3 advantages the Arizona Cardinals have over the Panthers – Week 4

The Arizona Cardinals travel to Carolina to face a Panthers team that has defeated them handedly over the past three seasons. 

Every NFL franchise has a team they just can’t beat, or at least exit the field often as the winner. For the Arizona Cardinals, that team has been the Carolina Panthers. Since the mid-2010s, Carolina has had Arizona’s number, but perhaps things will go to the wayside as the two teams meet in what could be a memorable Week 4 affair.

Okay, maybe that is a little bold. Neither team has enjoyed outstanding defensive play while their offenses have been lethargic at best. But the Cardinals may actually have a few advantages in this one that could just catapult them to an upset win on Sunday.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Panthers: Advantage #1 – History vs. Mayfield

The Arizona Cardinals played Baker Mayfield twice, and both games ended up with convincing wins. Last season, the Cardinals jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. After going up 23-7 with 43 seconds to go in the first half, they crushed Baker and the hapless Browns 37-14.

We know head coach Kliff Kingsbury for his monumental collapses in the second half of the season. But on December 15th, 2019, that wasn’t he case. The Cardinals steamrolled to a 21-10 lead at halftime before cruising their way to a 38-24 victory, with Baker leading the Browns on a scoring drive in garbage time.

2 – Cardinals success on the road/Panthers woes at home

The Arizona Cardinals are 9-1 on the road dating back to the 2021 season. Their latest epic road win came in Hollywood script fashion, with quarterback Kyler Murray taking charge in Week 2 vs. the Las Vegas Raiders.

Meanwhile, the Panthers are just 3-7 at home in that same time span, and 0-3 against teams that made the playoffs in 2021. Since the Cardinals have won on the road often and in the strangest ways at times that included a comeback win over Jacksonville and an epic showdown in Dallas, recent history gives them a huge advantage heading into Week 4.

3 – Cardinals are facing a lackluster offense

In the first three weeks, the Arizona Cardinals played Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr, and Matthew Stafford. Two former Super Bowl champions and three quarterbacks that have eight combined Pro Bowls between them.

This week, the Cardinals are facing an offense that amassed just 829 total yards, 30th in the NFL. The Panthers rank 21st in yards per play at 5.1, and they also rank 31st in passing offense with 484 passing yards. Only the Chicago Bears, 225 yards, are behind them with a quarterback in Justin Fields who has 45 passing attempts all season.

The Cardinals defense has proven it can hold high-profile offenses in check, allowing just 21.5 points over the last two contests. The last thing they need to do, however, is to play down to their competition, something they have done in the past. If the defense comes out dominating, the Cardinals may have a better chance in this one than I may think.

(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference)