2011 NFL Predictions: 7 Reasons the Arizona Cardinals Are Playoff-Bound

The Arizona Cardinals come into the 2011 season with high hopes after a disappointing 2010 campaign. The NFC West division is as unpredictable as Chad Ochocinco's next post on Twitter.

The Cardinals front office has shown an initiative to win for the first time in team history over the offseason, largely in part to keeping Larry Fitzgerald happy in the desert. The Cardinals re-signed the franchise's best player to an eight-year $120 million contract this past week. Along with Fitzgerald's huge contract, the Cardinals have added franchise QB Kevin Kolb, improved their offensive line, added Pro Bowl tight end Todd Heap and seem to have their swag back leading up to what seems to be an exciting playoff run in the desert.

I have come up with seven reasons the Arizona Cardinals will make the playoffs this year, and although  he would be an obvious choice, Larry Fitzgerald is not one of them.

1) Franchise QB: Kevin Kolb

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid was so high on Kevin Kolb that he had him starting over Michael Vick a year ago. Even after Vick's unbelievable bounce-back season in 2010, Reid wanted to keep Kolb for the future.

It wasn't until the Cardinals offered Pro Bowl CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round pick to the Eagles that Reid finally let Kolb walk. The Cardinals may get a steal in this trade if Kolb works out to be as good as Reid thinks he can be.

Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt has proven he can get the most out of his QBs in the past. Coach Wiz was a key contributor to the development of Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, as well as the resurgence of Kurt Warner's career in Arizona. Both QBs played in the Super Bowl under Whisenhunt (Roethlisberger won, Warner lost), and both thrived in Whisenhunt's offense.

Kolb is arguably the best QB in the NFC West, with his biggest threat being St. Louis Rams second-year stud Sam Bradford. Kolb has looked good so far in the preseason, and seems to have his timing down with Pro Bowl WR Larry Fitzgerald, as the duo is averaging 25 yards per completion. If Kolb is as good as advertised, expect the Cardinals to be hosting yet another playoff game in the desert come January.

2) Improved Offensive Line

The Arizona Cardinals shocked the free-agent market when they signed former Green Bay offensive lineman Daryn Colledge to a five-year $27.5 million contract. The Cardinals also re-signed fan favorite center Lyle Sendlein to a new contract.

In a turn of events, Arizona also re-signed guard Deuce Lutui to a one-year extension after he previously signed a multi-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals before failing a physical. Lutui seems poised to have a bounce-back year after meeting with Coach Whisenhunt before training camp. When asked if Coach Wiz was concerned with Lutui's weight, Coach jokingly said "I've talked with Deuce about his weight a few times, and not one has been over a meal."

With an improved offensive line and RB Beanie Wells playing with a chip on his shoulder, look for the Cardinals running game to be improved this year. Even with the devastating season-ending knee injury to rookie RB Ryan Williams, RB Larod Stephens-Howling has looked explosive in camp.

3) Playmaker at TE

For the first time in franchise history the Cardinals have a playmaker at TE. The most underrated free-agent pickup in the NFC West is the signing of Pro Bowl TE Todd Heap. Heap has been injury-prone the past couple years playing in one of the most physically demanding divisions—the NFC North—his entire career.

Heap is now back home, as he played high school ball at Mesa Mountain View and college ball with the Arizona State Sun Devils. He looks and sounds great, seemingly having a second wind coming back home. Benefiting Heap as well is the transition to the NFC West, a much less physical conference, as well as working out with teammate Larry Fitzgerald the entire offseason.

Look for Heap to be Kolb's favorite 3rd-down and red-zone target, especially when Fitz is double-teamed.  

4) Three Up-and-Coming Wide Recievers

Along with Fitzgerald and Heap this year are three up-and-coming WRs who are poised for breakout seasons. Early Doucet, Andre Roberts and Stephen Williams—never heard of any of these guys? You will soon.

With WR Steve Breaston's departure to the Kansas City Chiefs, it is now time for these guys to step in and be reliable targets for QB Kevin Kolb. Doucet showed great promise a couple years ago during their Super Bowl run with the absence of WR Anquan Boldin. Andre Roberts has looked electrifying in the preseason, both catching passes and as a returner. After a subpar rookie year, Roberts looks to have matured in the offseason impressing both coaches and fans alike.

Stephen Williams, who took the 2010 training camp by storm last year as an undrafted free-agent rookie out of Toledo, is having another impressive preseason. Look for these three youngsters to contribute a great deal to the Cardinals passing attack in 2011.

5) Coach Ken Whisenhunt

Coach Wiz has been rumored to be on the hot seat going into his fifth season with the Cardinals. As a former Arizona Cardinals employee, I can tell you first-hand that rumor is a complete joke.

After an 8-8 rookie head coaching campaign, Coach Wisenhunt took the Cardinals to the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance in just his second year. The team was a play away from winning the trophy, if not for safety Aaron Francisco's crucial slip on Santonio Holmes 3rd-and-18 conversion in the final minutes of the game, and blown coverage on the eventual game-winning TD to Holmes as well.

To follow up their 2009-2009 Super Bowl run, Whisenhunt took the Cardinals back to the playoffs the following year, beating the Green Bay Packers in one of the most electrifying playoff games in NFL history 51-45 in overtime. Look for Coach Wiz to have QB Kevin Kolb in Pro Bowl form and the team back into the postseason in 2011.

6) The NFC West

The NFC West is possibly the most unpredictable division leading up to the 2011 season. This division features two of the most criticized playoff teams in recent memory the past two seasons, as the 2008 Cardinals team at 9-7 were thought by many to be the worst team in playoff history before making the Super Bowl, and last year's Seahawks who at 7-9 were the first team to win the division with a record below .500, before beating the defending champion New Orleans Saints in the opening round of the playoffs.

The Seahawks are in a rebuilding mode, as they let QB Matt Hasselbeck sign with the Tennessee Titans. The Seahawks also have a young, inexperienced offensive line that is sure to cause problems for subpar QBs Tarvaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst. 

This division also includes the inexperienced and unproven St. Louis Rams, who seem to pose the biggest threat to the Cardinals in the division in 2011. QB Sam Bradford could be the next Peyton Manning if he reaches his potential. The Rams also made a couple nice additions to the offense including WR Mike Sims-Walker, who adds speed on the outside. Fortunately for the Cardinals is that they have owned the Rams under Whisenhunt with a record of 7-1.

Heading out the division is the Cardinals' most-hated rival in the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers have not done enough in the offseason to better their chances, especially at QB. How many shots can the team give Alex Smith before they realize he's not an above-average QB in the league? Rookie QB Collin Kaepernick isn't any better. He looks like a little boy amongst men in preseason, and isn't anywhere near NFL-ready.

Jim Harbaugh was a great addition at head coach, but unfortunately for the 49ers, he can't play QB in the NFL anymore.

7) Derek Anderson Is Not the Starting QB

I've watched a lot of football and never seen worse play from the quarterback position than Derek Anderson's 2010 lack of a season. Anderson was the worst starting QB in NFL history last year. That's right, I said it: "The worst starting QB in NFL history last year."

His stats don't even indicate how pathetic and disgusting it was to watch this clown attempt to play QB. In nine games as the starter last year, Anderson threw 10 INTs, was sacked 25 times and fumbled six times. Pathetic. He averaged 6.3 yards per attempt (327). Pathetic.

His lack of composure, horrible accuracy, media outbursts and personal guarantee that on 3rd down he was either going to get sacked, throw a pick-six to a DB or throw a pick-six right into a defensive lineman's gut was the only consistent thing Anderson displayed. I think I called in sick to work the following Monday a few times after watching this bum blow games.

Cardinals fans can agree, Anderson gone and Kolb in gives the desert new life in 2011.