The Arizona Cardinals originally hired head coach Kliff Kingsbury to run a pass-heavy air raid offense with new quarterback Kyler Murray.
Since then, Kingsbury has created a unique offense that can adapt to different defensive schemes. For example, the Cardinals offense shifted towards a run-heavy scheme late in both the 2019 and 2021 seasons.
Pro Football Focus put out a ranking of the most unique offenses in the NFL. Arizona’s Kliff Kingsbury came in at No. 2 on the list, second to only San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan.
While having a unique scheme doesn’t necessarily correlate to having a good one, it’s worth noting the other coaches near Kingsbury in the ranking are top tier coaches. The two coaches below Kingsbury at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, are Sean McVay and Andy Reid.
One of Kingsbury’s biggest points of criticism from the media has been the team’s late-season collapses. Many believe it’s due to a lack of creativity and adjusting late in the year, but Pro Football Focus appears to think otherwise.
When the Cardinals offense had its full set of playmakers last season, particularly following the acquisition of tight end Zach Ertz, Kingsbury’s unit was unstoppable. While things did fall apart in the end, its fair to point some of that towards the injuries the team sustained.
The Cardinals offense on paper will be better than it was in 2021 once All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins returns from his six-game suspension. We’ll see if Kingsbury’s unit can take another step forward in 2022.
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