Cardinals Gameday: Here's Your One Chance to Rescue Hope

After a long stretch of time off, the Arizona Cardinals have the perfect opportunity to rescue some hope from the fan base.
In this story:

There's only five games left in the Arizona Cardinals' 2022 season, and what a rollercoaster it's been. 

Well, more like a slide considering the minimal amount of ups when compared to the downs. 

After starting 7-0, making the postseason and handing the bag over to Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury, expectations were to be a playoff contender for the foreseeable future moving forward. 

12 games in, Arizona finds themselves anything but in the race for a playoff spot. 

It's dealer's choice when selecting why things have panned out the way they have. Dysfunction has seemingly followed this team from the offseason to this very moment in the build up to Monday Night Football against the New England Patriots. 

Injuries. Coaching. Execution. You name it, it's been used as an excuse for Arizona's 4-8 record. 

So much has gone wrong for the Cardinals thus far, yet on this particular Monday night, Kingsbury and company have an opportunity to restore some hope to the desert. 

It's been over 14 days since Arizona's loss to Los Angeles in Week 12, giving the Cardinals plenty of time to prepare for New England. 

Hope for the postseason is all but lost. With the 49ers winning against Tampa Bay, the Cardinals were eliminated from NFC West contention. 

With the Seahawks and Giants both losing, a loss against New England still would not mathematically push Arizona out of the playoff picture for good. At this point, fans flocking to State Farm Stadium aren't expecting a miracle turnaround. 

If you're the Cardinals, a win on Monday night wouldn't sell hope of extending your season past Week 18. 

However, it would inspire some people to believe that the talented team everyone thought them to be at the beginning of the year is still there. That perhaps the dominoes really didn't fall their way for whatever reason in 2022, and how next year could be a strong year if everybody returns healthy. 

14 days of preparation is about to unfold in Glendale. At this point, wins and losses won't do much to move the needle for either side. Your opinion likely won't flip to either side based on tonight's outcome. 

Now, it's about pride for both the men on the field and the people supporting them in the stands. 

A win would maybe give the Cardinals a spark to finish the year on a high note and build some momentum heading into the offseason, something that hasn't exactly been accomplished the last few years under Kingsbury. 

A loss, especially off a bye week, would only confirm that as of now, things look bleak until changes are made. 

Arizona has the opportunity to show exactly who they are on Monday Night Football.

All Cardinals is GIVING AWAY four different prizes for the holidays including a signed Budda Baker jersey! All you need to do is subscribe to our YouTube channel and comment on this video for a chance to win!

Follow All Cardinals on Facebook

Subscribe to All Cardinals on YouTube

Arizona Cardinals Top Stories

Devising a Game Plan to Beat New England

Experts Pick Against the Spread for Cardinals-Patriots

Three Keys to Victory vs. Patriots

Four Storylines to Follow vs. New England

Greg Dortch Sneaky Fantasy Football Option This Week

Three Out, Three Questionable vs. Patriots


Published
Donnie Druin
DONNIE DRUIN

Donnie Druin is the Publisher for All Cardinals and Inside The Suns. Donnie moved to Arizona in 2012 and has been with Fan Nation since 2018. In college he won "Best Sports Column" in the state of Arizona for his section and has previously provided coverage for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona State Sun Devils. Follow Donnie on Twitter @DonnieDruin for more news, updates, analysis and more!