Kurt Warner: Midseason NFL MVP?

Whoever said the number 13 was unlucky never met Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner. 

Almost nine years to the exact day, Sports Illustrated hit newsstands nationwide with Kurt Warner on the cover with a caption that read, “Who Is This Guy?” This guy has taken the NFL by storm by winning a Super Bowl and league MVP in his first full season as a starter with the St. Louis Rams.

Warner might not be a first ballot Hall-of-Fame quarterback, but he will carry the Arizona Cardinals back into the playoffs for the first time since 1998—a major turnaround for a team that thought Matt Leinart was going to be their franchise quarterback. The Cardinals have given all the responsibilities to Warner, and haven’t looked back.

Ed Thompson a writer at Scout.com ranks Kurt Warner as the best quarterback in the league. Others may argue, but you can’t take away the stats. Warner is averaging around 285 yards per game and completing 70 percent of his passes.

The bye week for the Arizona Cardinals couldn’t come at a better time. The Arizona Republic is reporting that Anquan Boldin might be ready for their Oct. 26 game against the Carolina Panthers.

This is even better news for Kurt Warner since Boldin is his favorite target. And although Warner hasn’t had Boldin for the last few games, he has still found a way to get his team into the end zone. 

Heading into the bye week, The Arizona Cardinals are sitting in a division that is having an off year.  The Seattle Seahawks, who have dominated the NFC West the past four years, have taken a nose dive as the Cardinals have a two-game lead in the division, even with the injury to Boldin.

The remaining schedule for the Cardinals favors them pretty well. The combined record of the rest of their opponents is 23-31. However, they do face playoff contenders such as New York Giants at home and travel to Gillette Stadium to face the New England Patriots in what should be a cold December afternoon.  

In my opinion, the Arizona Cardinals should finish the season 11-5, and walk away with the NFC West title.

The only thing that could hurt the Cardinals is injuries, which are the NFL’s worst enemy (second to Adam Jones.)  If Warner can continue the Pro Bowl-caliber season that he is having and avoid the injury plague, he will lead the Cardinals into the playoffs, where the real NFL season begins.