The Arizona Cardinals are heading into Week 5 and gearing up to face a Cincinnati Bengals team that has surprised the NFL universe for all the wrong reasons. We thought the Bengals would be contenders once more as the early stages of the playoff race take hold, but that hasn’t happened.
No, quarterback Joe Burrow’s calf injury hasn’t helped, but the Bengals are struggling in nearly every facet of the game. This could make for a big day not only for a couple of players on the Cardinals offense, but their struggling defense should also be gearing for a surprising game.
Each bold prediction listed below reflects that, and you will see a pair of familiar faces projected to enjoy fine outings while the defensive unit redeems itself from last week.
3 bold predictions for the Arizona Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Bengals
1 - James Conner rushes for 125 yards and 5.1 yards per carry
The Bengals have the second-worst rushing defense in the NFL, allowing 5.1 yards per carry, which gives running James Conner a huge opportunity to slice his way through a 100-plus-yard performance. Last night, I stated Conner should be the Cardinals top player, thanks to the fact his productivity this year is a mismatch for such a weak Bengals defense.
But this time, I’m going even bolder, stating Conner doesn’t just earn a lot of carries in this one, but that he will make the most of them. The seventh-year pro will snag at least 125 rushing yards, which should put him second in the league this week behind only Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers.
Conner is currently third in the NFL so far in rushing yards, as he is also behind DeAndre Swift of the Philadelphia Eagles. He is also one of just 11 total players in the NFL this season to average at least 5.0 yards per carry.
2 - Joshua Dobbs tosses three touchdown passes
The Bengals passing defense looks better than it really is thanks to the fact opponents tend to run against them. Cincinnati’s 123 rushing attempts against is eighth-highest in the league, but that doesn’t mean teams won’t throw on them.
The Bengals touchdown passes against sits at 5.0%, which is also the eighth-highest in the NFL. Arizona Cardinals quarterback Joshua Dobbs has seen quite a respectable amount of success against much better pass defenses like the Cowboys and 49ers - and that was well before garbage time regarding the latter.
Therefore, while Conner racks up the rushing yards, Dobbs will go over the top and toss three touchdown passes. But let’s spice up this bold prediction and state that Dobbs will toss three touchdown passes to three different pass-catchers. It should make for yet another strong outing for one of the NFL’s most surprising quarterbacks.
3 - Cardinals defense holds Joe Burrow to under 200 passing yards
A calf injury has rendered Joe Burrow rather ineffective this season, and his 728 passing yards equate to just 182 yards per game. While the Arizona Cardinals defense is currently suffering setback after setback, they will have a chip on their shoulder after allowing Brock Purdy to look like an All-Pro against them.
The Cardinals D should turn up the volume and come early and often after Burrow, but despite the quarterback’s calf injury, he’s done a good job of getting rid of the ball quickly. Through four games, Burrow has been sacked eight times, averaging just two sacks per game, and 34 for an entire season.
But, the Cardinals heat should force Burrow into making erratic decisions with the ball, keeping his completion percentage in the 50s, and his total passing yards south of 200. This should be a game of redemption for a Redbirds defense who, despite their personnel, made life too easy for their opponent in Week 4.
(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference)