2016 Arizona Cardinals Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

The Arizona Cardinals' 2015 season will likely be remembered for two games: the wild 26-20 victory against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Round that Aaron Rodgers sent to overtime with a Hail Mary touchdown pass, and the 49-15 beatdown the Carolina Panthers handed the team the next week in the NFC Championship Game. 

Of course, 31 of the 32 NFL franchises are ultimately disappointed with how a season ends. And it's probably unfair to remember the 13-3 Cardinals by just two playoff games.

After all, the team was splendid in 2015. Now, let's take a look at the teams that stand between the Cardinals and that goal.

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Time (ET)	TV
1	Sept. 11	vs. New England Patriots	8:30 p.m.	NBC
2	Sept. 18	vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers	4:05 p.m.	Fox
3	Sept. 25	at Buffalo Bills	1 p.m.	Fox
4	Oct. 2	vs. Los Angeles Rams	4:25 p.m.	Fox
5	Oct. 6	at San Francisco 49ers	8:25 p.m.	CBS, NFLN
6	Oct. 17	vs. New York Jets	8:30 p.m.	ESPN
7	Oct. 23	vs. Seattle Seahawks	8:30 p.m.	NBC
8	Oct. 39	at Carolina Panthers	4:25 p.m.	Fox
9	BYE
10	Nov. 13	vs. San Francisco 49ers	4:25 p.m.	Fox
11	Nov. 20	at Minnesota Vikings	1 p.m.	Fox
12	Nov. 27	at Atlanta Falcons	1 p.m.	Fox
13	Dec. 4	vs. Washington Redskins	4:25 p.m.	Fox
14	Dec. 11	at Miami Dolphins	1 p.m.	Fox
15	Dec. 18	vs. New Orleans Saints	4:05 p.m.	Fox
16	Dec. 24	at Seattle Seahawks	4:25 p.m.	Fox
17	Jan. 1	at Los Angeles Rams	4:25 p.m.	Fox

Carson Palmer threw for 4,671 yards, 35 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions and was an MVP candidate. Running back David Johnson emerged as a star in the making at running back late in the season, while Chris Johnson was resurgent earlier in the season. Larry Fitzgerald exceeded 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since 2011, and John Brown reached that milestone for the first time in his career.

The defense was once again superb, meanwhile, finishing fourth in yards allowed per game and tied for seventh in points allowed per contest. But Tyrann Mathieu tore his ACL in a Week 15 win against the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Cardinals team that was 12-2 with him in the starting lineup went just 2-2 without him to close the season.

If keeping Mathieu healthy in 2016 will be vital for Arizona's defense—which gave up 36 or more points twice while he was sidelined, more than it gave up in a single game with him healthy—keeping Palmer healthy on offense will be the key for an offense that ranked first in yards per game and second in points per contest last year.

The team also made several moves in the offseason to improve upon last season's success, signing safety Tyvon Branch, tight end Jermaine Gresham and guard Evan Mathis. It also re-signed Chris Johnson, defensive tackle Red Bryant and backup quarterback Drew Stanton and traded guard Jonathan Cooper and a 2016 second-round pick to the New England Patriots for outside linebacker Chandler Jones.

If there was a knock against the Cardinals in 2015, it's that the team needed to upgrade its edge rush after finishing tied for 20th in the league with 36 sacks. Jones—who has 36 sacks in his four-year career—will be a major upgrade in that regard.

Acquiring Jones, who is set to hit free agency in 2016, was a win-now move from the Cardinals. But why not? Head coach Bruce Arians' bunch has all of the talent to win a Super Bowl in 2016. 

Analysis

Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery/Getty Images

The Cardinals don't have an easy schedule.

They have nine games against teams who finished .500 or better in 2015 and six games against playoff teams from a year ago. They have to face the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings on the road, all tough matchups.

Home matchups against the New England Patriots, New York Jets and Washington will be tough as well, while the New Orleans Saints are always a threat as long as Drew Brees is under center. 

And the NFC West contests are always difficult. The Cardinals lost to the Los Angeles Rams, previously of St. Louis, at home last season, while the Seattle Seahawks destroyed the Cardinals in Week 17. The San Francisco 49ers remain the great unknown, meanwhile, as they'll likely have a different identity under new head coach Chip Kelly in 2016 and remain a wild card. 

Going 13-3 again in 2016 will be hard-earned for the Cardinals. If they win the AFC West again and earn another bye, they'll do so as a battle-tested team.

Pivotal Matchups

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

There are four games Cardinals fans will almost assuredly be circling on the calendar: the two matchups against Seattle and games against the Panthers and Patriots.

Those are the four games that will determine whether Arizona is an elite team—like last season—or simply another team fighting for a playoff spot. The two matchups against the Seahawks in particular will almost assuredly decide the NFC West or at least play a major part in the race for the divisional crown.

A rematch of the NFC Championship Game against Carolina, meanwhile, will be an opportunity for some revenge for the Cardinals. Losing a chance at the Super Bowl was one thing, but being completely dominated in the process was another. Whether the Cardinals admit it or not, they'll be looking forward to the opportunity to face Carolina again and exact some revenge.

Finally, who doesn't love getting a shot to knock off quarterback Tom Brady, head coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots? New England remains one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl out of the AFC and one of the elite organizations in the NFL. For a Cardinals team that is approaching the 2016 season with a Super Bowl-or-bust mentality, a game against the Patriots will serve as a measuring stick as Arizona chases a title.

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