretty well as a unit for the year. Over 1,500 yards combined and 19 rushing touchdowns. Arizona did experience some bumps along the way as both of the Cardinals speed threats, John Brown and J.J. Nelson went down. One of Larry Fitzgerald's least efficient seasons by far, he looked a little out of place being moved back to an outside receiver due to injuries and need. The offensive line looked very bad to start the year, as starting LT D.J. Humphries nearly ruined Palmer and David Johnson through 11 games. The switch was made after giving up at the time the league high in sacks at 13. Dorian Johnson was thrown from the practice squad to starting RG and since then, the line has looked strong. Despite the lack of yards, the team did finish top 15 in PPG.
Defense:
This is the unit that really shines for the Cards and won them each and every one of those 13 games. Led by the Honey Badger Tyronn Mathieu and shutdown corner Patrick Peterson, this unit lived up to its name and played lights out despite how long they were on the field. They had a bit of everything this season, as the rankings speak for themselves: 4th in PPG allowed, 5th YPG allowed, 4th in Passing Yards allowed and 9th in Rushing Yards allowed. Chandler Jones may have become that household name in Arizona after his high volume of sacks this season. Speaking of household names, who here now owns a Haasan Reddick jersey? I know I do. DROY was announced for him, as he had an unbelievable rookie campaign, highlighted by being the 4th highest in the league in interceptions with 9. Now, if we want to talk linebackers, look no farther than Mr. Tackle himself, Deone Bucannon. 140 total tackles to lead the league to go along with 17 TFL 6 sacks and 5 ints. He was the best defensive player in the leaue...besides division foe and DPOY and LOY award winner Bobby Wagner. Screw that guy.
Preview:
It's simple really, Bruce Arians believes we are in any game that we can play good defense and hold onto the ball, no matter the personnel. That includes Blaine Gabbert at QB. The Giants are a good first round test, as hopefully there is no rain in East Rutherford. Either way, expect a heavy dose of David Johnson, Andre Ellington, and Terron Ward. If we were to make it past this big hurdle we would get a chance to face the 1 loss Vikings, which would be an absolute war that as an organization we hope Carson Palmer can come back for.
This has been an amazing year, and we have a very exciting offseason ahead as we look to build on what we have here in Arizona. This staff has us set for good things, now let's fly on the back of them Cardinals, unless of course you aren't one of us. Because that would mean you're violating the Arizona No Fly Zone Policy, and for that we'll have to take you down.