Forecasting Arizona’s home schedule

By Krupka  |   Tuesday, June 27, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Arizona Cardinals
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Over the years, the end of June until the start of NFL training camp has been coined the "dead time" in sports. The NBA and NHL playoffs have just ended, and the only relevant sporting event in session is the happenings of major league baseball. Of course, for the relatively small group of Americans that appreciate soccer, the month-long World Cup tournament is helping fill the void.

Football fans are starved for new developments as they await training camp and the preseason. Thus, there are few times better than now to look at the Arizona Cardinals' home schedule. Today's article will deal with their eight contests in their brand-new stadium, and will be followed by next week's breakdown of their eight road games.

Week One: San Francisco 49ers- The grand opening of the Cardinals' new state-of-the-art facility will be filled to its capacity. A packed house full of screaming fans is something that hasn't been seen in Arizona for quite some time. Will the atmosphere rattle the 49ers' young quarterback, Alex Smith? Whether it does or not, the Cardinals' improved defense should be able to contain him. It will also be running back Edgerrin James' debut with the team. Riding the emotion of the fans on opening day against the weak 49ers should earn the Cards' a victory. Arizona wins 31-16.

Week Three: St. Louis Rams- Yet another divisional opponent. The Rams have a new coaching staff, but while the more things change, the more they appear to stay the same. While Mike Martz isn't guiding the team anymore, an offensive guru is still the head coach (Scott Linehan). The offense continues to boast stars at running back in Stephen Jackson, and wide receiver with Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce. The quarterback play should be solid with Marc Bulger former Pro Bowler Marc Bulger at the helm. Unfortunately for St. Louis, their defense is still below-average. Look for this game to be the first shootout in Glendale, which will come down to either defense making a stop. Can rookie first round cornerback Tye Hill cover Cardinals receivers Anquan Boldin or Larry Fitzgerald? I don't think so. Kurt Warner and the Cardinals will eek one out against a Rams team that looks to be competitive, but at the end of the year will more than likely have a sub-par record. Arizona wins 34-31.

Week Five: Kansas City Chiefs - The home schedule finally moves out of division for Arizona's third contest. It also should be another high-scoring affair. The Chiefs' prolific young stud at running back, Larry Johnson, should have a field day. On the other hand, the Cardinals' dynamic duo of Boldin and Fitzgerald should eat the weak Chiefs' secondary alive. Once again, this contest should come down to the team that can come up with the big stop on defense. The Chiefs edge one out in a thriller, ending the Cardinals' undefeated home start. Chiefs win 28-24.

Week Six: Chicago Bears - Arguably the best league's defense meets what could be the best offense. With the Bears' offensive problems from last year likely to rear their ugly head again, this could be a low-scoring affair. In fact, it will be among the few that the Cardinals will be in all season. Can they win without posting a bunch of points? We'll find out. Chalk up a win to the defending NFC North Champs, though. Chicago comes out on top, 10-6.

Week 10: Dallas Cowboys - This should be an interesting matchup. The talk all week leading up to it will probably be Terrell Owens vs. Boldin and Fitzgerald. If you like receivers and controversy, this will probably be an intriguing game. Owens should dominate, assuming he hasn't alienated quarterback Drew Bledsoe by then. This game could very well come down to the fourth quarter. Coming off a bye week, the slight edge goes to the Cardinals. Arizona wins 24-20.

Week 11: Detroit Lions - Although the quarterback play will likely be improved, Detroit should be below-average yet again. Look for the Cardinals to come out victorious on this day. Arizona wins 35-24.

Week 14: Seattle Seahawks- The reigning NFC champions come to town in this key late-season affair. This will likely pit the top two teams in the NFC West against each other. Another classic Green vs. Holmgren game, but this time it's not Minnesota vs. Green Bay. Current NFL MVP Shaun Alexander will carry the load and put his team on his back for the victory. Seattle wins 27-17.

Week 15: Denver Broncos- Once again, another tough home opponent for the Cardinals. The Broncos always seem to plug in someone that churns out a 1,000-yard season, and third-year man Tatum Bell seems like the latest. As Cardinals fans know, their former franchise quarterback, Jake Plummer, returns for this showdown. Will "The Snake" bite his former employer, and walk out a winner. Thanks to his team's edge in defense, I'll say yes. Broncos win 24-23.

As it stands, I have the Cardinals pegged with a 4-4 record at home in 2006. Things can obviously change, though, since it's only late June. With what looks to be a brutal home slate, splitting doesn't look so bad. Even in their home losses, it can be assured the team will be highly competitive. the fireworks begin on September 10, when the highly-improved Arizona Cardinals welcome the 49ers to town.

Eric Krupka can be reached at ekrupka@realfootball365.com

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