The Arizona Cardinals opened the 2022 season with significant question marks on defense. They will lean on Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray and an explosive offense to return to the playoffs for a second consecutive year. The Cardinals will join the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers in a three-team race for the NFC West division title this season, which could see some tight odds in NFL betting markets.
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury enters his fourth season with the franchise and is the architect of a high-octane offense that should score plenty of points this year. However, Arizona will be tested early with three difficult matchups against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Rams to start the 2022 campaign.
The Cardinals enjoyed their best start in 47 years in 2021 with a seven-game winning streak. But for the third consecutive season, Arizona suffered a late-season collapse and lost four of its final five games to finish the regular season with an 11-6 record. The Cardinals advanced to the NFC Wildcard Playoffs, ending their season with a 34-11 loss to the Rams.
Former Baltimore Ravens speedy wideout Marquise “Hollywood” Brown will join WR1 DeAndre Hopkins and tight end Zach Ertz to form a dynamic receiving corp. The running game will feature a 1-2 punch consisting of James Conner and USC rookie Keaontay Ingram.
Defensive end J.J. Watt and outside linebacker Markus Golden headline an inconsistent defensive unit. A pair of talented inside linebackers, Isaiah Simmons and Zaven Collins are expected to help stop opposing rushing attacks. Cornerbacks Byron Murphy and Marco Wilson will anchor a young secondary.
The Cardinals are the oldest continuously run professional football franchise in the United States. The organization was established in 1898 as the Morgan Athletic Club, an amateur football team in Chicago, and joined the NFL as a charter member in 1920. The franchise relocated to St. Louis in 1960 and played there for 27 years. Before the 1988 season, the Cardinals moved to Arizona.
The home field of the Cardinals is State Farm Stadium, a multi-purpose stadium with natural grass that has a capacity of 63,400.
Arizona's two most significant rivalries recently are the Rams and the 49ers. The Rams lead the all-time series, 47-39-2, and have won 10 of the past 11 meetings. The 49ers lead the all-time series, 32-29, but the Cardinals have won 11 of the past 14 meetings.
