The Arizona Cardinals have reached the midpoint of the season at 3-6, and the picture around them is still pretty murky. They’ve moved on from Jacoby Brissett and Marvin Harrison Jr., and now a rookie, Carson Beck, is the one running the offense.
USA TODAY’s midseason verdict lands right in the middle: a C.
That fits a team that has shown flashes without building much of a foundation. The Cardinals’ three wins have been surprising enough to prove they can punch above their weight class, which is a real plus in Mike LaFleur’s first season. Still, there isn’t a clear core here yet, and that makes it hard to feel confident about what’s actually been put together.
The quarterback situation only adds to the uncertainty. Beck is now in charge for the final two months, and the assessment of a third-round rookie should be about to get a lot more robust. At the same time, the offense has mostly underwhelmed, injuries have piled up, and the defense has been inconsistent enough to swing from good in some games to abysmal in others.
Is a C generous? Perhaps. But few expected the Cardinals to have three wins at this point, and that matters too.
One especially thin spot is the passing game, with Beck leading an offense whose receiving corps has combined for just eight receptions this season. Even so, LaFleur appears to have the room buying into what he’s selling. It doesn’t read like a one-and-done situation for him, though the front office may need some changes.
With a softer stretch of schedule ahead, Arizona still has a chance to make things interesting. Six or seven wins is not out of the question.
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