ARIZONA CARDINALS

Arizona Cardinals off to fast start, but team knows it has much work left to do

Sep 29, 2014, 11:48 PM | Updated: 11:51 pm

Follow @theAdamGreen...

TEMPE, Ariz. — Since 1990, 121 NFL teams have begun their season with three straight wins.

Of those 121, just 30 failed to parlay their fast start into a playoff appearance.

The 2012 Arizona Cardinals were one of those 30, as their record reached 4-0 before the team suffered losses in its next 10 games. That team finished with a 5-11 record, and following the season head coach Ken Whisenhunt and general manager Rod Graves lost their jobs.

In short, nothing has been won yet.

“Don’t believe it,” Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said of how the team can avoid getting caught up in the hype and feeling too good about itself so early in the season. “It’s a short elevator ride back to the ****house.”

How true.

In 2012, the Cardinals began their season with a home win over the Seattle Seahawks before going on the road and knocking off the New England Patriots. They then cruised to a home victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, and the next week they beat the Miami Dolphins at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Quarterback Kevin Kolb got hurt the following week and the rest, as they say, is history.

“Hell, we played with five different quarterbacks, and this league is predicated off quarterback play. And when you can’t get solid play with a quarterback it’s going to be pretty hard winning ball games,” cornerback Patrick Peterson said.

Arizona Cardinals

Christian Jones speaks with the media...

Tyler Drake

Arizona Cardinals add Texas offensive tackle Christian Jones with No. 162 in 2024 NFL Draft

The Arizona Cardinals selected Texas offensive tackle Christian Jones with the 162nd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday.

1 hour ago

Xavier Thomas pumps up the crowd...

Tyler Drake

Arizona Cardinals take Clemson edge rusher Xavier Thomas with No. 138 pick in NFL Draft

The Arizona Cardinals added Clemson edge rusher Xavier Thomas with the 138th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday.

3 hours ago

Dadrion Taylor-Demerson high fives during a game...

Tyler Drake

Cardinals select Texas Tech S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson with 104th pick in 2024 NFL Draft

The Arizona Cardinals took Texas Tech safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson with the 104th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

4 hours ago

Darius Robinson poses after being selected 27th overall by the Arizona Cardinals during the first r...

David Veenstra

Arizona Cardinals DL Darius Robinson’s impact goes far beyond the field

Cardinals DL Darius Robinson started his own nonprofit foundation at Missouri and his goal is to host three charitable events each year.

6 hours ago

Monti Ossenfort and Jonathan Gannon enter a press conference...

Tyler Drake

Monti Ossenfort: NFL Draft board ‘fell really well’ for Cardinals on Day 2

The Cardinals added to key positions while not jumping the gun or spending unnecessary draft capital via trade in Day 2 of the NFL Draft.

16 hours ago

Elijah Jones at the NFL Draft Combine...

Tyler Drake

Arizona Cardinals select Boston College CB Elijah Jones with 90th pick in 2024 NFL Draft

The Arizona Cardinals took Boston College cornerback Elijah Jones with the No. 90 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

18 hours ago

Arizona Cardinals off to fast start, but team knows it has much work left to do