It is sport week for the Arizona Cardinals and so they have a doozy of a matchup to kick off the brand new 12 months as they head to tackle Josh Allen and the Buffalo Payments.
Actually, there are few methods you can begin off your season with an even bigger problem.
Let’s hop into this season opener and see if the Cardinals have an opportunity to drag off maybe the largest week one upset towards the Payments on the street.
Marvin Harrison Jr.
How will everybody’s favourite rookie honest in his first ever NFL sport? My prediction – fairly rattling effectively.
The Payments are a multitude within the secondary as they substitute All-Professional safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde. Additionally they have serviceable cornerbacks who should not maintain a candl;e to MHJ. Anticipate journeyman and former Cardinal Rasul Douglas to shadow Harrison.
There are massive expectations for Harrison as a rookie and this sport is an ideal alternative to return out and make a press release. In opposition to a suspect secondary, Harrison might come out and placed on a present in his NFL debut.
Evan Brown, Hjalte Froholdt, and Will Hernandez
Okay, so that is kinda dishonest by naming three gamers, nonetheless they’re going up towards a dynamic line of defense captained by Ed Oliver. They are going to have their fingers full.
Final season, the Payments generated 54 sacks with 17.5 of them coming particularly from the defensive inside. They’re two starters from final 12 months, Oliver and DaQuon Jones are again after tallying 12 of these 17.5 sacks (9.5 from Oliver, 2.5 from Jones).
I count on these two to maneuver round fairly a bit and create totally different matchups for the inside of the Cardinals offensive line. I additionally anticipate the Payments shall be blitz heavy and ship linebackers like Terrel Bernard (6.5 sacks and Tyrel Dodson (2.5 sacks) on blitz packages and assault the center of the road.
All three of those guys should be on their A-game or not solely will the Payments’ go rush have a subject day, however the Playing cards might have critical hassle operating the soccer.
Zaven Collins
Collins is inheriting a large function with the protection this 12 months. The sting speeding room is depleted attributable to accidents and can pressure him again to that spot. Nonetheless, Collins shall be requested to do greater than rush the passer.
The Payments have a doubtlessly harmful run sport due to Josh Allen’s capacity to run. Working again James Prepare dinner can also be coming off an 1,122 speeding yard season with rookie Ray Davis (who had back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons to shut his school profession) proper behind him.
With a stout offensive line captained by three-time Professional Bowl offensive deal with Dion Dawkins, the Payments are primed to host one of many prime speeding assaults within the league.
With that in thoughts, Collins shall be tasked with setting the sting and limiting Buffalo’s speeding assault.
Closing rating: Payments 31, Cardinals 14