Bengals vs. Cardinals: Full Arizona Game Preview

The Arizona Cardinals will have their hosting talents put to the test when the Cincinnati Bengals pay a visit to the desert on Sunday night.

The game is the Cardinals' first home date since their October 26th matchup with the Baltimore Ravens.

Arizona, of course, will also have the small matter of Cincinnati's record to contend with. At 8-1, the Bengals represent the toughest challenge of the season thus far for Arizona.

The Cardinals are coming off of a rollicking 39-32 over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10. That victory pushed Arizona's record to 7-2, giving it a three-game cushion in the NFC West. 

Cincinnati, meanwhile, will be looking to rebound from its lone loss of the season, an ugly 10-6 defeat to Houston on Monday night.

Click ahead for the full midweek preview, including the latest injury news, the key matchup and three things to watch.

Date: Sunday, Nov. 22

Location: University of Phoenix Stadium; Glendale, Arizona

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

TV: NBC

News and Notes

Stephen Brashear/Associated Press

Carson Palmer is ready to face his former team

Players tend to shy away from giving the opposition bulletin board material, but Palmer threw caution to the wind this week. Although guarded with the media, Palmer still holds a grudge against Cincinnati owner Mike Brown over his departure from the organization, according to Kent Somers of AZCentral.com.

"

I’m not going to get into a ‘he-said, she-said’ situation with Mike Brown. We obviously disagreed and it ended in a very colorful, heated argument. We disagree with each other and that’s how it ended, but now is not the time or place to get into a ‘what he said, what she said,’ type of deal.

"

Palmer also added that this is "not just another game." 

This is Palmer's second game against the team that drafted him, with the other being a 34-10 loss in 2012 while with the Oakland Raiders.

The worry is that a player will be too amped up going against a former team, but it's easy to get the sense Palmer's emotions won't get the best of him. He's too focused on the bigger goal right now.

Incidentally, Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton was Palmer's immediate successor, although he was drafted in the same offseason Palmer was released. 

Regrettably, that's the extent of the significant Cardinals news for the week, as everyone's energy is focused on tackling the injury report. Cardinals fans, please do yourselves a favor and take a deep breath, a sip of water and perhaps sit down before moving on to the next slide.

Latest Injury News

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

The Arizona Cardinals released their latest injury report on their official website following Wednesday's practice. It is roughly the length of Finnegans Wake, although the gibberish is confined to acronyms. 

Here's a look at the key injuries.

Mike Iupati, G, Neck/Concussion

Iupati left last week's game in an ambulance, although his injury turned out to be not so severe. Bruce Arians told SiriusXM NFL Radio his starting left guard has been cleared to practice, although Iupati did sit out Wednesday's session.

Arizona could certainly use Iupati back in the lineup against Cincinnati after the offensive line struggled badly following his departure last Sunday. Still, don't expect the team to pressure him into playing before he's ready.

John Brown and Michael Floyd, WR, Hamstring

Brown has had issues with both hamstrings for a few weeks now and was held without a catch against Seattle. He didn't practice on Wednesday.

Floyd has stepped up while Brown has been limited, but he's a new addition to the injury report. He also didn't practice on Wednesday. Darren Urban of the team's official website expects both players to be game-time decisions.  

Receiver may be one of the team's deepest positions, but the Cardinals would be in a hole if both players can't go against Cincinnati. Week 10 hero Jaron Brown and rookie J.J. Nelson would be expected to fill the void should the worst-case scenario play out.

It should also be noted that Larry Fitzgerald has again been listed with an ankle injury, although he appeared to be fine against Seattle.

Jonathan Cooper, G, Knee

Cooper didn't practice on Wednesday, which is about the extent of what's been said about his knee injury. The third-year guard hasn't been brilliant, but Arizona is still better off with him in the lineup, particularly with Iupati injured as well.

Earl Watford and Ted Larsen are lined up as the replacements at guard should one or both miss out. Spoiler alert: Carson Palmer's protection will be one of the three things to watch later in the slideshow.

Cory Redding, DL, Ankle

Redding managed only seven snaps last week against Seattle before exiting with his ankle injury. He didn't practice on Wednesday.

This is another injury about which the Cardinals have said little, although it seems likely at this point Redding won't suit up on Sunday. With Josh Mauro's increased presence and the addition of Dwight Freeney, Redding won't be missed as much as he would have been earlier in the season. Still, the defensive line rotation is getting a bit thin.

Rashad Johnson, S, Ribs

The injury report is not generally a source of good news, although the most positive piece of information listed on Arizona's Wednesday rundown is that Johnson was a limited participant in practice. 

Johnson's ability to play on Sunday means Arizona won't have to adjust its safety-centric defense against Cincinnati.  

Key Matchup

Gary Landers/Associated Press

Carson Palmer vs. Andy Dalton

This isn't a matchup in the traditional, truest sense of the word, but the smart money says the quarterback who plays the best on Sunday will come away with the victory.

The reason for that is simple. Both Palmer and Dalton are productive but mistake-prone quarterbacks who have yet to prove they can get the job done in a big spot. And we're getting to that point in the season.

Both players have been fantastic in 2015, with Palmer ranking second in quarterback rating while Dalton is fourth. Also, they've both kept the mistakes largely under control, which has had no small impact on their teams' respective success.

Can they keep it up now that the pressure is starting to build?

Palmer, as was mentioned in the previous slide, has to cope with a banged-up supporting cast. The way he rallied the offense in the fourth quarter against Seattle might end up being the most significant moment of Arizona's regular season.

Dalton, on the other hand, is coming off of his worst performance of the season. He failed to crack 200 yards or lead a touchdown drive in Cincinnati's 10-6 loss to Houston.

Arizona and Cincinnati currently occupy the second seed in their respective conferences, and both teams will have to keep winning to remain in that position. Which quarterback wants to be a hero on Sunday?

3 Things to Watch

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

How will Arizona protect Carson Palmer?

Bruce Arians' reticence to provide extra protection for his quarterback almost cost Arizona the game last week, and it resulted in Palmer being sacked three times, fumbling twice and taking 13 hits. The right side of the offensive line in particular looked lost, often missing assignments.

To up the ante, neither of Arizona's starting guards practiced on Wednesday, while starting center Lyle Sendlein was limited. It's looking probable that the already struggling unit will be at less than full strength.

With Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap causing mayhem along Cincinnati's defensive line, Arians may not have a choice but to alter his game plan on Sunday night.

Arizona's receivers vs. Cincinnati's secondary

Via Pro Football Focus, six of the Bengals' seven most-used defensive backs carry positive grades on the season. Only Dre Kirkpatrick is in the red, and he turned in his first positive performance of the year Monday night against Houston.

We could see some very good individual battles on Sunday night if John Brown and Michael Floyd are able to suit up. If not, the likes of Jaron Brown and J.J. Nelson will have a tough task trying to trump Cincinnati's talented secondary. 

Patrick Peterson vs. A.J. Green

Speaking of fun in the passing game, turnabout is fair play. We'll see two of the league's best go head-to-head on Sunday night.

Green has been as steady as ever this season, compiling 55 catches for 769 yards and four touchdowns through nine games.

Peterson, meanwhile, has given up just 17 receptions and one score on the season. Seattle only threw at him once last week, but don't expect Cincinnati to be so shy, particularly if he's shadowing Green.

Prediction: Arizona 28, Cincinnati 17

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

For the first time all season, the Cardinals are going up against a team just as capable as they are. In fact, the similarities are a bit eerie.

Both teams are in first place in their division and second place overall in their conference. Neither team, however, has proved much. Arizona has played only one team with a winning record (a loss to Pittsburgh), while Cincinnati has played only two teams with that distinction (Pittsburgh and Buffalo).

Suffice it to say, we'll probably learn quite a bit about both teams on Sunday night.

The difference, for now at least, is that Arizona will be playing at home and has momentum on its side. It showed some mettle in the fourth quarter against Seattle, and we'll conveniently ignore the fact that the Cards should never have been in that position to begin with. The point is, they got the job done under tough circumstances.

Things can change over the next few days, especially with Arizona's lengthy (and significant) injury report, but for now, I like Arizona's chances to claim its second consecutive statement victory.

Final score: Arizona 28, Cincinnati 17