New England Patriots (3-10) @ Arizona Cardinals (6-7)
Sunday, December 15, 4:25 PM ET
This game between the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals has the potential to actually be one of the most entertaining of the week, even if it’s one of the least-watched games in the late-afternoon slate.
The Arizona Cardinals obviously still have a lot to play for right now as they are 6-7 and trying to keep pace in their division with the Rams, 49ers, and Seahawks. But the Cardinals have seen their lead in the NFC West completely evaporate in recent weeks and Kyler Murray’s play has been rather disappointing.
Arizona put up a dud against the Seahawks on Sunday and a loss to the Patriots at home this week might be the final nail in the coffin with the way the Seahawks have played lately as well as the winner of the Rams-49ers matchup also not helping the Cardinals regardless of the outcome.
The New England Patriots were on their bye week this past week but that might not really matter. New England has gotten some really good play from rookie QB Drake Maye so far this season and they just feel like a team that’s playing with house money right now. They completely collapsed a couple of Sundays ago against the Indianapolis Colts defensively, allowing a game-winning touchdown and two-point conversion after Maye had set them up nicely for a win.
The good news for the Patriots is that they seem to be set up pretty well in the 2025 NFL Draft no matter what happens with these final four games. If the Patriots end up picking in the top five overall, they are more likely than not to get one of their top two non-quarterbacks on the board. And with Maye in place, that could be massive for this roster.
Prediction: Cardinals win 24-23