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Arizona Cardinals Have Work to do Following Bye-Week

By Griffin Fabits

Jan 24, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) and quarterback Carson Palmer (3) warm up before the game against the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship football game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 24, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) and quarterback Carson Palmer (3) warm up before the game against the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship football game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Arizona Cardinals have some work to do if they want to compete for their NFC West division. A favorable match-up this week gets them on the right foot.

After a much-needed bye-week on their part, the Arizona Cardinals have some work to do.

The Seattle Seahawks beat the Buffalo Bills 31-25 in the Monday night game, which padded their lead in the NFC West division over the Cardinals to 2.0 games. The Cardinals needed the Bills to win last night in Seattle, as it would’ve trimmed their division deficit to just a game. It also would have put the Cards back into playoff contention after a shaky first half of the season.

With eight games to go, the Cardinals will host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, November 13. The two teams met in Week 5, with the Cardinals winning, 33-21.

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While the Cards have a favorable match-up coming off the bye-week, the Seahawks upcoming game tells a different story. They’ll travel to Foxborough to play the New England Patriots on Sunday night. It’ll be a classic Super Bowl 49 rematch, and one that can certainly help the Cardinals. Dating back to 2004, the Patriots have won three of their last four meetings with the Seahawks.

Another plus for the Cardinals’ playoff odds is the fact that the Patriots are dominate at home. Since 2001, Tom Brady and his Patriots have won 92 games in 107 tries at Gillette Stadium.

A win against the last-place Niners and a Seahawks’ loss against the 7-1 Pats will put the Cardinals a game behind the Pete Carroll’s Seahawks in the NFC West.

You would think with the way the Cardinals kicked off the 2016 season, there would be no chance they would be playing meaningful football in the second half of the season. But with eight weeks to go, there is still hope for a third-straight season in which they appear in the playoffs.

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The Cardinals clearly have some work to do if they aim to win their division. A favorable match-up for them and a tough game for the Seahawks on the road is the perfect way to get after it.

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