The Arizona Cardinals are the NFL's biggest surprise this season. Even after a late-season push that saw them narrowly miss the playoffs a year ago, not many expected them to keep that train rolling. But they have and now hold a 9-2 record, tied with the New England Patriots for the best record in the NFL. They are still in a competitive NFC West, and after falling to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 12, the Cardinals can't afford to lose any games.
Cardinals vs. Falcons 2014 online streaming: Time, TV schedule and live stream
The Arizona Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons are going in opposite directions this year, but they’re both playing with playoff implications on Sunday.
That counts doubly for the game on Sunday against the 4-7 Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons themselves are actually in the middle of a playoff race, which highlights how pathetically bad the NFC South has been this season. Atlanta is tied with the New Orleans Saints for the division lead, while both the 3-7-1 Carolina Panthers and 2-9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still in the conversation.
Arizona can't afford to lose this game, but the Falcons do match up well in certain areas. While the Cardinals do a lot of things well, defending the pass is not one of them. They're in the bottom half of the league in that regard. Matt Ryan and the Falcons, on a good day, can stress any secondary. Ryan throws for 269.5 yards per game -- good for seventh in the league -- and against Arizona's No. 25 pass defense, he could be looking at a big day.
The Falcons have the league’s worst pass defense themselves, and they’re not much better at stopping the run. The Cardinals have more ways to win this one, have made few mistakes this season and should be heavily favored to make it to 10 wins on Sunday.
How to Watch
Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta
When: 4:05 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Announcers: Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch
Online streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile | NFL Sunday Ticket
Odds
Surprisingly, this game opened at even money and most books kept that line throughout the week. Some sights eventually moved to have Arizona favored by 1.5 points, according to OddsShark, with an over/under of 45 points.
Further Reading
For more on the Falcons, head to The Falcoholic. If you want more on the Cardinals, check out Revenge of The Birds.
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