The annual NFL schedule release date was announced on Wednesday. The Arizona Cardinals usually know their schedule in April, however for the second consecutive year, they will find out their 2021 calendar post-NFL draft in May, on the 12th to be specific.
Remember this season there was a 17th game that was added by the NFL a few weeks ago. The NFC will visit the AFC stadiums this fall for the extra game. That means the AFC will visit the NFC teams in 2022 in the extra game.
That means the Cardinals will have 8 home games: Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Carolina Panthers.
The Cardinals will have 9 road games: Rams, 49ers, Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, and Cleveland Browns (the extra game added).
Let the anticipation begin. It will be fun as always to guess when and where the teams will play each other. We also anticipate which games will be tabbed for national television.
The Cardinals went 2-1 on primetime national games in 2021. They defeated the Dallas Cowboys on ESPN Monday Night Football, the Seattle Seahawks on NBC Sunday Night Football, and lost to the Seahawks on FOX/NFL Network Thursday Night Football.
This season’s best bets for national games lies with any of the NFC West rivals, Packers, Vikings, Colts, Cowboys, and Browns. It could also be the Texans on opening weekend on Monday night if the prediction made a few weeks ago comes true.
There will be another prediction just before the release date. Why? Because we can and there is little more exciting in the offseason than finding out the Cardinals season schedule.
The 2021 season will kickoff on Thursday night September 9th. With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers winning the Super Bowl in February, they likely will be home team that evening. The anticipation is half the fun.