Agree. No one can honestly predict what this team will look like in 2023, but I guess that‘s the fun of a team forum. On paper it looks like a brutal schedule, but we’ll have to wait and see on that matter. Schedules are seldom what they seem. I do expect a slow start. And not necessarily because Murray is out. Teams that are making wholesale philosophical changes like the Cardinals are don’t generally hit the ground running. Unlike any Cardinal team in recent memory, the Cardinals are not putting a bandaid over problem areas. Some on this board want to call it tanking. Maybe it is, and maybe it isn’t. I think it’s more the latter. I think one could go back and watch the changes the Eagles made from a 4 win 2020 season and that’s more closely what we’ll see. Under Sirianni, the Eagles started 2021 at 2-5. The offseason leading into the 2021 season, they invested their resources into fixing the offense first and JG agreed to manage the D with smoke and mirrors. And that’s how it played out. The Eagles offense was scary the 2nd half of the season, and the D just tried to hang. They finished the season at 9-8, and made the playoffs because of a weak NFC. They were actually 0-6 against teams with a winning record, although most of those losses came early when they had the poor start. Do I expect the Cardinals to go 9-8? No! Again, at least on paper, the Cardinals have a much tougher schedule than the 2021 Eagles. But, I do expect a team that will be held accountable, a team that won’t beat itself with penalties, and a team that will be far stronger, both mentally and physically. Just like with the Eagles, the offense will be better than the defense in year 1, and I think Drew Petzing will be a hot commodity for HC after just one season in AZ. Stefanski is on the hot seat in Cleveland, and Petzing will be a candidate there should Stefanski not turn things around. Bottom line, it’s a crapshoot what will happen with the Cardinals this season. But, I’m as excited as ever to be a fan. It may not reflect itself in the standings, but MOJG are attempting to build something that is sustainable. And I’m not sure that has ever happened in the 60 years I’ve followed this franchise.
