2010 RECORD: 5-11-0
(4th in NFC West)
HEAD COACH: Ken Whisenhunt
Offense: The passing game has a new man in quarterback Kevin Kolb (1,197 pass yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions), who comes over from Philadelphia in a trade. Backing up Kolb will be John Skelton and Rich Bartel.
Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (90 catches, 1,137 yards, six TD) is one of the best in the NFL and just signed a huge contract extension that makes him one of the highest paid players in the game.
Andre Roberts (24, 307, two TD), Early Doucet (26, 291, TD) and Stephen Williams are the other wide receivers on tap. The Cardinals have a good tandem with former Baltimore Ravens' tight end Todd Heap (40 receptions, 599 yards, five TD) and Jeff King, who caught 19 passes and scored two touchdowns with Carolina last season.
The running game will have changes as Tim Hightower left for Washington, leaving Beanie Wells (397 yards, 3.4 ypc average, two TD) as the starting halfback.
LaRod Stephens-Howling, who averaged 4.9 yards per carry on a limited basis, is the backup. Rookie Ryan Williams (Virginia Tech) is currently on the injury list. The fullbacks include Anthony Sherman and Reagan Maui'a.
The offensive line has center Lyle Sendlein, guards Rex Hadnot and Daryn Colledge and tackles Brandon Keith and Levi Brown.
Arizona ranked last in the NFL in rushing last season, gaining just 87 yards per game. The pass attack wasn't much better with 182 yards per game, which was 31st in the league. The Cardinals were also near the bottom of the league in scoring with 289 points.
Defense: The Cardinals were bad across the board defensively last year, finishing 29th overall (374 yards allowed per game) while ranking 30th against the run (145 yards allowed per game) and also giving up 229 yards per game against the pass. In addition, opposing teams scored often against Arizona, as they allowed 434 points.
The Cardinals will look to some new faces to help stop the bleeding in the 3-4 look they use.
The nose tackle is Dan Williams and the ends are Calais Campbell (six QB sacks) and Darnell Dockett, who made five sacks. Nick Eason, David Carter and Vonnie Holliday are available on the defensive line as well.
Joey Porter and Clark Haggans (five sacks each in 2010) are the outside linebackers along with inside men Daryl Washington and Paris Lenon. O'Brien Schofield, Will Davis, Stewart Bradley, Reggie Walker and Sam Acho are the reserves.
The secondary features safeties Adrian Wilson and Kerry Rhodes, who led Arizona with four interceptions last season. The cornerbacks are A.J. Jefferson and Michael Adams with rookie Patrick Peterson (LSU) and Richard Marshall backing them up.
The Cards' defense had 33 sacks last year and also intercepted 17 passes.
OUTLOOK: Kolb to Fitzgerald will be the combination for the Arizona offense in 2011.
The Cardinals will be looking to open it up offensively and get some respectability back in the air attack that was nowhere to be found last year following the retirement of quarterback Kurt Warner.
The O-line has to do a better job of opening holes for the backs as well as pass protection.
The Cardinals allowed 50 quarterback sacks in 2010 and the running attack was weak, finishing last in the NFL.
Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt would definitely welcome the former as well as seeing the team defense step up in 2011.
The team did get 17 picks and had 33 sacks, but they have to improve those numbers if they want to challenge for the division crown.
Playing in what appears to be league's weakest division, the NFC West, Arizona has a chance to go from worst to first in 2011, but only if Kolb can deliver and the running game improves.
A .500 season could win the division and that is not out of the picture for the Cardinals in the up-for-grabs NFC West.
However, a 7-9 finish seems likely this year, which would be a two-game improvement from last season.
TEAM SCHEDULE:
Week 1- vs. Carolina
Week 2- at Washington
Week 3- at Seattle
Week 4- vs. NY Giants
Week 5- at Minnesota
Week 6- BYE WEEK
Week 7- vs. Pittsburgh
Week 8- at Baltimore
Week 9- vs. St. Louis
Week 10- at Philadelphia
Week 11- at San Francisco
Week 12- at St. Louis
Week 13- vs. Dallas
Week 14- vs. San Francisco
Week 15- vs. Cleveland
Week 16- at Cincinnati
Week 17- vs. Seattle
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