One of the points of emphasis for the Arizona Cardinals was to reduce penalties. They had far too many drives stalled by an untimely penalty.
The numbers say they have improved dramatically in that category.
According to Cardinals VP of media relations Mark Dalton, the Cardinals have the second-fewest drive-stalling penalties in the NFL this season.
They have 10 through 10 games, only one more than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. The Bucs and Chargers have played nine games compared to the Cardinals’ 10.
Last season, the Cardinals had the most drive-stalling penalties with 34.
According to FootballDB.com, the Cardinals have had 65 total accepted penalties this season, which is tied for the 12th-most in the league.
In 2020, their 113 total penalties were the most in the NFL.
The decrease in drive-stalling penalties could be the result of two things.
One is simply fewer penalties. At their current rate, the Cardinals are on pace for 110 penalties in 17 games instead of the 113 in 16 last year, so that is less.
However, the decrease in drive-stalling penalties could also be caused by the increased effectiveness and efficiency in their offense, so that they are more able to overcome penalties.
Either way, it is one of the reasons why the Cardinals have one of the top offenses in the league and are having one of the finest seasons.
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