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Arizona Cardinals: Expectations for Steve Wilks as head coach

By Russell S. Baxter

GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 22: President Michael J. Bidwill of the Arizona Cardinals (left) and general manager Steve Keim (right) watch warm ups before the NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on November 22, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Bengals 34-31. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 22: President Michael J. Bidwill of the Arizona Cardinals (left) and general manager Steve Keim (right) watch warm ups before the NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on November 22, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Bengals 34-31. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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With the retirement of Bruce Arians at the end of 2017, the Arizona Cardinals have opted to make Steve Wilks their new head coach. What should we expect?

Bruce Arians may not have led the Arizona Cardinals to a Super Bowl during his five years at the helm of the team. But he established a positive culture with the club. Now Steve Wilks takes over as head coach in the desert and looks to end the league’s longest NFL title drought.

The franchise has not capture a league championship since 1947. In any case, Wilks has his sights on what it takes to get the job done.

"“As a defensive coordinator, there’s nothing more demoralizing to a team than being able to run the ball,” said the former Carolina Panthers’ assistant (via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN). “I mean, you’re talking about taking the air out of an individual, so that’s going to be our premise. When you look at some of the premier running backs in the National Football League, we have one right here in (David) Johnson.”"

“You’ve got to run the football and I think you’ve got to have balance off that,” added Wilks, who will be an NFL head coach for the first time. “It opens up the passing game for you. It opens up play-action, so we’re going to run the football.”

Without the 2016 Pro Bowler, only the Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals gained fewer yards on the ground than the Cards this past season. It will be up to Mike McCoy, the head coach of the Chargers from 2013-16 and twice the Denver Broncos’ offensive coordinator, to make sure that happens.

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Of course, Wilks and general manager Steve Keim have some work to do when it comes to figuring out who will be handing the ball to Johnson and his fellow backfield mates. Carson Palmer has called it a career and both Drew Stanton and Blaine Gabbert are potential free agents. In any case, the team’s new sideline leader has a plan. Now he just needs a few more pieces to put it all into place.

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