Arians Keeps Cardinals' Super Bowl Window Open, but QB Search Essential in 2015

Bruce Arians and his team learned the hard way Saturday night that despite how strong the rest of the Arizona Cardinals' 53-man roster was heading into 2014, it ultimately could not hold up to the loss of starting quarterback Carson Palmer and backup Drew Stanton. 

Despite being surrounded by weapons—veteran Larry Fitzgerald, breakout rookie John Brown, playmaker Michael Floyd—Cardinals third-string quarterback Ryan Lindley stood at the mast of the sinking ship in the first game of Wild Card Weekend.

Lindley went 15-of-27, for a completion percentage of 55 percent, for 101 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions against the Carolina Panthers. Though quarterback play was not Arizona's sole undoing on Saturday—the lack of any running game to speak of, with the Cardinals gaining just 27 yards on the ground, made the offense one-dimensional—it was certainly the most prominent cause. 

Now, the team that looked like a lock to win the NFC's No. 1 seed heading into the playoffs has earned a first-round exit, and there's nothing to do but look toward building another playoff-worthy team in 2015.

The thing is, most of the pieces are in place, and with Arians at the helm, this team is dangerous. But unless they can find their future franchise quarterback this offseason, the Cardinals may find their window of opportunity to win their first Super Bowl closing quickly. 

Look at how this team has flourished since Arians took over in 2013. They finished at or below .500 for three consecutive years from 2010-2012 under Ken Whisenhunt before leaping to records of 10-6 in 2013 and 11-5 in 2014. 

The Cardinals had a positive points differential over the last two seasons for the first time in three years, as well, per Pro-Football-Reference.com. 

Coach	Season	Record	Pts Scored	Pts Allowed	Point Differential
Arians	2014	11-5	310	299	11
Arians	2013	10-6	379	324	55
Whisenhunt	2012	5-11	250	357	-107
Whisenhunt	2011	8-8	312	348	-36

Arizona's receiving trio of Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and John Brown has been one of the most dangerous in the league in 2014; all three have more than 10 catches of 20-plus yards, and Floyd averaged 17.9 yards per reception.

They give Arians the flexibility of being able to line up all over the field, though Fitzgerald's transition from being the team's No. 1 "X" receiver to more of a "Z" receiver has been reflected in his stats. 

Fitzgerald had only 784 yards in 2014, his lowest total in his career, except for his first season in 2004, in which he had 780. His two touchdowns were also his fewest. 

Does Arizona need Fitzgerald to make a Super Bowl run? As NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Saturday morning, the Cardinals plan to ask Fitzgerald to take a pay cut this offseason, and the ball will be in his court as to whether he decides to stick it out and see if he can help this team win a championship, or try his hand elsewhere. 

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

But Floyd has assumed the No. 1 receiver role in Arizona, and Brown's rapid development proves that Arians knows how to spot talented receiver prospects. 

Add to that strong receiver group the fact that Andre Ellington will be back next season, and this offense looks strong, even when held up to its NFC West competitors.

But it needs a quarterback. Lindley could hardly have played worse against Carolina and still Arians didn't give 2014 draft selection Logan Thomas a try, which either suggests that he doesn't plan on Thomas being his quarterback of the future, or that he's not ready yet. But in either scenario, Thomas doesn't seem like the guy to lead the Cardinals back to the playoffs in 2015. 

Moreover, Arians' unflinching support of Lindley despite his poor play was troublesome. Though Lindley entered Saturday night's game with the lowest passer rating (50.3) of any quarterback in the last 30 years, per NFL.com's Chris Wesseling, Arians was loyal to a fault. 

"When you get experience in big games, and those were two big games, it affects how you play," Arians said prior to the loss, per Wesseling. "And I think he's more than ready now to play extremely well." 

Needless to say, Arians' expectations of Lindley were not met Saturday. 

Palmer could potentially return in 2015, but what kind of shape will he be in, and how much does he have left in the tank? When Arizona signed Palmer to a three-year, $50 million extension in November, with about $20 million guaranteed through 2015, it was clear the team expected Palmer to start next season.

Palmer was placed on injured reserve with the expectation that he would be ready to play in 2015, as he suffered no other damage in the knee besides the torn ACL. But that was the same ACL Palmer tore in 2006.

The Cardinals are in an extremely tight position, with Palmer due guaranteed money next season and having just taken a quarterback in the fourth round of the 2014 draft. But the potential Super Bowl window, with this talented squad under Arians' guidance, will only be open for so long. 

Arizona may choose to take a look at free agent options this offseason, or could potentially target someone like UCLA's Brett Hundley without having to sacrifice a first-round pick. Palmer could get them through another season, but can they trust the 35-year-old to remain healthy enough for 19 games? Arizona may have to make a big move now to keep that championship window open longer.