Arizona Cardinals: 5 Reasons to Be Optimistic in 2012

After landing one of the best defensive players in the draft last year in Patrick Peterson and trading for what looked to be a potential franchise quarterback, many fans had high hopes for the Arizona Cardinals going into 2011.

Unfortunately, they got off to a rough start and were not able to recover.

Another offseason has now gone by with several changes made on both sides of the ball. Whether those changes will be for the better or for the worse remains to be seen, but this article will look at five reasons the Cardinals have to be optimistic in 2012.

Strong Finish

As previously mentioned, Arizona started slow in 2011 with a 1-6 record through the first eight weeks of the season.

The lockout, a new quarterback and a new defensive coordinator were just a few of the obstacles this team had to face early on.

Once the Cardinals got settled in, they were able to go on a great run, as they were victorious in seven of their final nine games.

An 8-8 record does not look great on paper, but Arizona will have some momentum to carry over from the 2011 season.  

Pass Rush

Other than Larry Fitzgerald himself, the best thing that Arizona has going for them right now is their pass rush.

Defensive end Calais Campbell had his best statistical year as a pro, while Daryl Washington was tied for first in sacks among all inside linebackers.

As a team, the Cardinals tallied 42 sacks on the year, which put them in a tie for seventh with the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers.

This was only the second time that Arizona had placed in the top 10 in sacks since the team moved to the desert back in 1988.

Patrick Peterson

Any category that involves Patrick Peterson could really be used here.

Whether it is on defense, special teams or even the odd play or two out of the Wildcat, it seems that anytime he is involved in a play, the fans are on the edges of their seats.

His performance early in the season on the defensive side of the ball was less than stellar, but he was able to make up for it with multiple special-teams touchdowns.

Peterson’s defense also improved a ton as the year went on, and it is looking like he could be an impact player on this team for years to come.  

Revamped Offensive Line

While most people outside of Arizona still see their offensive line as an issue, most of us know that the additions of Adam Snyder, Bobby Massie and even Senio Kelemete and Nate Potter will be huge for the Cardinals not only in 2012, but for many years to come.

Kurt Warner did a great job of masking the poor play of the offensive line during his time as the Cardinals signal-caller, but it has been exposed ever since he left.

Teams like the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks had a great time defending Arizona’s offense in 2011, but with two new starters on the right side of the line and two of the most underrated lineman in the game in Daryn Colledge and Lyle Sendlein, that trend should change in 2012.  

Offensive Weapons

When reading through power rankings and different opinions of other analysts about Arizona, the most commonly asked question seems to be: “Can Kevin Kolb get the job done?”

With the amount of talent that has been brought in, this is the year that question should be answered.

Not only have the Cardinals addressed the offensive line, but they also have many weapons that not many people know about.

LaRod Stephens-Howling was brought back, running back Ryan Williams will get to see his first professional action after suffering a ruptured patella tendon last preseason, and they have also added one of the best, if not the best wide receiver to come out of this year’s draft in Michael Floyd.

Both Rob Housler and Todd Heap also missed time due to injury last season but will be ready to go this year. This offense has the potential to be extremely dangerous.