Arizona Cardinals: 5 Reasons They Will Beat The Chiefs

The Arizona Cardinals host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at University of Phoenix Stadium

Ok, let’s not forget what happened the last two weeks because it teaches you no this league is just handed to you.  However, the Arizona Cardinals come home this Sunday to face the Kansas City Chiefs and here are five reasons they will beat them.

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1. Defense.  They will rebound. For the most part they played well in Seattle but they were completely off their game in Atlanta.  They gave up their first 100-yard rusher and allowed Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan to throw to open receivers all day long.  Against the Chiefs, they go against an offense that is 28th in the NFL at just 312 yards-per-game.

2. Home cooking.   Quarterback Drew Stanton has appeared to fell more comfortable at home than on the road so far.  He beat the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, and led his team from behind against the St. Louis Rams in relief.  Look for more deep ball opportunities for receivers Michael Floyd and John Brown.

3. Desperation.  I wouldn’t say the panic button has been hit.  Some fans may have pushed it but the Cardinals aren’t.  That doesn’t mean they don’t know the stakes.  The last two weeks has the Cards giving up their two-game lead in the NFC.  This is the second to last home game so the Cards need to take care of home field if they want any kind of home field in the playoffs.

4. Adjustments.  If there was anything more disappointing in Atlanta it was the lack of in-game adjustments.  Cornerback Patrick Peterson was having a horrible day on Falcons receiver Julio Jones.  Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles left him on Jones all day.  I think if things start going south against the Chiefs, adjustments will be implemented and executed.  Kansas City provides some great challenges on both sides of the ball.  It’ll be a matter of which team can make the adjustments necessary to win.

5. Intangibles.  The Cards need their crowd.  They need to get loud, cause Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith and his offensive line into false starts.  Kansas City has used their crowd for the same purposes.  Force them to make those mental mistakes.  That very well could be the difference between winning and losing on Sunday.