The Arizona Cardinals finished with the worst record in the NFL in 2018. Can a new-look team make significant strides after a forgettable year?
It’s a franchise that has seen its share of venues throughout its long history. The Arizona Cardinals are in their 100th of existence as an organization, born in 1920 in the city of Chicago. They remained in the Windy City until 1960, when the club headed to St. Louis.
There would be a 28-year stay in the Gateway City before the club moved west. Originally dubbed the Phoenix Cardinals in 1988, they eventually became known as the Arizona Cardinals starting at 1994.
While the club does have a pair of NFL championships on his resume, the last came way back in 1947 while the team was still in Chicago. It’s the longest current drought by any NFL franchise when it comes to winning the league title. Not terribly long ago, the Arizona Cardinals played in their first Super Bowl and were within minutes of claiming a Lombardi Trophy. But it wasn’t meant to be as the Pittsburgh Steelers rallied in Tampa for a 27-23 victory in Super Bowl XLIII.
Seven years later and under the guidance of head coach Bruce Arians, the team set a franchise record with 13 wins and advanced to the NFC title game. But Carson Palmer and company were routed in Carolina. That’s the last time the Cards played in a postseason game. Arians stepped down after the 2017 season and enter Steve Wilks. It was one and done for the former defensive coordinator of the Panthers as the club finished 3-13.
Now it’s new head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who did not lose in his regular-season debut as an NFL head coach. So what numbers are relevant to the Cardinals going forward in 2019?