NFL.com’s Rosenthal: Cardinals second-most watchable team in NFL
Oct 21, 2015, 6:30 AM | Updated: Oct 22, 2015, 9:37 am
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11)runs with the ball, trying to get past Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Antwon Blake (41) after making a catch in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015 in Pittsburgh. The Steelers won 25-13. (AP Photo/Don Wright)
(AP Photo/Don Wright)
Even with a sub-standard effort Sunday in Pittsburgh in which they lost by a score of 25-13, the Arizona Cardinals still find themselves in a pretty good position in the standings.
At 4-2 they are still pacing the NFC West, 1.5 games up on the St. Louis Rams and a full two games ahead of the Seattle Seahawks. They also remain the NFL’s highest scoring team, with 203 points, and their plus-88 point differential is also easy on the eyes.
In fact, as a team they are rather enjoyable to watch, as NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal placed them second in his Watchability Rankings behind only the Denver Broncos. The Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills round out the top five.
The Cardinals, the Official Team of the Around the NFL Podcast, is a joy to watch on both sides of the ball. Chris Johnson, Carson Palmer and Tyrann Mathieu are all among the best stories this season. Any offense that stays aggressive throwing downfield this much is going to rank high. That’s why this version of the Bengals is No. 3. Andy Dalton‘s deep success is more disarming than Manning’s struggles. … Aaron Rodgers has been the most entertaining quarterback on balance since he entered the league, although the injuries around him have had an effect this year.
There really is plenty to like about the Cardinals, at least in terms of enjoyment to follow. As Rosenthal notes, they have reclamation projects in Johnson, Palmer and Mathieu, along with some fun personalities, too. Led by head coach Bruce Arians himself, there are many people within the organization — coaches and players — who are always good for a quote or story.
Of course, there’s also their style of play. With Palmer at quarterback, they have an offense that involves getting the ball into the hands of future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald as well as speedy players like Johnson, David Johnson, Andre Ellington and John Brown, often times for big plays. And on defense, coordinator James Bettcher’s attack involves plenty of blitzing in order to try and apply pressure on the quarterback, which leads to turnover opportunities for a ballhawking secondary that includes Mathieu, Patrick Peterson, Jerraud Powers and Tony Jefferson, among others.
All that aside, what truly makes the Cardinals enjoyable to watch is the fact that they are a winning team, which is a trait they share with the majority of the top 10.
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