Arizona Cardinals: Tyrann Mathieu Expected to Return vs Falcons

When they need it most, the Arizona Cardinals should get a boost in Week 12 as Tyrann Mathieu is expected to take the field against the Atlanta Falcons.

Despite their immense struggles and immense disappointment in the 2016 NFL season, the Arizona Cardinals aren’t out of it just yet. Sitting at 4-5-1 on the season, the Cardinals trail the second Wild Card spot by just 1.5 games after the Washington Redskins’ loss on Thanksgiving. Subsequently, a Week 12 win against the Atlanta Falcons puts them just a game back. Lucky for the Cards, they might be getting a huge, Honey-Badger-shaped boost on Sunday.

After missing the last two games, the expectation is for star safety Tyrann Mathieu to play. Per ProFootballTalk, Mathieu was listed as questionable at Arizona’s practice on Friday. However, head coach Bruce Arians stated that he expects all eight players with that designation to play come Sunday.

Mathieu, admittedly, wasn’t the star we’re used to seeing prior to the shoulder injury. The LSU product started the season recovering from an ACL tear suffered last year. He’s simply been attempting to get his legs back under him, so to speak. With the shoulder now healthy and three more weeks of recovery for the knee, though, that might help him get back to form.

Frankly, this couldn’t come at a better time for the Cardinals. Not only do they need to make a push for the Wild Card, but Mathieu is critical against the Falcons. Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan has been putting up MVP-caliber numbers all season. And with Patrick Peterson likely shadowing Juilo Jones, having Mathieu on the back-end could prove critical.

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Of course, the Cardinals severely need their offense to help shoulder the load. That said, the return of the star safety could truly help the defense neutralize Atlanta’s greatest strength. As they say, that’s half the battle—and the struggling Cards need all the boosts they can get.