NFL power rankings: 32-team post-preseason breakdown ahead of Week 1
By Peter Panacy
Teams undergoing massive transitions typically stay towards the bottom of NFL power rankings, and the Arizona Cardinals are no exception.
Arizona gets a small boost in the rankings ahead of Week 1, namely because of its defense and the strong showing it had against the Dallas Cowboys earlier this preseason. This side of the ball will keep the Cardinals in a number of games this season, perhaps forcing an upset or two along the line.
But head coach Steve Wilks’ squad will be beset by a number of the same problems that have been issues for some time now.
So much of the worry starts up front, where Pro Football Focus ranked the offensive line 27th heading into 2018. The O-line should be improved over last year, which is good. But a combination of injuries and regular pressure on Arizona’s quarterbacks haven’t evaporated much at all.
Speaking of quarterback pressure, veteran starter Sam Bradford isn’t exactly the kind of QB you’d want under duress. This will be the rookie Josh Rosen’s squad soon, perhaps sooner than expected with how fragile Bradford has been over his injury-plagued career.
There’s your 2018 storyline for Arizona.