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A view of State Farm Stadium seats (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Arizona Cardinals knew that, despite being one of the fourth-place finishers in last year’s regular season, their schedule this year wasn’t going to be an easy one. In fact, it is the third most difficult based on the 2025 win-loss records of their upcoming opponents.
Part of the issue is the fact that three of their division mates all made the playoffs with very good records. And that accounts for six of the Cardinals’ 17 games.
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And now that the schedule has been approved and is public, what is going on with Arizona? Their opponents were already announced months ago, but are now aligned. What have we learned?
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Right out of the gate
Great googly moogly. Are you kidding? Right off, the NFL is giving the most ardent dance lessons to the one-legged man.
In the first seven games, they play both #1 seeds from last year’s post-season, five playoff teams, and another who won 15 games the year before. And even the New York Football Giants are going to be much improved based on the fact that John Harbaugh is now their head coach.
The beginning of the season is absolutely brutal:
- Week 1: 11-6-0 Chargers (playoff team)
- Week 2: 14-3-0 Seahawks (NFC #1 seed, division winner, Super Bowl champions)
- Week 3: 12-5-0 49ers (playoff team)
- Week 4: 4-13-0 Giants
- Week 5: 9-8-0 Lions
- Week 6: 12-5-0 Rams (playoff team)
- Week 7: 14-3-0 Broncos (AFC #1 seed, division winner, playoff team)
Just one year earlier, the Lions had 15 wins. Five of those eight losses this past season were by seven points or fewer, so Detroit isn’t one of those easy games despite its fourth-place finish in its division.
The Week 10 threshold
In Week 10, the Cardinals host the Rams on November 15. That means the franchise would have already played all of its division games except for the finale against the 49ers.
- Week 2, September 20: Seahawks
- Week 3, September 27: @ 49ers
- Week 6, October 18: @ Rams
- Week 9, November 8: @ Seahawks
- Week 10, November 15: Rams
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Late bye is a good thing
Most players like their bye week to be somewhere around Week 9 or 10. Arizona’s is after the Week 13 contest at home against the Eagles.
But something magical happens after the bye week. The schedule becomes the easiest it’s going to get:
- Week 15, December 20: Jets (3-14-0)
- Week 16, December 27: @ Saints (6-11-0)
- Week 17, January 3: Raiders (3-14-0)
- Week 18, January 9 or 10: 49ers (12-5-0)
Plus, three of these four are home games.
Now, keep in mind, teams flip their season all the time. The NFL is built for parity. In 2024, the New England Patriots finished 4-13-0, and last year won their division with a 14-3-0 record and a trip to the Super Bowl. The Washington Commanders went to the NFC Championship in 2024 and last year finished 5-12-0, so it cuts both ways.
However, if you look at this schedule strictly from the amber lens of the 2025 season, the final four games for Arizona are all winnable. The 49ers, you say? Remember last year when the Cardinals began 2-0-0 and had the lead on the Niners when a Zay Jones pass that he cradled became incomplete? A reception would have ended the game.
What the Cardinals will need to do this year is become one of those season flippers and end up with 10 or 11 victories.
Think it’s not possible? Be honest, is this roster a helluva lot better than last year’s? If Arizona had a stud QB, wouldn’t Vegas be singing praises on the Cardinals with all the weapons they have stockpiled on offense?
Think about how many wins they blew last year:
Leading the 49ers 15-13 with 3:26 left
Tied the Seahawks 20-20 with :28 left
Was killing the Titans 21-3 and led 21-19 with 4:39 left
Leading the Colts 27-24 with 9:36 left
Leading the Packers 23-20 with 9:02 left
Led the Jaguars 21-17, then tied 24-24 going into OT
Came back to a 20-17 score against Bucs with 4:58 left
Led the Falcons 13-3, then came back to 26-19 with 4:41 left
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