Skins and Texans poised to be next year's Cardinals?

Neither were the Cards but they did. Quite honestly, I'd rather be the 2007 Patriots over the 2007 Giants. For some crazy reason I like watching really good teams play great football week in and week out instead of the fixating on the one's hoisting a trophy over their head...unless the Skins are doing the hoisting then my fandom overrides any rational thought.

Not good enough to make the playoffs.
Yeah but to go 11-5 and NOT make the post season, one could say that is almost criminal.

Especially when a 9-7 team DOES make it and did pretty well too.

What exactly does it mean to be next year's Cardinals? Have one of the game's best passing game, worst running game, and a mediocre defense in a bad/mediocre division go 9-7? Looking to the Cardinals of 2008 as a source of inspiration is like asking a lottery winner for financial advice. Yes, they made it to the Super Bowl and good for them, clearly the system ain't perfect.

Damn, what a hater!

You can say the Cards had maybe an easy season but they did have to win three playoff games which usually exposes teams that luck into the playoffs (see skins past couple of playoff runs). When it counted they started running the ball and playing tough on D and their stats back that up NFL Stats: Player (http://www.nfl.com/stats/player) I would not mind one bit if the skins did what they did last year. I do think it will take winning a few more games durn the season then the Cards.

Yeah but to go 11-5 and NOT make the post season, one could say that is almost criminal.

Especially when a 9-7 team DOES make it and did pretty well too.

Screw the Patriots.

Yeah but to go 11-5 and NOT make the post season, one could say that is almost criminal.

Especially when a 9-7 team DOES make it and did pretty well too.

The point of the NFL season isnt to have a good record its to get into the playoffs, make a run, and win it all. Unually the good record and getting into the playoffs go together but last year they didnt for NE. AZ's record doesnt matter, they got into the playoffs and beat 3 teams that anyone would have said were better than AZ except that they couldnt beat AZ so AZ went all the way to the big game and almost won. Ask any NFL player who had a better season AZ or NE and they will tell you AZ because the point is to win it all and AZ had a chance to do it and NE didnt.

Neither were the Cards but they did. Quite honestly, I'd rather be the 2007 Patriots over the 2007 Giants. For some crazy reason I like watching really good teams play great football week in and week out instead of the fixating on the one's hoisting a trophy over their head...unless the Skins are doing the hoisting then my fandom overrides any rational thought.

I'm kinda confused here, so as a fan you would have been happier with the Patriots 18-1 season vs. the Giants winning it all?

The point of the NFL season isnt to have a good record its to get into the playoffs, make a run, and win it all. Unually the good record and getting into the playoffs go together but last year they didnt for NE. AZ's record doesnt matter, they got into the playoffs and beat 3 teams that anyone would have said were better than AZ except that they couldnt beat AZ so AZ went all the way to the big game and almost won. Ask any NFL player who had a better season AZ or NE and they will tell you AZ because the point is to win it all and AZ had a chance to do it and NE didnt.Given this logic, it follows that teams should be allowed to bargain to set their divisions each season. Since the point should just be to win it, why have set divisions? Wouldn't things be more interesting if we just shouted and lobbied until our division opponents are the Lions, the Broncos, and the Browns? C'mon, that'd be so great!

I didn't have anything to say about your first point because NE didn't deserve to make the playoffs this year. They had the same shitty schedule that the rest of their division had and their 11 wins were less quality than the Ravens or the Dolphins' 11 and the Colts' 12. Arizona probably didn't deserve to make the playoffs either, but their closest competition was 7-9 San Francisco. By the end of the (regular) year, SF was probably playing better football, but they were never really a threat to catch Arizona in that division. No one was really.

But whereas you deem that to be because of an inherent winning quality of the Cardinals, the rest of us just see their three division opponents picking in the top ten in this years draft.

I see us being more of a great defense mediocre offense like the Bears or Ravens, Which wouldn't be a bad thing if it's closer to the Ravens..If our young players step up we'll be fine..

I don't quite get where this debate is going, but like matty said, the article is just an attempt to point out a couple of mediocre 08 teams that could make a signficant jump in 09.

I can see why he picked the skins, we had an impressive start & if a few key guys step up we could be a dangerous team. On the other hand, at the end of the year I really felt like this team was on its way down. Free agency has me confused, don't really have a feeling for how good this team is. There are still some major holes to fill.

Given this logic, it follows that teams should be allowed to bargain to set their divisions each season. Since the point should just be to win it, why have set divisions? Wouldn't things be more interesting if we just shouted and lobbied until our division opponents are the Lions, the Broncos, and the Browns? C'mon, that'd be so great!

I didn't have anything to say about your first point because NE didn't deserve to make the playoffs this year. They had the same shitty schedule that the rest of their division had and their 11 wins were less quality than the Ravens or the Dolphins' 11 and the Colts' 12. Arizona probably didn't deserve to make the playoffs either, but their closest competition was 7-9 San Francisco. By the end of the (regular) year, SF was probably playing better football, but they were never really a threat to catch Arizona in that division. No one was really.

But whereas you deem that to be because of an inherent winning quality of the Cardinals, the rest of us just see their three division opponents picking in the top ten in this years draft.

I have no idea what you are talking about. Wins, quality wins, who cares. That garbage only matters in college football. In the pros a win is a win. I am only saying that records dont matter as long as you get into the playoffs anything can happen.