| Michael J. Jones. 12th September, 2008 - 11:55 am
 Believe it or not, the Arizona Cardinals have a chance to make history this weekend.
They have a chance to accomplish something that they haven’t done since 1991. If they beat the Dolphins this Sunday they will start the 2008 season with a 2-0 record – something that they haven’t done in seventeen years. This may not sound like a huge achievement, but for a team like the Cardinals, winning isn’t something that comes easy.
This past offseason, the Cardinals were among the teams with controversy within their locker room. They had the quarterback battle between Kurt Warner and their “supposed” future franchise player Matt Leinart. There was also the drama surrounding one of their top wide receivers, Anquan Boldin, who refused to re-negotiate his contract and still wants a trade.
Other than those notable problems, nothing was expected of the Cardinals because of the name on the front of their jerseys.
Heading into Week Two they are the only team with a win in their division, which the Seattle Seahawks have owned in the recent years.
Will we have a new NFC West Champion at the end of this season? It’s far too early to tell, but it wouldn’t be wise to bet all your money on the popular favorite this year.
The Cardinals are a young and talented team that most overlook. Not only do they have one of the best receiver tandems in Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, but they also have a starting quarterback who, instead of trying to be the hero, focuses more on managing the game.
This was evident on Sunday against the 49ers, who, if you may have forgotten, could have won had Leinart been under center for the Cardinals. Last year, Arizona lost to San Francisco in a game that the former USC stud threw two interceptions.
In Week One, Edgerrin James ran for 100 yards, something he hasn’t done to the 49ers since 2006, and something he hasn’t accomplished to start a season since 2004 when he was with the Colts.
Add to that superb play from their receivers, and the ability of their young defense to hold Frank Gore to less than 100 yards while also recording four sacks, and you get about as complete a performance as we’ve seen from the Cardinals in quite a while.
When you look at the other contenders in the NFC West, it makes the Cardinals’ chances look a lot better.
The 49ers seem to be on the path to a losing season with J.T. O’Sullivan not looking as good as people thought he would to open the season – he completed just four passes to his receivers and had a couple of turnovers.
To make matters worse, Alex Smith is gone for the season so San Francisco has few options other than O’Sullivan at quarterback. The Rams look to be struggling on both sides of the ball, and the Seahawks are in bad shape after losing to a team they should have beaten while losing more bodies at wide receiver.
It may be too early for some skeptics but don’t be surprised if the Arizona Cardinals end up winning the division.
Maybe then the Cardianls won't be who you always thought they were. |
