Peter King: Post-Bye Week Concerns for Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals have seen this movie before.

They’re just hoping, with a little luck, for a different ending.

Last year the Cards entered Week 9 7-1 before eventually losing Carson Palmer and any hopes of “hosting” the Super Bowl in their nest. After a 6-2 start many feel Bruce Arians’ team is positioned well entering their bye week even as the competition ramps up as the holiday season approaches.

The Bird Gang has beaten the poor teams (New Orleans, San Francisco, Chicago, Baltimore, Cleveland) but struggled against the good ones (St. Louis, Pittsburgh).

So where does perception overlap reality?

“I think they’re a good team,” SI.com Senior NFL Writer Peter King told Sports360AZ.com’s Brad Cesmat during his weekly interview Tuesday morning. “But I would be worried going down the stretch of the season if they play a really good passing team and there are good passing teams on the horizon.”

Specifically the unbeaten Cincinnati Bengals with Andy Dalton, the always-tough Aaron Rodgers’ led Green Bay Packers and the surprising Minnesota Vikings behind developing young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

King also hinted that Arizona would benefit from a boost in production up front, just after Arians bluntly said he expects more from Pro-Bowler Calais Campbell.

“In an ideal world they would have seen more from Dwight Freeney by now,” King said. “That’s the one thing Brad that could really hold them back.”

The Cards return to action on November 15th, on Sunday Night Football against the Seahawks, in Seattle, in a pivotal NFC West showdown.