Football
In reply to the discussion: NFL Playoffs - Divisional Round [View all]JonLP24
(29,389 posts)First, Arizona is perhaps the most complete team in the NFL. The Cardinals have ranked in the top five in offensive and defensive efficiency for 15 straight weeks and are projected to have the most efficient offense and third-most-efficient defense of any playoff team this postseason.
It’s easy to focus on Arizona’s most recent loss, to the Seahawks, but that is one game in a 16-game sample. In their other 15 games, the Cardinals were the most dominant and consistent team in the NFL.
Entering Week 17, Arizona had an NFL-best plus-13.7 scoring margin and won six games by at least 23 points, tied for the most in a season since the 1996 Packers.
Although some quarterbacks have had better six- or seven-game stretches than Carson Palmer, no quarterback was more consistently efficient over the course of the entire season. He led the league in Total QBR and became the first player since Tom Brady in 2007 to post an above-average QBR in each of his first 15 games.
http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/113164/and-the-super-bowl-fpi-favorite-is
In Oakland he was among the leaders in YPA but lead the league in picks. He threw a lot his first season due to forcing the ball to Fitzgerald (young AZ qbs before him often forced the ball to Fitzgerald but the following season, under Arians' system he stopped and I couldn't be more satisfied. He gives Arizona the best chance to win out of any QB available but he led them to 10-6 season, Arizona began the next one 9-2 and somewhere around there Palmer got a season ending injury from the St. Louis defensive line. This season led them to #2 all time ppg average.