An NFL Preseason Look at the 2009 Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals will open next pre-season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team they lost to in the Superbowl. When they kick off the season, many NFL betting nutbags will be looking to see if the Red Birds can get to another polished 9-7 ATS record, with a strong 7-2 ATS when they were favored. But too many questions surround the Cardinals, despite being the best team in the NFC West. At +140, Arizona has the best odds of winning their division, with the Seahawks trailing at +210.

The biggest question mark surrounding training camp is the “will he, won’t he?” story surrounding the best second-option in the league – Anquan Boldin. The wide receiver standout is currently a potential holdout and headache after posting 89 catches for 1,038 yards and 11 touchdowns. But with Fitzgerald opposite Boldin cashing in on a huge, long-term deal, Boldin is looking for the same respect. Understandably, everyone in the league respects Boldin as a player, and breaking up perhaps the best receiving corps in the league. Getting Boldin back in the pads is priority one for the Cardinals.

Smaller questions surround the backfield, where Edgerrin James has disappeared to be replaced by Tim Hightower. Now everyone remembers Hightower for exploding on the league as a sleeper pick in fantasy. He romped and stomped to 10 touchdowns, but averaged just 2.8 yards per carry. The passing game may have ranked second overall in the league, but the rushing “attack” was dead last with just 73.6 rush yards per game. That’s a huge concern considering how much better the Seahawks’ rushing defense has become over the course of the summer. Hightower may be the next guy in line, but I’m not 100% sold.

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After all, Hightower got a lot of open runs thanks to Kurt Warner’s vaunted passing attack. With Fitzy, Boldin and Sam Breason at his flank, Warner’s team averaged a staggering 292.1 passing yards with Ken Wisenhunt’s creative game plans sinking in. Last year was his second-best season in his storied career, but it was definitely unexpected. At 38 years of age, Warner will be challenged to be the man that he was last year. Behind him will be Matt Leinart, and Warner is about three bad games away from creating a quarterback controversy in the desert.

Don’t even get me started on the defense, which ranked 28th overall in the NFL with 26.6 points against in the regular season. Makes you wonder how they were even competitive in the playoffs, doesn’t it? Our oddsmakers agree.

The Cardinals are +1200 to win the NFC, putting them at even odds with Carolina and just ahead of Green Bay (+1300). But that also puts them behind seven teams in the NFC alone. Our oddsmakers do this for a living, and if they’re labeling the defending NFC Champions as a mid-level team, perhaps you should get your head out of the clouds and realize that this team has no proven running game, a defense that can’t keep its legs closed in the red zone, a 38 year-old quarterback and a superstar receiving sensation in a contract dispute.

Of course, we doubted them last year and look what happened…