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The first-place Cardinals! After
blowing out the Rams in Week 2, the Cards have won three games with late field goals, including last-second kicks in each of their
past two contests.
Kyler Murray is posting career-best marks in completion percentage, success rate as a passer, interception rate and sack rate. Rookie wide receiver
Marvin Harrison Jr. has been in and out of games from week to week, but Arizona's two- and three-tight-end sets have helped it protect Murray and run the football.
Given that the offense ranked 10th in EPA per play after Murray returned from injury last season, the bigger question was always about the defensive side of the ball. Jonathan Gannon's Eagles took a big step forward in his second season as D-coordinator in 2022, before Gannon became Arizona's coach last year, and while the Cardinals aren't about to rack up 70 sacks in a season, their pass defense is improving.
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Safety
Budda Baker & Co. ranked 32nd in QBR allowed a season ago and stayed in last place through the first four weeks of 2024, but they're up to 12th by the same metric over the past four games, which includes games against
Brock Purdy,
Jordan Love,
Justin Herbert and
Tua Tagovailoa. The defense still ranks last in third-down conversion rate over that stretch, but it has limited opposing offenses to six touchdowns on 15 trips inside the 20-yard line.
The Cardinals also have an obvious short-term need at edge rusher, where
BJ Ojulari tore
an ACL before the season.
Dennis Gardeck, who had been part of the rotation on the edge, followed with
his own ACL injury in the win
over the Chargers. In a three-way tie for first place, Arizona shouldn't be shopping for a 2024 rental in the hopes of trying to squeak its way into a playoff spot. Can it land an edge rusher such as
Azeez Ojulari or
Harold Landry who can be part of the roster for years to come? That seems more reasonable.
The Cardinals also should be scouting their schedule. According to the FPI, they have played the league's toughest schedule so far. They face the third-easiest schedule from here on out.
The verdict: The Cardinals should add at the deadline.