The Cardinals must show up vs. Rams or a volatile fanbase may lose it

Eleven is the magic number for the Arizona Cardinals. Eleven was the number worn by Larry Fitzgerald, who will be honored at the next home game in Glendale. And it was 11 years ago when Michael Bidwill’s Cardinals reached peak elevation.

In mid-December 2015, our NFL team had won seven consecutive games, including three prime-time games against playoff teams. They were loaded with star power and fan favorites. They ascended to No. 2 in most power rankings.

Today, the team and the mood have changed dramatically. Bidwill is feeling unprecedented heat. Billboards are imploring him to sell the team. An online petition gathered over 1,300 signatures and was forwarded to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The groundswell of revolt has revealed a deeply resentful fan base that has seen too many overmatched coaches, too many failed rebuilds, too many failed report cards over the past 11 years. A fan base that has seen too many lawsuits, too many failed draft picks and far too much losing.

The Cardinals are 62-106 since the magical season of 2015, and from Cris Carter to Keyshawn Johnson to media members in other cities, our NFL team is once again a punching bag.

“They’re awful. The way they do things is awful,” Carter said on a February podcast. “(Fitzgerald) was lucky to survive his career there.”

Carter’s comments are relevant now more than ever, illustrating why the Cardinals need to deliver an inspiring performance against the Rams on Sunday. They cannot let the local agitation get worse. Especially entering a Week 6 game against the Broncos at State Farm Stadium, when Fitzgerald will be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor.

Their feast-or-famine offense needs to find some consistency. Their defense must pressure Matthew Stafford, especially with the Rams missing a key offensive lineman. They cannot let the Rams pick apart the Arizona secondary the way Jared Goff’s Lions did in Week 4.

Rookie head coach Mike LaFleur is also under significant pressure. The Lions double teamed Trey McBride and Michael Wilson for most of their lopsided victory, unplugging both of Jacoby Brissett’s favorite targets. LaFleur came to Arizona with an offensive system derived from the great minds of Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay. He needs to scheme the Cardinals’ offense out of jail and into relevance.

The Cardinals badly need a clean game, a spirited game with a very high compete level. The kind of game that makes a fan base proud even if the fan base is currently madder than mosquitoes in a mannequin factory. Because winning is the ultimate cosmetic and the ultimate salve.

Which means they’re either bringing fire extinguishers to Los Angeles to soothe the mood. Or they’re bringing gas cans that could make things worse at a very bad time on the schedule.

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