Arizona @ Tennessee preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 23, 2012 ) Arizona 27, Tennessee 32

The Tennessee Titans saw their playoff chances all but extinguished last week and now will attempt to do the same to another team when they host the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. The Cardinals would be in the driver's seat for a playoff slot in the AFC, but despite five wins in their last six games they are on the outside of the NFC's playoff picture. "A lot of things have to happen," Arizona linebacker Daryl Washington said. "The only thing we have to focus on is winning this game and winning out."

The Cardinals' only setback in the past two months was a three-point loss at Philadelphia on Dec. 1, but they remain one game back of Carolina and division rival San Francisco for the sixth and final seed in the postseason. The Titans have played their way out of the playoff chase by going 2-7 over their last nine games. Tennessee has dropped four of five since starting quarterback Jake Locker suffered a season-ending injury, including last week's 51-28 rout in Denver.

TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Cardinals -2.5. O/U: 41.5.

ABOUT THE CARDINALS (8-5): Quarterback Carson Palmer did not practice leading up to last week's game versus St. Louis, but he overcame an ailing elbow to throw for 269 yards and a TD in the 30-10 rout. Palmer has curbed his turnover-prone ways in the past four games, throwing for eight touchdowns against two interceptions despite a running game that ranks 26th at 90.2 yards per game. The defense absorbed a big blow last week when rookie Tyrann Mathieu suffered a torn ACL, but a rejuvenated John Abraham had three more sacks last week to give him 11 on the season - all coming in the past six games.

ABOUT THE TITANS (5-8): Tennessee surrendered an NFL-worst 471 points last season and the defensive woes have resurfaced in the past month, with opponents averaging 33 points in the past four defeats. Backup Ryan Fitzpatrick threw five touchdowns passes and zero interceptions in his first three games since Locker went down, but has been picked off four times in the past two games and is not getting much help from an anemic ground game. Former 2,000-yard rusher Chris Johnson has been limited to 46 yards or fewer six times and is averaging a career-low 3.8 yards per carry.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald has caught a TD pass in four consecutive games.

2. Johnson needs one rushing TD to become the third player in franchise history (Earl Campbell, Eddie George) with 50.

3. The Titans are looking to avoid their first five-game home losing streak since 1996, when the franchise was still based in Houston.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 23, Titans 20