The Arizona Cardinals are a mess. With a 4-6-1 record, even if they win out their last five games, there is really no mathematical way the team can make the playoffs. Face it, this year is a dud for head coach Bruce Arians and his thwarted squad. Visions of Super Bowl LI have faded, mainstream media has turned their back on the team, and bandwagon jumpers have already shed their Cardinals jerseys for some other team’s emblem (most likely the Dallas Cowboys).
But, win or lose, it’s the true fans who will remain to the end. There are five games remaining on the schedule and the Cardinals actually have a chance still to end the season with a winning record. First up, Arizona must defeat the 6-4-1 Washington Redskins on Sunday at University of Phoenix Stadium. Below are the Cardinals Week 13 keys to victory.
Arizona Cardinals Week 13 Keys To Victory
“As a team, we’re highly invested and we want to win ballgames,” said safety Tyrann Mathieu. “Everything just isn’t coming together for us this year. At the end of the day, we have to find a way to win one game. It’s not really about going to the play-offs or anything like that.”
The Passing Game
Quarterback Carson Palmer has become a little too predictable when it comes to throwing the ball. “Palmer, play-action pass to wide-receiver Larry Fitzgerald slot-right.” Or, “Palmer tosses ball to running back David Johnson in the left flat.” Either of these dink-and-dunk-style play options have shown to be effective, especially with tight end Jermaine Gresham in the mix, but doing this for four quarters of play is obviously not winning games.
The Cardinals have had missed opportunities on offense and the long pass has not worked very well for the Palmer and company this season. Chunk plays are the missing element and that is a major part of why the team is struggling to win games this season. The Redskins defensive backfield has been exposed as of late, and Palmer needs to take more chances down the field. Michael Floyd and John Brown, as well as the other receivers on the team, need to find ways to get open and hold onto the football.
The Defense
Linebacker D.J. Humphries and cornerback Marcus Cooper can be commended for their performances this season, but in order to beat the Redskins, the entire team needs to step up. Washington’s quarterback, Kirk Cousins, is overrated. It’s up to the Cardinals defense to show Cousins just how overrated he is. Reportedly, Tyrann Mathieu is doubtful for Sunday’s match-up.
Special Teams
The biggest problem for the Cardinals is the terrible performance of their special teams unit. There have been too many missed field goals and too many short punts which had led to excellent field position for the opponent. Way too many penalties for negative yards have led to at least four losses for the team.
Both kicker Chandler Catanzaro and punter Drew Butler (who’s job should be at stake at this point) need to perform better if the Cardinals plan on winning anymore games this season. For the most part, for the Cardinals to beat the Redskins, the team needs to stay focused, no celebrating until after the game is over, and players need to keep their heads in the game and concentrate on doing their jobs.
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