New York Jets @ Arizona Cardinals live on Sky Sports 1
Tuesday 18 October 2016 00:35, UK
It has been a stuttering start for the Arizona Cardinals, who have so far failed to live up to the hype of their 2015 season. Bruce Arians' team went 13-3 and made it to the NFC Championship game, before losing 49-15 to the Carolina Panthers.
However, a victory over the ailing San Francisco 49ers in week five, coupled with the return of starting quarterback Carson Palmer, will boost the team's hopes of getting a third win of the season and progressing to a 3-3 record.
The New York Jets have had their own troubles to begin the 2016 as Ryan Fitzpatrick has struggled to replicate last year's form, throwing double the amount of interceptions (ten) as touchdowns. The Jets will be without their best wide receiver Eric Decker for the rest of the year, and will instead rely on third year Quincy Enunwa who has shown glimpses that he can step out of Decker's shadow.
Matt Forte, who began the season with back to back 100+ yard performances, will be an important part of the game plan if the Jets are to come out of Phoenix with a victory. The Cardinals boast two Pro Bowl talents in Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu, but their running defence ranks at 23rd in the league coming into this game so it will be up to Forte to exploit every opportunity.
It has been a tough start to the season for second year head coach Todd Bowles, who has had to face five of 2015's playoff teams from the Jets' six opening fixtures. Currently at 1-4 and languishing at the bottom of the AFC East, reaching the post-season is already looking like an impossible task.
As for Arians and the Cardinals, it is difficult to put a finger on what has gone wrong so far. After an opening week loss to the Patriots, which they could have easily won, Arizona routed the Buccaneers and it looked like they might kick on. Middling results, including a laboured win over a 49ers team have left them two games behind the Seattle Seahawks who lead the NFC West.
Arizona will see this game as an opportunity to put things right and kick on from here. Palmer is once again healthy having come through concussion protocol, and the Cardinals team should be well rested having not played since the previous Thursday.
Key match ups
Ryan Fitzpatrick v Cardinals secondary
The Jets quarterback leads the league in interceptions, and the Cardinals rank fourth in passing defence. It looks like an unfair fight between these two, but Fitzpatrick showed he has the ability to throw downfield. In 2015, Fitzpatrick set a franchise record with 31 touchdown passes in a single season. If he can recapture some of that form, and Brandon Marshall can break Peterson's coverage, New York could upset the odds.
Larry Fitzgerald v Jets secondary
This game is shaping up to be won and lost in the air. With Darrelle Revis looking like a shadow of his former self, the Jets defensive backs are ranked second worst in the NFL going into this match up. Fitzgerald, who was considering retirement at the start of the season, leads the league in touchdown receptions with five, as many as the entire New York offence.
As well as Fitzgerald, John Brown and Michael Floyd make up a dangerous aerial attack for the Cardinals which, if Palmer can find them, will punish any slip in coverage.
