Rams Should Quickly Dispatch This NFC West Rival

Recently, Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame broke down the Cardinals and their chances to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.

"The Cardinals were formidable on offense last season, ranking 12th in points and seventh in yards per play," wrote Verderame. "The defense was another story, checking in 25th in yards per play and 27th in pressure rate."

"In an effort to fix those issues, Arizona added Sweat before drafting Nolen to start alongside a potential burgeoning star Dante Stills (more on him below)."

"With Nolen playing alongside him, Stills could break out and become a household name. Stills racked up eight sacks and 11 quarterback hits through his first two seasons, playing 54 and 52% of the snaps, respectively. A sixth-round pick in 2023, Stills has been a nice find and might be the next star defensive tackle in a league exploding with them in recent years."

While Verderame praises the defense, he uses another analyst's take to paint the clear picture that the playoff limitations of the Cardinals lie directly with the limitations of the offense.

"I’m out on Murray, which means I’m out on the Cardinals. He has failed to take the next step as a quarterback, annually starting the season off strong and then faltering as the season gets into November and December," added Sports Illustrated's Iain MacMillan. "The Cardinals did little in the offseason to expect any improvement from their 2024 record of 8-9. With the San Francisco 49ers expected to bounce back, Arizona is the clear third-best team in the NFC West"

Murray just showed for the first time in years that he can play a full season, and with weapons Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr, Murray has the foundation to find his 2021 form, a form that saw the Cardinals at one point being the number one team in the NFL before injuries destroyed the team, paving the way for the Rams to win the NFC West and Super Bowl LVI that season.

So, what version of the Cardinals will we see?