Ravens at Cardinals

To say it’s been a rough start for the Ravens (1-5) this season would be a massive understatement, in fact, this has been the worst start for the Ravens in franchise history, not only has the record been a disappointment, but the defense has been as well. Tonight they have a chance to show the NFL that they are still a tough team that cannot be counted out by anyone by beating the host Arizona Cardinals (4-2). The Cardinals have been one of the most dynamic and fun teams to watch this season, featuring Carson Palmer throwing to a rejuvenated Larry Fitzgerald, an emerging star in John Brown, and a now healthy Michael Floyd make this a very bad matchup for the Ravens struggling pass defense.

What’s at stake?

For the Ravens: Pride, and a chance to catch up to the Browns

That’s right, the Baltimore Ravens currently trail the Cleveland Browns in the AFC North, which says everything you need to know about their season thus far. If this team wants any chance to get back to .500 by seasons end, they need to start with a win tonight, this is a Ravens team that still has Joe Flacco, Justin Forsett and Steve Smith, but not much else on offense, which has been a huge part of the problem: the Ravens don’t score many points, and because of their defense, they give up a lot of points.

For the Cardinals: Distance from the rest of the NFC West

The Cardinals need to keep their distance from the Rams and the Seahawks, with those two teams appearing to emerge, the Cards need to win the games they should win (Which they failed to do against Pittsburgh last week), including this one. The matchup is primed for a big Cardinals win, but so was their matchup with the Steelers. The Seahawks have a chance to figure it out this year, the Cardinals need to be ahead in the case that they find their winning formula again.

Fantasy Stars to Watch

Carson Palmer: With a bad defense and a great group of wide receivers to throw to, the stars are aligned for a huge game from Palmer, but funny things happen in primetime games. I see Carson Palmer’s stats looking something like this: 23 of 36 passing for 325 yards and 3 touchdowns with 1 interception

Justin Forsett: The Cardinals give up a little over 100 yards per game rushing, and the Ravens will be looking to run the ball early and often to keep the ball out of Carson Palmer’s hands. I see a stat line like this for Forsett: 19 carries for 73 yards to go with 3 catches for 19 yards with a touchdown

Larry Fitzgerald: The ageless wonder finally has a quarterback for the first time since Kurt Warner retired, and his numbers have been great with Palmer under center. Look for Fitz to get something like this: 7 catches for 88 yards

Steve Smith: speaking of ageless wonders, here’s Steve Smith, who has always been a fighter and not one to be told what he can and can’t do (Just ask Aqib Talib on that one “Ice up son”), as for his stats, look for something along the lines of 8 catches for 112 yards and a touchdown

John Brown: Second year player from Pittsburgh state who has emerged as a playmaker for the Cardinals, he had 10 catches for 196 yards last week, a repeat performance is possible, but 6 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown seems more likely.

Prediction:

This game could get very ugly, very fast, as the matchup does not favor the Ravens in any way, shape or form. The Cardinals pass offense could prove to be too much for Baltimore to handle, as the home crown goes home happy: 35-21 Cardinals win