From the Other Side: Five Questions About the Cardinals

The Miami Dolphins close out the first half of their 2020 regular season schedule Sunday with a tough matchup against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.

A victory would move the Dolphins to 5-3 on the season, but they face an Arizona team coming off a bye after its impressive Sunday night victory against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7.

To get a better feel for the Rams, we checked in with AllCardinals publisher Howard Balzer for his answers on these five key questions:

1) What did the Cardinals’ win against Seattle do in terms of establishing them as legitimate contenders in the NFC?

Balzer: It was a huge win, considering the way they responded in the second half after allowing 377 first-half yards. The Cardinals limited Seattle to seven points in the last two quarters plus overtime and came back in the final seven minutes from a 10-point deficit. The previous two wins came against the Jets and Cowboys, so defeating the Seahawks at home for the first time since Russell Wilson's rookie year (2012) was a confidence boost and showed they can compete against the best in probably the best NFL division.

2) How much progress has Kyler Murray made from Year 1 to Year 2, and where would you rank among league quarterbacks?

Balzer: He has picked up where he left off at the end of the 2019 season when he started becoming comfortable about what it takes to succeed in the NFL. Murray exerted more of a leadership role, but mostly he shows resilience and the ability to bounce back from bad plays and adversity. He knows when to run and most important understands how to avoid big hits by sliding and getting out of bounds. His quickness makes it hard for defenders to get a clear shot. In seven games, I can't recall one hit where I thought, "That was a kill shot."

3) How effective has Larry Fitzgerald remained in his 17th season, and how much has he benefited from having DeAndre Hopkins with him on offense?

Balzer: He wasn't targeted much early in the season except on shorter routes. His production against Seattle was the best it had been all season, and there appeared to be more of an effort to get him the ball. What has opened things up more for him and even Hopkins is how Christian Kirk has played in the last few games after coming back from a groin injury.

4) Bubba Baker might not be that well known around the country, but the Cardinals safety is an absolutely star. How would you describe what he means to the Cardinals defense?

Balzer: Baker is phenomenal, playing with passion, energy and leadership. His value was truly felt when he missed the Carolina game after thumb surgery, a week after playing with the injury against Detroit. Those were the only two losses of the season. He has had interceptions in the last two games and sets the tone for the entire defense especially with the players they have been without at different times this season.

5) How did Kenyan Drake perform before his injury, and what’s going to be the challenge for the Dolphins run defense with him missing the game because of an injury?

Balzer: Drake was beginning to focus more on running north-south before getting injured after seemingly trying to make every carry a big play. The starter this week, Chase Edmonds, is explosive and an excellent pass-catcher. The question is how much of a load he is capable of carrying. The runners expected to spell him are D.J. Foster and perhaps Jonathan Ware and Eno Benjamin.

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