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Patriots at Cardinals: Keys to Victory for Each Team

By Dan Schmelzer

Jan 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (11) with wide receiver Danny Amendola (80) and tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (11) with wide receiver Danny Amendola (80) and tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Keys to victory for each team in Week 1 of the NFL season for the New England Patriots vs Arizona Cardinals matchup on Sunday Night Football

In a battle of Super Bowl contenders, the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals will face off on Sunday Night Football. This is one of the best games of the Week 1 slate.

Related Story: Bold Predictions for 2016 Patriots

The major story here is Jimmy Garoppolo making his debut as starting quarterback of the Patriots. Garoppolo will replace Tom Brady who has to sit out the first four games of the season due to suspension.

Garoppolo is completely unproven at the NFL level, but he has been in the Patriots’ system for the last two seasons. Bill Belichick and company have faith in the young quarterback and have undoubtedly prepared him as well as possible for this scenario. Now, it is just up to Garoppolo to perform.

With Brady out, the Cardinals are the favorites in this game. They are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball and have only gotten better over the offseason. This is an extremely tough test for Garoppolo in his first NFL start. Moreover, Arizona is going to be a test for any team they face in 2016 as Super Bowl contenders out of the NFC.

Essentially, this is a titanic clash for Week 1 with intrigue all around. Thus, let’s try to break it down as best we can. Here’s a look at the keys to victory for both teams heading into their Week 1 matchup.

Patriots

1. Set Garoppolo up to Succeed: Garoppolo has a chance to be good, but he is in no way, shape or form Tom Brady. The Patriots are taking a step back at the QB position for these first four games, but the situation is what it is. The Patriots must find a way to put Garoppolo in the best situation possible to succeed.

The way I see it, that means utilizing the short and intermediate passing game throughout this contest. Garoppolo shows great accuracy on quick passes. He should look to get Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman involved in the shorter routes as much as possible. Getting the ball out quickly will also be key.

2. Defend the Run: Palmer leads an impressive passing attack for the Cardinals. Their trio of Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and John Brown is as good as it gets and Bruce Arians runs an aggressive vertical passing attack. However, RB David Johnson may be the most dangerous player on the Cardinals’ offense.

The Patriots would be wise to try to take Johnson out of the game, forcing Palmer to beat them. He is a great quarterback who could certainly get it done, but keeping Johnson in check is the key. Linebacker Dont’a Hightower and defensive tackle Malcom Brown will need to especially be on top of their games.

3. Pass Protection: The Patriots’ offensive line has some talent, but it is an unproven bunch. They simply must step up and protect Garoppolo to the best of their abilities. It will not be easy against a strong Cardinals’ pass rush, but if Garoppolo is going to have a chance, he simply must have time to operate.

Cardinals

1. Attack with Deep Passing Game: The Cardinals’ offense is centered around the deep passing game. Palmer is a big armed quarterback with dynamic deep receivers. If they can exploit the Patriots’ defense in the deep passing game, Palmer and company will be sitting pretty.

2. Unleash Chandler Jones: The Cardinals improved their pass rush with the addition of Chandler Jones this off season. In his first game with his new team, Jones will face the team that just traded him. Motivation much?

Creating pressure on Garoppolo will be a major key in this game for the Cardinals and Jones is sure to be a major part of that.

3. No Mistakes: The Cardinals are the better and more-complete team in this game. Also being the home team makes the Cardinals the obvious favorites in this game. You obviously never count out a Belichick-led Patriots’ squad, but if the Cardinals play a smart game without turnovers, they should come out on top.

Next: Patriots at Cardinals: Preview and Predictions

The Patriots are obviously one of the best teams in the NFL. However, starting on the road against the Cardinals without Brady is far less than ideal. This game will be close, but it is hard to pick against Arizona here.

With Garoppolo at the helm for the Patriots, I think the Cardinals are too much for them on Sunday night. It’ll be close, within a touchdown surely. However, Arizona should have the firepower to spoil the opener for New England.

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