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There is a lot of optimism for the Arizona Cardinals offense entering this season. There is reason to be.
Carson Palmer played very well over the last half of 2013 and is comfortable running the offense now. The team will get a full season Andre Ellington. The offensive line talent is upgraded. The talent at tight end and at receiver is improved.
Basically every part of the offense should be better.
How good can they be?
There is a benchmark the Cardinals should shoot for -- 400 points.
Last season, 11 teams scored at least 400 points. Nine of them made the postseason. They combined for a a .668 winning percentage. The only two teams to not make the playoffs and to score that much were the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears, and their defenses were terrible.
Arizona scored 379 points in 2013.
But 400 points sounds doable. That is averaging 25 points a game. Arizona averaged 26 per game over their final nine games in 2013. They averaged 19 a game for the first seven.
With the defense the team has (or expected to have), they will win a lot of games scoring 25 points.
Remember when former defensive coordinator Ray Horton said the Cardinals would win games 30-10 under Bruce Arians? Maybe this is the year it happens.
Can the Cardinals top 400 points in 2014? Will they, even playing in a defensive division like the NFC West?
