Avondale Nissan Official Blog
Is This The Year? Our 2014 Arizona Cardinals Preview!
By Product Expert | Posted in Area News, Fun Stuff on Tuesday, September 9th, 2014 at 11:02 am
2014 Arizona Cardinals Season Preview
It’s been roughly nine months since the entire greater Phoenix area shook its collective head: “10-and-6? How do the Cardinals miss the playoffs going 10-and-6?” Now, with the new season underway–and an opening victory last night–we finally get to look ahead instead of backward. So, what should we be looking forward to? Here, brought to you by Avondale Nissan, is your quick 2014 Arizona Cardinals season preview!
The four questions that will define the Cardinals’ 2014 season
1) Does Carson Palmer still have it? Few quarterbacks have been considered done-for quite so frequently as Carson Palmer has–with the possible exception of Kurt Warner. If you remember, he was left for dead twice, just as Palmer was before his recent resurgence in Arizona. If he stays upright behind Arizona’s refurbished offensive line, he should be able to find Larry Fitzgerald and Co. downfield. And his health is paramount, as rookie Logan Thomas is far from ready to lead this team.
2) Can we get over our depleted defense? Carlos Dansby has left town, Daryl Washington is suspended for the season, and Darnell Dockett is out for the year with a torn ACL. Young star Tyrann Mathieu is coming off a shredded knee of his own, and may not be at full strength to start the year. So, will the Cards be able to fill the gaps with young talent? Shoring up the holes in the defense will go a long way toward a second consecutive ten-win season.
3) Will our young weapons fulfill their promise? All preseason, the names “John Brown” and “Andre Ellington” were hot on the lips of Fantasy Football wizards and pro pundits alike. Smith is a speedy rookie receiver who was a bit of a surprise when he was drafted in the 3rd round out of Pittsburg (Ks.) State. Ellington, meanwhile, showed flashes of brilliance in spot duty last year, and this is his first as the featured running back. Can these young fellas provide the spark the Cards need?
4) Can we get through our division to the playoffs? This is, without a doubt, the most pressing question facing this year’s team. Seattle is of course the returning Super Bowl champ, and looked tougher than ever in an opening night dismantling of Green Bay. San Francisco looked rough during the preseason, but destroyed Dallas in Week 1. A lot of how Arizona’s season shakes out will depend on how it fares against the in-division competition. A few wins against some of the division’s best would go a long way toward a first playoff appearance in five seasons.
So there you have it, Cards fans. We at Avondale Nissan trust that this will be the season the Cards finally get over the hump. We hope to see you soon at Avondale Nissan, and hope you have a happy and enjoyable football season!
