Merry Christmas: Arizona Cardinals schedule released

The Arizona Cardinals, along with the rest of the NFL, now knows their 2021 schedule.  The NFL schedule makers weren’t as kind to the Cardinals as some other teams but what else is new?

The Cardinals will open the season at the Tennessee Titans on Sunday September 12 at 10:00 a.m. Arizona time.  It will mark the first time they have opened on the road against an AFC team since they opened the 1997 season at the Cincinnati Bengals.

Three of the first four games are on the road.  The home opener is in week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings at 1:00 p.m. Arizona time.  They also threw in a Christmas night game at home against the Indianapolis Colts.

In all, the Cardinals received three primetime games.  The Christmas day game on NFL Network, a Thursday night game at home against the Green Bay Packers on October 28th, and a Monday Night Football game at home against the Los Angeles Rams.

Not bad, but the most coveted primetime games on NBC’s Sunday Night Football skipped the Cardinals again.  Maybe a chance for flex scheduling there.  The best options would seem to be against the Cleveland Browns on October 17th (but would be replacing Seattle-Pittsburgh), and against the Seahawks in Seattle on November 21st (would replace Pittsburgh-LA Chargers).

Meanwhile the Dallas Cowboys received 3 SNF games, the Chicago Bears 2 games, and even the Washington Football Team got a SNF game.  The only thing that changes this mindset is to win more games.

The Cardinals having to play three out of four to start and then back to back games against the Cowboys on the road and the Seahawks at home to end the regular season is head scratching.  The Cardinals only received consecutive games at home once this season and both games happen within four days of each other on October 24th against the Houston Texans and then the Packers game on October 28th.