The Arizona Cardinals know when they'll play every game in 2024 and this will be the path they take to hopefully becoming playoff contenders again this season. Let's look at every opponent and rank them from worst to first.
good thing we set an alarm for this
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) May 16, 2024
14. Carolina Panthers (Week 16)
The Panthers were the worst team in the league last year and didn't even get to reap the benefits from it. They have a new head coach in 2024 but will that be enough to help Bryce Young figure things out?
13. New England Patriots (Week 15)
It's weird seeing the Patriots listed as one of the worst teams in the league but they were flat-out awful last year. They're in the Jerod Mayo era now so we'll have to see if they can recapture some of that old magic.
12. Washington Commanders (Week 4)
The Cardinals will play the three worst teams in the league from a season ago and out of those three, the Commanders seem like the best of the worst. They're hitting the reset button on the quarterback position, planning to roll with Jayden Daniels as their starting quarterback.
11. Minnesota Vikings (Week 13)
The Vikings finished last season in the middle of the pack but they also hit the reset button on the quarterback spot, spending their first-round pick on J.J. McCarthy. If he plays well, the Vikings could be one of the surrpising teams this year. If he struggles as rookie quarterbacks often do, it could be a long year for Minnesota.
10. Seattle Seahawks (Weeks 12 and 14)
The Seahawks narrowly missed out on the playoffs last season and with Geno Smith regressing, it wouldn't be shocking if they weren't a fierce competitor this year. They also have a new head coach and will be trying to figure things out. For the Cardinals sake, let's hope the Seahawks struggle this year, especially toward the back half of the year since Arizona will see them twice in a three-week span.
9. Los Angeles Chargers (Week 7)
The Chargers hired Jim Harbaugh to run their team in the offseason and while it's not a move that makes them a contender this year, the Bolts will be a scary team down the road. Harbaugh has proven that he can turn teams around with ease so if he works his magic early in Los Angeles, perhaps this game will be tougher than Cardinals fans anticipated.
8. Chicago Bears (Week 9)
The Bears took Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the draft and they've given him plenty of weapons to throw to. If Williams is the same guy he was at USC, the Bears could be insanely talented this year and could give the Cardinals hell when the two meet up in Week 9.
7. Los Angeles Rams (Weeks 2 and 17)
The Cardinals will see the Rams two weeks into the regular season and then won't face them again until the second-to-last game of the regular season. We all know how good the Rams can be when they're at the best and despite not having Aaron Donald on the roster, they're still a well-coached team.
6. New York Jets (Week 10)
The Jets were hyped up last season after they acquired Aaron Rodgers but disaster struck when he was injured just four snaps into his Jets career. The defense managed to win games for the team but Rodgers should be back in the Big Apple this year, making the Jets a scary match-up.
5. Miami Dolphins (Week 8)
The Dolphins came oh so close to winning their division last year but came up just short. They still have one of the best wide receiver rooms in the league and their goal this year will be to knock off good teams, something they struggled to do in 2023.
4. Green Bay Packers (Week 6)
The Packers might not have won their division in 2023 but they learned that Jordan Love could very well be their next franchise quarterback. He helped lead them to a playoff win in Dallas and nearly helped them upset the 49ers in the divisional round. Love's performance in 2023 proved that the Pack is still a major threat.
3. Buffalo Bills (Week 1)
The top three teams here could be jumbled around and no one would argue too much but I stuck the Bills here since they lost the most talent and rely more on the quarterback position than the top two. Josh Allen gives the Bills a chance to win every single week but Buffalo had to say goodbye to key players, which makes them less daunting. That being said, it'd have been nice if the Cardinals didn't have to open the season against them.
2. Detroit Lions (Week 3)
It's crazy that we're living in a timeline where the Lions are a good football team but here we are. They were so close to making it to their first Super Bowl this past season but choked away a 24-7 lead. Detroit went all in during the offseason and if their moves pan out, they should be one of the best teams in the league once again. At least the Cardinals will get them out of the way early on.
1. San Francisco 49ers (Weeks 5 and 18)
The best team on the Cardinals' schedule is unfortunately a team they'll have to play twice. The 49ers were on the losing end of the Super Bowl and will be looking to get back to the big game again this year. The Niners do everything well from running the ball, throwing the ball, and getting after the quarterback, they're good in all facets of the game and that's what makes them so dangerous.