NFL power rankings: Stacking up all 32 teams heading into Week 15
By Peter Panacy
While the Arizona Cardinals’ 12-7 win over the visiting Tennessee Titans doesn’t exactly suggest entertainment, there are a couple of key takeaways.
First, the Cardinals wisely figured out to not let quarterback Blaine Gabbert be responsible for carrying the offensive load. And while Arizona’s ground game isn’t good enough to make up for this deficiency, the Cardinals defense is.
And that was the case in Week 14.
Arizona held Tennessee to just 204 yards of offense, forcing quarterback Marcus Mariota to toss two key interceptions. There’s your difference.
It could have been worse, though, as the Cardinals offensive line gave up eight sacks of Gabbert. This unit is a problem moving forward. Combine that with an aging team, Arizona is trending in the wrong direction.
Biggest Question
Yet another year when the Cardinals are beset by not having veteran quarterback Carson Palmer (arm) on the field. He’s aging too, putting Arizona in a critical position to find his replacement sooner than later.
Consider this need No. 1.