The Arizona Cardinals were one of the hottest teams early on in the 2021 season before they fell apart towards the end of the year. Their results from the previous season make coming up with the Cardinals 2022 bold predictions a bit of an interesting task.
The Cardinals offense looks set to be very good. Led by star quarterback Kyler Murray and a pretty strong arsenal of weapons, the offense proved last season early on they can score at will when they click. The defense also has some solid young players, and could be on the rise despite losing Chandler Jones this offseason.
Similar to last season, the sky appears to be the limit for Arizona this season. They will have some tough competition, though, with the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in their own division. Will Arizona be able to overcome their division rival this season and make a deep playoff run? Only time will tell.
With that in mind, let's take a look at four bold predictions for Arizona Cardinals in the 2022 NFL season.
4. James Conner will get benched midway through the season
James Conner was a revelation for the Cardinals last season at running back. Conner eventually made the running back role his own, and ended up making Chase Edmonds expendable in the process. Conner heads into the 2022 season set to handle the brunt of the workload in the Cardinals backfield after his 18 touchdown season in 2021.
Unfortunately for Conner, the 2022 season won't be as kind. After averaging just 3.7 yards per carry last season, Conner will continue to struggle to find consistent yardage, and the touchdowns will dry up. With Conner unable to consistently find yards on the ground, head coach Kliff Kingsbury will turn things over to Darrel Williams in search of a spark midway through the season, shaking up Arizona's running back room in the process.
3. J.J. Watt will post a 10 sack season
Ever since 2016, J.J. Watt has only had one season where he's recorded double-digit sacks. It's clear that injuries and the wear-and-tear that comes with pass rushing has taken its toll on Watt, and it has significantly slowed him down over the past few seasons. Watt was limited to just seven games in his first season with the Cardinals, and picked up just one sack along the way.
With Jones out of the picture, Watt will have to deal with more attention from opposing offensive lines. But it doesn't matter to Watt, as he goes on to pick up 10 sacks on the season for the first time since 2018. Watt's overall productivity won't be what it once was, but he shows he's still a strong pass rusher, even in his age 33 season, with a 10 sack campaign.
2. The Arizona Cardinals will make it to the NFC Championship Game
The end to the 2021 season didn't really go Arizona's way. They struggled with injuries on both sides of the ball, and while they did earn a playoff spot, they barely put up a fight against the Rams before bowing out in the first round. It was a sorely disappointing outcome given the team's strong start to the season.
The 2022 season will offer a much different tale. The offense will consistently score points all throughout the season, and they will become particularly deadly once DeAndre Hopkins returns from his six game suspension. This will allow them to win the NFC West, as the Rams and Matthew Stafford take a step back.
Arizona will win their first two playoff games against the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers, setting them up for a showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game. Unfortunately, Murray and the Cardinals cannot take down Tom Brady and the Bucs, but they still walk away from the 2022 season with their heads held high thanks to an encouraging season.
1. Kyler Murray will win MVP of the league
Typically, where the team finishes their season would be the last prediction, but since this one is particularly bold, it made sense to leave it until the end. After appearing to be on the verge of putting everything together throughout the first three seasons of his career, Kyler Murray will take a massive leap forward in 2022, and end up winning the 2022 NFL MVP award.
Murray has all the pieces in place for him to succeed. Conner isn't the greatest running back, but he's enough of a red zone threat that it will take people's eyes off of Murray when it comes to the ground game. He also has a ton of weapons, such as Hopkins, Marquise Brown, A.J. Green, and Zach Ertz, that will help him take his passing game to the next level.
Murray is the type of dangerous dual-threat quarterback that is always a threat to win an MVP award, and he finally puts everything together during the 2022 campaign.
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