Cardinals Survive Despite Injuries, Appear Headed to Playoffs Against All Odds

The Arizona Cardinals are almost certainly headed to the playoffs. 

With a 12-6 Thursday Night Football win over the St. Louis Rams, the Cardinals have a clear path to the NFC playoffs barring an incredibly unlikely tie between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles this weekend (along with a whole host of other factors over the last few weeks of the season). 

This has to be easily one of the most unlikely and masterful playoff runs in recent memory. 

In Week 10, Cardinals starting quarterback Carson Palmer went down with a knee injury. Palmer had only played in six games all season long and had a quarterback rating of 95.6 to go along with 11 touchdowns, three interceptions and a yards-per-attempt of 7.3. 

In games Palmer started, Arizona was 6-0. 

With numbers like that, it's easy to see why many thought the season might be over when Palmer was done for the year. Backup Drew Stanton doesn't exactly inspire a ton of confidence, and it isn't as if the offense was, shall we say, explosive even with Palmer back there.

The Cardinals could have given up like so many gave up on them.

That didn't happen.

With his team now at 11-3 and well on its way to the playoffs, head coach Bruce Arians is firmly on the front lines of the Coach of the Year race. They're one of the top teams in the NFC and have a shot to take home a divisional crown this year while cohabiting in the same division as the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. 

No one really expected this before the season. 

Certainly no one expected this after Week 10. 

Yet, here we are. 

The Cardinals have been winning each and every week (both with Palmer under center and now with Stanton et al.) thanks to a stifling defense that is sure to send defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to a head coaching job this offseason. 

Ranked by total yardage, the Cardinals are actually 17th in the NFL. However, when one sorts by points allowed, that number rises to No. 3 with only 18.3 points per game. A big part of that has been turnovers created by the defense (seventh in the league with 23 total takeaways), as well as a very concerted effort by the offense to minimize turnovers.

Overall, Arizona is tied with the New England Patriots for third in the NFL with a plus-10 turnover differential. The Cardinals are doing everything they need to do to win football games. 

That defense is led by defensive end Calais Campbell, who has long been one of the top defensive ends (especially in 3-4 defenses) in all of football. This season, thanks to the Cardinals record and the way they obtained it, he's starting to get some of the recognition he deserves. 

Defensive back Antonio Cromartie has actually outplayed his more heralded teammates on the back end of the defense this season, but the whole unit has stepped things up recently.

Early on in the year, the secondary was a big part of that yardage-allowed mark being higher than expected, giving up big passing performances not only to the likes of Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning but also to Washington's Kirk Cousins.

With a tightened-up secondary, the defense is driving the proverbial bus toward the playoffs, where Arizona may not be favored, but this is also not a team that anyone is going to want to mess with. With games coming up against the Seahawks (at home) and in San Francisco, the Cardinals have a chance to put an exclamation point on this uncommon and unconventional season they've been having.

The 49ers are in shambles and the Seahawks are not exactly impressive offensively right now, either. And Arizona proved it can win close games on the back of its defense. 

Win or lose in the next few weeks—that includes the first round of the playoffs—the Cardinals can be proud of what they've put together this season. They're clearly set up for success in the future, as their team has weathered injuries, suspensions and numerous other issues.

When you look at it that way, the Cardinals aren't just surviving. 

They're thriving. 

Michael Schottey is an NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Find more of his stuff on his archive page and follow him on Twitter.