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Saints-Cardinals Capsule

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NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (7-9) at ARIZONA CARDINALS (11-5)

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox

OPENING LINE - Cardinals by 3

SERIES RECORD - Series tied 14-14

LAST MEETING - Saints beat Cardinals 31-7 Sept. 13, 2013

AP PRO32 RANKING- Cardinals No. 9, Saints No. 21

SAINTS OFFENSE - OVERALL (1), RUSH (13), PASS (3)

SAINTS DEFENSE - OVERALL (31), RUSH (29), PASS (25)

CARDINALS OFFENSE - OVERALL (24), RUSH (31), PASS (14)

CARDINALS DEFENSE - OVERALL (24), RUSH 13), PASS (29)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Saints are banged up on defense, particularly in the secondary. CB Keenan Lewis is out at least a month following hip surgery and S Jairus Byrd is expected to miss at least this game with knee swelling .... Saints have won 10 of last 14 games vs Arizona, including 45-14 rout in the 2009 divisional playoffs, a game that left Cardinals QB Kurt Warner battered in what proved to be his final game. ... New Orleans second-round pick LB Hau'oli Kikaha led the nation in sacks at Washington last season with 19. ... Saints haven't won a season opener on the road since 19-14 win at Cleveland in 2006. ... Including trades, drafts and free agent signings, New Orleans has 10 new players on defense, including projected starters CB Brandon Browner and DT Kevin Williams . .... New Orleans has four players who have spent 10 seasons together (Drew Brees, Zach Streif, Zahri Evans, Marques Colston). ... Arizona is 13-3 at home in coach Bruce Arians' two seasons. ...RT Earl Watford and C Lyle Sendlein were the last players to win Cardinals starting spot. Sendlein has been Cardinals starter since early in his 2007 rookie season ... Cardinals are 13-2 in QB Carson Palmer's last 15 starts. .... Palmer and backup QB Drew Stanton missed a combined 14 games with injuries last season. ... For Fantasy players, Palmer might be a good choice. In his six starts last season, all victories, Palmer completed 63 percent of his passes (141 of 224) for 1,626 yards and 11 TDs with three interceptions. And he has looked sharp in the preseason.

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