Arizona Cardinals’ ‘triplets’ rank low in NFL.com rankings

In football terms, “triplets” refers to a team’s quarterback-running back-receiver combination.

The phrase was popularized in the 1990s when Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin of the Dallas Cowboys were putting up big numbers and winning Super Bowls.

NFL.com analyst Dave Dameshek has ranked the current triplet combinations in the league, and he doesn’t have the Arizona Cardinals’ trio ranked very high.

Dameshek lists Arizona at No. 24 on his “top triplets for 2015” list, using the combination of Carson Palmer, Andre Ellington and Michael Floyd.

Writes Dameshek:

Injuries and inconsistency have plagued this trio, but the Cards are nonetheless worthy playoff contenders, thanks to coach Bruce Arians and a terrific defense. Ellington’s breakout — foretold by over-anxious Arizona coaches last year — could come in 2015 behind what looks to be a rugged line.

It should be noted that Dameshek did not list Cardinals’ receiver Larry Fitzgerald as one of the players considered in the combination.

The Steelers’ triplet combo of Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown was ranked first, followed by Green Bay (Aaron Rodgers, Eddie Lacy and Jordy Nelson) and Seattle (Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch and Jimmy Graham).