Arizona Cardinals: What we know, week 10

10 weeks are wrapped up and the Arizona Cardinals are above .500 with a 5-4 record. That is good enough for 3rd place in the NFC West and keeps the Cards mired in the muddled pack of mediocrity within the NFL as a league.

At the beginning of the season based on paper I predicted the Cards would only win five games. With seven weeks left they've already met that mark for victories and could be poised to add a couple more.

Most of the anxiety in the of season came with the hiring of Todd Bowles as DC, who replaced Ray Horton. The fear was drop off. I was one of the skeptics based upon what I'd seen of Bowles' time in Philly. I've already come out a few weeks ago and said I was one of those worried, and now looking back on it, I think this defense is easily as comparable. There are play makers at every level, and they are consistent on a weekly basis.

I still believe that before the 2014 season a safety needs to be found that can fill the box but still work against an opposing TE. Oh, and get a throwing machine so the linebackers can practice their hands. Karlos Dansby should have had 2 Sunday, and a few more on the season.

Offensively, I didn't think things could be worse considering the things that Arizona tried to call offense the last few seasons. A new HC who would also work as an OC. A new QB in Carson Palmer. One of the best WR in the game. What I've seen is a HC who doesn't place his team in positions to win offensively. Carson Palmer has thrown a pick in every game this season. RB Rashard Mendenhall does enough to make fans clamor for rookie Stepfan Taylor to get his carries as a grinder and yet Arians keeps to the my guy mantra that make Ken Whisenhunt popular here. <sarcasm>

To be fair, there are times and plays that make me sit up and take notice. Plays where I missed what I thought was going to happen on the field. I need this consistently from Arians. The offense does as well. Until this happens the defense will be stellar and the offense will be, well, what it is now.

In recap, the Cards are different and yet the same all at one time. Levi Brown is gone, but now I have Eric Winston to complain about. Larry Fitzgerald trade rumors swirl. Speaking of trade rumors, the Cards are still the Pittsburgh Steelers West with the news that Big Ben Roethlisberger seeks a trade and who else gets mentioned, the Cards. The defense is miles ahead of the offense but still needs a rush linebacker. Oh, and we have a coach that speaks bull on the mike and plays his guys.