The Arizona Cardinals are in for a tough game this weekend against the visiting Steelers.  The Cardinals have lost four games in a row.  But, the Steelers are only 1-2 on the road, so you never know.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Cardinals have the ball:  The Cardinals need to give the ball to Beanie Wells 25-30 times tomorrow if they want to beat the Steelers.  The Steelers are giving up 112.8 yards rushing per game and 4.8 yards per carry so far this year, so they can be run on.  The Cardinals are going to need to run first to set up the passing game.  If the Steelers don’t respect the running game of the Cardinals, they will blitz every single down and Kevin Kolb won’t be able to handle that.  The Steelers are going to likely double Larry Fitzgerald and dare Kolb to beat them throwing to someone else.  Early Doucet and Andre Roberts need to step up tomorrow.

When the Steelers have the ball:  The Steelers have been running the ball well lately, so the front seven is going to have to deal with Rashard Mendenhall early and often tomorrow.  The Cardinals must stop the run on the way to the QB, because if Ben Roethlisberger has time to throw the ball, he’s likely going to have a really solid game.  WRs Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown provide the speed for the longball while TE Heath Miller and WR Hines Ward do the dirty work.

PREDICTION:  STEELERS 30, CARDINALS 13

The Arizona Cardinals have lost three games in a row by a combined 8 points.  The Vikings have lost all four of their games this year by an average of 4.8 points per game.  This sets up to be a close game and here is the way the matchups look:

When the Cardinals have the ball:  The Cardinals are going to likely come out passing, especially if Vikings’ CB Antoine Winfield doesn’t play (neck injury).  Larry Fitzgerald could be in for a HUGE game this Sunday, if the Cardinals do a good job of blocking for Kevin Kolb.  That means keeping Jared Allen and his 6.5 sacks away from Kolb and that is easier said than done.  Earl Doucet and the TEs Todd Heap and Jeff King are also likely going to get there fair share of looks in this game.  The Vikings are giving up 286.3 yards passing per game which sets up well for Kolb and his buddies.  Beanie Wells is going to give the Cardinals’ offense balance as he has been electric this year, when healthy.  The Vikings are only allowing 76.3 yards rushing per game and 3.3 yards per carry so far this year, so Wells will have to fight for every yard he gets this Sunday.

When the Vikings have the ball:  The Cardinals will go all out to try to stop Adrian Peterson this Sunday.  The Cardinals are only giving up 3.6 yards per carry so far this year, but 105.5 yards rushing per game.  If the Cardinals can stop Peterson and force Donovan McNabb to beat them through the air, they will probably be in good shape.  Percy Harvin is a gamebreaker, so the Cardinals will need to know where he is on every play.  The rest of the WRs and TEs on the Vikings don’t scare anyone.  Donovan McNabb seems to be running on fumes right now.

PREDICTION:  CARDINALS 21, VIKINGS 17

The Arizona Cardinals have lost two tough games in a row, while the Giants have won two games in a row.  The Cardinals hope that the Giants have a little bit of a letdown after a huge win over the Eagles last weekend in Philly.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Cardinals have the ball:  The Cardinals are going to come out passing this Sunday in an attempt to get a quick lead in this game.  The Giants are giving up 255.0 yards passing per game, so there are plays to be made down the field as long as Kolb has time to throw the ball.  Even if the Giants double team Larry Fitzgerald, he’s still going to be Kolb’s top target in this game….he’ll just have to be careful with the ball.  He will have to spread the ball around to WR Early Doucet, WR Andre Roberts and TE Todd Heap in this game to keep the Giants’ secondary honest.  The O-Line will need to give Kolb time to throw the ball as the Giants already have 8 sacks so far this year.  RB Beanie Wells appears ready to return to action this weekend, which will give the running game a huge boost.

When the Giants have the ball:  The front seven of the Cardinals’ D is going to have a huge challenge in front of them in dealing with Giants’ backs Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs as they are a very physical pair.  The Cardinals are also going to have to get after Eli Manning a lot in this game in an effort to force him into making some mistakes.  The Cardinals are giving up 275.0 yards passing per game so far this year, so look for Manning to be pounding the ball down the field to WRs Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and Victor Cruz.

PREDICTION:  GIANTS 23, CARDINALS 21

The Arizona Cardinals were swept by a combined score of 58-28 last year!  A lot has changed since then as the Cardinals have a good QB this time around in Kevin Kolb.  The Seahawks have been outscored 57-17 so far this year as they have looked awful.  This is their home opener though, so I look for them to play better this Sunday.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Cardinals have the ball:  The Cardinals are going to come out throwing the ball against a Seahawks’ D that is allowing 210.5 yards passing per game and QBs have a 106.4 QB Rating against them.  Kevin Kolb should have a lot of time to throw the ball this Sunday as the Seahawks only have 2 sacks so far this year.  Larry Fitzgerald should be in for a big game this Sunday for the Cardinals.  Early Doucet, Andre Roberts, Todd Heap and Jeff King will also likely get a few looks each in the passing game.  Beanie Wells is a little dinged up but he should get his 15-20 carries against a Seahawks’ D that is allowing 104.5 yards rushing per game but only 3.1 yards per carry.

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks will likely take the shackles off of their offense this weekend.  Look for RB Marshawn Lynch (44 yards, 2.3 ypc) against a Cardinals’ D that is allowing 123.0 yards rushing per game and 4.0 yards per carry so far this year.  The Seahawks will likely keep the passing game of the short variety as Tarvares Jackson has already been sacked 10 times so far this year.  His top target in the passing game could be WR Mike Williams, as he caught 22 passes for 232 yards (10.5 avg) with 1 TD grab against the Cardinals last year.  Also look for TE Zach Miller to be very involved in the passing game for the Seahawks this weekend.

PREDICTION:  CARDINALS 27, SEAHAWKS 24

The Arizona Cardinals are going to have their hands full in dealing with the Redskins in Washington this Sunday.  The Cardinals are going to have to play a lot better if they want to beat the Redskins who are a much better football team than the Panthers are.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Cardinals have the ball:  The Cardinals are likely going to try to remain pretty balanced like they were last weekend when they ran the ball 25 times and threw it 27 times.  Beanie Wells is going to have to earn every yard he gets tomorrow against LBs London Fletcher, Rocky McIntosh and the rest of the D that held the Giants to only 75 yards rushing on 20 carries (3.8 ypc).  The Cardinals are going to want to throw the ball to Larry Fitzgerald a lot more this weekend, even if the Redskins double him.  Still, look for Kevin Kolb to throw a lot to the other guys too.  WRs Early Doucet and Andre Roberts as well as TEs Todd Heap and Jeff King are going to get a lot of looks in the passing game.  The key will be making sure that Kolb has enough time to throw the ball as the Redskins had 4 sacks last weekend.

When the Redskins have the ball:  Ex-Cardinals’ RB Tim Hightower is going to want to stick it to his old team, so the Cardinals better be ready for him.  The Cardinals did well against the Panthers’ RBs last weekend as they only rushed for 74 yards on 27 carries (2.7 ypc).  The Cardinals are likely going to blitz a lot in this game as Rex Grossman gets careless when he gets rushed and hit a few times in a game.  But, he looked sharp against the Giants last weekend.  Safeties Kerry Rhodes and Adrian Wilson are going to have to deal with TEs Fred Davis and Chris Cooley, while still helping the corners over the top.  That’s because WRs Santana Moss, Anthony Armstrong and Jabar Gaffney give the Redskins the ability to make plays in the passing game down the field.

PREDICTION:  REDSKINS 30, CARDINALS 27

The Arizona Cardinals are excited about the 2011 season with Kevin Kolb on board at QB.  He is set up for success in his debut as the Panthers come calling to the desert tomorrow.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Cardinals have the ball:  The Cardinals are going to likely get back to being a pass first team once again with Kolb under center.  If the Cardinals keep DE Charles Johnson out of the backfield, Kolb is going to have a lot of time to throw the ball.  If that happens, he is going to have a field day.  Larry Fitzgerald is in line to have a monster game tomorrow as Kolb is going to be looking his way early and often.  The guy to really watch though is going to be TE Todd Heap.  Kolb liked throwing to his TE in Philly, so look for him to be looking in Heap’s direction a lot tomorrow.  Beanie Wells is going to get a full workload in this game and it will be interesting to see how he does against a pretty solid linebacking unit of the Panthers.

When the Panthers have the ball:  The Cardinals are going to have to stop DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart tomorrow.  If they can do that and force Cam Newton to throw the ball, the result is going to be very good for the Cardinals.  The safeties can sneak up too much to help defend the running game because TEs Greg Olsen and Jeremy Shockey are likely to be Cam Newton’s favorite targets in this game.  The Cardinals must get a good pass rush on Newton and contain him in the pocket in this game.

PREDICTION:  CARDINALS 28, PANTHERS 10

The Arizona Cardinals have won two of their last three games as they might start to be feeling good about themselves.  The 49ers pasted them in the first meeting 27-6 at Arizona just five weeks ago.  The Cardinals are also a very awful 1-6 on the road this year.  The 49ers have lost two games in a row and they will have an interim coach (Jim Tomsula) in charge tomorrow.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Cardinals have the ball:  For some reason the Cardinals keep throwing the ball even when they should be running the ball.  Rookie QB John Skelton likely doesn’t scare the 49ers at all as they will likely double Larry Fitzgerald and dare Skelton to beat them throwing to someone else.  Steve Breaston and Andre Roberts could benefit from that line of thinking against the Niners who are allowing 233.1 yards passing per game this year.  Niners’ standout inside linebacker Patrick Willis is out for this game so I think the Cardinals would be smart to give the ball to Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells more than usual.

When the 49ers have the ball:  The Cardinals have to key on stopping the running game as the 49ers rushed for 261 yards in the first meeting between these two teams.  Brian Westbrook and Anthony Dixon are likely going to get the ball a lot in this game for the Niners.  Alex Smith is getting the start at QB for the Niners which means he will likely be throwing more to the WRs than the TEs.

PREDICTION:  49ERS 24, CARDINALS 10

The Cardinals just suck right now, plain and simple.  Losing to the Panthers last week means the Cardinals have hit rock bottom.  The Cowboys are 4-2 under new coach Jason Garrett and they are going to look to keep on rolling in Arizona this Saturday Night.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Cardinals have the ball:  If the Cardinals were smart…..which they ain’t…….they would come out running the ball this weekend.  The Cowboys are giving up 108.3 yards rushing per game and 4.3 yards per carry so Tim Hightower will have running room.  The Cardinals are going to have a hard time stopping the Cowboys’ offense so I think it would be smart of them to try to control the clock.  The Cowboys are giving up 256.6 yards passing per game so if the Cardinals had a legit NFL QB on the roster, they could take advantage of that. 

When the Cowboys have the ball:  The Cardinals are going to have to deal with both the running game and passing game of the Cowboys this Saturday Night.  The Cowboys have been running the ball a lot more since Jason Garrett took over as the head coach so the Cardinals’ front seven is going to have to deal with Felix Jones, Tashard Choice and Marion Barber.  The Cowboys are also averaging 266.4 yards passing per game so the Cardinals’ secondary is going to have their hands full.  But, if the Cardinals can get to Kitna with a pass rush he will make some mistakes.

PREDICTION:  COWBOYS 31, CARDINALS 17

The Cardinals broke a 7-game losing streak last weekend by pounding the Broncos 43-13.  They amazingly can still win the NFC West if they can win out, but they would still need some help.  The Panthers have lost 7 games in a row with only one loss (Cleveland) being by less than 10 points.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Cardinals have the ball:  The Cardinals should give the ball to Tim Hightower as many times as his body can handle tomorrow against the Panthers who are allowing 132.6 yards rushing and 4.1 yards per carry.  That is because John Skelton will be playing QB and the Cardinals will likely be conservative in the play calling.  The Panthers don’t have much of a pass rush so Skelton should have time to throw the ball.  He will try to get the ball to Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston but he will have to be careful as the Panthers have 16 interceptions this year.

When the Panthers have the ball:  This could wind up being one of the fastest played games in NFL history because the Panthers are definitely going to come out running the ball.  Jonathan Stewart & Mike Goodson should be very effective against a Cardinals’ D that is allowing 143.3 yards rushing per game and 4.4 yards per carry.  The Cardinals are also giving up 235.9 yards passing per game but Jimmy Clausen just isn’t capable enough to move the ball in the air.

PREDICTION:  CARDINALS 17, PANTHERS 10

The Arizona Cardinals have lost seven games in a row and they will be turning to their third starting QB of the season, rookie 5th round pick John Skelton out of Fordham.  The Broncos have lost 3 games in a row and 7 of their last 8 games.  The losing cost Josh McDaniels his job as the Broncos’ head coach.  He was replaced by Eric Studesville who will be making his head coaching debut tomorrow.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Cardinals have the ball:  Maybe this will be the week that Ken Whisenhunt finally takes my advice and runs the football.  It’s not like he doesn’t have a good RB as Tim Hightower is a beast.  The Broncos are giving up 145.3 yards rushing per game and 4.3 yards per carry so far this year so Hightower could have a huge game if the coach lets him.  Rookie QB John Skelton “isn’t ready” according to head coach Ken Whisenhunt then he shouldn’t have him flinging the ball around the field.

When the Broncos have the ball:  New head coach Eric Studesville was the RB coach of the Broncos so look for Knowshon Moreno to get a lot of work.  The Cardinals are allowing 144.3 yards rushing and 4.4 yards per carry so far this year so Moreno will likely have some success.  But, the Broncos are still going to throw the ball a lot as that is where the strength of the offense is.  Kyle Orton (if he has time) should be able to make plays down the field to Brandon Lloyd, Jabar Gaffney and Eddie Royal.

PREDICTION:  BRONCOS 27, CARDINALS 23