3 Bold Predictions for Cardinals vs Colts

Bold predictions can be a blast, or they can be the worst, depending on what side of the coin you're on.

Through five games this year, I've been more sour on the Arizona Cardinals than not, but that hasn't stopped me from buying in and believing in them to get wins.

Unfortunately, this isn't one of those weeks. In fact, I don't think this game will even remotely go the Cardinals' way.

In the summer, the Cardinals' road trip to face the Indianapolis Colts looked like a really good opportunity to score a win before a big game against the Green Bay Packers. Now, it looks like a guaranteed loss.

The Colts are far better than anyone predicted, and the Cardinals have been pushovers even in their two wins. This game likely won't be pretty, but we'll talk more in a moment.

I have three bold predictions for this game, and not a single one of them benefits the Cardinals for the first time this year. I'm Debby Downer, Negative Nancy, whatever have you today -- apologies in advance.

Cardinals have their worst game of the year running the ball

The Colts' defense has been far more consistent stopping the run than the Cardinals have been running the ball. This wet blanket will continue to note that the best box score days for the Cardinals' run game have been inflated by big runs. Meanwhile, Indianapolis' defense hasn't surrendered a run longer than 27 yards. That doesn't match up well for a Cardinals' rushing attack that lives off big runs.

The Cardinals won't have an easy time winning a potential shootout with the Colts, but they won't be able to balance their offense and keep the opposing defense honest with their run game. Arizona's worst game running the ball was against the Panthers in Week Two with 82 yards. Against Indianapolis, Arizona will have fewer than that mark.

The quarterback is sacked... a lot

How bad is the Cardinals' offensive line? Well, Kyler Murray is being sacked more than three times per game on average, and they've allowed the best pass-rushing teams in the league to find success. The unit is flat-out bad, and they can't even blame injuries for their struggles. Opposite them is a sneaky Colts' defense that is finding ways to generate sacks across the lineup, almost like Arizona did last season, as 11 different players have made it to the quarterback this season.

That's the recipe for another bad outing for the Cardinals, who aren't ready to handle elite defensive linemen like DeForest Buckner. It's going to be another long day for the Cardinals' quarterback, no matter who gets the start. Expect a lot of sacks, pressures, knockdowns... everything and a bag of chips.

The Cardinals will lose this game by more than one possession

If your spouse is trying to get you to go to a pumpkin patch or a Halloween party or anything else, this is one of the weeks to make them happy... because I can't imagine this game will be remotely fun to watch.

We'll keep it simple to wrap things up: The Cardinals are playing BAD football, and the Colts are playing GREAT football. On the road and amidst a slump with a banged-up quarterback, there's no way Arizona can keep up. The Cardinals will get behind early, but they aren't clawing their way out of this one.

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