3 keys to a Cardinals victory in Week 10 over Bills
Following their first loss since Week 4, the Arizona Cardinals are back on the field today as they host the red-hot Buffalo Bills. This game will feature two of the most productive offenses in the league. The Cardinals enter as the fourth best in the league in yards per play (6.23) while Buffalo ranks eighth (5.97). One thing is for sure in this matchup, the offenses will be able to move the ball up and down the field.
At 7-2, the Bills are riding a three-game win streak. The Cardinals, however, are looking to right the ship and put another W in the win column. For Arizona to accomplish that, there are 3 keys to victory to watch for today.
Running back effectiveness
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Arizona ranks second in both rushing yards per game (162.9) and rushing yards per play (5.15). As a team, the Cardinals have rushed for 1303 yards this season. Their lead rusher, however, is quarterback Kyler Murray with 543 yards. After suffering an ankle injury, starting running back Kenyan Drake will be a game-time decision. He is expected to play and have at least a limited role. If he is not able to go, expect Chase Edmonds to get his second start as the lead back. Last week, in his first game as the workhorse, Edmonds showed little effectiveness. Edmonds ran for 70 yards on 25 attempts for only 2.8 yards per carry. Opponents have been able to run against the Bills. They rank 21st in rushing yards per game (125.9) and rank 25th in rush yards per play (4.62). The Cardinals will need to employ a balanced offense to move the ball effectively and will need production from the backs in the running game, not just from Murray.
Secondary step-up
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For the first time in several weeks, the Cardinals should have their entire secondary back together. Jalen Thompson returned last week. Cornerback Byron Murphy returns from a one-week stay on the COVID list and Dre Kirkpatrick, who missed last week with an injury, will also return to the field. Although Budda Baker is listed as questionable he will play. They, along with Patrick Peterson will have their hands full with the speedy receivers of Buffalo. Stefon Diggs enters this week as the NFL’s leading receiver in both catches (63) and yards (813). With Cole Beasley in the slot and John Brown on the other side, the Bills have the most dangerous trio the Cardinals have faced since Week 6 in Dallas. Unlike Dallas though, Buffalo has their starting quarterback, Josh Allen. Allen has thrown for the third-most yards (2587) and 5th most touchdowns (19) and his 107.2 quarterback rating is seventh-best in the NFL. On his weekly podcast, “All Things Covered”, Patrick Peterson gave some insight on how the Cardinals secondary will approach Josh Allen and the passing game. “You want to give him different looks. You want to make sure that you're moving around, show him something, but give him something else. I believe that's going to be our point of emphasis this week.” Whatever the Cardinals decide to do as far as their game plan, the secondary needs to be buttoned up this week or Josh Allen will pick them apart. Over their past two games, the Arizona defense has allowed over 880 yards with nearly 600 of those yards passing.
Make the first tackle count
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Ranking 15th-best in pass attempts and 21st in run attempts, you could say the Bills offense is well balanced. But, part of what has made them so successful has been their yards after contact and yards after catch. Buffalo ranks as the fifth-best in rushing yards after contact (516) and 12th in yards after catch (933). For the Cardinals, this is an area they need to improve on. Arizona’s defense has recorded 63 missed tackles, ninth-most in the league. The Cardinals will need to improve on their tackling today if they hope to minimize the damage the Bills offense can do. Listen to the latest from Cards Wire's Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify. Latest show:
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