Each year, when the new schedule is announced, I ignore certain aspects and zero in on others. One thing I refuse to do is create a week by week W & L prediction (I don't believe that any game is a lock - mainly because some teams can change dramatically during an off season). What I do look for is: (1) Do we start off at home or on the road? (2) is our home/road load lopsided or balanced? (3) Do we get screwed by the Bye week? (4) Are their any possible snow games? (5) Do any teams we play gain or lose an advantage because of a lengthened or shortened work-week made possible by Sunday, Monday and Thursday games? (6) Do we face any long stretches on the road vs. elite teams?
And, oh yeah, a personal factor - Here in the East, if the Cards don't have an early (1:00 pm) game, you get to spend 2 or 3 hours sunning at the beach or on the back deck.The late (4 pm) games often run into the dinner hour, and - if you don't have an understanding wife/family, you get to watch a taped rerun of the game at midnight.
01. Sun. Sept. 11 NE @ AZ 8:30 pm
Home opener. NE faces Dolphs next week. Cards face TB.
02. Sun. Sept. 18 TB @ AZ 4:05 pm
2nd straight home game. Cards come off night game with NE and plays Bills next. TB comes off game with Atlanta and plays Rams next.
03. Sun. Sept. 25 AZ @ Buf 1:00 pm
1st road game. Cards played Falcs last week & host Rams next week. Bills played Jets at night last Sun. Face NE next Sun.
04. Sun. Oct. 2 Rams @ AZ 4:25 pm
Cards come off road game with Buffalo and face Niners Thurs. night. Rams faced TB last week & play Bills next week.
05. Thu. Oct. 6 AZ @ SF 8:30 pm
Cards faced Rams 4 days earlier @ play Jets at night 11 days later. Niners played Dallas 4 days earlier and play in Buffalo 10 days later.
06. Mon. Oct. 17 Jets @ AZ 8:30 pm
Cards played SF 11 days ago and face Seattle (at night) 6 days later. Jets played Steelers 8 days ago and will face Baltimore in 6 days.
07. Sun. Oct. 23 Sea @ AZ 8:30 pm
Cards played Jets 6 days earlier and face Panthers 7 days from now. Seattle played Atlanta 6 days ago and face NO in 7 days.
08. Sun. Oct. 30 AZ @ Caro 4:25 pm
Cards faced Seattle 7 days ago and look forward to a BYE. Panteras are coming off a BYE and face Rams 7 days from now.
09. BYE
Smack dab in the middle of the schedule.
10. Sun. Nov. 13 SF @ AZ 4:25 pm
Cards are coming off s BYE and play the Vikes on the road in 7 days. Niners played the Saints last week and will face NE next Sunday.
11. Sun. Nov. 20 AZ @ Minn 1:00 pm
US Banl Stadium has a fixed roof so this will not be a snow game. Cards are coming off game with Niners and face the Falcones next week. Vikes played Skins a week ago and face a 4-day practice week before playing the Lions on Thanksgiving.
12. Sun. Nov 27 AZ @ Atl 1:00 pm
Cards played Vikes a week ago and face the Skins next week. Falcs are coming off a BYE and face KC next Sunday.
13. Sun. Dec. 4 Wash @ AZ 8:30 pm
Cards played Atlanta last Sunday and play in Miami next Sunday. Skins faced Dallas on Thanksgiving and have 10 days of rest @ face Philly next Sunday.
14. Sun. Dec. 11 AZ @ Mi 1:00 pm
Cards luck out with a warm weather winter game. They come off a Sun. game vs. Washington and face the Saints next Sunday. Dolphs played the Rams last Sunday and face the Jets 6 days from now on a Sat. night.
15. Sun. Dec. 18 NO @ AZ 4:05 pm
Cards come off a Sun. game in Miami and face Seattle 6 days from now on a Sat. Saints played TB last Sunday and, like the Cards, will play 6 days from now, vs. TB on Sat. night
16. Sat. Dec. 24 AZ @ Sea 4:25 pm
First of a 2-road game stretch vs. division opponents to close the seaaon. (Seattle's stadium has a roof that covers 70% of the seating area, so the possibility of snow isn't completely out of the question). Cards hosted NO 6 days ago and will face Rams 8 days from now on New Years Day. Seattle faced the Rams 9 days ago on a Thurs. night and will play SF in 8 days.
17. Sun. Jan. 1 AZ @ Rams 4:25 pm
Winter road game in sunny LA. Cards played Seattle 8 days ago. Rams faced Niners 8 days ago.
(All Times Eastern Daylight and Eastern Standard)
