Arizona Cardinals Good Bet to Make Playoffs

The Arizona Cardinals revamped their roster in a massive way this offseason, leading many to believe the playoffs are a real possibility entering the third season under head coach Jonathan Gannon.

The Cardinals doubled their win total from 2023 and were in playoff contention until their late season loss to the Carolina Panthers. Now, Arizona's locked and loaded for what could be a fun year.

Some would say the Cardinals are a good bet to make the postseason - and Pro Football Focus would agree.

PFF's Dalton Wasserman with more:

"The Cardinals made notable improvements to their offense in 2024, and it resulted in top-10 marks in PFF overall grade (81.0) and EPA per play (0.056). It was the defense that fell well short, leading Arizona to make significant investments in that side of the ball this offseason. Headlined free-agent signing Josh Sweat, who flourished under Jonathan Gannon in Philadelphia, and first-round draft pick Walter Nolen, Arizona's front is geared up for 2025," he wrote.

"The Cardinals endured a grueling start to 2024, facing off with five eventual playoff contenders in the first six weeks before regaining their footing heading into their Week 11 bye. The team fell flat down the stretch, though, posting a 2-5 record from Week 12 on. By the season's end, Arizona had played one of the five hardest schedules in the NFL.

"In 2025, the team has the 10th-easiest strength of schedule heading into the year, slated to face off with just four playoff teams from 2024, though that doesn’t include teams expected to bounce back, such as the 49ers.

"Oddsmakers have Arizona's win total line set at 8.5, in line with PFF’s projection of 8.7. With a 44% projected chance of making the playoffs, the Cardinals rank seventh among NFC teams in postseason probability."

The Cardinals are in a tough NFC West division that could see any of the four teams capture the crown, something Arizona hasn't done since 2015 with their last playoff appearance coming in 2021.