Know the Opponent: Bills set to host Arizona Cardinals in season opener

It is officially game week for the Buffalo Bills and they will begin their journey at home for the first time since 2021 by hosting the Arizona Cardinals. After another disappointing playoff exit last season by the Kansas City Chiefs, the Bills are looking for a fresh start in 2024. With the roster going under some changes, Bills fans should be curious as to how they will perform on the field.

While we have eyed in on the Bills and examined the strengths and weaknesses, it is time to look at their Week 1 opponent out west. The Cardinals are an intriguing team. No one expects them to be championship contenders, but their roster underwent a great amount of improvement.

With that, we take a look at the Cardinals and what they are like coming into Orchard Park this coming Sunday.

 New solid offseason additions

The Cardinals had one of the strongest offseasons these past couple of months. After going through a little bit of a teardown of the roster last season, the Cardinals did an impressive job in free agency and the draft. Their free agency was headlined by offensive tackle Jonah Williams to solidify outside protection for Kyler Murray, as well as bringing in new defensive tackles Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols to help stop the run.

They also managed to bring in depth at various parts on the offensive line and at linebacker. During the NFL Draft, the Cardinals had one of the best classes in the league.

They got arguably the best non-QB prospect in wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to pair with Kyler Murray, and then added multiple pieces on the offense to boost up the rushing attack including running back Trey Benson. Arizona also added multiple cornerbacks, a safety, and a couple of edge rushers as well.

The Cardinals are in a development stage of their franchise, but they are in a much better position now than they were a year ago.

Cardinals bring phenomenal rushing attack

The Cardinals didn’t have a lot of bright spots last year, but their running game was near the top of the league. They finished in the top five in terms of rushing yards last season (2,365 yards) and were tied for the 8th most rushing touchdowns (17).

Running back James Conner had a career year, rushing for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career along with 7 touchdowns. In addition, Kyler Murray added 244 yards and 3 touchdowns himself. Pairing these players with a new and improved offensive line and running back support with Benson, the Cardinals could very well be looking to repeat their rushing attack success.

Jonathan Gannon is all about physicality

The Bills will have their hands full with a defensive minded coach in Jonathan Gannon, who has proved that he can get the best out of his players. The Cardinals didn’t have a lot of talent last season, but they were a physical football team who always put up a fight against their opponents. Now they have added talent to the mix so Gannon can elevate this team even more.

The Bills are going to need to bring physicality themselves. If the Cardinals dominate at the line of scrimmage and bull-rush past the Bills for extra momentum, Buffalo could be in a lot of trouble.

Kyler Murray is back and ready to go

When the Cardinals lost their franchise quarterback late in 2022, they were preparing for a rough start to last season. They went through their pains the first half of the season while Murray was rehabbing to get back onto the field. Once Murray was activated back to the roster, the Cardinals became a different team for the better. 

With Murray’s presence, Trey McBride solidified himself as a top ten tight end down the stretch and the young receivers like Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch became more involved in the offense. Arizona finished last season with a 4-13 record, but three of those wins came against playoff teams (two wins with Murray under center).

Not to bring up any painful memories either, but the last time Murray played Buffalo, he threw one of the most infamous throws, the “Hail Murray” in which DeAndre Hopkins caught a pass over three defenders in the endzone to give the Cardinals a last second victory. The Bills will be looking for redemption for that painful memory.