Passing yardage is at an all-time high, and as long as quarterbacks continue to terrorize secondaries, there will always be a need for elite pass rushers in today’s NFL. The Cardinals found theirs in seventh-year defensive end Chandler Jones, who was acquired in a trade with the Patriots in 2016.

During his first two seasons in the desert, Jones produced at a remarkable rate, recording 125 tackles, 46 tackles for loss, 28 sacks, 60 quarterback hits, 29 quarterback pressures, six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and five passes defensed. No defender in the NFL played at a higher level during that span, and retaining Jones’ services wasn’t cheap.

Jones led the league in total sacks and tackles for loss over those two years, which earned him a five-year, $82.5 million contract extension from the Cardinals with $53 million in guarantees.

“The culture, the system, this is the place to be, this is the place I’ve always wanted to be,” Jones said. “When I got traded out here, I told Bill Belichick thank you — thank you for not trading me to a different team, because I was happy to be here.”

In a league where getting to the quarterback is paramount, Arizona couldn’t afford to let a talent such as Jones walk out the door.

“Pass rushers don’t fall off trees, and when you have one the caliber of Chandler, you definitely want to relish those moments because he’s the type of guy you can play with coverage,” Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson said. “Not only him, but Markus (Golden) as well. Having two premier pass rushers is always a plus for any defense. Having guys of their caliber just makes our job easier.”

Even in this dark season for the Cardinals, Jones has proved to be worth every penny. Through nine games in 2018, he ranks seventh in sacks with 8.5. He set the tone defensively for Arizona last week against Kansas City, and the pressure he applied on Patrick Mahomes helped the Cardinals come close to pulling off the upset of the season.

Defensive coordinator Al Holcomb said Jones gives Arizona “the best of both worlds” in terms of his ability to stop the run and create pressure off the edge. Jones’ dynamic skill set is obviously highly coveted in today’s game.

“I don’t know how many guys are out there that are dual threat type guys like that,” Holcomb said. “I know there’s guys that are specialty guys that come in and play third down and get some sacks and some numbers, but (Jones) provides both of those traits and he brings that to our defense.”

The Cardinals made the smart choice by keeping their premier pass rusher in house, while their Week 11 opponent, the Raiders, traded All-Pro Khalil Mack to the Bears a week before the season, instead of signing him to a long-term deal.

At the time of the trade, Mack had the most quarterback pressures of any player since entering the league in 2014 (185.5) and 40.5 career sacks. Trading a player of Mack’s caliber was a surprise.

“I’ve been traded before, so I know how the business works,” Jones said. “His situation was a little different because he had to hold out and he felt like he had more say in what was going on, but I know the feeling. It’s a business and you have to approach it that way.”

Mack’s situation ultimately came down to money, and the Raiders weren’t willing to meet his asking price. Chicago turned around and made Mack the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history, and this season, he’s been a dominating force for the Bears who sit atop the NFC North at 6-3.

Meanwhile, the 1-8 Raiders are dead last in the league in sacks with only eight.

“(Pass rushers) are an important position in the NFL,” Holcomb said. “People do throw the ball, there’s a lot of elite quarterbacks and receivers. When you look at the offensive line and the left tackle position, how much that position is valued, I think it’s extremely important to have somebody who’s really going to draw a lot of attention as Chandler does, and brings that element to the defense.”

To make matters worse, Oakland continued to dismantle its roster by cutting defensive end Bruce Irvin, the team’s leading pass rusher following Mack’s exit. Moves such as this have placed Raiders head coach Jon Gruden under extreme scrutiny.

“You inherit a situation, and a lot of our players were not under contract,” Gruden said. “Some of our guys – Denico Autry, (T.J.) Carrie and some of the players that perhaps we would have liked to re-sign – they were free agents, and sometimes they get outside your budget. Khalil Mack, we had a standoff with a contract, and we’ve had a number of players that we felt we had needs and that we had to address.”

The Raiders have a lot of issues, but not having Mack in the lineup this season has proved costly. So the next time Oakland gets ahold of a game-changing defender, it would be wise for them to learn from a team like the Cardinals and pay that player what he’s worth. The value of pass rushers is increasing, and teams can’t win in this league without them.

“I feel like every team has to have an elite pass rusher, that’s why those are the top paid guys,” Jones said. “Quarterbacks, defensive ends, pass rushers, left tackles and now receivers are starting to jump on the charts a little, but mostly it’s the pass rushers because it’s a very important position. Just like how quarterbacks drive the offense, pass rushers anchor the defense.”

Key matchups

Cardinals pass rushers vs. Raiders offensive line

The Arizona defense came alive last week in a losing effort, sacking Mahomes five times and holding the Kansas City offense to its lowest point total of the season. If that group can keep that same energy, they’ll be in great shape. Raiders rookie left tackle Kolton Miller has struggled mightily this season in pass protection, allowing the most sacks and quarterback pressures of any linemen in the league. If Jones and Golden show up to State Farm Stadium Sunday ready to play, those two should have a field day.

Josh Rosen, Cardinals offensive line vs. Raiders defense

Josh Rosen took his fair share of punishment last week in Kansas City, and with starting right guard Justin Pugh being placed on injured reserve earlier in the week, his offensive line has become even more unreliable. The Raiders haven’t gotten to opposing quarterbacks all season long, so whoever starts on Arizona’s offensive line on Sunday will be playing for pride. If that unit can keep Rosen upright, he should be able to take advantage of an Oakland defense that has given up 21 touchdown passes this season.

Derek Carr vs. Cardinals defensive backs

Carr hasn’t throw an interception in his past four games, but he is prone to turn the ball over if a defense can get under his skin. Assuming Arizona’s defense brings the type of pressure it showed last week against the Chiefs, there could be a lot of balls thrown by Carr that will be up for grabs. The Cardinals defense has struggled at times this season, but the secondary has been consistently opportunistic. If Carr loses his nerve, Patrick Peterson and Bene Benwikere could have big games.

Predictions

Scott Bordow, Cardinals beat writer

Cardinals 27, Raiders 13

How bad are the Raiders? This is the first game all season the Cardinals not only should win but win going away. Jon Gruden’s team is an absolute mess and Arizona has shown some improvement recently on both sides of the ball. It’s hard to say about a 2-7 football team but the Cardinals win this one handily.

C.J. Holmes, Cardinals beat writer

Cardinals 21, Raiders 10

The Cardinals have only one more win than the Raiders, but its apparent that these two teams are trending in opposite directions. Arizona is starting to find its rhythm offensively, David Johnson looks like he’s returning to form and the defense is playing as well as it has all season. The Cardinals haven’t lost to the Raiders since 2006, and they won’t lose this matchup either.

(Photo: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)