Arizona Cardinals Look to Live up to Monday Night Invitation

The biggest opening game in the history of Arizona Cardinals football gets under way Monday night at the University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals have not had this much respect around the league in a long time. There used to be a saying that went around the team in times past “the same old Cardinals”. However, this season many are expecting a change.

Cards get their chance tonight  try to show the world on national television that they are here to stay as a legit contender. The San Diego Chargers were a playoff team last year and that was their ticket to NFL’s biggest night on television. The Cardinals missed the playoffs last year after finishing with an unexpected 10-6 record last season.

The critics usually return the next year with teams that have had some brief success, and say they were a one year wonder. This team under owner Michael Bidwell, GM Steve Keim, and Head Coach Bruce Arians have changed the culture of the Cardinals from a team that hopes to win, to a team that expects to win.

The team has the Super-Bowl as their goal, as they go into the season with the chance to be the first team to play in their own home building.

A good performance in Monday’s game will go a long way in proving this team is primed and ready to compete for their division and ultimately the Super-bowl. Quarterback Carson Palmer is the start to the success of this team, the offensive line has kept him pretty clean with few exceptions, and there is no secrete that when he is in a comfortable pocket he is as good as any NFL signal caller.

Second year RB Andre Ellington is key to this game, as he has been listed as questionable for the start with a foot injury and will be a game time decision. The defense must take the first step forward and play well, because the Chargers offense is very explosive. Getting pressure will be a must and the secondary has to play lights out, starting with star corner-back Patrick Peterson shutting down second year receiver Keenan Allen.

The Cards offense sputtered in the preseason tune-up for the starters verses the Bengals, and some of the players following that performance didn’t really show any concerns. We caught up to Calais Campbell and asked him how much stock do yo put into a game like that in preseason? “None at all” said Campbell. “That was pretty much a glorified practice, and we worked on a few things and just tuning for the start of the season”

Campbell doesn’t mind that they have a target on their back from the Seattle Seahawks after beating them in their house last year. “That’s exactly what we want” said Campbell. Look for the Cardinals to get off to a good start and move the ball down the field, utilizing speed as its weapon. Expect explosive big plays and a close watch on the match-up between left tackle Jared Veldheer and Dwight Freeney, this will be the difference in the game. The Chargers may move Freeney around and which ever side of the Cards offensive line can’t hold up, that will be the element that keeps the Chargers in this game with a chance for the upset.