Before you know it, the NFL schedule will be released this month and teams will learn when they face their opponents. It is always an exciting time because fans start to buy their tickets, record predictions come out, and players could very well be facing their prior teams if they joined another team. We can make predictions all we want, but the fact of the matter is that the results won’t be finalized until the final whistle blows on gameday.
Looking back at the Arizona Cardinals’ schedule from last year, almost no one should have said that they would beat down the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3. Or when Kyler Murray came back, the Cardinals would end up winning four total games with three of them being against playoff teams (Cowboys, Steelers, Eagles). Heading into 2024, the Cardinals have stability, a solid draft class, and a free agency class that will look to improve the Cardinals from the last two seasons.
Although Arizona does have some breaks with some opponents, they will be challenged by veteran players and coaches that will make it tough for them to make a run at the postseason.
Here are four things to know about Arizona’s 2024 schedule.
4.) Cardinals could play in some freezing weather
When you think of Arizona, cold weather does not come to mind, obviously. However, depending on how the NFL schedule is released, the Cardinals could find themselves playing in some harsh weather against two opponents on the road. Arizona is set to visit Jordan Love and Green Bay Packers, as well as Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. Warm weather teams tend to not do so great outdoors once the temperature gets cold…just ask the Miami Dolphins. The Cardinals are also set to take on the Minnesota Vikings at Minnesota, but the Vikings have a dome so the elements won’t be an issue for the Cardinals.
Not only do the Cardinals have to potentially play in colder weather, but it is against two teams that are in playoff contention and have shown that they can take over a game if they get going. Cardinals fans have to hope that when Arizona is going up against Green Bay and Buffalo, that it is within the first month or two of the season.
3.) Arizona will face four rookie quarterbacks
The NFL Draft gave us a clear indication as to which of the top prospects the Cardinals will see across the field next season. Four of the five teams that the Cardinals will face will have rookie quarterbacks. Now, will they all start? There is a good indication that they will, but nothing will be official until it is announced by the head coach. Going up against the Bears with Caleb Williams, Commanders with Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye with the Patriots and J.J. McCarthy of the Vikings, Arizona has an advantage going into these games.
Rookie quarterbacks, while they can shine, will also flop throughout the season. We see quarterbacks fresh out of college who have a hard time adjusting to the speed of the game in their first year. The Cardinals were given a little bit of a break with this setup so Gannon and Nick Rallis need to come prepared to get inside the rookie quarterback’s head and throw them off their games.
2.) Cardinals will face six 2023 playoff teams
Out of 17 opponents, the Cardinals only have to face six playoff teams from last year, with two of them being in their own division. They will take on the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers twice, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills. The Rams were one of the biggest shocks last season with them making the playoffs after a down year the season prior. The 49ers are stacked with talent all around with a quarterback who is making almost nothing in terms of salary but has delivered. The Lions made it to the NFC Championship game before falling to the 49ers. Buffalo and Green Bay had phenomenal wild card round games before being eliminated, and then the Dolphins had to play in one of the coldest NFL games at Arrowhead.
The Cardinals will have their hands full throughout the season, but four of these six playoff teams are within the same conference as Arizona. Tiebreakers could mean a lot if the Cardinals find themselves in the playoff hunt.
1.) Cardinals will face five new head coaches
Jonathan Gannon was a rookie head coach last year but will now enter the 2024 season with clarity and experience under his belt. He will be standing across the field from five new head coaches this season. First, the biggest one is the Seattle Seahawks within the NFC West where Seattle has transitioned from Pete Carroll to Mike MacDonald. MacDonald comes from the Baltimore Ravens and had one of the best defenses in 2023.
Then Gannon will be going up against Dan Quinn of the Washington Commanders, Dave Canales with the Carolina Panthers, Jim Harbaugh with the Los Angeles Chargers, and then Jerod Mayo of the New England Patriots. All of these teams made changes for a reason and we won’t know what they will do with their new squads until it is gametime. Either way, Gannon has an advantage, yet also has a disadvantage just because we don’t know how these five head coaches will perform until the start of the season.