The Arizona Cardinals' 5 toughest matchups in 2025
The Arizona Cardinals and the rest of the NFL will find out their full regular-season schedule for 2025 this week. The schedule release comes Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET or 5 p.m. Arizona time.
There will be no real revelation, as the Cardinals' opponents are all known. What we look for is how they start the season, when their potential cold-weather destinations happen, when the bye week is and how many games will be nationally televised.
Advertisement
Some games will be tougher than others. Their six games against NFC West opponents are always critical.
But aside from those games, which opponents appear to be the most difficult?
Below are the games that should be considered the most difficult.
The Arizona Cardinals' 5 most difficult matchups in 2025
Green Bay Packers (home): The Packers are coming off two consecutive playoff appearances and are expected to contend again in 2025.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (away): The Bucs have one of the league's most explosive offenses. Depending on the time of year, it can be very warm and humid conditions to play in. They have won the NFC South four consecutive years.
Advertisement
Houston Texans (away): They have won their division two years in a row with C.J. Stroud as their starting quarterback.
Dallas Cowboys (away): While Kyler Murray has never lost at AT&T Stadium in his life, the Cowboys hope to be contenders again after a couple of disappointing seasons.
Cincinnati Bengals (away): With Joe Burrow throwing to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the offense is incredible. They were awful defensively last season but have made improvements. It is a potential cold-weather game.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: NFL schedule: Arizona Cardinals' 5 most challenging matchups
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
39 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Coco Gauff tops Aryna Sabalenka to win French Open women's title
Breaking: In a rematch of their 2023 U.S. Open final, world No. 2 Coco Gauff beat top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in three sets Saturday to win her second Grand Slam singles championship. The 21-year-old American also won the 2023 U.S. Open. This is a developing story and will be updated.
Associated Press
40 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Mass in the past: Josh Hines-Allen and his Jaguars teammates slim down in hopes of turning up
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Josh Hines-Allen tipped the scales like never before in 2024. The seventh-year pro beefed up to 285 pounds at the behest of first-year (now former) Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, whose 'mass kicks ass' motto was a mainstay during the offseason and in training camp. It was catchy — and ultimately consequential. Hines-Allen and several defensive teammates swelled past the point of stout, and it showed on the field. The Jaguars ranked 31st in the NFL in total defense last season, allowing nearly 390 yards a game. They gave up 26 points a game, tied for second-most in the league, and finished with the fewest takeaways (nine). 'Holding a little bit more weight kind of puts a little bit more wear and tear on the body,' Hines-Allen said. 'It was a lot. Too much.' Hines-Allen won't blame his performance — he totaled eight sacks after notching a career-high 17 1/2 in 2023 — on the extra pounds. But he suspects they were related. 'My body was not cooperating as much as I would want it to,' Hines-Allen said. 'I take care of my body to the utmost, but it was a little bit different.' Hines-Allen insists it won't happen again. Although he declined to disclose his current weight, he looks and feels leaner. And he's hardly alone. Linebacker Devin Lloyd is down 15 pounds, from 255 to 240. Defensive end Travon Walker is a little lighter and has overhauled his body mass index. Veterans Arik Armstead, Foye Oluokun and DaVon Hamilton also are slimmer than last season — and the Jags expect it to pay dividends. 'Just the stamina aspect, bursts, getting out of breaks,' Lloyd said. 'It's a lot easier, a lot more natural. For me, the cardio aspect of it was the biggest deal. You're running all day, and after like four or five plays, you get tired. Now you can be a little more prolonged with your endurance.' Jacksonville owner Shad Khan cleaned house following last year's 4-13 finish. He fired coach Doug Pederson and later parted with general manager Trent Baalke. Nielsen, his defensive assistants and the entire strength and conditioning staff were let go once general manager James Gladstone, coach Liam Coen and executive vice president Tony Boselli took over. The first edict for the defense might as well have been 'mass is in the past.' 'I know that they'd put some weight on in order to play some of the schemes, structures that they were playing,' Coen said. 'That's just anybody's prerogative. That's the way they wanted to do it. 'Ultimately, just kind of evaluating it and talking to some of the players and trying to get them back down a little bit to maybe where they'd been when they'd had better years or been a little bit more productive. Definitely better for those guys to feel fresh.' Hines-Allen feels much fresher — and lighter on his feet. He reached 20 mph during workouts last week. 'I still got it,' he quipped. With weight off his mind for the first time in more than a year, Hines-Allen is now focused on staying healthier, being on the field more, becoming an All-Pro, earning Defensive Player of the Year and setting the franchise sack record. He has 53 sacks, two shy of tying Tony Brackens for the team mark set in 2003. 'I can't go into another season thinking about my weight,' Hines-Allen said. 'You know what I mean? That's why this year, coming back in that mindset and that weight class that I feel like I need to be, and it's dominant, it's fast, can move. 'I don't want to get off the field. … Get out, get a squirt of water, come back in and play four or five plays full speed and take over games. That's my mentality, that's the mindset and that's the goal at the end of the day.' ___ AP NFL:
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Coco Gauff Becomes First American Woman Since Serena Williams To Win French Open
US Coco Gauff eyes the ball as she plays against Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka during their women's ... More singles final match on day 14 of the French Open tennis tournament on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on June 7, 2025. (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP) (Photo by DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images) Coco Gauff roared back from a set down to capture her first Roland Garros title and become the first American woman in a decade to win the French Open. No. 2 Gauff overcame a first-set deficit to beat No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 to become the first American woman since Serena Williams in 2015 to win the title in Paris. Gauff became the seventh American woman to win Roland Garros in the Open Era. She won her second major following the 2023 U.S. Open, where she also overcame a one-set deficit to beat Sabalenka. The winner takes home nearly $2.9 million and the runner-up $1.4 million. In the decisive third set, Sabalenka double-faulted to give Gauff a break for 2-1. Gauff led 3-1 and had break points for 4-1 but Sabalenka held and then broke for 3-all. Gauff roared back and broke at love for 4-3 with a backhand crosscourt winner. Sabalenka sailed a backhand long as Gauff seized a 5-3 lead. Serving at 5-4, 30-all, Gauff crushed a forehand crosscourt winner to earn match point. But Sabalenka hit the baseline with a forehand that staved it off. Sabalenka had a break point at ad-out, but hit a forehand wide. On the second match point, Sabalenka hit a backhand wide and Gauff felt to her back on the court. In a first set that featured eight service breaks, Sabalenka roared out to a 4-1, 40- lead and appeared to be cruising. She won 16 of the first 22 points. But Gauff found her groove and won 12 straight points to tighten it up. Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka eyes the ball as she plays against US Coco Gauff during their women's ... More singles final match on day 14 of the French Open tennis tournament on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on June 7, 2025. (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP) (Photo by DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images) Sabalenka twice served for the set before Gauff broke her for 6-all with a backhand down the line. Sabalenka stuck a forehand volley winner to win the first set in the tiebreak despite committing 32 unforced errors. In the second set, Gauff raced out to a quick lead, winning 10 straight points to go up 2-0. She broke again for 5-2 and then served it, evening the match at one set apiece with a forehand overhead winner.
