2009 Arizona Cardinals Predictions and Super Bowl Odds

The Arizona Cardinals nearly capped off an amazing season in 2008 with a victory in Super Bowl odds as 7-point underdogs but fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-23. The Cardinals head into 2009 looking just as strong as they did last year, perhaps even better but they must overcome a lot of negative history that is against them. Arizona is a 20-1 long shot at most sportsbooks in NFL odds to win Super Bowl XLIV. The Cardinals may look the same as they did last year but there were a lot of changes in the off-season.

The two biggest changes you may not immediately notice are that offensive coordinator Todd Haley and defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast are gone. Kurt Warner was re-signed in the off-season and that was huge for Arizona. He is a Pro-Bowl quarterback who knows how to win. Arizona will need to continue to protect him though as 38-year old quarterbacks don’t move around very well. Arizona has perhaps the best wide receiver in the game in Larry Fitzgerald and if Anquan Boldin comes back they will be as dangerous as ever with Steve Breaston continuing to improve. The Cardinals picked Chris Wells out of Ohio State in the draft and he could immediately take the starting running back job and greatly improve an area of weakness.

The Arizona defense during the regular season wasn’t very good but somehow in the postseason they turned things around. Which defense will we see in 2009? One of the players that performed well in the playoffs, Antonio Smith is done. They will need rookie Cody Brown to immediately make an impact or they could struggle rushing the passer. The good news for Arizona is that their linebackers, led by Karlos Dansby are solid and the secondary is very good led by Adrian Wilson and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Bryant McFadden was signed away from Pittsburgh and he should help. The biggest problem that Arizona may face in 2009 is the Super Bowl runner-up letdown. It happens almost every year that the runner-up in the Super Bowl flops the next season.

It may not happen to Arizona since they have a lot of talent but history is not on the side of the Cardinals. This decade only one team even made the playoffs after losing the Super Bowl the previous year. The only reason the Cardinals might break the Super Bowl runner-up jinx is because they play in the NFC West which means they get San Francisco, St. Louis and Seattle. The Seahawks should be vastly improved but Arizona also gets to play the Lions this season. Arizona may struggled to reach last season’s 9-7 record and make the playoffs if history is any indication.