The Arizona Cardinals are a half game behind the Seattle Seahawks for the division lead. We’re 4-5, and now we’re traveling to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in order to close that gap. Before the season started, I looked at this game on the calendar and was really unsure whether this would be a good match up for us for a couple of reasons. It’s on the road and we have played terrible on the road; the Bengals have won the last 5 matchups with the Cards; the Cards are 2-12 against AFC teams over the last 3 years.

But now I see ways for us to blow this game wide open. Here’s how the Cards can be sure to walk out of Cinci with a W…..

1. Keep it balanced, and mix up the play calling

Let’s be honest, RoboKurt is not fooling anyone with his attempts at play action fakes, so we need to keep the Defense honest by calling a good amount of run plays. The Bengals have the second worst D in the league and give up an NFL high 27.9 points a game, so we need to attack them from all angles: on the ground with Edge, through the air and in the kicking game.

2. Shut down TJ and take away the deep ball

TJ Houshmandzadeh is leading the league with 68 receptions and 10 TDs, he is the focal point of the Bengals high flying air show. So we need to limit his contribution as much as possible. Chad Johnson is still reeling from his injury two weeks ago and Chris Henry is still trying to get into football shape, so we need to shut down TJ in order to stop this offense.

3. Pressure the QB, and then pressure him some more

We saw what pressure can do to a passing offense last week against Detroit and this week is no different. Cincinnati has struggled to run the ball effectively without Rudi Johnson, and he is still going to be out against the Cards on Sunday. So we need to unleash Darnell Dockett and Karlos Dansby on Carson Palmer and just put him on his back all day. Force him into bad decisions and turnovers, so we can score early and often.

Predicton:
I think we are in the midst of a win streak right now. The Cards are flying high after knocking off Detroit and are looking to make a big time push towards the NFC West Title. This game is the next step towards that goal, and I see a 27-14 win with the defense having another big day. GO CARDS!!!

Mike Duggan
AZCardsfan4life