Midpoint checkup: Cardinals bolstered by elite running game, but defense must prove itself

Running back James Conner (6) has stood out as the difference-maker for the Arizona Cardinals. His efforts helped the Cardinals defeat the Bears, 29-9, recently to put them atop the NFC West standings. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

TEMPE – The Arizona Cardinals have had a peculiar season up to the halfway mark. In Week 4, Jayden Daniels and Kliff Kingsbury made their return to the Southwest and embarrassed the Cardinals 42-14 on their home turf. It was not a pretty scene and a microcosm of the team’s ailments up to that point.

The offense was efficient in the pass game but mostly failed to generate significant yardage. The defense was getting run all over to the tune of 216 yards and four touchdowns, allowing a score on every drive.

This loss pushed the Cardinals to 1-3 on the season, and it seemed that general manager Monti Ossenfort’s comments about undergoing a rebuild would come to fruition.

That doesn’t seem to be the case now.

Second year coach Jonathan Gannon told the media “we can’t look like that” and the team hasn’t since, winning four out of its last five games.

Perched atop the NFC West at 5-4 and on a three-game winning streak, the Cardinals are making a statement at the halfway point of the NFL season by running the ball better than most, which has been an unwavering high point for this team through the ebbs and flows.

Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing feels that the offense was able to benefit from strong blocking on the second level during the 29-9 victory Sunday over the Chicago Bears, opening up the run game. This is despite injuries on the offensive line to Jonah Williams and Will Hernandez.

“Clayton Adams does a good job of making sure that we’re developing those guys that maybe aren’t getting the reps every day in practice, or every day in the game.” Petzing said.

The Cardinals like to impose their will on the line of scrimmage. They are fifth in the NFL in rushing yards and only second in yards per carry behind the Baltimore Ravens.

James Conner, the team’s ultimate bruiser, is sixth in the NFL in rushing with 664 yards and he’s added four touchdowns. Conner helps the offense set the tone, as the Cardinals like to manage the clock and wear teams down with physicality.

Kyler Murray, who is trying to put together his first full season of football together as the Cardinals quarterback since 2020, is posting middle-of-the-road numbers so far this season, posting 1,792 passing yards, 13 total touchdowns and three interceptions.

The team ranks 12th in the NFL in total offense, yet it has proven to be quite the enigma on the defensive side, suffering blowouts by more than 20 points to the Commanders and the Packers, but then losing close one-score games to standout teams in the Lions and Bills.

The defense has drawn up some strong performances this season, but it has also struggled, ranking in the bottom third of the NFL in multiple defensive metrics including total defense. The Cardinals allow 361.4 yards per game, eighth-worst in the league. But they’ve given up 22 touchdowns, tied for 16th in the NFL.

Despite this troublesome trend, the Cardinals had what was their most significant defensive performance of the season against the Bears this past Sunday, limiting Chicago to nine points and hammering rookie sensation Caleb Williams for six sacks, a noteworthy performance considering how thin the defensive line is with star linebacker Dennis Gardeck out for the season.

The team had only four sacks in the previous three games combined.

Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis complimented the team’s “depth” and preparation Tuesday in a press conference.

“Our guys executed at a high level,” Rallis said. “When they had the one-on-one in coverage, or (when) we only had four guys for the quarterback and we were able to get home still, or we’re in a light box and the D-Line gets the stop.”

In order for the Cardinals to keep a hold of the division, they’ll need to secure the defense on all levels. The team could still be looking to add more players after the addition of offensive linebacker Baron Browning from the Broncos.

Gannon’s mindset with the team is highlighted by versatility and he is carrying that mindset through the second half of the season. When necessary, he wants his players to be able to fill multiple positions on the team.

“You gotta star in your role,” Gannon said. “They know roles change throughout the week, throughout game to game.”

The Cardinals will look to keep their momentum going in the final game before the bye week, when they take on the New York Jets Sunday,