Friday, September 16, 2022

Arizona Cardinals Week 2 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Throughout the 2022 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Below you will find a Week 2 roundup for the Arizona Cardinals in our consensus 2022 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 22

Rookie who stood out: DE Cameron Thomas

The Cardinals played just two rookies on Sunday, Thomas and cornerback Christian Matthew. Thomas had a tackle in four snaps and Matthew made a tackle on his only snap. Both could see more reps as the next few games go on because of the struggles Arizona went through Sunday against the Chiefs.

NFL.com -- Rank: 22

Maybe it was just a bad day. Maybe sometimes a team catches Patrick Mahomes on the wrong Sunday and there's simply nothing anyone can do. But then there's the other possibility: The Cardinals really are that far behind the top teams in the league like the Chiefs. The offense looked like it was trapped in the dark ages as Andy Reid unlocked new worlds, while the defense was simply overmatched and embarrassed by a Kansas City team that doesn't even have Tyreek Hill anymore. There might not be another team in more dire need of a strong Week 2 performance than the Cardinals.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 21

They looked like a big mess against the Chiefs. This might be a long season even after giving out big contract extensions to the coach and general manager.

USA Today -- Rank: 26

Maybe all 53 players should do four hours of independent study this week after getting thoroughly embarrassed in every phase Sunday.

The Athletic -- Rank: 27

More like the Carinals, right? (Without the "d.") Arizona allowed three consecutive touchdown drives on two separate occasions against the Chiefs. If you're an optimist, it's fair to note the Cardinals probably won't play a better offense all season.

On offense, maybe Arizona has found something in Greg Dortch, the diminutive journeyman who led the team with seven catches for 63 yards. Go Deacs.

The Ringer -- Rank: 14

Why the hell did the Cardinals blitz Patrick Mahomes on 54 percent of his dropbacks? You'd think a team coached by Kliff Kingsbury (Mahomes's college coach) and DC Vance Joseph (who previously coached against Mahomes when Joseph was the head coach in Denver) would know better than to blitz Mahomes that much. Their defensive game plan killed the Cardinals' chances, as Mahomes threw four of his five touchdowns while facing more than four rushers. The Cardinals offense, meanwhile, ranked 27th in yards per play (4.5) in Week 1, hardly an inspiring start for a unit that was looking to get more explosive. Kyler Murray is one of the league's top quarterbacks, and the team has enough of a supporting cast offensively and defensively to be competitive. But they just can't get out of their own way.

Yahoo! -- Rank: 18

The Cardinals looked bad. The defense was shredded by Patrick Mahomes. Kyler Murray didn't make anything happen. A lot of teams will lose to Kansas City this season but if it goes sour for Arizona early in the season — and it could, based on Sunday's showing — Kliff Kingsbury will face a lot of questions about his job security.

PFT -- Rank: 21

When the coach is complaining about performance at practice after the first game that counts, that's a very bad sign.

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