Upcoming schedule a difficult one for Arizona Cardinals
By Jim Koch
NFL executives didn’t grant the Arizona Cardinals any favors when they constructed their schedule for the upcoming season
When initially informed of their 2018 schedule, the Arizona Cardinals may have believed that the NFL was out to get them. One look at the various challenges that lie ahead for the club this fall, and one could see why they may have felt that way. It’s certainly a daunting slate of matchups, especially for a first-time head coach like Steve Wilks.
The Cardinals’ own division, the NFC West, presents a bevy of obstacles, in itself. The Los Angeles Rams burst onto the scene in 2017, winning the division crown with a first-year coach named Sean McVay. With good young talent on offense, and some outstanding pieces in place on defense, the Rams appear to be no fluke.
While the Seattle Seahawks have lost a host of familiar faces over the last couple of years, the ultra-talented Russell Wilson remains. That fact alone makes the squad from the Pacific Northwest a force to be reckoned with. The addition of Jimmy Garoppolo has improved the San Francisco 49ers immensely, as evidenced by the young passer’s five and zero record as their starter.
Outside the division, a major test awaits on October 14th, when the Cards travel to Minnesota to play the Vikings. The “Purple People Eaters” have added free agent prize Kirk Cousins to an organization that appeared in the NFC Championship game this past January. A few weeks later, Arizona must journey to the intimidating Arrowhead Stadium for a November 11th contest with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Two weeks after K.C., a tough tangle versus the Chargers will take place in Los Angeles. Many of the league’s pundits are predicting big things for the still-productive Philip Rivers, and an outstanding young defensive unit. And the fun doesn’t end there.
The very next Sunday, blustery Lambeau Field will be the site of yet another difficult road test. Aaron Rodgers will look to gain a degree of revenge for the two postseason defeats suffered against Big Red in Glendale. If everything mentioned so far in this article is not enough, the Cards must trek east for a date with the Atlanta Falcons on December 16th.
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It’s not an easy road ahead for Wilks’ team. Still, it’s outlandish to think that the schedule-makers were out to get the Cardinals. It only appears that way.