It was a game of missed opportunities, it was a year of missed opportunities. Only way to sum up the Cardinals in 2017. And now, as the RedBirds wave goodbye to the playoffs, we continue to look ahead as the Cardinals take on the New York Giants in the second to last game of the year, in this edition of Talking Touchdowns.

Arizona Cardinals vs. New York Giants

With the loss to the Redskins in Washington, the Arizona Cardinals’ hopes of making the playoffs vanished and now the team travels back home to take on another team that is having just as tough, if not a tougher, year. Let’s preview this matchup.

Offense

Well, let’s sum up the Cardinals offense thus far.. Arizona is on their third quarterback, fourth running back, fourth left tackle and seventh offensive line combination on the year. So, if that wasn’t bad enough, let’s sum up how they are not winning games.

Cardinals can not win games if:

• They turn the ball over. The Cardinals turned over the ball twice last week (one of them inside their own red zone). Cardinals can’t win games if they can’t execute key plays (cough, cough DJ Foster) They can’t win if they don’t convert third downs. The Cardinals were 4-19 with third down efficiency. And Ohhh!, I almost forgot, touchdowns; you have to score them. The Cardinals have NOT scored a touchdown in two games and to be more exact, that’s 10+ quarters since the Cards have found pay-dirt. Head Coach Bruce Arians announced Monday that Drew Stanton will go back to being QB1. but I don’t think the fans would complain if Arizona drafted a young, stud signal caller in this year’s

• I started at the top by talking about this being a year of missed opportunities for the Cards, if that’s the case I don’t know what to call the disastah (Like my NY accent) in New York. They came in the year as a Super Bowl contender and are now exiting it with an interim coach and Eli Manning’s future in doubt. Much of their offseason was spent touting the duo of Odell Beckham Jr and Brandon Marshall, well OBJ got hurt in the preseason and was never himself and then he and Marshall both got knocked out of a Week 5 matchup against Chargers, oh yea a game that dropped them to 0 and 5. Well they have never recovered and come in to Week 16 with a 2-12 record, including being winless in two games with interim coach Steve Spagnolo after firing Ben McAdoo two weeks ago. Why was Ben fired? Excellent question! Although details and the timeline is still murky he and fired GM Jerry Reese orchestrated a plan to bench Eli Manning after 210 consecutive starts for a young, up and coming quarterback, Geno Smith! Wait what! Ok my friends you deserve to be fired.

Defense

• The Arizona defense wasn’t the usual pressure-happy team it usually is. Last week, against the Redskins, the defense only forced one turnover and we only ever saw the famous post-sack windmill once. With a star studded lineup on defense with names like Corey Peters, Chandler Jones, Tyrann Mathieu and Patrick Peterson, there is no reason any team has any points on the board. The defense has been the unit that has carried this team. It’s just the offense needed more from this last week and hopefully can get the job done against the New York team in blue.

• Speaking of streaks, Giants safety Landon Collins continues his consecutive game streak on Sunday vs the Eagles although I am not sure that is such a good thing. Collins has never missed a game in his three year career played just the first half before exiting the game with an ankle injury. The Pro-Bowler recorded a tackle before leaving the game and his status is very much in doubt on Sunday. So why are we talking about him? Guys, they are 2 and 12 and just let back-up Nick Foles put up 34 on them, there isn’t much to talk about!

Game Prediction

Cardinals win. I think. I hope. I am not positive. It depends which team wants to show up. Cardinals 10-7. (That’s assuming they score a touchdown.)

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Photo Credits:

• Arizona Cardinals on Wikimedia Commons by Moe Epsilon
• New York Giants on Wikimedia Commons by New York Giants
• Kerwynn Williams on Wikimedia Commons by Jeffrey Beall
• Will Holden on Wikimedia Commons by  Jeffrey Beall
• Bruce Arians on Flickr by Gage Skidmore
• Drew Stanton on Wikimedia Commons by Jeffrey Beall
• New York onWikimedia Commons by Hromoslav
• Eli Manning on flickr by Mike Morbeck
• Odell Beckham Jr on flickr by Brook Ward
• Brandon Marshall on Wikimedia Commons by Cpl Jody Lee Smith
• Corey Peters onWikimedia Commons by Jeffrey Beall
• Tyrann Mathieu on flickr by Gage Skidmore
• Patrick Peterson on wikimedia commons by Jeffrey Beall
• Landon Collins on Wikimedia Commons by Jeffrey Beall