Game-By-Game Predictions for 2024 Arizona Cardinals

How will the Arizona Cardinals fare in the 2024 season?

Arizona Cardinals players huddle during rookie mini-camp in Tempe on May 10, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY

ARIZONA--The Arizona Cardinals are inching ever closer to the 2024 season. On Wednesday, the national holiday known as Schedule Release Day delivered hopes and dreams for all 32 NFL fan bases.

So, with a fourth-place schedule in front of them, what are the likely outcomes of the Cardinals 2024 season? There are plenty of tough matchups, and some that might seem favorable. Ultimately, Arizona will have a generally easier schedule than 2023, but what exactly might that record look like?

Here is my 2024 Cardinals record prediction, based solely on the initial matchups released in yesterday's scrum of schedules:

Overall Record : 9-8

Week 1: Cardinals @ Bills:

Win

Honestly, this is the sort of team the Cardinals could very well ambush. The Bills are reeling again from yet another playoff letdown, Josh Allen was streaky in 2023, and Buffalo's defense isn't as good as it used to be. This team is worse than it has been and didn't add a ton of talent.

That said, it will be tough for this young Cardinals core group to be locked in completely against a new-age pedigree team. Is it going to be easy? Absolutely not, and a tough away crowd could be the death sentence for Arizona, but they absolutely have the makeup to break the Bills down systemically, without even that great of a talent disparity at this point in the Bills' situation.

Week 2: Cardinals vs Rams:

Loss

Sean McVay is a future Hall of Fame coach, and the Cardinals have little success against him. Arizona's run defense has improved, but it's not enough to defend against the onslaught of LA's ground game.

Even if they do stop Kyren Williams or Blake Corum, McVay just has ways to beat you in any area of the field. Couple that with a still-young and relatively weak secondary, and this seems like a game where the Rams chip away at Arizona's defense and sends Cardinals fans home disappointed.

Week 3: Cardinals vs Lions

Loss

The Cardinals are in an earlier stage of their rebuild than the Lions, obviously, but the similarities are notable. This will be a close game, but Dan Campbell and his home-grown bully squad were anything but a fluke last season.

I can see an NFC Championship hangover for the Lions this season, but they're built well and coached well. It'll be a close game, but the Cardinals are just a step behind Detroit.

Week 4: Cardinals vs Commanders

Win

The Kliff Kingsbury Revenge Game. The Commanders might have some serious talent in new QB Jayden Daniels, but all the pieces still aren't there. Kingsbury's offensive style bent easily to more adult-style bully ball offenses when he was here in Arizona.

Now, the tables are turned. Daniels will be an explosive threat, but the Cardinals have an opportunity to really control the ball in this one, and Washington's defense of old isn't as star-studded as it used to be.

At home, in front of a newly galvanized Cardinals fan base, Arizona has a chance to win this one handily.

Week 5: Cardinals @ 49ers:

Loss

The 49ers are on a dangerous downward spiral, but they're not in the same place as the Bills. Sure, losing in the Super Bowl is tough, and there's questions about this team's long-term success, but this is just an insanely tough squad.

Shanahan's offense picks defenses apart to their core. It might be closer than we would imagine, but the Cardinals won't be waltzing into Santa Clara to steal one from this NFC West juggernaut just yet

Week 6: Cardinals @ Packers

Loss

The Packers are a team to watch this season. Writing them off based on a lack of receiver talent is foolish, and Jordan Love is showing flashes of becoming a similar player to Aaron Rodgers. Firing Joe Barry makes this defense a wild card, but it could be significantly improved.

The Cardinals will have to defend the run early, put constant pressure on Love and still be wary of play action and scramble drills. They are straight up not built defensively (yet) to face an omnidimensional attack like Green Bay's unless Nick Rallis and Jonathan Gannon can create miracles with the plethora of rookie DLs and corners.

Week 7: Cardinals vs Chargers

Win

If potential directly correlated to results, this Chargers team would be playoff-bound. There is a good chance that Jim Harbaugh is the answer they needed, especially defensively, but there's too much uncertainty in the offense, too many qualifiers placed on Justin Herbert, and no reason to assume that Harbaugh's success at Michigan means LA will become a defensive juggernaut in his first season back in the NFL.

Gannon, Rallis and Drew Petzing will likely salivate at this matchup. Limit big plays and control the pace of the game, and this one is Arizona's all the way.

Week 8: Cardinals @ Dolphins

Loss

This one could seriously go either way, but there is just so much speed on the Dolphins' offense, it will be difficult to lock it down for four quarters.

Gannon and Rallis are up to the task of limiting explosive offenses, but if this game turns into a high-scoring affair, it's unlikely the Cardinals will keep up for the distance. Controlling the clock and the ball are going to be key, but lightning can strike extremely quickly in Miami. A multi-score lead isn't a guarantee of a win against Mike McDaniel's offense, at least in the regular season.

Week 9: Cardinals vs Bears

Loss

This is pretty dependent on Caleb Williams' transition to the NFL. But I don't think it's likely Williams won't have been able to get into a rhythm in the NFL in week nine. He's too talented to be a complete bust, and there is an insane amount of offensive and defensive talent on this Bears team.

I do think the Cardinals have the superior coaching staff as of now, but the Bears had good bones last season and were held back by quarterback play and lack of a run game. With a still-soft run defense in Arizona and a significant upgrade for Chicago at QB, the Bears' potential could come out in tangible results.

Week 10: Cardinals vs Jets:

Win

Aaron Rodgers is not the savior the Jets think he will be. Will this team be better than last season, potentially sneaky good? Sure, but there are just way too many holes. New York's defense might be underrated, but the Cardinals should be operating on a high-enough gear offensively by week 10 to take them down.

Barring offensive injuries, the Cardinals can easily manhandle this Jets team on the ground, and there isn't enough talent outside Aaron Rodgers and Garrett Wilson offensively to really dice up an improved Arizona defense.

Week 11: BYE

Week 12: Cardinals @ Seahawks

Win

The Seahawks are vulnerable. Geno Smith has performed well, but not exceptionally so. There's a good chance Seattle struggles in 2024 as they adjust to a new style of offense, and they lack depth across the board.

Seattle might be a tough environment to play in, but, as will be the case with many games, pounding James Conner down the road, combined with the ever-elusive Kyler Murray and vertical threat of Marvin Harrison Jr. could give the Seahawks' defense nightmares in their first matchup, plus NFC West rivalry games can tend to go against what might be predictable.

Week 13: Cardinals @ Vikings

Win

The Vikings are a consistent team. Regardless of who's throwing or running the ball, they're consistent and well-coached. However, Sam Darnold will not beat the Cardinals, and I don't have high expectations for JJ McCarthy's first NFL season.

That said, this certainly won't be a cakewalk on the road, but Gannon and Rallis' defensive unit will have the opportunity to terrorize whoever it is throwing the ball for Minnesota. Cardinals by one score.

Week 14: Cardinals vs Seahawks

Loss

Death, taxes, and splitting the season series to the Seahawks despite having at least one favorable matchup.

This has spanned generations: steal a win from Seattle early, lose the late-season game at home in favorable conditions. This is the way.

Week 15: Cardinals vs Patriots

Win

Things are different in New England, and it's going to take a while for them to get into a rhythm. They're at the earliest stage of rebuild, and it might not be pretty. I'm intrigued by what Jerod Mayo can do that Belichick was struggling with late in his tenure, but, despite my thoughts that Drake Maye has a high ceiling, I can't see this Pats team making much noise, considering there are almost no starting-caliber players on either side of NE's roster.

The NFL is unpredictable, but this is close to a sure-fire dominant win by Kyler Murray and company at home.

Week 16: Cardinals @ Panthers

Win

The Panthers haven't done much to make me think they'll be much better in 2024. Bryce Young shouldn't be written off just yet, but there's not sustainable winning environment, and nothing to really single out as a specific strength of this Carolina team.

They leveraged their future to get Young, and so far it's backfired. They couldn't make franchise-altering moves after their 2-15 season, and they aren't full of young developing talent outside of a few players here and there. The Cardinals win this one with relative ease, but in a low-scoring affair.

Week 17: Cardinals @ Rams

Loss

They won't beat the Rams at home, and they won't beat them on the road. Especially if there is playoff implication to this game, expect LA to show up prepared and completely dismantle a Cardinals hot streak as the season gets down to crunch time. This isn't the same NFC West rivalry balance as Seattle. McVay unfortunately has his finger on Arizona's pulse, and always has.

Week 18: Cardinals vs 49ers

Win

As I've said, the Niners are trending down, while the Cardinals are trending up. Once again, playoff implications might decide this one. If the 49ers have their spot locked up while Arizona fights for a wild card, we could see plenty of San Francisco starters rest and give Arizona a favorable matchup.

On the other hand, if the 49ers haven't secured their playoff spot by Week 18, that means there are significant issues for them. The Cardinals are building their squad and their offense to operate in the same way as SF has in the last few years, and they have a legitimate chance to take advantage of the Niners' closing window.

Ultimately, there is a world where the Cardinals could contend for a playoff spot. There are wins hiding in tough matchups and losses hiding in easy wins. Such is the nature of Any Given Sunday, but the Cardinals are raising their consistency and leaving less to chance as they mature.

The results might not pan out to a playoff spot, but the Cardinals will make some noise in 2024. With a healthy Kyler Murray, a second year coaching regime and plenty of added talent, I would be surprised if Arizona wasn't close to doubling its win total and competing with some of the best teams.