Caleb Williams played a football game in Arizona on Saturday night.
Are his NFL Sundays destined for many more?
Not if the Cardinals keep playing like this.
Arizona pulled off a stunning upset in Week 3, jumping on the Cowboys from the start in a 28-16 win at State Farm Stadium.
It was their first victory of the year, but for the third straight week the Cardinals looked nothing like the worst team in the NFL.
They’ve entered the fourth quarter with leads in every game this season. They have been ahead of their opponent for more than 90 minutes longer than they have trailed.
Amount of time the Cardinals have led this season: 123 minutes, 24 seconds
Amount of time they have trailed: 30 minutes, 27 seconds
— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) September 25, 2023
The offense has found a great groove the last two games, and the defense has been surprisingly stingy for all but one half this year.
And all of this has been accomplished with backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs at the helm.
Is there still time for a massive slump to kick in? Of course.
The personnel is still severely below average, and the oddsmakers have listed Arizona as an early 14-point underdog against the 49ers next week.
But the early results don’t lie: the Cardinals have been a comfortably above-average team through three games, looking nothing like the dumpster fire that is the Chicago Bears.
Cardinals are an above average team without Kyler Murray after three weeks https://t.co/IugXVhDI1q
— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) September 24, 2023
If Arizona remains competent the rest of the season, and if C.J. Stroud continues to impress for the 1-2 Texans, dreams of the No. 1 overall pick will evaporate.
Would that have meant Caleb Williams in and Kyler Murray out? Would it have meant a massive trade down for multiple first-round picks?
We may never know, but Cardinals fans shouldn’t fret, as this alternate path is actually the preferred one if Arizona can legitimately keep up this standard of play.
Most rebuilding teams have a black hole at quarterback, so punching above their weight isn’t the best thing for the long run. The Bears, the Buccaneers, the Raiders, they need Caleb Williams like they need air.
Even middling teams like the Falcons, Commanders, Patriots and Giants don’t have much of a future until they find a high-end quarterback.
But the Cardinals already have a two-time Pro Bowl signal-caller on the roster who is just now entering his physical prime.
It’s not hard to imagine a 3-0 start if Kyler Murray was under center to start the year, and dreams of a dominant offense persist if the running game can remain this effective when he returns from a torn ACL.
Cardinals are a Kyler away from 3-0
— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) September 24, 2023
Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has proven to be a play-calling maestro three games into his first crack at it, while the offensive line and skill players are performing at a high level.
Even Dobbs, after his putrid debut, is up to No. 11 in the NFL in Total QBR.
Wherever their draft picks end up, the Cardinals are guaranteed to have two of them in the first round in 2024.
They will also have a bunch of cap space after GM Monti Ossenfort skillfully cut dead weight from the roster all offseason.
He can go get a No. 1 cornerback next year, find a guard, add to the defensive front. But a team that everyone thought was littered with holes has looked almost unbelievably well-rounded.
The Cardinals probably won’t play like a potential playoff team all year because some of the personnel issues have to show their face eventually.
But if the coaching continues to excel and the players keep giving this type of effort, they will win their share of games.
Enough to drive Arizona out of the Caleb Williams sweepstakes.
Enough for Cardinals fans to get very excited about the future.
