Arizona Cardinals Primetime Schedule: NBC/ESPN/Thursday Night
By Scott Allen
Oct 15, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; General view of the ESPN Monday Night Football trucks in the Qualcomm Stadium parking lot during the NFL game between the Denver Broncos and the San Diego Chargers. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
The Arizona Cardinals 2014 schedule was released a short time ago and they have been slated for three primetime games this season. It has been an ongoing debate on how many games they would actually end up seeing on national television. Also up for debate who those games would be against. Now we know.
The Cardinals will open the 2014 season at home against the San Diego Chargers on ESPN’s Monday Night Football on Monday September 8th. There had been some rumors about the Cards maybe getting the second MNF game of the season-opening double header. They will in fact open at home on the national stage. It is a bit interesting that the opponent is the Chargers but it should be a great match-up. What is also interesting is the Cards end the preseason against the Chargers. Very odd.
The second national game is on the NFL Network onThursday December 11th at the St. Louis Rams. It is a Thursday night re-match from October 4th, 2012. That was the game Cards starting quarterback Kevin Kolb got sacked time and time again and started the Cards downward spiral after a 4-0 start. The Cards split the season series 1-1 last year. They last played in St. Louis in the 2013 season opener when they blew a lead and lost 27-24.
The last national television game is on NBC Sunday Night Football at home on Sunday December 21st against the Seattle Seahawks. The Cards had better be a good team or this one could end up being flexed out. Let’s hope this a game for the division title. That would be great! The Cards are the last team to beat the defending Super Bowl Champions.