The Arizona Cardinals sit at 3-4 entering Week 8 and will take on the 2-4 Miami Dolphins on the road Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. On the surface, considering the Dolphins have been terrible this season, Cardinals fans might feel confident that Arizona can finally win consecutive games and even their record at 4-4.
However, this game is also ripe for another blowout loss.
The Cardinals were demolished 42-14 by the Washington Commanders after what many considered a moral victory in a 20-13 loss to the Detroit Lions and holding them scoreless in the second half.
After beating the San Francisco 49ers on the road, they followed that up by allowing Jordan Love to throw four touchdown passes in a 34-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Now the Cardinals are coming off a 17-15 last-second win over the Los Angeles Chargers and face Miami.
The Dolphins have been dreadful offensively, averaging only 10 points per game over their last five games.
But Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is coming back, which means a potential return of explosiveness to the passing game.
Miami has explosive runners in Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane and rookie Jaylen Wright. They have arguably the scariest receiver in the league to face in Tyreek Hill and also Jaylen Waddle.
The Cardinals, the game against the Chargers aside, have been bad at stopping the run and aren’t great at stopping the pass either.
This Dolphins team was second in the league in scoring last season and wasn’t able to get in rhythm early this season, as Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in Week 2 and has not played since then.
The Cardinals lack a pass rush and could be shorthanded in the secondary as Sean Murphy-Bunting might miss the game with a neck injury.
Tagovailoa’s return, the Dolphins’ explosive offensive pieces, the Cardinals’ defensive shortcomings and their overall inconsistencies make it a dangerous game for another big loss.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
