We are four weeks into the NFL season and the Arizona Cardinals are starting to struggle early. They grabbed momentum early in the first two weeks of the season, including an impressive win against the San Francisco 49ers week one. However, the Cardinals have lost two straight against teams that many thought they should have beaten.
Going into Week 5, the Cardinals travel to New York to face the Jets, one that could be a nice bounce-back game for the Cardinals, especially since the NFC West is the most competitive division right now.
This team has struggled to keep guys healthy at key positions. The Jets are without starting quarterback Sam Darnold for this week’s matchup and will most likely not have receiver Breshad Perriman either. Joe Flacco will get the nod to start for the Jets this Sunday, who currently have the worst offense in the NFL, averaging just 278 yards per game.
The Cardinals are at the top half of the league’s defensive rankings. They have given up over 1,400 yards through four games. However, even though the Cardinals’ pass defense struggles a bit more than their run defense, the Jets have a receiving corps depleted by injuries. They drafted Denzel Mims, a standout wide receiver from Baylor, who has been sidelined with hamstring injuries. The Cardinals’ secondary is the weakest part of their defense. Granted, they did lose Robert Alford for the season and have had key players injured like Budda Baker, who was a full participant in practice on Wednesday. The Cardinals’ secondary have a chance to put on an impressive showing against a Jets receiving core that does not have a whole lot of consistency led by Jamison Crowder.
The Jets defense is among the bottom half of the league, giving up an average of 368.8 yards per game, according to ESPN. The Jets struggle immensely in the passing game, giving up 959 yards through the first four games. The Cardinals put up 224 passing yards against a healthy 49ers defense. Kyler Murray has a chance to have a field day against this Jets defense, who have struggled to contain players in the passing game. Through the first four games of the season, the Cardinals have averaged 370.3 yards per game, according to ESPN. DeAndre Hopkins has been nothing short of impressive in his first few games as a Cardinal and is continuing to show that he is one of if not THE best at his position. Many wanted General Manager Steve Keim fired before the 2020 NFL Draft. But, he has really started to prove himself with these past two offseasons. From drafting Kyler Murray in 2019 to acquiring DeAndre Hopkins this past offseason, Keim has put the Cardinals on the map as a potential playoff team for the first time since 2015.
The Arizona Cardinals are struggling early, coming off of two straight losses from the Lions and Panthers. However, this week’s matchup against the New York Jets is a perfect opportunity for them to have a bounce-back game, especially with a tough schedule ahead of them.
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