The Arizona Cardinals finished on a high note to end the 2023 NFL season finishing a widely predicted 4-13. 2024 will see fans and NFL prognosticators looking to see if they can improve on their win total. Looking at their opponents for next year’s campaign, 4-13 should be easy to improve on, but by how much? Either way, the Arizona Cardinals 2024 schedule will be a good test.
Arizona Cardinals 2024 Schedule
Tough Test
The Cardinals will play the AFC East. The New York Jets and New England Patriots will be on the home slate and have struggled in recent seasons. A rebuilding Los Angeles Chargers and Washington Commanders teams are on deck for Glendale, as well. The Chicago Bears with a possible new quarterback, and an intriguing matchup with an up-and-coming team, the Detroit Lions will be at State Farm Stadium.
📺: #AZvCHI on FOX
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) December 24, 2023
Arizona will be on the East Coast for two measuring stick games when they play the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills. South Beach is a great trip any time of year. A game in Orchard Park, NY is a different story if the Cardinals have to play the Buffalo Bills in December. The road schedule also has them at Lambeau Field for the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings.
The Cardinals will face a total of six teams who are playoff-bound this second season of elimination football. The road games for Arizona will be a solid test for a team establishing a new identity.
What fans will want to know, more than anything, is if a four-win season is behind them. This is not to suggest it’s the playoffs or bust, but a leap to a more respectable six or seven wins should be possible. A .500 season would be miraculous and could lead to an NFL Coach of the Year given where the Cardinals are right now.
The NFC West could look much the same as it did last year, except for Seattle. The Seahawks have unanswered questions that might relegate them to the division’s cellar. The Los Angeles Rams, who will still have Sean McVay on the sidelines, will still be a team that is playoff-capable. Lastly, the San Francisco 49ers are the best team in the NFC and show no signs of fading. If Arizona could battle for a third-place finish, the Cardinals become relevant once again.
Prime-Time
In 2023, the Cardinals were relegated to only Sunday games. It’s hard to imagine Arizona would become a feature game on Sunday or Monday night. But maybe an International Game looms. The Vikings and Panthers play “home” games in Europe in 2024. The Cardinals could find their way into one of those games. The last time Arizona was overseas was in London against the Rams in 2017. They did play against the 49ers in Mexico City in 2022.
The Arizona Cardinals 2024 schedule will be a good test. Even if the league doesn’t schedule the Arizona Cardinals for a prime-time stand-alone game, getting better should be priority one. Getting better brings more wins, more postseason opportunities, and more exposure in the prime time.
Main Photo: Rob Schumacher/The Republic-USA TODAY NETWORK
