Now that we are about halfway through the regular season, it is time to start considering which players are deserving of the Pro Bowl. For this series, we will look at the three most deserving candidates for each team. Obviously, some teams will have more or less than three players selected to the Pro Bowl, but for simplicity purposes, we will discuss the top three either way.
Top Midseason Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowl Candidates
Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer is having a fantastic season in Bruce Arians’ pass-heavy offense. Palmer has completed 64 percent of his passes for 2,749 yards, 23 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has a QBR of 110.2 and has helped lead the Cardinals to their current fist place position in the NFC West. For everybody that watched this past Sunday, Palmer demonstrated his ability to lead an offense against a tough Seattle defense on the road en route to 39 points and a victory. Palmer is currently fifth in the NFL in passing yards. Arizona cruised to a strong start in 2014 but once Palmer was placed on injured-reserve after tearing his ACL the Cardinals proved to be a different team. However, Palmer is now healthy and has led the Cardinals to a 7-2 record in 2015. This team looks poised for a deep postseason run.
Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Fitzgerald looks similar to his old self in 2015 as he has taken on a more prominent offensive role. Fitzgerald has 65 receptions for 836 yards and seven touchdowns, all good for first on the team. The veteran has only had ten or more touchdowns once since 2009 but is well on his way to break that number. Fitzgerald should also reach over 1,000 yards for the first time since 2011. One of the most impressive things about the Pittsburgh product in 2015 has been his mentoring of young wide receiver John Brown who has had a breakout campaign. Fitzgerald is a leader of the team and is playing like it on the field.
Tyrann Mathieu
Tyrann Mathieu has turned into one of the best free safeties in the league in 2015. Mathieu is third on the team in tackles with 52 total, a very impressive statistic for a free safety. Mathieu, the ex-LSU corner, is also very capable of playing coverage and has three interceptions and 12 passes defended. Mathieu even has a sack, a forced fumble and a interception returned for a touchdown. He is a very good defensive player for Arizona and will help guide the defense down the stretch.
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