Good morning — don’t look now, but the NFL has already arrived. How sweet it is.

It’s been a long, frustrating, confusing, exciting (and all of the above) offseason for Arizona’s beloved birds. It doesn’t look like the easiest season ahead, but there’s hope in the valley for the first time in a while.

Let’s talk about the upcoming week one matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers!

— Alex D’Agostino, PHNX WKLY Editor

Cardinals ready for week one matchup against Chargers

Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) is tackled by San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (2) during the third quarter at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, on Dec. 17, 2023. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

We’ve made it to week one, and the Arizona Cardinals have already been counted out. What else is new?

But with low expectations comes a tinge of hope — hope that new head coach Mike LaFleur, after an exciting offseason, can revitalize an offense that has bottomed out in back-to-back seasons.

The Cardinals put up 108 total points this preseason, the most of any team in the NFL. Granted, that was partially because they played the Hall Of Fame Game, which gave them an extra preseason contest, but the average stats don’t lie.

Arizona averaged 27 points per game (third-most in the league) and 402.5 yards per game. No other team reached 400. Cardinals passers averaged the second-most passing yards (252.5) and rushing yards (150) per game. Arizona’s 600 total yards on the ground were the most by a margin of 116.

The point is, LaFleur can scheme up an offense. It was preseason, but it looked smoother and more adaptable than anything we saw out of Drew Petzing’s system the past several years.

Arizona’s defense? Not so much. The Cardinals allowed a league-worst 30.8 points and the sixth-most yards per game (347.5). Two of their three preseason losses came as a result of fourth-quarter game-winning drives by their opponents. Yikes.

The good news is, Arizona will likely have No. 3 overall pick and star rookie RB Jeremiyah Love available for the opener, after he missed the final two games of the preseason with an ankle injury. The rest of the offensive weapon group has been mostly healthy, and we know who will be starting at QB (Jacoby Brissett). All that’s left is to see it all put together on the field.

My Prediction: The Chargers are a quality opponent with plenty of offensive talent. They’re well-coached. Week one will be a test of how LaFleur’s scheme translates to full-speed, starter-level play.

Am I expecting an upset? No, not exactly. But I’ve found it quite strange to see the vast majority of “expert” predictions expecting Arizona to be held well under 20 points.

The Cardinals are going to score points this year. They probably won’t be able to prevent points, however. There may be some hiccups along the way for a rookie head coach, but I’m expecting Arizona’s losses to be relatively high scoring.

Chargers 30, Cardinals 24

Now, let’s see what else is going on in Arizona sports this week:

The college football season kicked off with successful performances by both the Sun Devils and Wildcats. ASU clobbered Morgan State 70-7 (yes, we all recognize that number), while Arizona dominated NAU, 35-7. Good start.
The Diamondbacks rounded out a successful road trip with two series wins and a 4-2 record against the Astros and Royals, getting Corbin Burnes, Zac Gallen and Michael Soroka all back in the process. They’re 0.5 games out of a playoff spot with a home series against the Rangers beginning tonight.
Phoenix Rising took a 1-1 draw with Monterey Bay FC on Saturday. They are 7-9-7 and rank ninth in the standings.