This Sunday's game between the Arizona Cardinals and Buffalo Bills is quickly approaching and it'll be a critical game for the Red Birds. Coming off back to back road losses, the Cardinals return home desperately needing a win to grab some momentum and get back above .500. Myself and Brian Galliford of Buffalo Rumblings got together and took a look at some key match-ups for this Sunday.
Bills WR Lee Evans vs Cardinals CB Roderick Hood
cgolden - Lee Evans is a tough match-up for any cornerback because of his big play ability and Roderick Hood will certainly have his hands full on Sunday. Evans is having a great year, averaging over 23 yards per catch, so Hood will have to bring his A-game to keep Evans from getting deep. Evans is not only a legitimate down
the field threat, he's also shifty enough to turn every short pass into a huge play. Roderick Hood is a good tackler but the Cardinals don't play much press coverage, which could leave Evans open for some quick, short passes. Hood is the Cardinals' best corner by far but he's not anything spectacular so I wouldn't be surprised to see the Cardinals keep a safety over the top. Much of the Cardinals defensive game plan will depend on Adrian Wilson's availability on Sunday, but either way, Hood will need to some help to contain Evans. Advantage: Bills
Brian Galliford - Evans is off to a fast start. He'll never be a guy who catches a large volume of passes, but he definitely makes his catches count (see his 23.7 YPC average through four games). When Evans is at his best, he's making a play or two early in the game, letting other receivers keep the offense efficient in the middle quarters, and putting the final dagger in a win late in the fourth quarter. He lulls defenses to sleep in this manner. There isn't a corner in the league who can cover Evans for an entire game (when he's got competent quarterback play), so I fully expect Evans to make a big play or two in this one. Advantage: Bills
Bills DT Marcus Stroud vs Cardinals C Lyle Sendlein and RG Deuce Lutui
Brian Galliford - Stroud's importance to this defense can't be measured just by his stats alone. You have to take into account what Stroud has done for Kyle Williams as well; Buffalo's starting defensive tackles have combined for 28 tackles and 3 sacks in the team's first four games. Stroud's a force against the run, and he's proven over and over this season that he can routinely beat the double team. He's been impossible to block. I don't expect Arizona to establish much of a run game on Sunday, but it would be nice to see Stroud collapse the pocket a handful of times around Kurt Warner, who is a fabulous rhythm passer. Advantage: Bills
Cardinals OLB Travis LaBoy vs Bills OT Jason Peters
cgolden - This should be a strength on strength match-up and should be worth the price of admission. Oddly enough, these two guys have probably faced off before considering that LaBoy spent his first four seasons in Tennessee. LaBoy is the Cardinals best pass rusher and if Clancy Pendergast decides to be aggressive this week, he should be able to apply some pressure. Jason Peters is the Bills' best offensive lineman and is one of the better left tackles in the league. Since LaBoy will at times focus too much on rushing the passer, Peters should be able to handle him in the running game. In passing situations, though, it'll be much more interesting. LaBoy is a natural pass rusher and has the ability to get around almost any tackle in the league. He may not register a sack but I'd be surprised if he wasn't able to apply some pressure to Edwards a couple of times. Advantage: Push
Brian Galliford - Peters has been off his game since deciding to return from a prolonged pre-season holdout. As such, he's only got about a month's worth of football under his belt this year, and with a new offensive coordinator and line coach, he's had some difficulty adjusting to what Buffalo does offensively. He's been very streaky - looking awful at times and dominant at others - and he's currently dealing with an ankle sprain as well, hindering his footwork. I fully expect LaBoy, who is very sudden in his pass-rushing, to make some plays on Sunday. But Peters will have help, and he's still very adept at neutralizing the speed rush. Advantage: Push
Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald vs Bills CB Jabari Greer

Brian Galliford - Buffalo employs a Cover 2 shell on pass downs, so it's a virtual certainty that the Bills will have two guys on Fitzgerald at all times. That number could balloon to 3 on occasion if Anquan Boldin doesn't play as expected. Greer will get the Fitzgerald assignment most often, and I actually think that his aggressiveness and surprising reach match up better with Fitzgerald than most people believe. But Fitzgerald is undeniable; he'll get his touches. The Bills will be lucky if they can hold him to one score. Advantage: Cardinals
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Just looking at these match-ups, how do you feel about Sunday? Obviously much more will go into the game than just these four areas, but where do you think the Cardinals biggest advantage will be on Sunday? What will be the biggest problem area for the Cardinals?