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Is it time for a turnaround by the Arizona Cardinals?

By Russell S. Baxter

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 20: Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals celebrates after handing off for a touchdown during the second half of a game against the New Orleans Saints during a game at State Farm Stadium on October 20, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 20: Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals celebrates after handing off for a touchdown during the second half of a game against the New Orleans Saints during a game at State Farm Stadium on October 20, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images) /
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The team’s 42-34 Thursday night win over the visiting Saints was full of positives. Are the Arizona Cardinals ready to go on a little run?

Flashback to a year ago when the Arizona Cardinals were the team’s lone undefeated club with a 7-0 record. Of course, the club faded after that, finished 11-6, and was ousted in the first round of the playoffs. This season, the club is off to a disappointing 3-4 start – apparently picking up where it left off a year ago.

But the team’s third win came on Thursday night, a 42-34 triumph over the visiting New Orleans Saints in which Kingsbury’s team displayed a balanced attack, and played turnover-free football. The team scored on the ground, through the air, and via the defense thanks to a pair of pick-six returns by cornerback Marco Wilson and linebacker Isaiah Simmons.

Seven weeks into the season, no team has separated itself in the NFC West. In fact, the only club in the division that didn’t make the playoffs a year ago and the only team to post a losing record is now alone in first place. That would be the Seattle Seahawks, who the Cardinals fell to in Seattle in Week 6 (19-9). On Sunday in Los Angeles, Pete Carroll’s club came away with a 37-23 win over the Chargers. Meanwhile, the 49ers were rolled by the Kansas City Chiefs, 44-23, and the Rams were off.

What does it all mean? Seattle sits at 4-3 while the Rams (3-3), Niners (3-4), and Cards (3-4) are all looking up at the ‘Hawks. More importantly, that means the NFC West is certainly up for grabs. The Cardinals looked like a different offense via the return of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins from his six-game suspension. Arizona also dealt for deep threat Robbie Anderson, although he didn’t see a lot of action vs. the Saints.

So could Kingsbury’s squad break that recent trend of late-season fades and catch fire for the remainder of 2022? It wouldn’t be a shock considering the topsy-turvy nature of the NFC these days, as well as the league in general. And is quarterback Kyler Murray and the Arizona offense ready to build off an impressive prime time performance?

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