Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals 2016 season becoming a nightmare

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Along with the Arizona Cardinals injury list becoming a mile long the club was once again handled by the Carolina Panthers

A season that once carried so much promise for the Arizona Cardinals is now heading down the toilet. They’re below .500 heading into their week nine bye, and things aren’t looking rosy for the final eight games.

For a team that can’t afford injuries, they’ve now been ravaged. Starting left tackle Jared Veldheer’s season is over due to a triceps injury. Safety Tyrann Mathieu suffered a shoulder injury that will sideline him for roughly a month.

Tight end Ifeanyi Momah broke his wrist and was released with an injury settlement. Larry Fitzgerald is hobbled with a bad ankle but, thankfully, isn’t expected to miss any games.

The Veldheer loss is a killer. John Wetzel will replace him, and will be counted on to protect Carson Palmer’s blind side. That’s one hell of a challenge for a player with such little experience.

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Short-sighted fans will contend that the front office should trade for Joe Thomas or Joe Staley. The problem with that is that they’re both over 30 years of age. It wouldn’t be a smart move for a team with an old quarterback that probably won’t be winning any time soon.

After a couple of dominating performances in a row, the defense was rocked during the first half of Sunday’s game. The offensive line was absolutely pathetic. The Cardinals have become an inconsistent bunch this season, and inconsistent teams don’t win Super Bowls.

The inconsistent play and banged-up roster makes it difficult to imagine the boys will rally and make the playoffs. They just don’t appear to be the double-digit win, playoff team they’ve been the last two years. Despite offseason optimism, Cards fans should be prepared for yet another season that ends without a Super Bowl.

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