Arizona Cardinals: Ranking the Cardinals’ 3 Easiest Games
By Baily Deeter
2. Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans, December 15
Dec 30, 2012; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver Nate Washington (85) bobbles a pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
The last time the Cardinals took on the Tennessee Titans, they lost a heartbreaker. This time, they’re likely to win.
Arizona will likely have some trouble in its first few games with a plethora of new pieces. The team will need time to gel, but after 13 games, they should be fine playing together. Tennessee is a team that can be stopped on offense without much of a problem, as Jake Locker is one of the league’s worst starting quarterbacks and Chris Johnson had his share of struggles in 2012.
Johnson is a speedy back who can burst through a hole and take off, but he can be stopped. The Cardinals will likely run a base 3-4 scheme, but mixing in some 4-3 in this game wouldn’t be a bad idea. Alex Okafor, Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell are three players who can stop Johnson, as Dockett will be much more effective when he’s not just creating gaps for blitzing linebackers.
The Titans also had the sixth-worst defense in the NFL (based on total defense). Tennessee doesn’t have a star in the secondary to lock down Fitzgerald, and there isn’t enough speed to handle Andre Roberts and Ryan Swope. Carson Palmer should have a fun day against one of the league’s worst passing defenses, and Arizona should be able to lock down Locker.
Unless the Titans play a great game and the Cardinals fail to meet expectations, this should be a rout. The Cardinals have the right players to stop the Titans’ offense, and the offense should have no problem piling the points on Tennessee’s sub-par defense.