The Arizona Cardinals Are Looking Towards Atlanta

The Arizona Cardinals are looking forward to this weekend’s matchup against the Atlanta Falcons after a tough loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The Cardinals were only able to score three points on offense in the 19-3 loss to Seattle.

Cardinals’ Pro-Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson knows how his team should view this loss:

Even though the Atlanta Falcons have been less than mediocre this season, the Cardinals can’t afford to relax in this game. The Falcons have weapons at many positions that can burn you if you let them.

Let’s start with the quarterback position. Remember back in 2012, when the Falcons finished with a 13-3 record? That was mainly because of the play of Matt Ryan, or “Matty Ice,” as he is sometimes referred as. While Atlanta is underperforming, Ryan is not having that bad of a year. He has thrown for 3,066 yards and 19 touchdowns. The Cardinals defense cannot sleep on Matt Ryan, because he is the type of quarterback can make them pay.

Next, let’s talk about the weapons at Matt Ryan’s disposal. Julio Jones is arguably one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. As it stands right now, Jones has caught 72 passes for 980 yards this year. With 5 games left, one would assume that Jones will reach the 1,000 yard mark for sure. This is coming off a 2013 season where Jones only played five games due to an injury. Like Ryan, Julio Jones has the talent and skill to burn the Cardinals defense if they sleep on him.

Don’t forget the Falcons still have veteran wide receiver Roddy White and veteran running back Steven Jackson to support Ryan and Jones. White isn’t the receiver he used to be, as he has only totaled 662 receiving yards on the year. Like White, Steven Jackson isn’t what he used to be either. Jackson hasn’t rushed for 1,000 yards since his last year in St. Louis in 2012. But these are experienced players who know how to make plays. The main theme here is, don’t fall into the trap that is this game.

Though, this is a game in which the Arizona Cardinals should be able to win and get back on track. Kickoff for this one will be at 2:05 local time from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.