Arizona Cardinals 2016 Schedule Reaction

The Arizona Cardinals have four prime time games next season, including the opening weekend

The NFL released the 2016 schedule for all 32 teams today, and you can see the Arizona Cardinals full schedule here, but its time to start dissecting.

Opening up the season against the New England Patriots, the team’s first visit to the valley in the regular season, against the Cardinals in the 10 years the building has been opened. Of course, the Pats have been here twice in two different Super Bowls, both ending in very memorable fashion. The game also holds special intrigue for many because of the Chandler Jones trade earlier in the offseason, this will be the first regular season game for Jones as a Cardinal, and he’ll take on his former team.

The rest of the first month of the season sees three out of four home games, the mid-season surprise of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the team’s first look at the first overall pick in the draft when the Los Angeles Rams visit on October 2nd. The Rams gave up quite the haul for that pick, it will be interesting to see who they pick and how that person plays going forward. Its going to be a good first month with a lone visit to Buffalo in Week 3, and avoiding the weather.

The rest of the season sees a very front loaded home schedule, with the Cardinals only have two home games in the final seven weeks of the season. This will be a very tough stretch with a visit to the Vikings, Falcons and Dolphins before heading home against the Saints in week 15 and then consequential road visits to the Seahawks on Christmas Eve and the Rams on New Years Day.

But, the Cardinals had one of the toughest stretches in the NFL to end out the season last year and triumphed, especially in prime time.

RIDICULOUSLY PREMATURE PROJECTION

So, looking at the way the schedule is laid out, based on where we are in the offseason now, and based on what the team will face, I can see the team going 13-3 with a give or take win depending on what Seattle team shows up during the season. There are some enigmas within the schedule. The biggest one is the Patriots game, how will the team fare in a first week tune-up against a dominate players former team. Going into the bye against the NFC Champion Panthers and coming out of it against a possibly-Kaepernick-led 49ers, the middle of the season will be great.

INTRIGUING MATCH-UPS

Week 1: New England Patriots

You aren’t going to find a better game on the Week 1 schedule, really, so much intrigue and Tom Brady’s first regular season visit to Arizona and against the Cardinals at home, the Red Sea will certainly rise up.

Week 7: Seattle Seahawks

The first match-up with Seattle to set the stage for the middle of the season, and who knows what team the Seahawks will be then, the .500 team we saw last season, or the team that dominated the final half of the season but couldn’t catch the Arizona Cardinals

Week 6: New York Jets

Todd Bowles first face-off against his former team, but who will be the QB of the Jets in this matchup?

CLOSING

The season looks a lot more obtainable than last year when the team had a murder row of games that they finished at 13-3 in route to two playoffs games (one we’d like to forget). Can this team seize the open window and continue to be successful? Only time will tell, now that the schedule is out, bring on the draft!