No Brady. No Gronk. Carson FacePalmer: Patriots vs. Cardinals Sunday Night Football Game Thread

[William F. Russell]

Bruce Arians' Arizona Cardinals host Bill Belichick's New England Patriots under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football tonight to kick off their NFL season.

But the Patriots will be without Tom Brady (4-game suspension), Rob Gronkowski (injury), and Nate Solder (injury).Gronkowski, Solder, and Cooper are officially out for the Patriots’ game against the Cardinals

Jimmy Garrapolo will be QBing in place of Brady and will be left to muster up a strong offensive game with Julian Edelman and Martellus Bennett as his primary targets.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals have 36-year old Carson Palmer who definitely slowed down near the end of the regular season last year, and was completely off his game in last year's playoffs. In 2 playoff games, he threw 6 interceptions. He looked drained and completely out of gas, and the Cardinals' defense could only do so much. Nonetheless, Palmer seems to be at 100%, the defense is ready to go, and the Cardinals have their sights set on taking the NFC West this season.

However, the Patriots' defense has stepped up big time in recent years, particularly when Brady isn't playing or isn't at his best. Barring unexpected excellence from Garoppolo, Sunday's game should be headlined by Palmer versus the New England secondary, and Palmer's offensive line trying to keep him from taking some big hits early in the season.

Fun facts:
*the Patriots are opening their season against an NFC opponent for the 5th time in team history and the 1st since 2000 (when they lost to the Bucs, 21-16, at Foxboro Stadium in Bill Belichick's first game as New England coach)
*overall, the Pats are 1-3 against NFC teams in season openers
*the Pats are 31-25 in season openers
*Bill Belichick is 14-7 in season openers as a head coach overall, and 12-4 as Patriots head coach
*the Pats are 25-17 on Sunday Night Football, including a 13-8 record in games televised on NBC; they're also 9-6 on ESPN, 2-3 on TNT and 1-0 on ABC


Oh, and I almost forgot this: http://www.thecoli.com/threads/6th-annual-carson-palmer-interception-thread.451288/

My #Brehtriots
@Ill @Abogado @cook @SchoolboyC @R.E.N. Spells Ren @Raquinotj @PremierDaTruth @JLR Steez @Warren @KevJ @TheKang @Listen @Stress Welker @brunbear @jdubnyce @Wachaveli @BucciMane @naijaboi @Roid Jones @Brady-Carter @Broke Wave @The Entity @MJX @I AM WARHOL @KevCo @Card Holder @Air Game Rule @AlldayNE @-DMP- @chief_keef_stan @Monoblock @YoungMonkeyCashMonkeyBoy @Bernie Madoff @ANNE FRANK @Listen @KOOL-AID @aceboon @JBone4eva @KushSkywalker @TheKang

Cardinals brehs
@Rainman @L@CaT @thewiz703 @MooseMouthMthafuga


Game will be on NBC at 8:30pm.

 

[Benjamin Sisko]

Two of your best weapons are out, plus we have YOUR top pass rusher in Chandler Jones in exchanged for a pile of unmotivated garbage gives the Cards a easy advantage.

25-17 Cards

 

[William F. Russell]

Two of your best weapons are out, plus we have YOUR top pass rusher in Chandler Jones in exchanged for a pile of unmotivated garbage gives the Cards a easy advantage.

25-17 Cards

If we have to lose any of our first 4 games, it should be this one since y'all are in the NFC. With that said, you better hope that Carson Palmer doesn't throw a bunch of picks because our defense will make him pay.:UMadPats:

 

[jdubnyce]

Two of your best weapons are out, plus we have YOUR top pass rusher in Chandler Jones in exchanged for a pile of unmotivated garbage gives the Cards a easy advantage.

25-17 Cards

21-14 the good guys

 

[Juggalo Fred]

go Byrdgang

beat the cheats

 

[Big Boss]

 

[ill]

I don't see anyway that we win unless Carson turns into an interception machine.

Jimmy G 250 yd 2tds 1int

 

[TheKang]

If the over under is less than 50 we win...over we prolly holding an L

Our D is getting hella slept on tho, I dunno if you need bulletin board material for week one in primetime but I feel like Collins&Company finna come out fuming and foaming at the mouth(pause)

The Butler did it and DON Logan need to be our Mvps

Vote=29-20

 

[KevCo]

Hope to be home from work by game time...

Pats 17-10

 

[Formerly known as...]

If we win i'll be happy. This is a tough start with all our weapons!

Carson will throw us a pick though

 

[Roid Jones]

We byke, Jimmy G gonna make em mad

 

[Raquinotj]

I had us going 3-1 while Brady is out, thinking this as an L while Gronk was still probable to play, seeing that this is a road game with our two best weapons out, I find it very difficult to win this game. BUT anything can happen.


Good thing two of our Division Rivals shytted the bed today.

 

[William F. Russell]

Tonight's gonna be lit!

 

[BucciMane]

It's week one, which is often the craziest week of the season where anything can happen. The Patriots have a very good defense, and they need to show up tonight for a full 60 minutes.

It could get bad if the Patriots can't run the ball, so hopefully they establish the run and help Jimmy G out. I thought he played "Ok" during the pre-season. He seemed to hold onto the ball too long. That will need to change and he needs to get rid of it quickly tonight.

Time for the Cac Attack..

 

[Big Boss]

Almost game time