The Snake Bitten Era Of Bruce Arians

[NJCardFan]

Bruce Arians. The winningest coach in Cardinals history. 50 wins in 5 seasons. However, only 2 playoff appearances in that time, 3 playoff games, 1-2 record, no Super Bowl. Here's how I call us snake bit:

2013-Fresh off of a dismal 5-11 season that saw us go from a 4-0 start to losing 11 of our last 12 games including a 58-0 drubbing from the Seahawks. Well, BA came in with a new attitude, new QB, and we ended the season at 10-6, however, for the 2nd time in our history, we win 10 games and failed to make the playoffs.

2014-There we were. Humming along one of the hottest teams in the league at 8-1 then, *wham* Carson Palmer blows out his knee although he wasn't touched and we're down to Drew Stanton but we win the game on a long Stanton pass and we're 9-1. Then, while we're limping along, Stanton also goes down and we limp into the post season at 11-5 having finished the season at 2-4 with Ryan stinking Lindley at QB. We end up in a road game in Carolina when, in spite of having no QB we actually had a brief lead but it wasn't to be. We lost 27-16.

2015-All season long it looked like our year. #1 offense, a hard hitting defense and beating pretty much everyone in front of us but, alas, a dislocated finger and another knee injury to TM, we earn a 1st round bye for the first time in our history(to go along with the 13 wins) but we struggle to win the divisional game(although in exciting fashion) then get reamed in the NFC championship game. We never recover.

2016/2017-Similar seasons with special teams breakdowns, inconsistent kicking, poor tackling, uninspired football altogether and finish with a combined 15-16-1 record, out of the playoffs. The latter season looking less like a football season and more like a season of MASH. But we did beat the Seahags in Seattle twice in 2 years and thrice in 4 and now BA calls it quits.

Not too many teams share that history. This team has been snake bitten so often in their history that they should change their names to the Vipers or something. Also, just when we thought we got it all together, the football gods curse us at key moments with key injuries that derail our hopes. Here's to hoping for better fortune in the years to come.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

2014 was our year, would've easily had home field throughout if CP didn't get hurt.

 

[AZ Native]

2014 was our year, would've easily had home field throughout if CP didn't get hurt.

Agreed!

 

[Cheesebeef]

2014 was our year, would've easily had home field throughout if CP didn't get hurt.

That team had the most heart but not the most talent. They reminded me of the 2005-6 Suns. The scrappiest team I can ever remember for the Cards, but even with Palmer healthy, I’m thinking that completely in its prime Seahawks team beats us in the NFC Title game (in our house) or that great Pats team beats us in the Super Bowl.

That won’t be a popular theory here, but those Pats/Hawks teams were freaking nasty in every way shape and form.

 

[NJCardFan]

2014 was our year, would've easily had home field throughout if CP didn't get hurt.

I actually believe that if Stanton was healthy, we at least beat Carolina. As for Seattle beating us with a healthy Palmer, I don't know. We actually hung with them pretty well in Seattle and the blowout at home, the offense was a crap show by then with Lindley so I have to believe a healthy Palmer we would have competed in that game. Playoffs are an entirely different animal and considering Seattle was the defending champs, I don't think we beat them in the conference title game.

That said, 2015 was our year. We were clicking on all cylinders and were relatively injury free that year. If Palmer doesn't hurt his hand and TM doesn't blow out his knee, no one touches us that year including Carolina and Denver. We easily beat both of them and we would have been champions but, as usual, the ol' snake bites us and the rest is history.

 

[pemory09]

All great points NJ. I hadn’t realized any of this until you put it all together. What the hell? Why is this franchise the recipient of so much lousy luck?

 

[NJCardFan]

All great points NJ. I hadn’t realized any of this until you put it all together. What the hell? Why is this franchise the recipient of so much lousy luck?

I can go back further. 1988 the Cards were on their way to winning the division when Lomax hurt his knee then came back too soon and the team never recovered.

 

[pemory09]

I can go back further. 1988 the Cards were on their way to winning the division when Lomax hurt his knee then came back too soon and the team never recovered.

Damn, I forgot about that season as well. What a ******.

 

[Finito]

Football a lot of times just comes down to health

 

[DVontel]

You guys seem to forget we didn’t have a consistent pass-rush in 2015. It was why the games verses Cincy, SF(2nd meeting), & Minnesota were all closer than they needed to be. Outside of that outlier 9 sack game against GB in the regular season, we struggled pressuring QBs. I still highly doubt we beat Carolina even WITH a healthy TM & CP down the stretch. We couldn’t get to Cam at ALL in the NFC Championship. While they got to CP ALL night. Now if you add the 2013 defense with the 2015 offense with everyone healthy? Then I think we beat Carolina.


2014 was more of the same story really, with even worse ILBs. Peterson was also horrible that season, too. But we got by with grit & determination. Hell of a coaching job by the staff.

I enjoyed the ride though.

 

[splitsecond]

You guys seem to forget we didn’t have a consistent pass-rush in 2015. It was why the games verses Cincy, SF(2nd meeting), & Minnesota were all closer than they needed to be. Outside of that outlier 9 sack game against GB in the regular season, we struggled pressuring QBs. I still highly doubt we beat Carolina even WITH a healthy TM & CP down the stretch. We couldn’t get to Cam at ALL in the NFC Championship. While they got to CP ALL night. Now if you add the 2013 defense with the 2015 offense with everyone healthy? Then I think we beat Carolina.


2014 was more of the same story really, with even worse ILBs. Peterson was also horrible that season, too. But we got by with grit & determination. Hell of a coaching job by the staff.

I enjoyed the ride though.

Yeah people miss this all the time. It is literally the reason we had no chance against Carolina. It's what made it possible for a noodle armed Peyton Manning to beat Carolina.