New Orleans @ Arizona preview
State Farm Stadium
Last Meeting ( Sep 22, 2013 ) Arizona 7, New Orleans 31
Two teams that defied expectations a year ago will square off to open the 2015 season when the Arizona Cardinals host the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. The Cardinals look to build off last year’s playoff appearance, while the Saints hope to rebound from a disappointing campaign that saw them miss the postseason for the second time in three years.
The Saints have overhauled their roster, trading away tight end Jimmy Graham and parting ways with running back Pierre Thomas and receiver Kenny Stills. They still have quarterback Drew Brees, who torched the Cardinals for 342 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-7 rout in the most recent meeting in 2013, as well as veteran receiver Marques Colston. The Cardinals begin the season with far fewer questions, returning virtually all of their top players from last year, when they finished 11-5 despite injuries to a number of key contributors. “This is the best football team we’ve had,” Arizona coach Bruce Arians told reporters.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Arizona -2.5. O/U: 48
ABOUT THE SAINTS (2014: 7-9, 2ND, NFC SOUTH): New Orleans was plagued by turnovers – and the inability to create them – last year, finishing minus-13 in turnover margin. The passing game still was prolific, as Brees racked up a league-best 4,952 yards and threw 33 TD passes, but running back Mark Ingram might be the key to the Saints’ success on offense this year. The question with the Saints often has been the performance of the defense, which ranked 31st in total yards (384 per game) and 28th in scoring (26.5) a year ago and will have a number of rookies in key roles.
ABOUT THE CARDINALS (2014: 11-5, 2ND, NFC WEST): Arizona was one of the biggest surprises of 2014, matching the franchise record for victories despite playing most of the season without quarterback Carson Palmer. The Cardinals have surrounded Palmer with an impressive array of weapons, including versatile running back Andre Ellington and budding receivers Michael Floyd and John Brown. The secondary is loaded with talent as well, and cornerback Patrick Peterson and safeties Rashad Johnson and Tyrann Mathieu should help the Cardinals match up well with the pass-happy Saints.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Brees (396) needs four TD passes to become the fourth player in NFL history with 400.
2. Palmer is 16-6 as a starter with Arizona, including 6-0 last season, and has won 10 of his 12 home starts with the team.
3. Arizona WR Larry Fitzgerald has caught a pass in 170 consecutive games, including the postseason.
PREDICTION: Cardinals 31, Saints 23