What experts are predicting for Sunday’s Patriots-Cardinals game
Sunday's game could be the Patriots' best chance to get a win after the bye, but many experts don't expect them to win.
COMMENTARY
Bill Belichick couldn’t draft the last 10 years, and the University of North Carolina thinks he’s going to be just fine at recruiting high schoolers to come play for him? (I’d say, “play for the Tar Heels” but we all know that has nothing to do with it.)
Call it a sneaking suspicion that the former Patriots coach won’t stand on the sideline for many games as UNC head coach, a job Belichick officially accepted Thursday. For all his flaws, a six-time Lombardi champion coaching in the same football conference as Boston College (no offense) is a dramatic fall from grace. I half expected Belichick to be wearing Hitter.net hat during his introductory press conference on Thursday.
Since Belichick’s ego can’t seem to find it in him to retire, or just join the Mannings every week on their cushy ESPN gig with those King’s Hawaiian pretzel bites, he’s taking the only job given to him by people stupid enough to give him full control of the operation. There was no NFL team dumb enough to do the same. Because they’ve all seen the Patriots roster.
But sometimes teams get desperate, in this case, namely, the Dallas Cowboys and Jerry Jones, who fit Belichick’s needs to a tee. The Cowboys draft well, should be a Super Bowl contender, and still have Mike McCarthy as their coach for some reason. If the stare-down between Jones and Belichick is for control, that’s an avenue the owner is never going to surrender. But could you imagine Bill in Dallas? It would be ESPN’s next LeBron.
Belichick has no intention of staying at Chapel Hill, despite his claim Thursday, “I didn’t come here to leave,” which was followed by a strange canned applause fit for introducing this week’s guest star on “Who’s the Boss?” Per the details in his contract, Belichick’s buyout is $10 million, but it drops to just $1 million on June 1, 2025. So, does Jerry Jones get antsy and pay the $10 million, or live through another year of McCarthy and get Belichick for $9 million fewer than he would between now and June?
Or, maybe this is retirement for Bill, trading ACK for UNC. He’ll get to hang with his Lombardi-Patricia pals and his girlfriend will finally have people her age among the players’ girlfriends. It’s just as we all envisioned.
This week’s predictions:
Jeremy Cluff, Arizona Republic: Cardinals 24, Patriots 20. “The Cardinals‘ postseason chances are hanging by a thread. They’ll find a way to keep them alive at least for another week.”
Globe staff: Four of the six like Arizona (-6).
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: Cardinals 28, Patriots 20. “The Patriots are off a bye to play a team that has lost three straight. Kyler Murray hasn’t played well the past three weeks, but that will change here. The Arizona offense will get back on track as it gets a victory that will keep it in the playoff chase.”
CBS Sports staff: Split (Cardinals -6).
NFL.com staff: All Cards.
Jimmy Kempski, PhillyVoice: Cardinals (-5.5). “The Cardinals were favored to win the NFC West a few weeks ago, but after three straight losses they’re now just 7 percent likely to make the playoffs, per Inpredictable. They should handle this bad Patriots team at home, though.”
Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times: Cardinals 23, Patriots 20. “The Cardinals have lost three straight after a four-game winning streak. New England’s defense is pretty tough and physical. The Cardinals have more weapons on offense.”
Vic Tafur, The Athletic: Patriots. “Last week was a huge opportunity for the Cardinals to take control of the NFC West and, of course, they lost big because no one can predict their games this season. The offensive slide might just be permanent. The Cardinals went from having an offensive total EPA per play of 0.15 (second-best) in Weeks 7 to 10 to -0.08 (27th) in Weeks 11 to 14, with their points per game dropping from 26.3 (eighth) to 15.3 (29th). Kyler Murray was not good last week but this is a bounce-back game against a 28th-ranked Patriots defense that can’t stop the run. The Cardinals couldn’t stop the run last week, so there is a clear game plan here for the Patriots as well. I don’t want to pick either team, so give me the points.”
Greg Cote, Miami Herald: Cardinals 24, Patriots 21. “New England is off a bye; Zona is playing for its playoff life after three consecutive losses. Cardbirds and Kyler Murray have too much at stake to let this one slip, but steadily improving Drake Maye has helped Pats cover in four of past six games and see that trend continuing here.”
Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News: Cardinals 24, Patriots 20. “Jerod Mayo will get his team ready well after a bye, and Drake Maye should have more confidence with his passing and running. Kyler Murray is back in a strange funk, as Arizona’s offense remains inconsistent. The Cardinals’ run defense can also keep the Patriots in the game until their pass defense makes the game-changing play late vs. Maye.”
Bill Bender, The Sporting News: Cardinals 20, Patriots 19. “Arizona is 4-3 S/U at home this season, and they are looking to snap a three-game losing streak. The Patriots have been a hit-or-miss play on the road this season, but they have covered in four of their past six games. Drake Maye continues to improve with each start, and that maturation will continue in another close call on the road.”
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk: Cardinals 23, Patriots 10.
Chris Simms, Pro Football Talk: Cardinals 28, Patriots 21.
It says here: Cardinals 35, Patriots 30. The Patriots might tote an improved offense with them to Arizona, but Jerod Mayo is still the coach.
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