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One thing that is often looked at to determine how well coaches do is how much they produce over what is expected of them.
That’s what has been tough for the Arizona Cardinals the last three seasons. They have had some expectations in 2016 that they didn’t meet and less expectations in 2017, but they still failed to meet them.
It is interesting to look at and why Vegas usually does such a good job of making money off of people.
The entire list:
NFL teams with the best "wins vs expected wins" the past three seasons:
— Al Smizzle (@AlZeidenfeld) March 25, 2018
Patriots +6
Vikings +6
Chiefs 5.5
The three worst:
Browns -11
Colts -9
Bears & 49ers tied at -5.5 pic.twitter.com/XAt9KpqN0Z
You notice, the Cardinals are in the positive, but much of that came at the hands of their impressive 2015 season.
They were expected to win 8.5 games in 2015, they won 13, which was +4.5, but the 2016 was the opposite.
In 2016, they had a win total of 10 projected and finished at 7-8-1, falling three games shy. Taking their over to just +1.5.
It was 2017, where they were projected to win just 7.5 games that they got on the positive side again, taking their total to +2 over the last three years.
It is interesting going back over the last three years, wondering what Vegas saw, or didn’t see, going into 2015 that they set the win total so low for the Cardinals.
Meanwhile, we all know why the 2016 season was so highly regarded, and they basically nailed the 2017 season.
Vegas has the Cardinals, right now, at 6.5 wins for 2018, but this is a new season, a new regime and a new team.
Can the Cardinals continue to make Vegas look… wrong?