Bold Prediction! Arizona Cardinals will prove popular NFL analyst wrong in Week 1

Few NFL analysts think highly of the Arizona Cardinals, and NFL Network’s Adam Schein is no exception, considering his most recent bold prediction for the team.

June and most of July may be the “dark ages” of the NFL season, since nothing more than minicamps often occur. But this is also an entertaining time of the season, as fans and analysts alike make bold, and sometimes outrageous predictions. 

Adam Schein of the NFL Network made one regarding the Arizona Cardinals, and you are not going to like it. He is projecting the Redbirds to become the first team in NFL history to finish the season 0-17. 

Schein, however, did stress that the Cards have a manageable opponent in Week 1 when they face the Washington Commanders. But given the recent happenings in Washington that included Daniel Snyder’s sale of the team to a more suitable owner, along with the fact that they don’t have a half-bad roster, he’s predicting what could be Arizona’s best chance to win this season to end up with a capital L beside it, thanks to the resurgence in Washington. 

Arizona Cardinals will prove Adam Schein wrong in Week 1

For those of us who take extended time to actually look at and break down the Arizona Cardinals roster, however, it’s far better than most analysts, Schein included, make it out to be. No, it’s not a playoff roster, something I’ve stressed time and again. But it is one built to win more than a few games if the Cardinals play their cards correctly. 

With a dynamic offensive line, a pair of capable tight ends, and a bruiser as the RB1, the Cardinals can easily beat the Commanders in the season opener by keeping the ball out of the hands of either Sam Howell or Jacoby Brissett. This will force the underwhelming duo, whoever gets the starting nod to try and take advantage of limited opportunities, something both signal callers are ill-equipped for. 

Further, with a pair of talented safeties and perhaps a few budding game-changers in the front seven, the Arizona defense is more than capable of holding things down for the Cardinals to score just enough, win the game, and bust Schein’s prediction. It’s not like teams haven’t pulled this off in the past, so now, it’s the Redbirds turn. 

Source: Bold predictions for 2023 NFL season: Sam Darnold's 49ers top Jets in Super Bowl! Bill Belichick era ends by Adam Schein, NFL.com