Which favorable matchups will help the Arizona Cardinals get a win in their 2021 season opener against the Tennessee Titans?
The Arizona Cardinals square off against the Tennessee Titans in a Week 1 matchup on Sunday. And while the Titans look like the favorite to win, it’s not easy to count the Cardinals out of this one as they have more than a few favorable matchups.
Remember, until Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray played hurt during the second half of the 2020 season, he was one of the NFL’s most effective signal-callers leading one of the league’s top offenses.
Tennessee, on the other hand, had one of the NFL’s worst defenses in 2020. And while the Titans have attempted to make improvements on defense during the last few months, they remain a far cry from being even a top-15 unit.
Many praise Tennessee running back Derrick Henry. However, the Cardinals may actually have a more favorable matchup than meets the eye against Henry. The Titans’ talented running back is the league’s best pure power back. But Arizona has both depth and talent among the defensive line and linebacking units.
Finally, the Cardinals have one of the NFL’s best wide receivers in DeAndre Hopkins along with a solid supporting cast, and Tennessee might have the worst group of cornerbacks in football, at least until Caleb Farley becomes a proven player for them.
Let’s dig deeper into the most favorable matchups for the Cardinals this week against the Titans.
Kyler Murray vs. Titans pass rush
Kyler Murray may be the NFL’s most dynamic scrambling quarterback next to Lamar Jackson. Unlike Jackson though, Murray’s mid-to-deep throw accuracy has improved over his first two seasons in the league. And in Week 1, he’s facing one of the NFL’s weakest pass-rush units.
In 2020, the Titans logged just 19 sacks, which ranked 30th in the league. Sure, they signed Bud Dupree to remedy the issue, but Dupree is also coming off a torn ACL. We must also remember that Dupree had a lot of opportunities with the Pittsburgh Steelers (his former team) thanks to T.J. Watt’s presence. There are many question marks surrounding him and whether he will improve the team’s pass rush.
Before an injured AC joint affected his play later in the 2020 season, Murray was on pace to throw for over 4,000 yards. And despite the injury and missing most of the Week 17 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, he still almost accomplished the feat. He also rushed for over 800 yards.
Given Murray’s ability to make things happen with both his arm and legs, compounded with a weak Tennessee defense, gives the Cardinals offense a chance to light up the scoreboard on Sunday. But it’s not just the offense that the Titans need to worry about.
Cardinals run defense vs. Derrick Henry
Derrick Henry is one of the best backs in the NFL and he may actually be the league’s best back after winning the rushing title twice. However, Henry is also wildly inconsistent early in the season.
In 2020, he averaged fewer than four yards per carry in three of the first four games of the season. He also did not score his first touchdown of the 2020 campaign until Week 3.
He played well during his first two games of 2019, but in Weeks 3 through 6, he averaged 3.9 yards per carry, and in two of those games, he averaged fewer than three yards per carry. He also scored just two rushing touchdowns during that time span.
Henry gets better as the season progresses, as he has shown over the past two years. And while he will undoubtedly contend for the rushing title again in 2021, the Cardinals may very well get a watered-down Henry in Week 1.
And to further add things to Arizona’s favor, they also have the defensive unit to do so. The linebacker trio of Isaiah Simmons, Zaven Collins, and Jordan Hicks will ensure fresh legs are on the field at all times, barring injury. And the defensive line has enough depth to rotate fresh legs in and out. So don’t be surprised if the Cardinals stuff Henry early and often on Sunday.
Cardinals receivers vs. Titans defensive backs
DeAndre Hopkins is one of the NFL’s best receivers and he’s facing a TItans passing defense that ranked 29th in the league in 2020. Their top corner last season, Malcolm Butler, signed with the Cardinals earlier this year, but he has since landed on the reserve/retired list.
Butler’s departure forced Tennessee to make contingency plans by signing free-agent Janoris Jenkins and picking Caleb Farley in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft.
Jenkins is aging and he is probably a one-year solution. Farley is making a jump to the NFL after taking the 2020 season off. The rookie has also had injury concerns that lowered his stock before the 2021 draft. The Titans also allowed an astounding 36 touchdown passes in 2020, second-worst only to the Detroit Lions, who allowed 38.
And Hopkins isn’t the only threat on the Cardinals’ roster. Chase Edmonds is a dynamic hybrid running back capable of catching passes out of the backfield. A.J. Green has been to several Pro Bowls and he has a much better quarterback situation than he did during his final seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Arizona rookie receiver Rondale Moore showed off his value during this year’s preseason. And Christian Kirk, while he has not lived up to his billing, is a solid No. 3 receiver capable of making several big plays per game. Overall, the Cardinals have a massive advantage over Tennessee in the passing game.