Then and now: NFL experts jump off the Cardinals bandwagon
Nov 5, 2016, 9:15 AM | Updated: Nov 7, 2016, 3:31 pm
Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham (88) has his pass knocked away by Arizona Cardinals strong safety Tony Jefferson (22) during the first half of a football game, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Hello, Captain Obvious here.
There aren’t many people left on the Arizona Cardinals’ bandwagon. The reasonable explanation for that is, at 3-4-1 halfway through the year, Bruce Arians’ crew has its fair share of obstacles to overcome after this bye week if it expects to reach the postseason.
Panels of writers at both NFL.com and Sports Illustrated have backed off picking Arizona to win the Super Bowl, the division and also a wild card playoff spot in the NFC.
Of 15 panelists at NFL.com, just one made his midseason pick for the Cardinals to win the NFC West. That would be Adam Schein, who only didn’t pick the Seattle Seahawks, like the rest of the field, because, “It’s more that I don’t trust Seattle’s offensive line.”
That’s compared to 12 of 20 writers in the preseason who liked Arizona to win the division. At the time, seven of the eight remaining NFL.com contributors believed the Cardinals would at least earn a Wild Card bid. Now?
Just one writer believes they can reach the playoffs via the Wild Card. That means a total of two out of the 15 panelists currently believe in Arizona’s postseason life.
Over at Sports Illustrated, the story is the same.
Two of 12 panelists think Arizona makes the playoffs at all as the final wild card team. Before the year, five out of 11 members of SI’s panel picked Arizona to win the Super Bowl, and another two projected Arians’ team to fall in the game. Every single one had the Cardinals winning the division as a No. 2 overall seed in the NFC.
My, how things have changed.
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