Where Will We Finish 2012

[john h]

Since we all read the same post on this board we have a tendency to think somewhat alike. What do people who do not really follow the Cards think? They certainly do not think as highly as we do of our team. My take is the entire season depends on whoever the QB is and how he plays.

". Arizona Cardinals - After finishing 8-8 last season, this team could honestly go either way. On one hand, they lost four games by four points or less last season, they didn't have their best running back all season, and their starting QB missed six games. So it wouldn't shock me at all if they finished 9-7 or 10-6. However, their 17th ranked scoring defense looks very average on paper, and they have the worst offensive line in the division. Prediction: The Cardinals look like a team stuck in neutral, and with the rest of the division getting better, I'm predicting a 5-11 finish, and one very hot seat for head coach Ken Wisenhunt."

10-6 or 5-11 is a wide spread and I could go with that. This is from one of the sports forecasters.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I feel we are a better team with a more difficult schedule. However, the breakdown of that schedule is as favorable as it has ever been. All of this equates to between 9-7 and 7-9.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Officially: 8-8

If things go our way: 10-6
If things fall apart: 4-12

 

[Lagerfilled]

Even with Warner at the helm & a top 5 offense we were hard pressed to win 10 games. With that said, I don't think our past defenses were ever as good as what we'll see this year. Who knows... With a reasonably productive offense, a stellar defense, good health, and some favorable breaks, we could win as many as 11 games. I just don't see this team losing more than 9 with a strong defense. Gone are the days of 10 or 11 losses IMHO

 

[Snakester]

I see 10 -6. Worst case 7-9 best case 12-4. I think the defense and running game will carry the team.

 

[bg7brd]

9-7... wildcard

 

[Goldfield]

Even with Warner at the helm & a top 5 offense we were hard pressed to win 10 games. With that said, I don't think our past defenses were ever as good as what we'll see this year. Who knows... With a reasonably productive offense, a stellar defense, good health, and some favorable breaks, we could win as many as 11 games. I just don't see this team losing more than 9 with a strong defense. Gone are the days of 10 or 11 losses IMHO

This is how I feel also. If our D can play like it did @ the end of last season we will be in alot of games.

QB play will decide how good we are. But I think both Kolb & Skelton will improve from last year.

 

[Duckjake]

12-4 With Skelator!

 

[seesred]

It's up to our qb play. If we can control the games without turnovers and our RB stay reasonably healthy with our D we could win 10-12 games. If that breaks down we will struggle to break even.

GBR
40

 

[gamebird98]

9-7 We win the west

 

[MadCardDisease]

7-9

I think we start off strong with the early home schedule then struggle in the second half of the season.

 

[Lagerfilled]

I think the main difference between the current team the 2008 & 2009 versions is we have very little margin for error now that don't score 25+ per game. In other words, we have to win the turnover battle, minimize stupid penalties, and contain pressure on the QB. If we can do those three things reasonably well even with marginal offensive improvement, I think we win 9 or 10 games.

 

[Duckjake]

I think the main difference between the current team the 2008 & 2009 versions is we have very little margin for error now that don't score 25+ per game. In other words, we have to win the turnover battle, minimize stupid penalties, and contain pressure on the QB. If we can do those three things reasonably well even with marginal offensive improvement, I think we win 9 or 10 games.

Never forget that the Giants were an "8-8" team with no defense the first 3/4 of the season, had to come from behind in the 4th Quarter to beat the Cards, Patriots, Dolphins and Cowboys and ended up winning the Super Bowl last year. Who knows where we could end up this season.

 

[TJ]

Peak - 11-5

Valley - 6-10

It's so hard to gauge this year's team at the beginning of the season compared to the others.

For starters, the schedule is loaded with offensive powerhouses that will be a good litmus test to how efficient this defense truly is.

Also, there is the QB situation. Whomever wins the competition needs to do so convincingly and we can't be picking the one that is "the least sucky."

I guess I'll just say, "I don't know."

 

[cardncubfan]

12-4 With Skelator!

Duck isn't that supposed to be 4-12? (DuckFitzjinx)

 

[Duckjake]

Duck isn't that supposed to be 4-12? (DuckFitzjinx)

Darn you're right! We will lose with Double Deuce.

 

[Crimson Warrior]

It's up to our qb play. If we can control the games without turnovers and our RB stay reasonably healthy with our D we could win 10-12 games. If that breaks down we will struggle to break even.

GBR
40

I think this is going to be a pretty tough season. Even if SF comes back down to earth vs. 2011, they'll still be a 10-win type team. I think SEA was about as good as we were last year, and they've gotten better during the offseason (sanz lynch getting his drink and drive on).

Add in what appears to be a pretty tough schedule (although we all know that SOS can be dramatically different at the end of the year vs. what it was at the beginning of the year), and it becomes clear that the Cardinals will need it's defense to continue to improve, along with better QB play, just to get eight wins.

To get nine wins we'll need the following:

1. Stay healthy
2. A legit number two guy to emerge from the pack of DBs we have fighting for that position
3. Above average (i.e. 83 rating or better for the season) QB play

Like others have mentioned though, the success of our season really hinges on our QB play. Our defense will wear out and become demotivated if they are constantly defending short fields, and playing twenty minutes of every half because Kolb or Skelton can't complete a third down pass.

 

[Cheesebeef]

somwhere between 9-7 and 7-9. That's both our ceiling and our floor IMO, mostly because we have drek at QB.

 

[daves]

we have drek at QB.

Hey, at least it's better than DEREK! <shudder!>

...dave

 

[Duckjake]

I think this is going to be a pretty tough season. Even if SF comes back down to earth vs. 2011, they'll still be a 10-win type team. I think SEA was about as good as we were last year, and they've gotten better during the offseason (sanz lynch getting his drink and drive on).

Add in what appears to be a pretty tough schedule (although we all know that SOS can be dramatically different at the end of the year vs. what it was at the beginning of the year), and it becomes clear that the Cardinals will need it's defense to continue to improve, along with better QB play, just to get eight wins.

To get nine wins we'll need the following:

1. Stay healthy
2. A legit number two guy to emerge from the pack of DBs we have fighting for that position
3. Above average (i.e. 83 rating or better for the season) QB play

Like others have mentioned though, the success of our season really hinges on our QB play. Our defense will wear out and become demotivated if they are constantly defending short fields, and playing twenty minutes of every half because Kolb or Skelton can't complete a third down pass.

They didn't last season. In fact they got tougher. The D allowed the fewest offensive TDs last year, 32, of any Cards Defense since 2004. It's what I'm hanging my hat on for 2012. A Defense that not only is solid but won't check it in when the going gets tough like so many Cardinal teams of the past.

The biggest problem with our D last season was the big play. They were essentially a break but don't bend defense.

 

[Dr. Jones]

somwhere between 9-7 and 7-9. That's both our ceiling and our floor IMO, mostly because we have drek at QB.

For this reason and our schedule..... 7-9 - 2nd in the West.

I can really see 5 wins if I stop drinking the .

 

[kerouac9]

Between 8-8 and 6-10, because of the difficulty of the schedule compared to last year's flower patch.

3rd in the NFC West.

 

[Bodha]

9-7, best case scenario: 10-6.


For as good as we played at the second half of last year, you cant forget the first half. We played SO bad. Of course that can be due to the new defense being learned on the fly, and the lack of offseason. But its not like that didnt affect other teams too.



You can speculate till the cows come home, but it all comes down to QB play.

 

[Duckjake]

Between 8-8 and 6-10, because of the difficulty of the schedule compared to last year's flower patch.

3rd in the NFC West.

Was last years schedule any easier than 2010 or 2009? I'll be you never expected us to beat New Orleans with Max Hall at QB. We still get to play the Rams twice. We don't play Cleveland but we played the Super Bowl Champion Giants, the Steelers and the Ravens in Baltimore and the Eagles in Philly. Six games against five playoff teams. We only played 3 in 2009. We beat the 49ers and Eagles and had the Giants Giants down 27-17 and Ravens down 24-6. I don't expect our defense this season to give up those type leads.

 

[kerouac9]

Was last years schedule any easier than 2010 or 2009? I'll be you never expected us to beat New Orleans with Max Hall at QB. We still get to play the Rams twice. We don't play Cleveland but we played the Super Bowl Champion Giants, the Steelers and the Ravens in Baltimore and the Eagles in Philly. Six games against five playoff teams. We only played 3 in 2009. We beat the 49ers and Eagles and had the Giants Giants down 27-17 and Ravens down 24-6. I don't expect our defense this season to give up those type leads.

We were a better team in 2009 than we are now, and were a much worse team in 2010. Not sure how that matters.

On that 2010 team, no one might have expected us to beat the Saints, but did you expect to lose to the Seahawks twice, the Bucs at home, Minnesota after flummoxing them the year before, San Francisco twice, and a Carolina Panthers team starting Jimmy Clausen?

Six games against five playoff teams, and we went 1-5 against them. I think that the NFC North is going to be the most competitive division in the conference, and we could go 1-3 against them fairly easily. Maybe 0-4 unless Kolb suddenly becomes clutch against a fierce pass rush in the rollerdome.

As far as I know, you still have to score more points than your opponent to win in the NFL. If Patrick Peterson isn't scoring 4 TDs in the return game, I don't see how we beat high-powered offenses, especially on the road.

In 2012 we have six scheduled games against five 2011 playoff teams. And then there's ALSO Chicago and the Jets. One would've been a playoff team f not for injuries, and the other would've been barring knuckleheadedness. And that's without counting the major upgrades in division in Seattle.

I think we more or less stood pat on an 8-8 team that got a bunch of breaks, and now have a harder row to hoe.