Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals: 3 keys to victory over Patriots

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Aug 12, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals linebacker Kevin Minter (51), wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) and head coach Bruce Arians celebrate a play against the Oakland Raiders during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Cardinals kick off the 2016 season Sunday night against the New England Patriots

The Arizona Cardinals begin their drive towards another chance at the Super Bowl on Sunday evening against the New England Patriots. The teams last met in 2012 with the Cardinals winning 20-12.

The Patriots will be without quarterback Tom Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski. So what can we expect from the Patriots on Sunday night? Answer? We don’t know. Jimmy Garoppolo will be the starting quarterback for the Patriots.

As for the Cardinals we know they have gotten their stars healthy. Receivers Larry Fitzgerald and John Brown and safety Tyrann Mathieu are all ready to go. The defense appears ready to go as well with new addition linebacker Chandler Jones.

While some expect the Cardinals to handle their business, remember this is still the Patriots. They aren’t coming in here and rolling over to play dead. They are a well-coached team with still a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. Here are the three keys for the Cardinals to secure victory on Sunday night.

Aug 19, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson (31) runs the ball as San Diego Chargers inside linebacker Denzel Perryman (52) defends during the first quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Find a balance

The Cardinals will need to be more than a one-trick pony on Sunday night. They need to be able to both throw the ball and run the ball.

It is easier said than done, however against a stingy Patriots defense, it is important to keep them off-balance and guessing at what will happen next.

Sure the Cardinals will throw a lot of running back David Johnson at the Patriots but they will also need to mix in a good dose of Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington behind him. It can’t all come from David Johnson.

In the passing game, the offensive line is going to need to protect quarterback Carson Palmer and give him time to step into the pocket and find his receivers. The tight ends will also need to be involved. Look for guys like Darren Fells and Jermaine Gresham to have their names called a number of times on Sunday night.

Aug 12, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals tight end Jermaine Gresham (84) and Darren Fells (85) against the Oakland Raiders during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Limit the penalties

One of the issues the Cardinals had early in preseason was a number of penalties. Penalties got the Cardinals on the wrong end of the scoreboard. It also put Fells, who had some of those penalties, in the doghouse with head coach Bruce Arians.

Against a team like the Patriots you can’t shoot yourself in the foot. Don’t beat yourself. Make the Patriots beat you.

There are a lot of teams that will allow you to get away with penalties, however the Patriots are usually not one of them. No matter who the personnel is on the field, they usually make you pay for your mistakes.

Penalties will happen but they need to be kept at a minimum and no stupid penalties. After the play action is usually what gets teams into trouble. The Cardinals will need to maintain their composure.

Aug 18, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) hand off the ball to New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount (29) against the Chicago Bears in the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Missing stars does not equal missing talent

The Cardinals should be ready to go and understand the gravity of the situation but if they learned anything from the preseason, is that they can’t just show up and expect to win. It isn’t as easy as turning on a light switch.

The Cardinals may have been reading their own press clippings during camp. Arians even alluded to that after one of the preseason losses.

The Patriots still have a good offensive line. They still have a pass rush. The Cardinals offensive line is still a work in progress as well.

The Cardinals won’t have to be perfect but they will need to maintain focus. Failure to execute with any consistency will allow the Patriots to stay in the game and could allow them to come into University of Phoenix Stadium and steal one.

The Cardinals likely will not allow this to happen but they should be made aware. The Patriots are here for business. They expect to win. Play for 60 minutes and all should be well for the Cardinals.