The Ringer: Arizona Cardinals receivers ranked No. 11 in NFL
Nov 19, 2016, 10:54 AM | Updated: 11:18 am
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) runs after the catch as New York Jets strong safety Calvin Pryor (25) defends during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
The Arizona Cardinals offense broke numerous records last season en route to a franchise-best 13 wins; points scored, touchdowns and total yards, just to name a few.
Fast-forward to Week 11 of this year and the offense is still trying to capture some of the magic from 2015. Sitting at 4-4-1, the Cardinals have scored 30+ points only twice this year, after achieving that feat nine times a year ago.
Much of that drop-off may be due to the increasing number of dropped passes by free-agent-to-be Michael Floyd. The fifth-year wide-out has been struggling through a surprising regression, and with 24 receptions for 358 yards and three touchdowns thus far, Floyd is on pace for a sub-par statistical season.
Taking Floyd’s performance into consideration, along with John Brown being plagued by a lingering hamstring injury throughout the season, The Ringer ranked the Cardinals’ receiver corps as No. 11 in the NFL.
[Larry] Fitzgerald (68 catches, 686 yards, five touchdowns) seems to get better with every passing year. But the depth in the Arizona receiving corps hasn’t been as impressive as we expected. Floyd (24 catches, 358 yards, three touchdowns) struggled with drops and lost his job as the Cardinals No. 2 going into Week 10, and his replacement, [J.J.] Nelson (17 catches, 243 yards, two touchdowns), squandered that opportunity by dropping a pass (that was intercepted) and fumbling away another catch against the 49ers.
Brown, who caught seven touchdowns and went over 1,000 yards receiving las year, has seen his role diminish (30 catches for 380 yards and a touchdown) due to a hamstring injury and the side effects from carrying the sickle cell trait.
Arizona still has plenty of opportunities as a team to right the offensive ship the rest of the season, but the identity of the offense is slowly becoming more David Johnson-oriented.
The team may also be focused more on making the playoffs for the third-consecutive season, something the Cardinals have never accomplished in franchise history.
