The Heat Index

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The 2018-19 NFL season is in the books.

It's time to take a peek at what the 2019-20 season could hold for the Arizona Cardinals and new coach Kliff Kingsbury.

Are there reasons for hope for the franchise?

Early NFL power rankings for next season weigh in on what to expect from the team.

ESPN: Cardinals ranked No. 32 (of 32 teams in the NFL)

Josh Weinfuss writes: "After a dismal 2018, there's really nowhere else for the Cardinals to go but up. Well, technically they could go 0-16, but there's plenty of optimism around Kingsbury that that won't happen. Arizona's offense needed a breath of fresh air, and that's what it will get from Kingsbury, who brings his version of the Air Raid offense to the NFL. He has worked wonders with quarterbacks in the past -- such as Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech -- and the Cardinals hope he can do the same with Josh Rosen, who'll be playing for his third playcaller and second head coach in his young career."

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NFL.com: Cardinals ranked No. 32

Elliot Harrison writes: "Of all the coaching movement, news and transactions that transpired from the end of the regular season until the Super Bowl, perhaps nothing was as stunning as the Cardinals hiring Kliff Kingsbury. The former Texas Tech coach experienced anything but total success in Lubbock, then immediately jumped ship at USC before the 2019 Trojans even set sail. Now fans in Arizona are hoping they are not getting a Trojan horse, with all of their enemies in the NFC ready to overtake them ... again. The Kingsbury add is, in theory, an effort to maximize Josh Rosen (oddly enough, a former UCLA star). Say this: Kingsbury won the reigning NFL MVP's endorsement. If he can make Rosen into half the player Mahomes has become, then the Cards are on to something. As for the rest of group, look for GM Steve Keim and the personnel staff to look at sprucing up the offensive line, defensive line/pass rush and adding another corner in the draft. Larry Fitzgerald is coming back, but another wideout will be drafted. The beauty here is that the Cardinals own the top pick, and doesn't need a quarterback. That means flexibility. So do a ton of cap dollars, which they have."

Touchdown Wire: Cardinals No. 31 entering 2019

247 Sports: Cardinals No. 24

Sam Hellman based his rankings on odds to win the Super Bowl next season. He writes: "The award for most-unconventional hire of the NFL coaching carousel goes to the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona tabbed Kliff Kingsbury as its next head football coach in hopes of finding a young, offensive mind to spark things for the Cardinals. Kingsbury previously lost his job after a losing season at Texas Tech, and spent about a month at USC as Clay Helton’s offensive coordinator. Will Kingsbury be the spark Arizona needs? Will Josh Rosen remain the guy or does Kingsbury seek a new quarterback in the NFL Draft?"

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NBC Sports: Cardinals No. 32

Scott Bair writes: "The Cardinals hired the second cousin of a guy who once split a milkshake with Sean McVay as their head coach. Sure. That’ll get Josh Rosen right. If that doesn’t work out, ABC’s always looking for the next Bachelor."

Sporting News: Cardinals ranked No. 32

Vinnie Iyer writes: "The Cardinals are still trying to figure things out after replacing defensive-minded Steve Wilks with offensive-minded Kliff Kingsbury. The top draft pick helps, but 2019 will still feel like a rookie year for Josh Rosen, and the defense is undergoing another philosophical transition."

Yahoo Sports: Cardinals ranked No. 31

Frank Schwab writes: "It feels like either Kliff Kingsbury is a great, creative hire (in which case, what’s Texas Tech doing?), or an absolute debacle. There doesn’t seem to be much middle ground. It’s interesting, at least."

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