Who’s the gravy to the Cardinals’ Thanksgiving meal in 2024?

Thanksgiving meals and NFL football teams are a lot alike. They each consist of multiple parts working together to achieve one common goal:

To make sure everyone at the table is fed — and well-fed.

Not all Thanksgiving meals are the same, though. Some go heavy on desserts, others focus more on comfort food.

So, with that in mind, let’s gather around the table and dive into what the Arizona Cardinals have to offer this Thanksgiving:

Turkey: QB Kyler Murray

The centerpiece of every Thanksgiving meal is the turkey.

No matter what’s around, the bird makes the meal.

The same can be said for Murray.

Just like a turkey — which can be prepared in the oven or deep fried — the franchise signal caller can cook in multiple ways, whether it be through the air or on the ground.

And when he cooks just right, things sure can be memorable, leaving everyone gathered around feeling fulfilled.

Gravy: James Conner

Turkey might get all the love but don’t overlook the power of good gravy.

Much like a good running back who can impact games as a rusher, catcher and blocker, gravy can enhance just about everything around it. That’s what it’s built for.

For the most part, gravy can be called upon to provide the necessary flavor that might be missing from a given dish.

That makes Conner the obvious choice.

Mashed potatoes: Offensive line

Sure, they may not get the love they deserve and could even be characterized as goofy, but at the end of the day, no good Thanksgiving meal is complete without some solid mashed potatoes.

Simply put, they carry their weight well.

The same can be said about Arizona’s offensive line.

Stuffing: OC Drew Petzing

When I think stuffing, I think an extension of the turkey.

So, if the Murray is the bird, Petzing naturally has to be the breading.

The coordinator has given his quarterback the breadcrumbs of the offense and has spent a year and half baking closely with the signal caller.

Things are cooking nicely since the pairing got together and a couple tweaks were made to the recipe.

Mac and Cheese: The run game

Just like gravy, a good Thanksgiving meal isn’t complete with some legit mac and cheese. And when it is missing from the ensemble of foods, people take notice.

That sounds like the Cardinals run game to me.

Arizona is at its best when the ground game is rolling behind Conner, Murray, Trey Benson and Emari Demercado.

That mixture has presented some sticky situations for opposing defenses and is a top-tier threat in the league.

Green bean casserole: Kelvin Beachum

Green bean casseroles at Thanksgiving are about as timeless as they come.

Given its longevity in the Thanksgiving game, you know what you’re going to get.

Beachum has been just that for the Cardinals.

A valuable side at Arizona’s table, the veteran gives the Cardinals a reliable option if the mashed potatoes take a hit. He showed just in eight starts at right tackle this year in place of Jonah Williams.

Yams: Trey McBride

Yams aren’t the most necessary items on the Thanksgiving table.

Get your hands on some elite yams, though, and you’ll never want to stop going back to the well.

Good yams can be a game changer to any Thanksgiving meal, just like McBride has been for the Cardinals offense.

The steadiest part of Arizona’s pass-catching department, McBride paces the team in receiving yards (685) and receptions (61). The only area he’s lacking in through 11 games is touchdowns (zero).

Roll: Budda Baker

A good roll brings consistency to any plate. It also can clean up just about any mess in front of it.

Baker embodies that for the Cardinals.

The veteran safety has already surpassed the 100-tackle mark for the fifth time in his career and continues to be utilized when it comes to cleaning things up in the backfield.

Roasted Brussels sprouts: Head coach Jonathan Gannon

Honestly, my criterion for JG was to find the healthiest part of Thanksgiving. Remember, donuts, bread and candy are not forms of winning behavior.

So why not choose a vegetable?

That being said, it has come to my attention that Gannon is big on Italian stuffing and homemade cranberry sauce.

Surprising to say the least.

Pumpkin pie: Marvin Harrison Jr.

The Cardinals’ Thanksgiving meal was already heading in the right direction after 2023’s edition.

But adding in a slice of Harrison this year has upped the ante.

The rookie presents the franchise with something to look forward to for years to come. He makes the wide receivers room that much sweeter.

Cranberry sauce: Rabbit Taylor-Demerson

When I think cranberry sauce, the mold of a can it comes out with is the first thing that comes to mind.

Using that kind of symbolism, Rabbit takes the cake — or sauce in this case.

The young safety draws shades of Baker at times given his reckless abandon and speed on the football field.

Baker embodies what the franchise wants in its players: Physical, team-first game wreckers. Rabbit is certainly on his way.

Let’s just hope he doesn’t put ranch on his Thanksgiving meal.

Leftovers: Special teams

PSA: This is far from a dig!

The most underrated part of Thanksgiving might be the day-after feast. Turkey sandwich, anyone?

And with that thinking, there isn’t a better comparison than Arizona’s special teams unit.

Punter Blake Gillikin has been lights out all year and warrants Pro Bowl consideration. Kicker Chad Ryland meanwhile has stepped in near-flawlessly in place of veteran Matt Prater.

DeeJay Dallas, who scored the league’s first dynamic kickoff return, might be in the top five on the team in daily energy, too.

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