What will happen when the Arizona Cardinals square off in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans?
The Arizona Cardinals open the season on the road in Nashville, and many have them slated to fall to the Tennessee Titans. However, the Cardinals have more advantages in this upcoming matchup than many think, especially given the explosive potential of the Cardinals offense as opposed to a weak Titans defense.
The Titans are also stagnant on offense early in the season. Even Derrick Henry, the league’s best back, tends to be up-and-down early on before he finds his groove as the season progresses. Luckily for the Cardinals, they will most likely face a stagnant Henry in Week 1.
There is also a lot of potential on defense in 2021. The unit comprises a solid mixture of young names and experienced veterans, which could put the team in deep sleeper mode early in the season. Knowing this, the unit can make a solid impact starting in Week 1. Here are a few bold predictions for Week 1 that no one in the NFL Universe has considered regarding the Cardinals matchup versus the Titans.
Arizona’s run defense holds strong vs. Henry
Derrick Henry is one of the league’s best running backs, but he is known to struggle early in the season. In 2019, he rushed under 3.9 yards per carry between Weeks 3 and 6. In 2020, he failed to hit 3.75 yards per carry in three of the first four weeks of the season.
The Titans often rely on Henry to open things up for quarterback Ryan Tannehill and their dynamic pass-catching unit that now includes Julio Jones. But given Henry’s inconsistency early in the last two seasons, the Cardinals run defense has a golden opportunity to hold Henry to under 100 rushing yards. Something opponents did three times in the first seven weeks (six games) of 2020.
With a solid rotation at inside linebacker that includes Isaiah Simmons, Zaven Collins, and Jordan Hicks, the Cardinals are in prime position to converge and counter the Titans running game. Also, we will see safety Budda Baker flying around the field. Henry may be the league’s best back, but his early-season struggles combined with a solid run-stopping unit from the Cardinals will give him a long day.
Murray eclipses 400 passing yards
Kyler Murray is arguably the league’s most dynamic dual-threat quarterback. Many will put Lamar Jackson ahead of him, but Murray has much better passing mechanics than Jackson, who struggles with his accuracy.
Murray does not have this issue, and a shoulder injury contributed to his stagnation late in the 2020 season. Even so, Murray nearly eclipsed 4,000 passing yards and put on some dynamic single-game performances with a barren pass-catching unit outside DeAndre Hopkins.
Now that Murray has A.J. Green and Rondale Moore in the mix, along with a hybrid RB1 in Chase Edmonds, Murray will eclipse 400 passing yards in Week 1. Remember, the Titans also had a weak pass rush in 2020, and it contributed to them having one of the league’s worst pass defenses.
Sure, Bud Dupree may help the team’s meager pass rush. But he’s coming off an ACL injury. Combined with Murray’s ability to evade pass rushers as it is, look for him to pick apart the Titans’ porous pass defense with a historic performance.
Murphy has a big day
Perhaps no other Arizona Cardinal evolved more in the preseason than cornerback Byron Murphy. Murphy, like most starters, did not play often; but he shined when given the opportunity. Over the past two seasons, he showed potential to be a full-time starting cornerback.
Here in 2021, he finds himself atop the depth chart given Malcolm Butler‘s recent retirement. Murphy will take advantage of his newfound CB1 status and he will have a big day regardless of who he’s covering.
Let’s not be so bold and assume Murphy will evolve into the ballhawk slash shutdown corner Patrick Peterson was for most of his time in the desert. But given the sample size he showed in training camp and the preseason, he’s ready to make The Leap in Year 3.
As for Week 1, he may or may not record a turnover, which many consider a prerequisite for having a career outing. Instead, Murray will be a quiet yet big reason why the Cardinals can hang with the Titans and potentially win on Sunday by locking down opposing receivers.
Look for him to give up a low completion percentage, number of yards per catch and pass attempt, and to hold Tannehill to a low quarterback rating against him.