After a whirlwind franchise building draft, the Arizona Cardinals now look to climb out of the NFC West cellar. Kyler Murray, who is recovering from an ACL injury, will look for a bounce back kind of season he desperately needs. In a year of firsts, new head coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort have assembled a team to compete and to win. After a dismal 4-13 season and a divisional record of 1-5, the new look Cardinals are needing a big bounce-back kind of season. Here is how every game on the Arizona Cardinals 2023 schedule will play out.
Related: San Francisco 49ers Record Prediction
Arizona Cardinals 2023 Schedule: Predicting Every Game on the Schedule
Week 1: at Commanders
The Arizona Cardinals will open their 2023 campaign on the road in Washington. An early window game on the East Coast is not ideal, but it gets the season off and running. The Commanders were an 8-8-1 team overall, but showed more promise than their record. Washington adds veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett to a quarterback room that also has Sam Howell. As for the Cardinals, they are more than likely to be without injured Kyler Murray. Arizona will have a lot of competition for the backup job between veteran Colt McCoy, Jeff Driscoll, and rookie hotshot Clayton Tune. This game is not an easy opener for either. Arizona will not have enough on the road, as Washington wins late.
Cardinals lose, 0-1 record
Protect The Nest. pic.twitter.com/av0uJNKcBc
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) May 12, 2023
Week 2: Vs Giants
Arizona continues to walk the rope line that is the NFC East, as they face the New York Giants. The Cardinals open a good home slate with a Giants team who made the playoffs in 2022, and show a ton of promise for this season. Odds are high that Murray is still unavailable in Week 2, meaning a backup still has the starting gig. This will not be an easy one at home as New York simply has better talent. A tough one for Arizona as they drop a se one straight to open 2023.
Cardinals lose, 0-2 record
Week 3: Vs Cowboys
Once upon a time, older fans will remember that the Arizona Cardinals were part of the NFC East. The Cards seldom did well then against the East, and form holds true in 2023. Dallas was another playoff team from what ended up a highly competitive season for the best division in the NFC. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys will come to Arizona looking to add to a winning trend found in 2022. But in the words of ESPN College GameDay legend, “not so fast”. Dallas will have faced two solid quarterbacks in the Giants Daniel Jones and the New York Jets recently acquired Aaron Rodgers. This is the kind of game the Cowboys overlook. Look for the Cardinals to break through in an upset and find the win column.
Cardinals win, 1-2 record
Week 4: At 49ers
Arizona finally breaks the three week NFC East binge with a game against NFC West opponent San Francisco 49ers. The Niners struck gold in 2022 when Brock Purdy had a breakout season. Purdy led San Francisco to the NFC East Championship but lost to Philadelphia. The Cardinals were also swept last season by the 49ers, and there is little reason to believe that might not be the case again. Both teams have a quarterback situation in flux. Whether Murray is back in Week 4 remains to be seen. In San Francisco, Purdy is coming off of an injury but should be ready. If Purdy cannot go, for whatever reason, Sam Darnold and Trey Lance are waiting in the wings. It’s a rough NFC West start as Arizona struggles on the lead.
Cardinals lose, 1-3 record
Week 5: Vs Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals come into State Farm Stadium, bringing one of the best AFC teams the Cardinals will face in 2023. Joe Burrow, one of the top quarterbacks will remind Cardinals fans what a Super Bowl caliber signal-caller looks like. Cincinnati, unlike the Cowboys, will not play down to a struggling Arizona team. Cincinnati will win easily. It’s reasonable to believe Kyler Murray is back under center, thus how he performs will be an interesting watch. Talent should win out, and the Bengals win an easy one.
Cardinals lose: 1-4 record
Week 6: At Rams
ARE YOU SERIOUS RONDALE?!?!?!@moore_rondale x #BirdCityFootball pic.twitter.com/DQy2vRQBL8
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) November 14, 2022
Last season, Arizona managed a split with the Los Angeles Rams. The Cardinals cobbled together a win in LA to post their only division win in 2022. While Arizona is building a team, so are the Rams. A lot of drama swirled with whether Sean McVay would return to the team. Yet, he returned. Now, he is in the midst of a total rebuild as the once best team in the NFL searches for answers. This is one the Cardinals steal on the road, getting a much-needed win in the relatively young season.
Cardinals win: 2-4 record
Week 7: At Seahawks
The tour of the NFC West rolls on with a stop in the Emerald City. The Arizona Cardinals were swept in 2022 by the upstart Seattle Seahawks. Seattle, who found a second act and rebirth for veteran Geno Smith, had an unexpected season last year. Pete Carroll was expected to struggle to a losing 2022. Instead, he turned emerald to gold by scoring a wildcard appearance in the playoffs when least expected. The question is whether the Seahawks can do it again, and capture lightning in a bottle for a second straight season. Arizona will have found some needed momentum after six weeks. Beating Los Angeles at SoFi is one thing, but in the home of the 12th Man? Book it, as Arizona finds another road with man, this time in Seattle.
Cardinals win: 3-4 record
Week 8: Vs Ravens
Arizona faces a more talented and stronger Ravens team in 2023. Lamar Jackson is finally happy, which for Baltimore is very much needed. Talented rookie Zay Flowers leads a stable of pass-catching talent in Charm City. The Ravens will be explosive, thus look for fireworks against the Cardinals as Arizona runs into a better team and loses big.
Cardinals lose: 3-5 record
Week 9: At Browns
The Cleveland Browns are always interesting to watch. Big promises, few results. Deshaun Watson will be back under center for what the Dawg Pound hopes is a sign of good things to come. For the Arizona Cardinals, they head into the end of the first half of the season getting better as Murray is likely back under center, and Gannon has options. Like the Cowboys, the Browns can play up or down to their opponents, and they do just that in Week 9. Arizona gets another road win.
Cardinals win: 4-5 record
Week 10: Vs Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons come to Glendale to take on the Arizona Cardinals. Atlanta brings a run centric offensive attack to an NFC West team who’s division is pass heavy. The Cardinals run defense will get a serious test while the Falcons rely on the youngster Desmond Ridder. This is a good game for Arizona as both teams are looking for an identity. In Week 10, that question should largely be answered. The best answer here wins as the Cardinals lock up a needed home win.
Cardinals win: 5-5 record
Week 11: At Texans
It is a new day in Houston. DeMeco Ryans takes over a down and out Texans team desperate for a spark. Between Ryans and draft pick C.J. Stroud, fans in the Lone Star state should be happy. Houston was a bad football team in 2023. Finishing 3-13-1 required a fresh start. Now they have it. Arizona at Houston might be a pretty good football game as two programs are rebooting. Ryans was a great coach in San Francisco. The Texans might not be an expansion team so they will have some game against the Cardinals.
Cardinals lose: 5-6 record
Week 12: Vs Rams
The Los Angeles Rams get their second shot at the Arizona Cardinals in an NFC West showdown. The 2023 holiday season will be cranking up as the stretch run begins in the NFL. Fans and opponents alike will know who the Cardinals are by this point. The biggest question for Arizona is how Kyler Murray is progressing or not, and how the talented rookie class from this year’s draft is panning out. The same can be said for Los Angeles. McVay will know what he has with his latest edition of the Rams. This game could very well go a long way in settling how the balance of the division plays out. It also will not be a sweep, as LA will be better in the second half versus the first.
Cardinals lose: 5-7 record
Week 13: At Steelers
The AFC North has the potential to be a behemoth in 2023. The Pittsburgh Steelers are two things: a great home team and a team who always has a lot of fight. This will not be an easy road trip for the Cardinals. Inclement weather may also have a hand in an early December game in the Steel City. This game could be ugly for Arizona with a bye week ahead and a tough schedule to follow.
Cardinals lose: 5-8 record
Week 14: Bye Week
Week 15: Vs 49ers
The Cardinals have another swing at an NFC opponent as San Francisco comes into State Farm Stadium looking for a sweep. Rest assured Bay Area fans, the Niners are likely to get that sweep. However, it will not come easy. The middle of the Christmas season has Arizona playing much better. Unfortunately, it is not at the level of the Niners. The Cardinals put up a good fight but lose another.
Cardinals lose: 5-9 record
Week 16: At Bears
Arizona goes back to where it all started for the franchise. Now, Chicago is home to the Bears, and it is a team who is hoping for a quick climb to the top of the NFC North. Meanwhile, the Cardinals are playing out a string hoping to finish strong. The Windy City is seldom friendly to visitors who play in domes. On Christmas Eve, will Arizona find an unexpected win under the tree? The Bears are more mirage than substance, and the Cardinals escape town with a big “W”.
Cardinals win: 6-9 record
Week 17: At Eagles
Do not look for the Philadelphia Eagles to be a one-hit-wonder. The Eagles have something big happening in the City of Brotherly Love, namely wins. For the Arizona Cardinals, ringing in the New Year with a long flight back to Arizona will be made longer by a bruising loss. The talent is not comparable, at least not yet. But if the Cardinals cannot keep up, the scoreboard will get lopsided quickly.
Cardinals lose: 6-10 record
Week 18: Vs Seahawks
The inaugural season for Monti Ossenfort and Co. wraps up with a finale against division foe Seattle. San Francisco will likely have the NFC West wrapped up for a second season in a row. The Rams are clearly secured in the cellar of the West. As for the Arizona Cardinals, 2023 could be a far cry from how they finished a season ago. Murray plays one of best games in what could be the swan song for the one-time Heisman winner. It is also the Cardinals first and only sweep of the season. Arizona closes the doors on State Farm Stadium with a win.
Cardinals win: 7-10 record.
Main Image: Mingson Lau/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
