Despite a host of quality offseason additions, the 2013 Arizona Cardinals are the afterthought of the NFC West. Such an assessment is the product of a division that features the Super Bowl-contending San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks and an upstart St. Louis Rams squad.

Let’s first review the Cardinals exploits from a 2012 campaign that ended in dismal fashion.
 

Quick 2012 Review

NFL teams that start 4-0 generally finish with a .500 or better record, if not make the playoffs by season’s end. Not so much for the 2012 Cardinals.

Three of Arizona’s first four wins came against playoff-bound Seattle, AFC favorite New England Patriots and a tough Miami Dolphins club. It also blitzed the Philadelphia Eagles by a three-touchdown margin.

Then, despite continuing to hold opponents to 21 or fewer points for the next three weeks, a colossal downward fall for the ages had already been established.

The Cardinals lost their next nine games and 11 of the final 12 regular season contests following their auspicious start. Their lone victory came at the expense of the hapless 4-12 Detroit Lions. They allowed 27-plus points in five of these games, including a 58-0 beat down put on by the Seahawks.

Complementing a once dominant defense was an offense that languished in total futility. The Cardinals, with a revolving door at quarterback and wholly ineffective offensive line, failed to hit the 20-point mark in any of their final 12 games.

Any fan of the game of football couldn’t help but feel sorry for All-Pro wideout Larry Fitzgerald. One of the true class acts in the sporting world really got the short end of the stick on this one.

He, along with his revamped Cardinals squad, look to seek sweet retribution in 2013 on opponents who drove them into an unlivable NFL existence last season.

Schedule Analysis

While not quite commensurate with the daunting record of the St. Louis Rams’ opponents, Arizona must overcome the seventh-hardest schedule in 2013.

It squares off with—at least on paper—superior Saints and Buccaneers teams away from home in Weeks 3-4. Road contests in four of the first six weeks also create a huge early-season obstacle for Arizona.

No reprieves of any kind are afforded to the Cardinals following that initial stretch. Even with five of the next seven games being played in friendly confines, they must deal with four playoff clubs from 2012. The Seahawks, Falcons, Texans and Colts all improved over the offseason, to boot.

Traveling across country for a battle with the Titans followed by a slugfest with the 12th Man-aided Seahawks and division favorite 49ers rounds out the Cardinals’ brutal schedule.

Earning a seat at the big boys’ table will not be an enjoyable task for this club.

Offensive Outlook

The 2013 Cardinals boast upgrades at each level of their offense.

Drafting the road-grading guard Jonathan Cooper and moving Daryn Colledge to the right side immediately improves the offensive line. Center Lyle Sendlein will also hold his own in the middle of this front.

But it’s on the shoulders of bookend options Levi Brown (LT), Nate Potter (LT) and second-year man Bobbie Massie (RT) to keep quarterback Carson Palmer upright. Brown allowed 11 sacks when he last played in 2011, while Potter and Massie surrendered a combined 20 in their first action as NFL starters in 2012.

Cooper, for his part, will help power a decent rushing attack if it can avoid injuries. Rashard Mendenhall recently returned to training camp practices and will serve as the established No. 1 if he can indeed stay on the field. Draft picks Andre Ellington and Stepfan Taylor bring outside burst and third-down capabilities, respectively, as solid rookie options. Projecting regular-season availability for the constantly-injured Ryan Williams, however, is a fruitless endeavor.

The pertinent idea here is that the Cardinals could actually feature a balanced offense this season with a capable corps of running backs. Palmer, despite his advancing age, is a monumental improvement over whoever operated at quarterback last year. He, Fitzgerald, fellow big-bodied wideout Michael Floyd and slot receiver Andre Roberts should produce a dynamic enough passing game. Rising tight end Rob Housler will help complete this unit.

And on a final note, new head coach Bruce Arians will infuse his offensive genius and aerial play calling and take this offense to new heights in 2013.

Defensive Outlook

We’ll now move on to the bread and butter of this Arizona club.

The Cardinals are equipped with one of the deepest front-sevens in all of football. Nose tackle Dan Williams and defensive ends Calais Campbell and Darnell Dockett are all complemented by quality options behind them, notably Frostee Rucker and Matt Shaughnessy. The 6’8’’ Campbell and his 6.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss and six pass breakups from 2012 highlight this group.

All-World ILB Daryl Washington heads the equally deep linebacker corps. Such depth is exemplified by the addition of highly-rated Karlos Dansby, and his ability to keep the Cardinals afloat while Washington serves a four-game suspension. Veteran Jasper Brinkley and second-round rookie Kevin Minter will serve as a formidable one-two punch on the inside.

Sam Acho is a solid player at right outside linebacker, while his strong-side counterpart Lorenzo Alexander can play inside or out. Rookie Alex Okafor provides some depth and the NFL’s active sack leader John Abraham brings an established pass-rushing dynamic.

No. 1 cornerback Patrick Peterson and his unfair ball skills and sub-4.3 speed could easily assume the reigns as the league’s premier shutdown corner in 2013. Offseason pickup Antoine Cason brings good size on the outside, with Jerraud Powers, Jamell Fleming and Javier Arenas offering solid depth.

Both intrigue and potential disappoint exist at the safety position. The losses of accomplished veterans Kerry Rhodes and Adrian Wilson could really hurt this team. Yeremiah Bell does have extensive experience, but is well beyond his prime at 35 years of age. And strong-side replacement Rashad Johnson has had an unspectacular four-year career—his pick-six last season notwithstanding.

The interesting aspect in this personnel grouping is maligned fourth-round draftee Tyrann Mathieu. He who was once affectionately known as the “Honey Badger” must overcome serious drug issues in order to remain in the NFL. Yet, the ball-hawking and game-changing former LSU Tiger will provide unique skills at nickel corner and roving safety for the Cardinals.