The Arizona Cardinals are on the road in Week 15 to start the final four games of the season without quarterback Kyler Murray, who had his season end last week with a torn ACL.
The face the Denver Broncos, an infrequent regular-season matchup. This will only be the 12th time they have ever played each other and the Cardinals have only won once.
What has happened to Russell Wilson? Is there hope that he can bounce back at the end of the year and then look more like what we all expect him to next season?
I don’t think Russell Wilson is going to return to the franchise QB level that he once played at in Seattle — his best days are behind him. With that said, I do believe that in the right system, he can be a good quarterback for the Broncos. Nathaniel Hackett has not done a good enough job putting Wilson in positions to succeed, and a switch to Klint Kubiak calling plays has seemingly helped Wilson get back on track. Assuming the team will get a new coach this offseason, finding one that will tailor his system to Wilson’s strengths will be key for Denver.
Nathaniel Hackett
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What is the overall feeling about Nathaniel Hackett?
Not good. He was brought in to fix the team’s offense and has seemingly done the opposite by making it even worse. Fans and pundits overwhelmingly expect him to be fired at the end of the season, and there will be many unhappy customers in Broncos Country if that does not happen.
Bright spots
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What bright spots have there been this season?
Justin Simmons and Pat Surtain are bright spots in the secondary, and Baron Browning has shown promise as a young pass rusher. Really, the entire defense has played well and much of the great goes to DC Ejiro Evero. His unit has been the bright spot for the Broncos this year — it’s hard to think of anyone on offense who has consistently played well.
Matchups
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Which matchups are you most excited about against the Cardinals? Which are you most worried about?
I’m excited to watch Surtain go up against DeAndre Hopkins, but there’s always a little bit of worry that “Nuk” could make a big play and punish a defense on any given play. I’m also excited to see Denver’s defensive line go up against Arizona’s offensive line. This could be an ugly defensive back if the game features a pair of backup QBs, and Denver’s offensive line has also struggled this year, so that’s also a worry. What’s the over/under for sacks in this game? 10?
Prediction
Who wins this game and how does it go down?
Simply because Kyler Murray is out and the Cardinals’ line has such a hard time protecting Colt McCoy, I have the Broncos winning at home. Denver’s offense came to life a little bit last week and their defense has been excellent all year, so I’m picking the Broncos, 22-16.
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