With the release of the full NFL Schedule, fans are buzzing about big matchups at key points in the season. One game for the Arizona Cardinals stands out as more important than the rest.
In Week 18, the final week of the regular season, the Cardinals are set to play their NFC West foes, the Los Angeles Rams. The game could decide the fate of both teams in the race to win the division.
Cardinals can knock out Rams in 2025 season finale
Unfortunately, Week 18 games don't often affect anything more than draft order for the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals haven't been truly competitive since 2021, when they last made a playoff appearance.
Now, thanks in large part to the work of general manager Monti Ossenfort, the Cardinals are set to compete for a playoff spot again.
Arizona has one of the easier schedules in the NFL this season. With games against the Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, and a few other lesser opponents, the Cardinals should be able to pick up some solid wins. However, their schedule has some difficult stretches, especially late in the year.
The Arizona Cardinals OFFICIAL 2025 NFL Schedule 👀 pic.twitter.com/DDAqJwWPXq
— PHNX Cardinals (@PHNX_Cardinals) May 14, 2025
Cardinals' gauntlet ends with key battle with Rams
It's like the NFL schedule makers are trying to find ways to keep the Arizona Cardinals out of the playoffs. From Week 13 on, every opponent is likely to compete for the playoffs. Unless Arizona has their best start in years, they will have to steal a few wins in this stretch.
Of course, this brutal series of games ends with what may be the most important matchup of the season. In Week 18, the Cardinals travel to Los Angeles to take on the Rams. This game may end up deciding the winner of the NFC West.
Sure, we could take the perspective of miserable Cardinals fans doomed to watch their team fall just short against hated rivals. Or, we could look forward to watching the Cardinals stomp on the Rams en route to a division title and a playoff berth. Personally, I like the second option.
With a win in this game, the Cardinals could cement themselves as a true threat in the NFC. Large-market teams like the Rams and 49ers may take up most of the spotlight in the division, but the Cardinals deserve some national attention. If they can beat the Rams in the season finale, they'll force the rest of the NFL to take notice.