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Behind Enemy Lines: 5 things to know about Cardinals ahead of Bills clash

We spoke with Donnie Druin of Arizona Cardinals on SI to learn more about the team ahead of their Week 1 clash with the Buffalo Bills.

Kyle Silagyi

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The Buffalo Bills kick off their 2024 campaign this Sunday with an afternoon clash against the Arizona Cardinals. Much of the focus around Western New York has (expectedly) centered around the Bills, but the Cardinals are a young and talented group that cannot be overlooked or underestimated. We chatted with Donnie Druin of Arizona Cardinals on SI to help familiarize the Buffalo faithful with their Week 1 opponent.

Question: We only got roughly half a season’s worth of Kyler Murray last season, and the offense made noticeable improvements after he re-entered the lineup. Now nearly two years out from his initial ACL tear, has he shown signs of being the dynamic signal-caller of old throughout the summer, and what do you think is the offense’s ceiling with him under center?

I think everybody was very worried about how Murray would look post-ACL injury, and those qualms were put to rest fairly quickly in his first game back against Atlanta last year, where he scrambled and sprinted just fine before leading the Cardinals on a game-winning drive. Like you pointed out, Arizona's offense made notable improvements (such as finishing top ten in EPA in the second half of the season with Murray while averaging a touchdown more per game) and he indeed has flashed a lot of the things that fans have enjoyed - particularly the mobility and play-making outside of the pocket.

There's still questions if he can return to the athlete he truly was prior to the injury, though we won't know that until we see him on the field in 2024. As for the offense's ceiling, nearly every skill position player has gone on record to say they can be one of the best offenses in the league - and should everybody stay healthy, Arizona could certainly finish in the top ten. The Cardinals return one of the league's best rushing attacks from last season and now have some considerable players across the board for Murray to utilize. Though their record may not reflect it when the dust settles, the Cardinals' offense should be fun to watch this season. 

Marvin Harrison
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Question: Has Marvin Harrison Jr. looked as advertised throughout the summer, and how much of the load in the aerial attack is on his shoulders as a rookie?

What's funny is Marvin Harrison Jr. has been oddly overlooked when compared to Malik Nabers simply because he's not the fastest guy in his class - but that Maserati engine has revved in training camp on nearly every occasion. He's big. He's got good game speed despite not being a track star. And most importantly - he just always finds himself open. That's not an exaggeration. As to what his workload could look like, he's undoubtedly the WR1 despite being a rookie, though I do wonder if Arizona will stick with their run-heavy approach that worked last year or if offensive coordinator Drew Petzing will opt to air the ball out a bit more with a revamped offense. I think Harrison will get his fair share of targets but Murray will also spread the ball out and not force-feed anybody. 

Related: Cardinals vs. Bills: 5 Keys to Victory in NFL Week 1

Question: This Arizona pass-rush, on paper, doesn’t do much to strike fear into the hearts of opposition. Are there players that are being overlooked by outside observers, or are there genuine concerns amongst the Arizona faithful about pressuring the quarterback?

Depth at the edge position was a major question approaching the offseason, and after the Cardinals lost their most promising OLB in second-year guy BJ Ojulari, alarm bells were just a bit louder in the desert. Zaven Collins still has a ton to prove as somebody getting to the quarterback after making the switch from ILB last season and it feels like we've seen the ceiling of veteran Dennis Gardeck. One name to watch is rookie Xavier Thomas, who really impressed during preseason play and could get some serious run if he keeps it up. Besides him, there's not much optimism that the Cardinals will surpass their 33 team sack total from last season. 

Question: How are the, for lack of a better term, vibes in Arizona entering a new season? Jonathan Gannon (perhaps surprisingly) proved to be a solid coach last season, and it looks as though Monti Ossenfort has a plan; are fans confident about the trajectory of the team, or are there some immediate and long-term concerns?

The vibes are honestly great. Jonathan Gannon is well-liked and respected around here, but only because he's earned it. I think people saw how the Cardinals fought last year despite going 4-13 and with a better roster, Gannon now has ample opportunity to almost double his win total from his rookie season at the helm. As for Monti Ossenfort, there was a lot of skepticism around him at first for not fooling everybody into thinking the Cardinals would be immediate contenders. He opted to strip the roster down to its bare bones and enact a true rebuild. With his second offseason now behind him, it's hard not to be impressed by the overall body of work Ossenfort's done in terms of roster construction, future salary cap space and his NFL draft track record/pick allocation. There's overall good vibes around this team, but like any other fan base, the Red Sea needs to see it before they believe it. 

Jonathan Gannon
Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Question: What would Cardinals fans deem a successful 2024 campaign?

Many Cardinals fans feel as if they're capable of making a sneaky push to the postseason, which obviously isn't out of the question but Arizona would need quite the fall from their NFC West foes to help make that happen. I think realistically, around the seven-win mark should be deemed successful. Arizona still has plenty of questions to answer - mostly on the defensive side of the ball. With that being said, the roster does look considerably better than last year. More wins are expected, it's just a matter of how many. Regardless, the Cardinals have potential. That's for sure. 

We’d like to thank Donnie again for his time and insightful answers. You can check out his work on Arizona Cardinals on SI.

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Kyle Silagyi

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