Before I say anything else, understand that I will be rooting for the Cardinals to win on Sunday, and I in-no-way want the Cardinals to lose. You'll see what I mean in a moment.
The Arizona Cardinals are a team that plays best when doubted. It happened last year when the Cowboys came to town. It happened in every game throughout the playoffs as well. But just as they said they would do, they "shocked the world". Indeed they did, and likely shocked every Cardinal fan who had that slight bit of angst with each passing game.
This year the Cardinals have responded under the same criticism. The first game that comes to mind was the Sunday night game at the Giants. New York was 5-1 and everyone knew how bad the Cardinals had played on the east coast in the past. I'll admit I predicted that game as the toughest on the schedule at season's start. The Cardinals out-scored the Giants, but most importantly, dominated Eli Manning and the offense.
A few weeks later the Vikings came to town with a 10-1 record, and one of the most dangerous offenses in the league. No one picked the Cardinals to win, and if they were going to, it would've been on a last-second hail mary throw. Much to Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth surprise, the Cardinals dominated that game from top to bottom.
So what can I determine from all of this? The Cardinals will be the underdog for Sunday's game against the Packers, and beating Green Bay will be one of the biggest challenges of the season. Although the Cardinals are actually the favorites to win, I'm calling it for a reason - I'm hoping that Ken Whisenhunt and the team take notice.