Will the Cards surprise some NFC west team.

[HaroldSeattle]

Nobody gives the cards a thought, but you know they've done some good things this year.

1) Better QB

2) Improved the OL, this was a must do item.

3) Brought in some new RBs

Last year Cards defense was pretty good, with the changes on offense the Cards just may be tougher then fans give them credit for...I just saying....

 

[CakesW]

I think they will be better.

The talent in the Division is just too much for them this year. They might sneak away with a home win or two against Seattle, San Francisco and St. Louis, because they will probably be a better overall product than in 2012, but I don't see how they will be much better than a 6-10, 7-9 team.

Schedule did them no favors as well... start off with 4-6 on the road, and then end the season in almost the same fashion.

 

[Clayton]

The winner of the first game of the season will likely decide which team the media hypes as the 'sleeper' team in the West. I do think that Arizona will be favored by most 'analysts' by the time game 1 rolls around because the media really wants to see Larry Fitzgerald as a relevant entity.

 

[CakesW]

Arizona won't be favored by any analyst in the Rams game, nobody will pick them, and rightfully so, especially since they dispatched the Cardinals last season in easy fashion, and they got better in the offseason themselves.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Yeah the NFC west is going to be tough for the Cards. Yet I bet they upset one of the teams...let it be the 49ers!

 

[CCF151]

I gotta agree with Cakes here, I think The Cards can eek out 1 maybe 2 home victories in conference this year. I see them as a 5-11 to 8-8 team. I think 8 wins is the absolute ceiling for them this year and with that they may have surprised someone on the road. % wins will be the worst case scenario and with that they maybe pull out 1 win, maybe 2 depending on how Seattle and SF are sitting the last two weeks of the regular season. If they decide to pull starters and rest for the Playoffs I can see the Cards sneaking away with both of those games.

 

[CakesW]

I still have us as a 6-10 team. I think the product on the field is going to be considerably better, but I just don't think we are going to secure many more wins. One more draft like we had this season, and hopefully, we can then start to compete with the uppers in the now brutal NFC West.

 

[CCF151]

I Agree, Cakes, one more real good draft, as long as it comes with a franchise type QB and the Cards are in business. As for my prediction the 5-11 is a worst case scenario with the caveat of not having half the team out with injury. If they have a "normal" year as far as injuries are concerned I see worst case 5-11 best case 8-8.

 

[RobBase]

I think the Cards are really going to miss Ray Horton. He was the glue of that team.

 

[CCF151]

I think the Cards are really going to miss Ray Horton. He was the glue of that team.

Horton was a great DC, no doubt, and I will miss him and his attitude on the sideline. That said the defense still has almost all of it's talent from last season and they added a good number of pieces as well. I think they still have the players to be in the top third of defenses this season.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Article on Swopes concussion problem. Doesn't sound good.

Cards 'very, very, very surprised' Ryan Swope suffering symptoms - CBSSports.com

 

[UnrealTerm04]

Yeah its going to be tough for the Cardinals to succeed in the NFC west during this season... However, they now have the QB and coach to take them to the next step and bring them back to respectability. Carson Palmer to Larry Fitz will be fun to watch. The Seahawks and 49ers are the teams to beat and even for the Rams, that will be a challenge.

 

[Skin'EmAll]

I'll be shocked if you guys don't go at least 8-8.
Divisional games always have the potential to go either way.
I didn't see Kolb in action but from my understanding he helped you all go 4-0.
Palmer is a decent QB, the run game is one of the biggest issues

 

[darken65]

I always view division games , at least in the NFC West , as tough games to win. IMO the Rams and Cards are moving in the right direction and will give any team a battle. I wouldn't be surprised to see a split among all of the division teams....only winning at home. Can't predict much at the moment until I see more at the camps and some pre-season games. Respect the NFC West!!!!

 

[Breaker99]

Yeah the NFC west is going to be tough for the Cards. Yet I bet they upset one of the teams...let it be the 49ers!

Didn't they take down the seahawks last year in worse condition they are in than this year? While the niners beat them twice?

And seriously harold, you got me banned from the seahawks board? For what? Questioning your tactic of allowing seahawk fans to create troll bait threads and then over moderating the fans of other teams that respond? All I said was that was a poor way to reduce trolling on your board and you get me banned? Sheesh..... thin skinned in Seattle.

 

[darken65]

Didn't they take down the seahawks last year in worse condition they are in than this year? While the niners beat them twice?

And seriously harold, you got me banned from the seahawks board? For what? Questioning your tactic of allowing seahawk fans to create troll bait threads and then over moderating the fans of other teams that respond? All I said was that was a poor way to reduce trolling on your board and you get me banned? Sheesh..... thin skinned in Seattle.

I would just say to stay off of the Hawks' board. It seems to me that the posters there have a lot of anger that has carried over from the ESPN forums and are very defensive....even though posters who are there had a lot do with the trolling on the 9ers' forum. It is time to let all that go. Don't get baited into what they are posting about the 9ers...just don't go to their board. Just my opinion

 

[fastforward]

I never saw any trolling from Harold in the 18 months I was on ESPN. That's partly why I liked him and Uhsplit.

The Cardinals had a good Draft and they already had some pieces in play. Palmer wasn't great last year as he didn't trust the receiving corps, (with good reason), but he is an upgrade. Unfortunately they had the worst O-Line in the league. It'll be better this year but I don't think it'll be good enough for them to be competitive. They'll also need the defense to be as good as it was last year and I don't think that's realistic given the departures. I wish them well, or at least as well as a Rams fan can, but they're in the best division in the best Conference. It's tough to see them being better than 3-9 in Conference play. If they were in the AFC they might be playoff contenders.

 

[t magic]

Cards suck

 

[t magic]

They need to run the ball better too

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Didn't they take down the seahawks last year in worse condition they are in than this year? While the niners beat them twice?

And seriously harold, you got me banned from the seahawks board? For what? Questioning your tactic of allowing seahawk fans to create troll bait threads and then over moderating the fans of other teams that respond? All I said was that was a poor way to reduce trolling on your board and you get me banned? Sheesh..... thin skinned in Seattle.

The ESPN Seahawk board was filled with 49ers trolls and the 49er board was filled with Seahawk trolls and it just got worst and worst. Trolls made it plain they plan to do the same on Sportshoopla. Seahawk fans are on the look out for them. Your posts on the Seahawks board sounded very similar to a infamous ESPN troll. Also you were warned several times. You should have backed off, but you wouldn't.