LET'S TALK FOOTBALL - Arizona Cardinals

Jonathan Gannon is entering his third season of the Arizona Cardinals and is hoping that this is his best one yet. The first was rough mainly thanks to Kyler Murray missing half of the season with the torn ACL, but at one point, his team was leading the NFC West. Unfortunately, they stumbled and missed the playoffs at 8-9, but you could see that the team improved. Now the question is will this team build their way up or take a couple steps back?

Kyler Murray has more than proven to be the face of the franchise. However, every season feels the exact same. They get off to a promising start, but once they approach the latter end, the team falls apart and never recovers for a variety of reasons. It should not be this way because their offense has been an efficient unit for the most part. James Conner is still the ultimate workhorse in the backfield and their running back room has plenty of depth with the likes of Trey Benson and Emari Demercado. If that gets contained, then the Cardinals have a two-headed monster in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride that are hard to stop on a weekly basis. Michael Wilson Jr. is another player that has slowly improved each year, so Kyler has a big three to work with this year. Most importantly, their offensive line showed tremendous strides, giving up the fifth fewest sacks out of anybody else in the National Football League. Give offensive coordinator Drew Petzing a ton of credit because it was one of the biggest reasons why Arizona was able to win twice as many games as they did the year before. I think the way they can win even more is if they stay consistent and keep finding ways to get better.

The defense is what Jonathan Gannon was hired to fix in the first place, and while they might not have too many household names, this is a group that also got better last year. There is still work that needs to be done, but Gannon is hoping that they can shock a lot of people. Over the last two seasons, Arizona’s defensive line has been pretty subpar. The team’s first move in free agency was to reunite Josh Sweat with his former defensive coordinator, and then they used their first round pick to draft Walter Nolen. Gannon is also banking on Darius Robinson to have a larger role and show his first round pedigree, along with having Baron Browning get a chance to show what he is made of in this scheme. Other veteran depth options will include Dante Stills, Justin Jones, Dalvin Tomlinson, and even Calais Campbell coming back to the team where he was drafted! Not only will these guys improve the pass rush, but also a run defense that has been a huge weak link over the last few years. It will also take the pressure off of Zaven Collins and Mack Wilson, especially now that Kyzir White is gone. As for the secondary, they are a very opportunistic group that will have games where they are barely prancing on their feet, but others where they show their potential. I like that they drafted Will Johnson in the second round, who many felt should have been the top cornerback taken in the first round! You need somebody that is going to help Budda Baker out in his ninth season, so let’s see if the rest of the younger guys can hold their end of the bargain. At least one of them is going to need to total more than three interceptions or nine passes defended.

I am not going to go overboard and say that the Cardinals are a guaranteed playoff team, but I think that if Gannon continues to build a winning culture that leads them on the right track, there is no question that they can get in as a Wild Card team. It just comes down to three things: health, consistency, and tenacity. Obviously, those are three pillars that every NFL organization tries to adhere to, but this is especially the case for Arizona. I do not want to see them get off to a hot start and then fizzle out again. Otherwise, you might have to question Kyler Murray’s future with the team, and nobody wants to have that conversation.

WEEK 1 @ NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

I know that a lot of Cardinals fans might be mad at me for thinking that they are going to lose their first game of the season to a Saints team that is in dire straits and I understand why because New Orleans is not going to be good this year. I feel bad that this is the first head coaching job for Kellen Moore because on a team with no cap flexibility, an aging roster, and no plan at quarterback, this is the worst situation he could have asked for. Everything was put on halt when Derek Carr retired, so now there are three guys competing for the starting job: Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener, and rookie Tyler Shough. I wish I could say that at least there are the Pelicans, but that team is on the verge of blowing it up. The only silver lining I have is that at least the Saints offense will be healthy. Alvin Kamara had a bounce back season with close to 1500 total yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns. Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed will more than likely be the two biggest targets for whichever quarterback throws them the ball, along with tight ends Juwan Johnson and Taysom Hill. Brandin Cooks is even coming back, so there is some nostalgia there. The offensive line is not completely horrible either and it got better with Kelvin Banks Jr. replacing Ryan Ramczyck at right tackle. The only issue is that once everybody got hurt, the entire offense plummeted, and it is one of the biggest reasons why the Saints had a dismal five win season.

As for the defense, how do I put this? They have zero depth and they are incredibly old. When you do look at the younger guys in this group, they are either inconsistent or inexperienced. They already lost their top two corners in Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo, their only two good pass rushers are Bryan Bresee and Carl Granderson, we don’t know what to expect from Chase Young, and Demario Davis can only do so much at thirty-six years old. At least they signed Justin Reid to reunite with his former Texans teammate Tyrann Mathieu, but with Brandon Staley as the defensive coordinator, my hopes are not that high for this group.

Having said that, the Cardinals have not won in the Superdome since 1996. I can see that streak coming to an end since New Orleans recently had their worst season in almost twenty years, but week one can always throw a few curveballs. The Saints are going to do their best to show that they will not be a joke and Arizona is the type of team that could succumb to that pressure when it gets more complicated than expected.

WEEK 2 vs. CAROLINA PANTHERS

I personally feel bad for doing this because like I said, the Cardinals are a likable team, but the Panthers have been an opponent that catches Arizona on a bad day. Just look at what happened between these two teams last year when Carolina pulled off a stunning 36-30 victory in overtime that eliminated Kyler Murray from playoff contention. This season, the Panthers are hoping to pick up where they left off last year. After seeing his career nearly get destroyed to begin the 2024 season, Panthers quarterback Bryce Young completely rebounded down the stretch and is now a sign of optimism rather than the biggest liability. Head coach Dave Canales and general manager Dan Morgan are hoping that he and the rest of this offense can pick up where they left off, because they showed more positive flashes than they did in the last five years. Chuba Hubbard emerged as one of the best running backs in the league and he will have a nice right hand man in Rico Dowdle to step in when needed. Adam Thielen is not getting any younger, but that is a reason why Carolina used their first round pick to draft Tet McMillian, who will join a receiving corps featuring Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker. They also have a rising tight end in Ja’Tavion Sanders that will be seeking more opportunities, along with an offensive line that only let up thirty-six sacks. I do not think they will be a top ten unit right away, but if Carolina continues to head into the right direction, then they can absolutely be one of the more efficient offenses in the league.

However, I think the true X factor of this team is their defense, which was a disaster last year. It ranked dead last in total yards, passing, and points. They had the fourth fewest sacks and totaled nine interceptions, with a lot of it attributed to guys like Derrick Brown and Shaq Thompson missing the entire season. Brown will be returning, along with highly touted cornerback Jaycee Horn, but I do not think that this unit got drastically better. I like Tershawn Wharton, Christian Rozeboom, Tre’von Moehrig, and Pat Jones II. I think those are highly respected players that will be beneficial to this group. Yet, are those three really going to move the needle? Their leading tackle Xavier Woods is gone, Josey Jewell was okay, and neither Jadeveon Clowney nor DJ Wonnum made a difference on the defensive line. We knew that defensive coordinator Ejero Evero was going to have his hands full, but I seriously cannot tell if this group will overachieve or not. As much as I want them to, this team does not have the right personnel to do that at the moment, unless their offense turns back the clock a decade and starts ripping everyone’s hearts out.

This game can definitely go one of two ways. Either the Panthers truly build on their progress and turn into a formidable foe or they revert back to what made them horrible and Arizona blows this team out of the water. In my opinion, this is going to be a down-to-the-wire grudge match, so let’s see where the cards fall when the time arrives.

WEEK 3 @ SAN FRANCISCO 49ers

One of the most notable things that the Cardinals accomplished last year was beating the 49ers not once, but twice! Obviously, a majority of San Francisco’s starters did not play in the second matchup, yet it is still admirable. Entering Levi’s Stadium, Arizona is not going to be favored to win and it is understandable because their opponent is trying to shake off last year as fast as possible. There will be no more offseason drama now that Brock Purdy got his contract extension, so now that the offense is healthy, it is time to see what he can do. Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Trent Williams will be returning. Unfortunately, Deebo Samuel and Jaylon Moore will not. However, the 49ers still have an incredible amount of depth at wide receiver and the offensive line has been a stable unit for the most part. Deebo might be gone, but if Aiyuk cannot fully recover from the injury, then there is another trio that could pick up the slack: Jauan Jennings, Demarcus Robinson, and Ricky Pearsall. It might not sound totally inspiring, but with Shanahan as the play-caller, they will be effective and efficient.

At the start of the offseason, the 49ers saw many of their stars depart elsewhere. Javon Hargrave, Talanoa Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw, and Charvarius Ward were the most notable names to leave. The good news is that they still have two of their key cornerstones in Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. Not only that, but Robert Saleh is coming back as the defensive coordinator, so a familiar face will be more than welcomed back in the building. The 49ers made sure to give Bosa some extra help by drafting Mykel Williams in the first round, but I truly do not know if this team is going to be truly better than they were last year. With Greenlaw gone, you don’t know who is going to pair up with Warner on the second level. Deommodore Lenoir got himself a nice contract extension, but who is his right hand man? On the other hand, Hufanga’s void will be filled with the likes of Malik Mustapha and Ji’Ayir Brown, along with veterans Jason Pinnock and Richie Grant hoping to adapt to their new change of scenery.

Having said that, I think that the Cardinals are going to enter this game with the right mindset to pull off the upset. They know that the minute they force one mistake, their offense can flip the switch and steal all of the momentum. This defense will truly be the X factor because if they do not find a way to show up, the game can get out of hand pretty quickly.

WEEK 4 vs. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Out of all of the teams in the NFC West, Kyler Murray tends to struggle against the Seattle Seahawks the most. He has only beaten them twice in his NFL career and is currently on a seven game losing streak! Having to quickly turn things around for a Thursday night matchup at home, I fear that this could continue after week four. Many are hoping that last season for Sam Darnold was not just a “one year wonder” and that he does not revert back to his Jets form. Myself included. When I look at the supporting cast around him, it is not as great as it was when he was with the Vikings, but it is still manageable. The Seahawks have an underrated running back tandem of Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet, two guys that can punish defenders with physicality and acceleration on yards after contact. No more Tyler Lockett or DK Metcalf, but Jaxon Smith-Njigba has emerged as a number one option and he will have a promising right-hand man in Cooper Kupp. Hopefully, the former Super Bowl MVP can stay healthy because he has proven he can still play. You just need him on the field. Seattle also has an emerging tight end in AJ Barner, and there are a couple of depth guys in Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Jake Bobo that are hoping to have some role in this offense. However, the state of the offensive line always worries me, from the days of Russell Wilson. One red flag about Darnold’s play is that he tends to hold onto the ball too long, and you cannot have that in Seattle, because he is not going to have a clean pocket most days. They might have drafted Grey Zabel in the first round, but if Charles Cross is the only good lineman they have again, then this team is going to be extremely disappointing to watch.

The main strength of the Seattle Seahawks last year was their defense, despite the fact they missed the playoffs with a ten-win season. They have an incredible amount of playmakers on all three levels and Mike MacDonald did a great job of making sure that this unit cleaned up any issues that they might have had in the past. Leonard Williams is still an absolute beast of a pass rusher and there were plenty more guys that stepped up as well. Boye Mafe and Derick Hall had breakout seasons last year, and now that Demarcus Lawrence is coming on board, this is a defensive line that will have depth. In the linebacking corps, Ernest Jones will hopefully have a full season under his belt with the team, because he is an incredibly versatile player that any team would love to have. The safety has a plethora of name talent like Riq Woolen, Julian Love, Devon Witherspoon, and Coby Bryant. The hope is that if the offense finds some consistency, the defense will not suffer any setbacks. MacDonald is a hell of a coach, so I am truly hoping for the best.

Normally, I would say that this series should not be a sweep one way or the other, but the Seahawks have been the definition of kryptonite to the Cardinals for a while now. I hope I am wrong about this, but I do trust Seattle’s defense a lot more to frustrate the heck out of Kyler Murray, and I think that their offense can feed off that energy if Sam Darnold turns out to be a solid investment.

WEEK 5 vs. TENNESSEE TITANS

If there is any chance for the Cardinals to break out of a potential losing slump, it should be this week, when they welcome the Tennessee Titans in their house. They had the worst record in the league last season and clinched the first overall pick, which they used to select quarterback Cam Ward. I loved watching him when he was at Miami, but head coach Brian Callahan is going to throw this kid into the fire early, and I honestly cannot determine how he will perform. The pieces around him are not terrible, but then again, they only won three games with essentially the same supporting cast around him. You have Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears manning the backfield, Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett as your expected top receiving targets, and an offensive line that honestly did not improve over the offseason. I have hopes for rookies Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Deke, but I still cannot understand why new general manager Mike Borgonzi gave Dan Moore Jr. $50 million guaranteed to be their starting left tackle.

As for the defense, it really gave us a bunch of mixed signs every week. They were the second best group in yards allowed, yet were the third worst in points surrendered. All of the veterans that they acquired that offseason were let go before the 2024 season could even conclude, and a couple more might join them if they implode once again. Harold Landry was released, Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs were cut in the middle of the year, and Ernest Jones was traded. Hopefully, things do not head in the opposite direction once again because they have solid guys in their group. Jeffery Simmons, Arden Key, and T’Vondre Sweat held their own on the front four. Cody Barton and Dre’Mont Jones were brought in from Denver to help pick up the slack. L’Jarius Sneed is trying to return to form and will have guys like Amani Hooker and Jarvis Brownlee Jr. to step up on their end.

If the Cardinals do not win this game, then they do not deserve to be in playoff contention. However, my guess is that they will enter that point of the season where they finally start to find their stride, considering that this is who they have been for the last five years.

WEEK 6 @ INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

The same can be said for this upcoming road matchup against the Colts and it is for one reason only: they do not have a legitimate starting quarterback. We thought it could be Anthony Richardson, but his inaccuracy issues completely plagued this team, and it did not help that he was in and out of the lineup throughout the season. I seriously doubt Daniel Jones is going to get this team over the hump, so what I see is an average offense led by two subpar quarterbacks. I feel bad for Jonathan Taylor because his prime is just being wasted. The same goes with Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce, because while Joe Flacco was not exactly the transcendent backup that he was in Cleveland, he at least proved that all those two needed was a better player throwing them the ball to help the two of them grow. However, one player that I think a lot of teams will have a hard time planning against will be rookie Tyler Warren. Regardless of who starts at quarterback for Indianapolis, he is going to be the ultimate security blanket because there are so many things he could do with the football. The offensive line was not so bad last season, but the departures of both Ryan Kelly and Will Fries are going to hurt them in 2025. Outside of Quenton Nelson and Braden Smith, I don’t really know which players on that front are going to excel at the highest level, meaning that Indianapolis is more than likely bound for another mediocre season.

Newly hired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is hoping to get his career back on track in a new change of place and prove that Gus Bradley was truly not the right man for the job. When I look at the Colts defense, I see a lot of names, but I know that the production was not there the year before. Their front four was supposed to be led by DeForest Buckner, Kwity Paye, and Laitu Latu. Yet, they totaled the seventh fewest sacks with thirty-six. Zaire Franklin is one of the consistent leading tacklers in the NFL, but their run defense allowed close to 132 yards per game. However, I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that their secondary was still a travesty. This offseason, Chris Ballard did his job to make sure that it would not be an issue again. They brought in Charvarius Ward to be their new number one corner and signed safety Camryn Bynum to elevate it even higher. These were the two latest additions to a secondary that already had starpower in Nick Cross, Kenny Moore, and Jaylon Jones. Now it is up to Anarumo to see if he can finally turn this group around for the first time in close to five years.

Regardless of who is starting at quarterback for Indianapolis, this better not be a game that the Cardinals humiliate themselves in defeat. That factor alone should give Arizona a decisive advantage to win this game and get their season back on track.

WEEK 7 vs. GREEN BAY PACKERS

I am actually looking forward to this matchup because both teams want to prove that they can be respected playoff contenders with productive offenses and opportunistic defenses. This is not going to be an easy challenge for the Cardinals, especially since Kyler Murray has not beaten the Packers in his career yet, and that streak might continue this year. Jordan Love is still their face of the franchise and proved that he is capable of leading this team to glory, but the supporting cast around him might indicate a bit of a down year. The good news is that the Packers still have Josh Jacobs, who ran for over 1300 rushing yards. The bad is that their depth at receiver is still lackluster. At least they drafted Matthew Golden in the first round, somebody that can complement the speedster Jayden Reed. Unfortunately, Christian Watson is expected to miss extended time with a knee injury and Romeo Doubs is a really inconsistent receiver. Dontayvion Wicks has also been really disappointing, and if he cannot have a big training camp, he might be a stunning roster cut. Both Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft cannot be the only security blankets Love will have to lean on, but thank goodness that their offensive line gave up the second fewest sacks in the league, so there should be more time for the receivers to get open.

The Packers defense is always a confusing one for me to analyze. Some days, they are above average. Other times, they get exhausted if they are on the field for too long. On paper, they should be decent. Rashan Gary is still an exceptional pass rusher, the rest of the defensive line has plenty of starpower such as Devonte Wyatt and Kenny Clark, Lukas Van Ness is slowly improving, and there are a few rotational guys that have stepped up as well. The linebacking room lost Eric Wilson in free agency, but they at least still have Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper. However, the secondary is one that I want to keep a close eye on this season now that Jaire Alexander is officially released. Xavier McKinney emerged as one of the top safeties in the league with eight interceptions and Carrington Valentine had his best season yet last year. They shouldn’t be horrible! The problem is that they are too inconsistent.

I remember when the Cardinals started off undefeated in 2021 and then lost their first game to Green Bay on Thursday Night Football. They did not just lose at home, but to a team that did not have their top three receivers. I feel that both teams are on the same tier, but the Packers have proven that they have the pieces in place to make it back to the playoffs, while we are not exactly sure if Arizona can finally get over the hump.

WEEK 8: BYE WEEK

WEEK 9 @ DALLAS COWBOYS

This was the easiest victory I gave the Cardinals this season. Some people reading this might be confused, but Kyler Murray has played in AT&T Stadium nine times dating back to high school and has won all nine games. Knowing the state of the Cowboys right now, I could see that streak continue. So many of their fans think that they will be a lot better than advertised, but I seriously cannot see how. Dak Prescott is coming back, that is always a great sign. CeeDee Lamb is one of the best receivers in the league, that definitely helps. Micah Parsons, given that he gets his contract extension, is absolutely one of the more unstoppable defensive players in the league. But what do these three have around them? Rico Dowdle left in free agency, which means the only running backs are Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. One of them has not been the same since a season ending injury he suffered a few years ago and another was proved to be nothing more than a system back for the Eagles. The passing game was already reliable with Jake Ferguson and Jalen Tolbert, but acquiring George Pickens was definitely a high-risk and high-reward move. He is extremely talented, but the biggest red flag is that he had character and maturity issues in Pittsburgh, so I really do not know if this was the best change of scenery. The potential is there and I think he and CeeDee form a strong duo on paper, but I need to see how they gel together before I can come to a final conclusion. Fortunately, the offensive line is never an aspect I have to worry about. They drafted Tyler Booker in the first round to replace the recently retired Zach Martin and complement Tyler Smith, their tackles Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele are hoping to improve in 2025, and Cooper Beebe had a strong rookie season at center. With Dak under center, I doubt they will be a top ten offense, but they should be a productive unit against certain opponents. But when it comes to top tier teams, they do not always show up, so that needs to change if they truly want this year to be different.

With Matt Eberflus as the new defensive coordinator, I already know what I am going to get. There will be some games where they make tremendous strides, but then others where they are on their heels way too often. Yes they have Micah and Osa Odighizuwa on the defensive line, they brought back Dante Fowler, Marshawn Kneeland is on the rise, and Sam Williams is returning from injury to step in for DeMarvion Overshown. Yet, I am not exactly confident that Kenneth Murray or Jack Sanborn are going to fix a run defense that was below average last year. Trevon Diggs struggled to return from injury and DaRon Bland is essentially the same type of player, so I don’t have the highest faith in those two as the starting corners despite the fact that they have exceptional hands. I don’t need to worry about the safety room because it already has a ton of depth, but when Dallas cannot generate any pressure, then they better make a ton of plays.

On the surface, the Cowboys should find a way to win this game, but it will not mean more to anybody else than Kyler Murray, especially on Monday Night Football. This needs to be the victory that can stamp their season and prove to everybody that this is a different year, or else this team is going to enter a freefall.

WEEK 10 @ SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

I would say that there should be no way that Sam Darnold beats Arizona twice this year, but he did it to Green Bay last season, so it is not impossible at all. As much as I am rooting for the Cardinals to shed that mediocre label away, the only way I can believe this will be an upset is if I actually see it myself.

WEEK 11 vs. SAN FRANCISCO 49ers

Now this is a series that I do not see ending in a sweep. I know that the Cardinals did it last year, but for history to truly repeat itself, then the 49ers would either have to be seriously injured or Brock Purdy would have to fall off a cliff. Those are two things that I am not going to expect or guarantee whatsoever.

WEEK 12 vs. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Just like earlier in the season, this could be the week that the Cardinals get out of a frustrating slump because the Jaguars are another team coming off a horrendous season with little to no expectations for 2025. It will be interesting to see how the Jaguars look with Liam Coen as the new head coach, because if Trevor Lawrence continues to look mediocre at best and pathetic at worst, then that contract extension is only going to appear worse as the days roll by. Coen has a lot of work to do with not just getting Lawrence back on track, but with the rest of the offense as well. They have two capable starting running backs in Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby, while Brian Thomas Jr. has emerged as the focal point of the passing game, but the offense suffered a lot of turnover at the same time. Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, and Evan Engram were all released. Jacksonville replaced them by promoting Brenton Strange as the starting tight end, signing Dyami Brown in free agency, and then trading up with the Browns to draft Travis Hunter with the second overall pick! Not only is Hunter supposed to help out a ton in the passing game, but that secondary has desperately needed a standout cornerback for years, and the Jaguars got a guy that can do both! One of the biggest surprises of 2024 was that their offensive line actually did pretty well, despite only winning four games. It only let up thirty-two sacks, the ninth fewest in the league, and I think it got stronger with the signing of Patrick Mekari in free agency. Anton Harrison showed improvement, Ezra Cleveland thrived at left guard, and the unit did pretty well for itself without Cam Robinson at left tackle. Lawrence is going to be the biggest X factor for this team’s success, or else Jacksonville’s new regime will not be afraid of moving on from him in the upcoming offseason.

As for the Jaguars defense, I have been consistent in saying that it has been the team’s Achilles heel for the last five years. The only two guys that kept it somewhat afloat were Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, so even with the addition of Travis Hunter, this group has a lot of making up to do this year. Arik Armstead has been a disappointment, Devin Lloyd showed a lot of consistency issues, and I did not like that Jourdan Lewis was the only addition they made to the secondary in free agency. Maybe Hunter and Tyson Campbell can form into a solid duo, but for this team to truly turn things around, everything has to be absolutely perfect in all aspects of play.

This is not going to be the last time I say this: Arizona better win this game or else their season is in serious jeopardy. Obviously, I could see the script flipt if Jacksonville finally turns things around and the Cardinals are the ones with the bleak future, but I do not see that scenario happening right now. Do not humiliate your fans at home please.

WEEK 13 @ TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Believe me, I know there are going to be plenty of Buccaneers fans screaming at me, but I do have a historical nugget that should ease the tension. Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield, two former Heisman winners that were teammates at Oklahoma, have played each other in the NFL three times. Murray has been the winner in all three matchups. But when you look at the surface, Tampa should be the better team. It began with Tom Brady and Baker Mayfield has done more than his job to make them a respected foe. He might have his third different offensive coordinator in his three years with the team, but I think that as long as the pieces are still there and the system does not change, then it should not be too big of an issue. Bucky Irving emerged as one of the more promising rookie running backs in the league, so any time the passing game does get held in check, then he and Rachaad White can pick up the slack. Say it is the other way around, then you have Mike Evans to worry about, somebody that is essentially guaranteed to total a thousand yards in a season. Chris Godwin is coming back, Jalen McMillan showed tremendous promise as a rookie, and Tampa drafted Emeka Egbuka to round out the receiving room. Their offensive line is also a well-rounded unit that showed improvement towards the second half of the season, but based on Mayfield’s style of play, it is a unit that might give up more sacks than you would like.

My only real concern with the Buccaneers is their defense, which should not be the case with Todd Bowles as the head coach. If you ask me, it is an average unit with a few key stars, but not much else. They have a beast in Vita Vea anchoring the pass rush, Lavonte David still playing at a high level at middle linebacker, and one of the best safeties in the league in Antoine Winfield Jr. However, they allowed the fourth most passing yards out of any other team and their secondary only totaled seven interceptions. I understand that Tampa drafted two corners with their mid-round picks and signed Haason Reddick in free agency, but I don’t believe that those additions moved the needle with this group. Although they have guys they can show up in spurts, Tampa does not have a lot of players that are difference makers, and that is critical if they want to make a deep playoff run.

Tampa has been known to wait until the last minute to clinch the division over the past few seasons, so it would not shock me in the slightest if Arizona pulled off this upset. I seriously doubt it will be a blowout, but this game is going to come down to ball security. Kyler Murray might be seen as more conservative than Baker Mayfield, but it is an approach that could pay off at the end.

WEEK 14 vs. LOS ANGELES RAMS

The game that I felt that things were starting to turn things around for the Cardinals last year was in week two, when they absolutely demolished the Rams in their home building 41-10. You could say that LA dealt with too many injuries, but the score says what the score says. I am not saying that history is going to repeat itself, yet I will predict another split between these two teams. However, that is way easier said than done. The Rams have always been a consistent playoff contender under Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford. Their offense has always been their bread and butter, regardless of the different pieces they had over the years. Kyren Williams is a touchdown machine just like a certain man named Todd Gurley. The Rams have one of the best young receivers in the league in Puka Nacua, and while the Cooper Kupp era unfortunately had to come to an end, it is not terrible getting Davante Adams as a consolation prize. I personally thought it was a bummer that Demarcus Robinson departed in free agency, but knowing Sean McVay, there are going to be at least a couple guys that will carve out bigger roles. My guesses are Jordan Whittington and Tutu Atwell. Unfortunately, Tyler Higbee is not the same tight end that he once was, but I think both Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen have a strong chance of stealing the starting spot at some point in the season. Their offensive line gave up the sixth fewest sacks in the league, so if you are a team that does not have a scary pass rush, then it might take a while before you actually get to the quarterback.

Their defense has a boatload of playmakers, but I still feel like there is a lot of room for improvement. Braden Fiske and Jared Verse made instant impacts in their rookie seasons, while Kobie Turner and Byron Young showed the young guys how it was done. Their biggest loss was letting Christian Rozeboom walk away in free agency because they do not really have anybody else that could replace him. Hopefully, the secondary could ease things for the time being. Derion Kendrick is coming back from injury and Darious Williams is back, but this group proved that there were plenty of guys that successfully adopted the “next man up” mentality. Kamren Kinchens and Jaylen McCollough thrived in the safety positions, while Ahkello Witherspoon and Cobie Durant might have found a new home. It is not the most explosive defense, but they are hungry for blood, a group that is not afraid to get nasty when things get difficult.

Remember what I said about the Cardinals building up tons of false hope, only for them to let us down at the end? Just be patient, that time will come eventually. However, Arizona can enjoy being 7-6 with their playoff window staying open. Let’s just hope that they can through a tough stretch to close out the regular season.

WEEK 15 @ HOUSTON TEXANS

I was not kidding when I said that it was going to be hard for the Cardinals to win at least three out of their final four games to clinch a playoff spot. Last season was rough for a Texans franchise that was finally starting to get things back on track. Despite winning the AFC South and making it back to the playoffs, it felt like they were worse than last year, and now it is time for everybody to prove that it was just a fluke. That means CJ Stroud is going to have to break through that rough sophomore wall and return to the promising stud he was in his rookie season. This season will be a bigger challenge because not only is Stefon Diggs gone, but Tank Dell is expected to miss all of 2025 with that gruesome knee injury he suffered in December. However, I think both Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are going to surprise a lot of people in their rookie seasons, which will take a lot of pressure off of Nico Collins and even newly signed Christian Kirk. Along with Joe Mixon and Dalton Schultz, it is still a talented offense that just let go of offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, so it is time for Nick Caley to right the ship. Yet, their offensive line still gives me pause for concern. They traded away Laremy Tunsil, released Shaq Mason, and traded away Kenyon Green. The new guys that the Texans signed include Cam Robinson, Trent Brown, and Ed Ingram. The only returning pieces are Juice Scruggs and Tytus Howard. I don’t know how, but it felt like their offensive line got worse. That says a lot, considering that CJ Stroud was the second most sacked quarterback in the league!

As for the Texans defense, the one thing that held them back from their potential was the lack of discipline. That falls on DeMeco Ryans because this was supposed to be the unit for him to turn around. They have the talent, but they need the chemistry and mental toughness to really go far in the playoffs. Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter did a tremendous job on the front four, they have a legitimate linebacker duo of Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o, but it is their secondary that I think makes this group even more dangerous. They have a transcendent number one corner in Derek Stingley Jr., a couple of rising studs in Calen Bullock and Kamari Lassiter, and Jalen Pitre is one of the more underrated safeties in all of football. They also just acquired CJ Gardner Johnson in a trade with Philadelphia, which means Jimmie Ward will not have to take a huge load of the work as one of the only veterans on the team.

Beating the Texans is challenging enough, but to do it in December when both are fighting for a spot in the postseason is even tougher. I am not completely excited for either one of these teams making a long playoff run, but I have a little more faith in Houston just for the simple fact that they play in an incredibly weak division.

WEEK 16 vs. ATLANTA FALCONS

Now this is going to be the make-or-break matchup of the 2025 season. My prediction is that the loser will be eliminated from playoff contention while the other is still alive for at least another week. However, it will be interesting to see what the Falcons look like this year. Now that Michael Penix has the full keys to the offense, one of two things is going to happen. Either he surges like Lamar Jackson did in his sophomore year and carries the team to relevance, or the flaws keep rearing their ugly heads as they walk into another mediocre season. As I said, this is a team that has plenty of talent to get over the hump. Bijan Robinson is easily one of the top five running backs in all of football and Drake London broke through in his third year with over 1200 receiving yards. Yet, the rest of the offense poses a few question marks. Let’s start with tight end Kyle Pitts. After his rookie season, he was expected to be a huge focal point of the offense. Then all of a sudden, his play diminished and he has been in a lot of trade rumors. At some point in time, the quarterback cannot be the scapegoat for this anymore, so it will be really interesting to see how Pitts performs in 2025. The second is the question of who will be London’s right-hand man? Is it Darnell Mooney or KhaDarel Hodge? Do we really think it is going to be Jamal Agnew or Ray-Ray McCloud? I don’t have a lot of concerns for the offensive line, even with the loss of Chris Dalman, because it is a group with proven starters. The Falcons only gave up thirty-two sacks the year before and was considered one of the best run blocking lines in football, so it really comes down to the receivers getting open and Penix being smart with his decision making.

As for the defense, it was really the most disappointing in the league. There is a reason why they did not decide to bring Matthew Judon or Justin Simmons back after signing them to prove-it deals for one year. They also knew that they could not keep Grady Jarrett around much longer because after the extension he received in 2019, he never totaled more than six sacks in a season. The good news was that Atlanta had two first round picks and decided to boost the edge with those selections. They finally made a smart decision and took Jalon Walker with their first pick, but then stunned all of us by trading a future first for James Pearce Jr. That means that head coach Raheem Morris sees them as immediate impactful players to complement Arnold Ebiketie. The rest of their defensive line has proven veterans like Leonard Floyd and David Onyemata, but they are also not getting any younger, so a lot more weight is going to be given to the young guys. They finished with the second fewest sacks in the NFL, so even though that number will get higher this season, I do not see a drastic improvement. I never had an issue with the linebacking room. Kaden Elliss is an extremely versatile linebacker and I have hopes for JD Bertrand, so I think the signing of Divine Deablo can help this group instead of hurt them. But the one position group that I have never been fond of is the secondary. AJ Terrell and Jessie Bates might be All-Pro caliber players, but who do they have to help out? I like Dee Alford, but he had an up-and-down season as he struggled with coverage. Jordan Fuller is a guy that I liked when he was on the Rams, but he tailed off in Carolina and got cut after one year for a reason. Mike Hughes did not do too bad and Atlanta brought him back on a new contract, yet I am worried that last year might have been a blimp in the radar.

You know that both teams find incredible ways to fall apart when they have a small window of hope. Yet, the offenses are not the ones that will be under the most pressure in my opinion. To me, this is going to come down to which defense will create the momentum-swinging takeaway or come up with the most stops. Looking at how both teams operated this offseason, I have more faith that the Cardinals can get it done in their home building. Oh and just for the record, they have not lost to the Falcons in Arizona since 2001, so that is another streak that has a strong chance of continuing into the future.

WEEK 17 @ CINCINNATI BENGALS

This is actually one game that I think the Cardinals could win and crush the narrative that they cannot finish the season strong, but the Bengals are a team that tends to stack up wins around that same time. As long as their offense is fully healthy, this team will be a playoff contender. Even though they missed the playoffs, Joe Burrow threw forty-three touchdowns to just nine interceptions and Ja’Marr Chase was the Triple Crown winner. How many teams can they say they have playmakers like those two? Not to mention that Tee Higgins signed a contract extension to make him the highest paid number two option in football, so Cincinnati’s “Big Three” will be in the Jungle for years to come. But let’s not dismiss some of their other playmakers. Chase Brown stood out with 1000 yards from scrimmage in his sophomore year and is poised for a breakout season, Mike Gesicki signed a small extension to remain the security blanket, and Andrei Iosivas is a stud on the rise as he continues to develop upwards. Hopefully, Jermaine Burton shakes off a dismal rookie season, because the talent he showed in college was truly too good to waste. Yet, the one weak link that always leaves me cautious about this team is their offensive line. Cutting Alex Cappa was a start, but I don’t know if it truly fixed everything. They allowed forty-eight sacks the season before, so even though they have a boatload of talent on the offensive side of the ball, it might be another wasted season if Burrow cannot stay in the pocket.

We all know what is going to hold the Bengals back from making the playoffs and that is their defense. Sure, they let go of Lou Anarumo and replaced him with Al Golden. But that side of the ball still has so many flaws and weaknesses. For starters, not only is Trey Hendrickson holding out for a new deal, but so is their first round pick Shemar Stewart! Cincinnati already lost Sam Hubbard due to retirement, so if they lose two of the only guys that will keep this defense relevant, then that is just going to give the secondary even more trouble. Cam Taylor-Britt is probably the only notable player on that unit, but he is another player that has been inconsistent throughout his career. Geno Stone has not been the difference maker the Bengals were expecting, even with a late turnaround. Even their run defense was a massive flaw, although Logan Wilson finished 2024 with over 100 tackles. Maybe Oren Burks can stabilize things since he is a solid rotational piece, but you can only ask but so much.

The uncertainty revolving around that side of the ball is why I am hesitant to pick Cincinnati to win, but I will do it anyway because I know what I am getting from Joe Burrow. The only way for the Cardinals to flip the switch is for Kyler Murray to have the game of his life or else his season is going to be over after the regular season finale.

WEEK 18 @ LOS ANGELES RAMS

Not only do I see this series ending in a split, but this is the game that I warned everybody about that would decimate Arizona’s chances of making the playoffs. It will be curious to see if the Rams will make it into the playoffs as a division winner or a Wild Card team, but either way, they will have a lot to play for entering this final week. Arizona has everything on the line as well, but winning a game in So-Fi Stadium at this stage is a huge hurdle to climb, and I am not going to believe that an upset will take place unless something drastic happens.

FINAL RECORD PREDICTION: 8-9