21 days till Arizona Cardinals' opener: Remembering the 2021 season

As we approach the Arizona Cardinals' regular season opener on September 13 against the Los Angeles Chargers, let's take a look back at their 2021 season. The year began promisingly with a 7-0 start, where the team scored over 30 points in six games and held opponents to 20 or fewer points six times. Quarterback Kyler Murray had an MVP-like performance throughout the first half of the season, making him the frontrunner for the award. However, an ankle injury forced him to miss three games.

The 2021 season also saw key injuries to key players. Running backs James Conner and Chase Edmonds never played together in a game during the second half, while defensive lineman J.J. Watt missed the final nine regular-season games due to a shoulder injury. Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins missed seven games.

The defensive line faltered due to injuries, and the offensive line struggled throughout the season. The team lost four of their final five games, but still managed an 11-5 record and secured a playoff spot. However, they were eliminated 34-11 by the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Los Angeles Rams, in the wild card round. This downward spiral continued into the 2022 season, and the Cardinals have yet to have a winning season since 2021.

The team did have four Pro Bowl selections that year: Kyler Murray, James Conner, Chander Jones, and S Budda Baker. Baker also earned second-team All-Pro honors. Murray threw for 3,787 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, while adding five rushing touchdowns. James Conner had a breakout season with 15 rushing touchdowns and 18 total touchdowns, including 752 rushing yards.

Christian Kirk led the team in receiving with 77 receptions for 982 yards. Zach Ertz had a record-breaking season with 56 catches, tying a franchise single-season record for receptions by a tight end. Cornerback Byron Murphy led the defense with four interceptions and 12 pass breakups, while Baker had three interceptions and seven pass breakups. Markus Golden and Chandler Jones each had 10.5 sacks and forced six fumbles each.