Arizona Cardinals: Home game for the holidays
By Jim Koch
The Arizona Cardinals will be spending the holidays with their families thanks to a home matchup with the New York Giants
Happy Holidays Arizona Cardinals’ fans! The mood will be festive at University of Phoenix Stadium on Sunday when the New York Giants come to town. Unfortunately, the game has no playoff ramifications, and the Cardinals will be at home when the postseason gets underway in January.
Interest for the contest being played on Christmas Eve will be low. The Giants, like Arizona, will also miss the playoffs. Meaning that the Cards can’t even play the role of a spoiler, which could’ve brought a fun angle to the matchup.
There are plenty of reasons not to tune in this weekend. If fans didn’t know any better, they could possibly even feel like they were witnessing a preseason tilt. The long list of starters slated to sit on Sunday could have that effect on viewers.
There could’ve been even more of an exhibition feel in the air had New York decided to take a look at a young quarterback. Despite the idea being thrown about earlier in the week, rookie Davis Webb will not replace Eli Manning as the team’s starter against the Cardinals. Letting the third-round draft pick get some playing time would’ve made sense considering the fact that the Giants’ won-loss record is a putrid two and twelve.
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Speaking of quarterbacks, Arizona’s carousel of signal-callers will continue to go around on Sunday. Drew Stanton is back in the starting lineup most likely by default. The journeyman is basically playing again because Carson Palmer is not healthy, Blaine Gabbert was ineffective and there’s no youngster like Webb on the roster.
For the fans who would appreciate a break from the holiday festivities, the Cards-Giants battle may possibly provide a good diversion. Just don’t expect anything resembling playoff-caliber football while you’re watching. Maybe Cardinals’ followers should put a playoff appearance on their lists for Santa Claus next year.
Sadly, no such present will be in the Christmas stockings for this season. Perhaps the “Grinch that Stole Christmas” was the reason that there wasn’t. After years and years without a Super Bowl title for the organization, anything is believable.