ARIZONA CARDINALS

Cardinals Flight Plan takes inside look at 9-2 start to season

Nov 25, 2021, 11:29 AM | Updated: 11:30 am

The latest edition of Cardinals Flight Plan 2021 recapped the first portion of the season that saw the Arizona Cardinals get out to an NFL-best 9-2 start.

Beginning the season in Tennessee against the Titans, the Cardinals recognized that the doubters were out there.

Safety Budda Baker was asked how many people believed in the team.

“I feel like not a lot of people,” Baker said. “Last year, I mean, we knew we kind of lost in a fashion where we thought we could have won and it was just a matter of coming out in Week 1 and showing the world.”

The Cardinals earned a convincing 38-13 road win in Nashville to start the season.

From that point until Week 8, the Cardinals were unstoppable.

“There have been times that we’ve bent a little bit, but at critical moments we’ve stepped up and made big plays” general manager Steve Keim said.

The turning point for Arizona came after the first loss of the season to the Green Bay Packers.

That’s when the injury bug struck the Cardinals and they were forced to turn the reigns of the offense over to backup quarterback Colt McCoy.

However, the team didn’t miss a beat without Kyler Murray, picking up two wins over division opponents in his absence.

“Best record in football, which is what we’ve got, and undefeated in the division,” head coach Kliff Kingsbury said to the team after beating the Seattle Seahawks in Week 11.

With six games remaining in the regular season, the sky is the limit for the Cardinals this year.

“I’m just asking everyone just take 10 seconds a day in the morning and just think about that feeling of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy up,” vice president of player personnel Quentin Harris said.

“Because positive energy is infectious, its infectious and its going to permeate throughout the building and throughout the Valley.”

Arizona Cardinals

Evan Brown chats pregame...

Tyler Drake

Cardinals questions post-NFL Draft: Who’s the frontrunner at left guard?

The Arizona Cardinals have plenty of candidates at starting left guard. But who is the best option moving forward?

16 hours ago

Michael Wilson looks on...

Tyler Drake

Cardinals questions post-NFL Draft: Is Michael Wilson the unquestioned WR2?

Michael Wilson enters Year 2 as the Cardinals' likely candidate to secure the WR2 role behind Marvin Harrison Jr. Will anyone beat him out?

1 day ago

...

Arizona Sports Video

Video: Trey Benson and Jared Verse former teammates turned division rivals talk trash on Burns & Gambo

Trey Benson and Jared Verse former teammates turned division rivals talk trash on Burns & Gambo.

2 days ago

Jacob Roberts #40 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons attempts to tackle Trey Benson #3 of the Florida...

Kellan Olson

New Cardinals RB Trey Benson, FSU teammate Jared Verse banter as future opponents

Cardinals running back Trey Benson was asked about having to face his collegiate teammate Jared Verse. So then he handed the phone to Verse.

2 days ago

Dadrion Taylor-Demerson #DB64 of Texas Tech participates in a drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas...

Kellan Olson

Dadrion Taylor-Demerson manifested getting drafted ‘home’ by Arizona Cardinals

Texas Tech safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson felt a connection to the Arizona Cardinals in the pre-draft process and it came to fruition.

2 days ago

Tip Reiman runs the 40-yard dash at the 2024 NFL Draft Combine...

Tyler Drake

Wolf or Tip? Cardinals rookie TE Tip Reiman prides himself on being a mauler

Arizona Cardinals 2024 third-round pick Tip Reiman isn't one to hide from contact. In fact, he welcomes it with open arms.

2 days ago

Cardinals Flight Plan takes inside look at 9-2 start to season