NFL: 5 Non-playoff teams that will push for playoff spot in 2021
2. Arizona Cardinals
Hey look, another NFC West team! It’s rare when any divisional team could win the division but the NFC West has given us just that. We almost had three teams make it into this season’s playoffs, but the Cardinals came up just short after looking so strong for the first half of the year.
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Arizona was hyped about second-year quarterback Kyler Murray and his newest weapon DeAndre Hopkins going to work this past season. While both were tremendous, we did see Murray start to slow down in the back half of the season. Actually, after the famous “Hail Murray” against the Bills, Murray and the Cardinals really slowed down and that cost them a playoff spot.
Finishing 8-8 in 2020, the Cardinals now know they can hang with the best teams in the league. It won’t be easy in the NFC West, but Arizona most definitely can punch their ticket to the playoffs next season and Murray is a big reason as to why.
Not having a true offseason hurt a lot of these teams, but Arizona did good things without one. Just imagine how much better Murray, Hopkins, and the rest of the Cardinals clan will look in 2021 when they have more time to gel this offseason.