Temperature check ahead of Cardinals/Rams

The Arizona Cardinals franchise, as a whole, is under immense pressure ahead of Monday night’s playoff matchup at LA.

After beginning the season an NFL-best 10-2, the team has completely collapsed down the stretch for the second consecutive year. An NFC West division title that once seemed all but guaranteed was inexplicably lost in the months of December and January thanks to a 1-4 finish.

Alas, a Monday Night Football win over the division rival Rams will still cement 2021-22 as a success for the Cardinals. Should they replicate their Week 4 performance and dethrone Sean McVay’s star-studded bunch, coach Kliff Kingsbury and his Redbirds can appropriately deem this season as “progress.”

However, if the team is unable to get the job done and gets embarrassed once again on the national stage, heads will roll. Much like last season, changes will come fast and swift in the form of a less-than-pleased Michael Bidwill.

With that in mind, it’s time to take a temperature check of those under the most pressure to perform in the wild-card round of the playoffs.

Temperature Check: HOT

Kliff Kingsbury

Kingsbury’s late season struggles, dating back to his time at Texas Tech, have been well-documented. While the fast start to this season may have been a mirage, a 1-5 finish down the stretch will give everyone in the organization pause as to whether or not Kingsbury is the right man for the job long-term. Although there is next to no shot that the San Antonio native won’t be the team’s head coach next season, it may very well come in a lame duck year should he falter Monday night against McVay. At the very least, those who continue to doubt Kingsbury will take solace in yet another opportunity to rip the former collegiate failure.

The Cardinals last two seasons have ended with losses at LA.

Is third times the charm for Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray? #PHNXCardinals

— Johnny Venerable (@JohnnyVenerable) January 10, 2022

Vance Joseph

Over the team’s past five games (1-4), Vance Joseph’s defense has allowed an average of 28 points per outing. That’s a stark contrast to the start of the season, in which Joseph housed the NFC’s top defensive unit in points allowed. VJ remains an asset to the Cardinals, but his failure to develop top picks (Isaiah Simmons, Zaven Collins) has left some in the organization second-guessing his defensive philosophy. With the third-year coordinator garnering head coaching interest from other teams, it’s hard to envision Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim making a change. Yet a mutual parting of ways isn’t out of the question should Monday night’s matchup go sideways fast.

Kyler Murray

For any playoff team, outside of maybe the head coach, it’s the starting quarterback that typically garners the most pressure. Kyle Murray isn’t spared from this, especially when you consider that this is the former Oklahoma Sooner’s first appearance in the NFL postseason despite playing three years in the league. Murray began 2021 on a record-setting pace, leading the MVP charge before an ankle injury caused him to miss three games in the month of November. Since his return, he’s been mostly fine but not the All-Pro that was routinely on display early on. Should his Monday night counterpart in LA’s Matthew Stafford outduel the young Murray, criticism will come fast and furious pertaining to the undersized gunslinger’s inability to put together a complete season.

D.J. Humphries

Following a career year in 2020, Cardinals’ left tackle D.J. Humphries has experienced a downturn this season, which came to a head last Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Returning to the lineup for the first time since his absence with COVID-19, Humphries was a massive liability against Seattle. Surrounding multiple sacks, as well as numerous holding mentalities, Humphries was Arizona’s lowest-graded player and a large reason why the offense sputtered in the second half. Considering that the week prior saw Kelvin Beachum shine at left tackle, the spotlight will undoubtedly be on Humphries as he attempts to corral Rams edge rusher Von Miller. Should he falter again, Kingsbury needs to have a quick hook with Beachum ready to slide over to Murray’s blindside.

A.J. Green

When you look at A.J. Green’s season as a whole, it’s been a roller-coaster of sorts. The former Cincinnati Bengal began the year as an integral part of the offense, with big games against the Jaguars, Rams and Browns. Yet following his infamous snafu against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football, Green’s play has taken a bit of a downturn. Between inconsistent route running and too many dropped balls, Green has struggled as the default “No. 1 receiver” with the absence of DeAndre Hopkins. His Monday Night Football matchup against star corner Jalen Ramsey puts the 33-year-old Green under immense pressure to produce in hopes of extending his NFL career.

A.J. Green with the double move on Diggs 🔥🔥🔥pic.twitter.com/lkGxf6lUZd

— PHNX Cardinals (@PHNX_Cardinals) January 2, 2022

Chandler Jones

Rehashing the Chandler Jones saga of this season would take far too long, but needless to say, it’s been a whirlwind. With his contract expiring in roughly two months, Jones is one subpar playoff performance away from the Arizona Cardinals allowing their franchise leader in sacks to hit the open market. However, should the former All-Pro string together a series of dominant postseason performances (beginning first at LA), Keim and Cardinals owner Michael Bidiwill will have no choice but to pay Jones the guaranteed dollars he so desperately wants.

Jordan Phillips

There may be no salvaging this bust of a free-agent signing, but Jordan Phillips could manage to stick around for another season should he show he’s capable of dominating the Rams’ offensive line. The Cardinals are already thin at the defensive tackle position, so finding an excuse to keep Phillips in house for another year may be as simple as a couple of Matthew Stafford quarterback hits. Otherwise, expect Phillips to be released come March.

Temperature Check: MEDIUM

Steve Keim

For the fans clamoring for a change at general manager, you can expect the polarizing Cardinal administrator to garner some votes for Executive of the Year. Steve Keim’s 2021 offseason, despite the team’s late season downfall, is something that should be celebrated even if the Cardinals suffer a defeat on Monday night. The Cardinals’ front office is currently the envy of several GM-needy teams, with both Adrian Wilson and Quentin Harris garnering interviews with the New York Giants. That itself should tell you enough about Keim and his team’s reputation around the league.

Christian Kirk

At this point, it genuinely feels like we’re in the midst of watching Christian Kirk’s final days as an Arizona Cardinal. Despite some words of encouragement from Larry Fitzgerald, Kirk has mostly shown this season to be a high-end No. 3 to low-end No. 2 receiver in this league. Barring a magical postseason run of elite-level play, the Cardinals simply cannot justify matching the money that many receiver-needy teams will opt to throw at Kirk this spring.

At only 24 years old, are we sure the Cardinals can afford to let Christian Kirk walk after this season? pic.twitter.com/3L9VXPgZcF

— Johnny Venerable (@JohnnyVenerable) November 8, 2021

Rondale Moore

We’ve come a long way from Rondale Moore’s early camp dominance to essentially becoming a non-factor during the latter months of the season. Moore has been banged up with an ankle injury but is expected to return to action Monday night against the LA Rams. While he figures to be in their long-term plans, questions still remain about the undersized Moore’s ability to stay healthy while maximizing his reps in the intermediate passing game. The Cardinals desperately need his big-play ability against a more than suspect LA secondary.

Byron Murphy

Byron Murphy joins the long list of Arizona Cardinals who started the season strong only to suffer a steep drop-off in the second half. Most notably, Murphy’s struggles in the red zone raise significant flags for a Cardinal front office who may opt to wait on extending the former Washington Husky this offseason. Replicating his standout Week 4 performance against the LA Rams would go a long way in reinforcing the team’s belief in the young defensive back.

Chase Edmonds

Banged up throughout last 6-8 weeks, Chase Edmonds is set to return Monday night from a rib injury suffered against the Dallas Cowboys. While he is no longer viewed as an every-down player by the Cardinals, his ability to make defenders miss in space remains a viable component for Kingsbury’s offense. A couple explosive plays against that vaunted Rams’ front could step himself up for a quality payday come free agency.

Isaiah Simmons

There may not be a more inconsistent player on Arizona’s defense than the former eighth overall pick. Isaiah Simmons has likely been done a disservice by the team’s coaching staff, refusing to play him much as a rookie and now consistently failing to find him a set role on defense. A monster game in prime time against a division rival would do wonders for his confidence and overall development, which could vaunt him into stardom next season.

Temperature Check: COOL

James Conner

Based on early practice reports, James Conner will play in some capacity Monday against the Rams. For this former free-agent afterthought, Conner has been a godsend for the Cardinals, which will likely see him brought back on a multi-year contract this spring. Regardless of his performance in the playoffs, Conner’s presence in the offense is too vital to allow him to depart after this season.

J.J. Watt

Given what he’s gone through to return, no right-minded fan can seriously criticize J.J. Watt for attempting this miraculous postseason comeback. Watt represents the very best of this Cardinal team that was once unbeaten at 7-0. Even if his presence is more emotional than physical, that will still do wonders for an Arizona squad that has seemingly lost much of their early-season confidence.

LET'S GOOOOO 👏😤 pic.twitter.com/UA1l4ZSJao

— Chierstin Susel (@ChierstinSusel) January 12, 2022

Zaven Collins

After what has to be considered a lost rookie season, no one is expecting much from first-round pick Zaven Collins. Perhaps the recently released Joe Walker’s absence will allow for some increased playing time for Collins against a Rams’ offensive line that has been susceptible to pressure. At this point however, following a mere eight defensive snaps logged against Seattle, no one is holding their breath.

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