Arizona Cardinals: Pre-Draft Record Predictions

We are just a few days away from the 2012 NFL Draft and the schedule for the upcoming season has now been released.

Based on the team's 2011 performance, acquisitions via free agency and rumors about how the players are spending their offseason, this article will look at the Arizona Cardinals 2012 schedule and predict the club's final record.

Division Games

Week 1 vs. Seattle: The Cardinals will start this season where they finished last year—at home against the Seahawks. Barring anything crazy, the Cards will have two running backs that Seattle did not see last year. Arizona gets the win here.

Week 5 @ St. Louis: The Rams are without a defensive coordinator and Cortland Finnegan is their only impact acquisition so far. Fitzgerald will run circles around him. Advantage Cardinals.

Week 8 vs. San Francisco: On Monday Night Football, this could be a candidate for game of the year. Arizona will have two new corners (Toler returning, Gay through free agency) to cover the 49ers' new receivers. I see them splitting again in 2012.

Week 12 vs. St. Louis: The Rams will be picking in the top 10 again this time next year. Another win for the Cardinals.

Week 14 @ Seattle: At this point in the year we will know if Matt Flynn is the real deal or not. It is always tough to play in Seattle and this game will come down to a battle of “unproven” quarterbacks.

Week 17 @ San Francisco: Both of these teams are young and hungry. Every game they play against each other for the next five years will be a war. This ultimately could decide the division, and the Niners get the edge at home.

Division record: 4-2

AFC East

Week 2 @ New England: The only good thing about this matchup is that Arizona gets to avoid playing in the cold. They can keep it close, but I do not see them winning.

Week 4 vs. Miami: This will be a battle of two solid defenses. The Cardinals will prevail.

Week 6 vs. Buffalo: The Bills' “revamped” pass rush may be an issue for Arizona’s offensive line, but they will not lose at home to Buffalo.

Week 13 @ New York Jets: Who knows how this game will go. Tim Tebow could be the starter and Rex Ryan could be fired. Fitzgerald will be on Revis Island and Kevin Kolb will love every second of it.

Record: 3-1

NFC North

Week 7 @ Minnesota: Adrian Peterson destroyed the Cardinals' defense last year. Horton and company will be prepared this time around.

Week 9 @ Green Bay: Aaron Rodgers and the cold are two things that Arizona does not like and two factors that will contribute to a loss.

Week 15 vs. Detroit: Megatron will be a great test for Patrick Peterson, while Fitz will have a field day against Detroit’s secondary. The game will come down to how many times Stafford gets hit.

Week 16 vs. Chicago: This will be a tough matchup for Arizona—that is, if Matt Forte is not still holding out and Brandon Marshall stays out of jail.

Record: 2-2

Other Games

Week 3 vs. Philadelphia: Arizona won in Philly with John Skelton last year. The Eagles, however, lost Michael Vick and Jeremy Maclin to injury and sat out Desean Jackson.

Week 11 @ Atlanta: Another team Beanie can run through...the Cardinals will be prepared for this game coming off of the bye week.

Record: 1-1