With a handful of weeks to go until the 2023 NFL season begins, the Arizona Cardinals are almost everyone’s pick to finish last in the NFC West in the 2023 NFL season. After a last-place finish in 2022, and with star Quarterback Kyler Murray slated to miss a good chunk of the season and arguably the worst team in the division on paper, there is little reason to expect such an instant turnaround from the Cardinals.
2023 Arizona Cardinals Division Outlook
Nevertheless, the Cardinals have a full slate of division games this season, and if anything, it would be nice to see at least the Cardinals improve in division matchups– They went 1-5 in those games in 2022.
Former Cardinals LB Markus Golden (44) – Cary Edmondson/USA TODAY
Week 4 – Cardinals at 49ers – Loss
The 49ers are simply one of the best teams in the NFL. They are stacked on both sides of the ball, and there is every chance that the Cardinals will get blown out in this one. Barring a miracle, Kyler Murray will not be ready for this matchup– Head Coach Jonathan Gannon recently updated Murray’s status as being a “Long way to go,” so the odds of getting heroics from Murray are looking low.
Being that this is a road game for the Cardinals as well, winning this game would likely take a miracle. As nice as it would be to see the Cardinals come out and shock the world with an upset over the Super Bowl-contending 49ers, it seems pretty unlikely. I have the 49ers taking this one, starting the Cardinals division record off at 0-1.
Cardinals LB Zaven Collins (25) – Keith Birmingham/SCNG
Week 6 – Cardinals at Rams – Win
Despite coming off of a Super Bowl win just two seasons ago, the Rams finished barely above the Cardinals in the NFC West in 2022 at 5-12. A lot of that can be attributed to key injuries and underperformances, but they were shockingly the only NFC West team the Cardinals actually beat last season.
This season looks to be better for the Rams thanks to a bit of better health, but they still are from the division’s top dogs as they once were. This is definitely one of the Cardinals’ better chances to win a division game, and I’d like to think they could do better than just 1-5. I’ll go out on a limb and say the Cardinals pull off a bit of an upset here and win on the road.
Cardinals QB Kyler Murray (1) – Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images
Week 7 – Cardinals at Seahawks – Loss
The Seahawks were a team that shocked just about everyone last year. Geno Smith broke out and led the Seahawks to a surprise playoff berth, and they took both games from the Cardinals last season. The third straight division road game for the Cardinals will be a tough one– Seattle has been a tough win for any road team for the last decade or so.
This is a matchup that the Cardinals could win. It wouldn’t be impossible. But at the same time, the Seahawks just look better on paper this season. They might be primed for yet another postseason berth, and the Cardinals are still pretty far from that mark themselves. My guess is that the Seahawks win, dropping the Cardinals’ division record to 1-2- and I’m not the only DTF writer who thinks so.
Cardinals QB Kyler Murray (1) – Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press
Week 12 – Rams at Cardinals – Win
Another matchup with the Rams. Similarly to their previous matchup, I think that the Cardinals match up better against the Rams than either of the other two NFC West teams. In addition to that, since we are past the halfway point of the season, there is a much higher chance of having Kyler Murray back on the field, and when someone as talented as Murray is actually on the field, your odds of winning usually skyrocket.
I have the Cardinals beating the Rams in L.A. in Week 6. And if the Cardinals can take one on the road, I believe they can take one at home. I think the Cardinals can win this one and even out their division record at 2-2.
Cardinals RB James Conner (6) – Caitlyn Epes/Arizona Cardinals
Week 15 – 49ers at Cardinals – Loss
Facing off against the powerhouse 49ers once again– This time, at home. As nice as it is to have the home-field advantage, it can only do much for a struggling team facing off against a Super Bowl contender.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, both putting up points and preventing points against a team this good will be no easy task. However, if Kyler Murray will actually be active for this week, as I assumed he wouldn’t be for Week 4, there is always the chance of a major upset thanks to some Murray magic. It would be a miracle, though. I think the 49ers will take this one, too.
Former Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins (10) – Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY
Week 18 – Seahawks at Cardinals – Loss
Closing out the season against the Seahawks, the Cardinals will likely be going into this matchup with little to play for in regard to their playoff chances, barring a magical turnaround season. The Seahawks, however, are much more likely to be in a position to make the playoffs, which could potentially give Arizona a chance to play spoiler.
In the world I’m expecting, where the Cardinals miss the playoffs by a decent margin, and the Seahawks are either in the playoffs or close to it, I would imagine the Seahawks playing their best football, and I think that’s enough for me to choose them in this contest.
Final Division Record – 2-4
Even if it isn’t much of an improvement, any sort of improvement would be a positive for the 2023 Cardinals. The NFC West is no easy division to play in, and with expectations low for the team coming off of a terrible 2022 season, even a losing record at 2-4 would be nice for this team. Maybe if the Cardinals can rattle off an unbelievable turnaround and shock the world, they could even finish with a winning division record. But as it stands, I predict them to finish with a losing division record once again.
