The Cardinals are in their "adulting" phase. They're rinsing the dishes (not leaving them caked with tomato sauce), fitting them in the dishwasher neatly and using dishwasher detergent - not dish soap - before pressing "start." Their parents just came to visit. The big show. The Cardinals cleaned the toilet first, swept the floors, and even paid for dinner. Now the 'rents are driving home, texting how impressed they are with the maturity levels of Kyler Murray and company. Whew.
Test. Passed.
The Cardinals - like most of us tried to do by the age of 25 - are doing what they're supposed to do, but not yet much more. Let's be honest about this 4-2 record. Arizona beat a 49ers team without its two best wide receivers, a Washington team that is now 1-5, the Jets, and a Cowboys team without Dak Prescott. Ezekiel Elliot fumbled twice in the first half to boot, and Mike Nolan may be the worst defensive coordinator of all time.
Now comes the tough part. Saving money, buying the right insurance, spending extra on synthetic oil over conventional (worth it).
Over their next three, the Cardinals are in for two clashes with the Seahawks, separated by a conflict with the rising Dolphins.
Dennis Gardeck looks real nice coming around the edge on a blitz when Andy Dalton's the one in the end zone, but what about Russell Wilson? Odds are, Wilson would've dipped his shoulder, avoided the special-teams ace, and found D.K. Metcalf for six.
Dre Kirkpatrick finally popped with his first interception, right? Well, not before popping CeeDee Lamb with a no-call tackle...
Kenyan Drake put up 164 yards! 70 of which came on this garbage time scamper.
Kyler Murray had three touchdowns! But, he missed Larry Fitzgerald for another, and it wasn't the first time he missed Larry Monday night.
All of this is fine, by the way. This is exactly what the Cardinals should be doing. They're beating the crap out of bad teams. They're a young team developing confidence. They've bounced back with a vengeance after two bad losses to Detroit and Carolina. The Seahawks are only -3.5 point favorites for Sunday's matchup at State Farm Stadium.
The point is, this is when the real work starts. Arizona's figured out the dish detergent vs dish soap discrepancy, but have they figured out Roth IRA vs. 401(k)?
Russell Wilson is no Andy Dalton. Pete Carroll is no Mike McCarthy.
But, hey, for now, the parents are headed home, and they're happy. The Cardinals can change into their sweatpants, crack open a cold one and feel good about this performance.