The Arizona Cardinals will take on the Atlanta Falcons at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Given that these two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.
The Cardinals fought the good fight in their overtime matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week but wound up with a less-than-desirable result, falling 19-16. The defeat was just more heartbreak for Arizona, who fell 30-27 when the teams previously met in November of 2019. RB James Conner put forth a good effort for the losing side as he punched in one rushing touchdown.
Special teams collected ten points for Arizona. K Matt Prater delivered a perfect 3-for-3 game.
Meanwhile, Atlanta came up short against the Baltimore Ravens last week, falling 17-9. For the second time this season, Atlanta couldn't find the end zone, and they got their points from three field goals. QB Desmond Ridder ended up with a passer rating of 122.20.
Special teams was responsible for all of the team's points. K Younghoe Koo delivered a perfect 3-for-3 game.
Arizona is now 4-11 while the Falcons sit at 5-10. Neither team can make the playoffs, so they're playing for draft order now.
The Cardinals are expected to lose this next one by 3.5. Those playing the odds have seen things go back and forth with Arizona, who are 7-8 against the spread.
A pair of defensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Arizona is stumbling into the contest with the fourth most touchdowns allowed in the league, having given up 43 on the season. Atlanta has experienced some struggles of their own as they are fifth worst in the NFL in yards allowed per game, with 373 on average. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.