In Bruce Arians’ three seasons, the Cardinals are 9-2 against the AFC and 21-5 outside the division.
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In addition to having the No. 1-ranked team in the league in total offense with 421.1 yards per game, the Cardinals are second in points per game (33.6) and rank in the top six in seven other offensive categories.
The Bengals are one of the few teams as efficient and balanced as the Cardinals. Carson ended up going to Oakland (and then to Arizona after a trade), and the Bengals ended up going to Andy Dalton.
The only other time that Palmer has squared off against Cincinnati was in a blowout Raiders loss in 2012.
Cincinnati cannot abandon the run this weekend or it could force a doomsday scenario on the road against a defense that has tallied 15 sacks and 14 interceptions.
Absolutely have a full day on Friday we dedicate to the ref crew and show the calls they make. If Jeremy Hill can’t carry the load, Giovani Bernard will have to bear the burden.
Cincinnati can line up and beat the Cardinals while controlling the game, but it takes commitment. Golden is one of the team’s best pass rushers. But the Cards’ win at Seattle was huge in so many categories, including momentum and self-belief. They were rude guests to be sure and Carson Palmer took delight in sending the patrons off into the night with a pelvic thrust to remember him by, just in case the 363 passing yards and three touchdown passes weren’t enough. Johnson is now second in the NFL in rushing yards (734), behind league leader Adrian Peterson.
The first point is stopping the run. “I feel for him, but he’s always been that kind of competitor”. This one comes in front of the loud, friendly fans in Arizona. Fantasy Tip: Play Palmer if you can.
The key will be pressure and disruption. QB Carson Palmer has an embarrassment of riches to play catch with, but only if he has time. Palmer, Fitzgerald, and Johnson will have a big game. We know Dalton isn’t afraid to talk smack about anybody, since he recently fired back at Houston Texans behemoth J.J.
If Green can not win what might be the best one-on-one matchup of the week, the Bengals won’t have an easy time. Michael Floyd is dealing with a hamstring, as is John Brown, but if one or neither can go on Sunday be on the look out for Jaron Brown.
But for the fourth time this season, Seattle was unable to hold a lead in the final quarter.
Palmer will be well aware of these numbers, so Kirkpatrick’s a focal point. Palmer completed 37 passes against Arizona in 2007, second most in Bengals history….
PANTHERS (-7) over Redskins: Undefeated Panthers continue to apply sly, subtle ways to maintain the upper hand. “He’s definitely going to bring the best out of me, I’m going to try to do my best to bring the best out of him”.
“Forget about them and move on”, Palmer said. Just when he was reviving his increasingly irrelevant career and catapulting an equally irrelevant team to contending for a Super Bowl, he gets hurt. Making the defense respect him opens things up for wideouts down the field. K.J. Wright was ruled down at the 3 after the recovery and Marshawn Lynch bulled his way in for his third touchdown of the season on the next play.
“They’re a talented offense”, Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu said. St. Louis leads the NFC with 29 sacks. “I don’t know if there is a bigger accomplishment than to get your number retired and to go up in the ring of honor”.
CIN: 5 in scoring, 7 in offense (13 rushing, 11 passing); 1 in scoring defense, 11 in defense (13 rushing, 13 passing), T-10 in turnover margin at plus-three.
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All four of NFL.com’s pickers are siding with Arizona as well.
