Arizona Cardinals vs New York Jets: Preview, prediction

The Arizona Cardinals return home to take on the New York Jets.

After a short road trip to the Bay Area, the Arizona Cardinals are back at home hosting former defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and the New York Jets. The Jets (1-4) are coming off a 31-13 road loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Meanwhile, the Cardinals (2-3) got back on track with a 33-21 win against the San Francisco49ers (1-4) at Candlestick Park.

History: The Cardinals and the Jets have faced each other 8 times in the regular season, with the Cardinals played 3 of these games as the St. Louis Cardinals. Arizona has an all time 2-6 record against New York. The last win against the Jets came in Week 10 of the 1975 season when the St. Louis edition of the “Cardiac Cards” beat the Jets 37-6.

What: Arizona Cardinals vs New York Jets

Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ

When: 5:30 PM Arizona Time (8:30 PM EST)

TV: ESPN

Radio: Arizona Sports 98.7 FM

October 6, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson (31) runs against San Francisco 49ers linebacker Nick Bellore (50) during the third quarter at Levi

Keys to victory, Offense:

Quarterback Carson Palmer has passed concussion protocol and will make his return to the starting lineup. With extra days rest, he should have a fairly good showing against the Jets 31st ranked pass defense.

Right guard Evan Mathis is on injured reserve and left guard Mike Iupati will be a game time decision. Earl Watford will start in place of Mathis and John Wetzel will fill in for Iupati if needed. The entire offensive line will need to hold its own against the Jets pass rush in order to give the Palmer enough time to make the right throw.

Larry Fitzgerald will most likely get attention from Darrelle Revis, so the rest of the receivers will need to step their game up significantly. Michael Floyd has struggled this season and a weak Jets defense will be a great place to get his groove back. John Brown also needs to create separation as the Cardinals have been unable to connect on the home run balls.

Ultimately, a majority of the offensive load could fall on David Johnson. Johnson, who leads the league in rushing heading into Week 6, could have a tough time on the ground as the Jets boast a second ranked run defense. However, Johnson is still valuable in the passing game, especially if the wideouts continue to struggle.

Oct 6, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Arizona Cardinals cornerback Marcus Cooper (41) carries the ball ahead of San Francisco 49ers tight end Garrett Celek (88) on a interception during the fourth quarter at Levi

Keys to victory, Defense

The Arizona defense will be playing with some added motivation with former defensive coordinator Todd Bowles on the opposing sidelines. This motivation may not be needed because of the Jets’ struggles on offense.

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has been hot and cold all season and leads the league in interceptions with 10. Moreover, if Arizona’s pass rush can put pressure on Fitzpatrick, it will give plenty of opportunities for the secondary to add to his interception total.

Furthermore, Jets receiver Eric Decker was placed on injured reserve earlier this week. To make matters worse for the “Amish Rifle,” Patrick Peterson will be shadowing Brandon Marshall for the game. Tyrann Mathieu will once again play in the nickel back role and should see much better results as he spends more time in that position.

Also, the front seven needs to put pressure on the Jets offensive line and force Fitzpatrick to rush his throws. Markus Golden is third in the league with 6 sacks and looks to add to this total. The Jets offensive line has only surrendered 9 sacks this season.

October 6, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians argues against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at Levi

Odds:

Arizona -7.5

O/U 47

Prediction:

The Cardinals look to start a winning streak after dropping 2 of their last 3 at home. Carson Palmer’s return may give this offense, which has been stagnant for most of the season, some extra juice.

Palmer isn’t expected to go back to being the player he was last season, but should look good against a weak Jets secondary. The defense needs to make Fitzpatrick uncomfortable, create stops on third down and force turnover.

The Jets have been struggling and the Cardinals need to build some momentum before a pivotal divisional match up with the Seattle Seahawks next week.

Arizona Cardinals 24, New York Jets 14