Cardinals vs. Ravens: Arizona Must Win Sunday To Stay Afloat in NFC West

The Arizona Cardinals travel cross-country to the East Coast to take on the suddenly red-hot Baltimore Ravens and their vaunted defense on Sunday. The game features a lopsided battle of a veteran team against a team in disarray.

The big storyline is WR Anquan Boldin facing his former team. Remember when Anquan used to light up Arizona alongside Larry Fitzgerald? Well, he's the No. 1 guy now in Baltimore.

The veteran wide receiver has been a staple of the Ravens offense this season, and has played a vital role in the team's 4-2 start. If the big uglies up front can keep QB Joe Flacco upright, he'll be an even bigger factor this week against a decimated Cardinals defense.

On the other side, the Cardinals have been clamoring for a quarterback since Kurt Warner retired after Super Bowl XLIII in 2009. They tried Derek Anderson; he didn't work. They wanted Kevin Kolb; they got him, and now he isn't working. The defense is decimated with the loss of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who was traded this offseason for Kolb.

Cardinals coach Ken Wisenhunt is definitely one of the coaches on the hot seat this season. In a wide-open NFC West division, there is no room for excuses anymore.

The game is slated to kick off at 1 p.m. ET, which gives an advantage to the Ravens. Even though the Cardinals are coming off a bad loss to Pittsburgh last week, they are traveling cross-country for an early start game. The Ravens have won all three home games this year and will look to take advantage of the favorable situation.

For Arizona, there are no more excuses. It's time to win, but I think they will have to wait another week.

Final Score: Cardinals 24 Ravens 34