3 Bold Predictions for Falcons vs Cardinals

Three games remain for the Arizona Cardinals as a disastrous 2025 season comes to a merciful end. The Cardinals host the Atlanta Falcons for their final home game of the year, and the ramifications of a win or a loss will affect the 2026 NFL Draft in a major way, considering the Falcons are currently projected with a top-10 draft pick, which is owned by the NFC West rival Los Angeles Rams.

It's an important matchup, to be sure, but what can fans expect from the game itself?
I have a feeling that the Cardinals’ last hurrah at home for the year could be worth watching, especially for anyone who likes offense—and even more so for those who are in the playoffs of their fantasy football leagues (more on that later). I have three bold predictions for this game, and I'm all aboard a big day for offenses and a big day for sacks.

We can start things off with the stars of the show for these two teams...

National Tight Ends Day in December

No tight end has been better than Trey McBride this season—it hasn't been remotely close. He's averaging 7.5 receptions per game along with 76.5 yards and has scored in all but two games since Jacoby Brissett took over under center. He's not slowing down anytime soon, and even a stout Falcons defense won't have an answer for him.

McBride has been unstoppable, but the volatile Kyle Pitts is coming off perhaps the best game of his career after torching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for 166 yards and three touchdowns on 11 receptions. Arizona hasn't exactly been able to slow down tight ends this season, and Pitts is averaging more than 100 yards per game over the last three outings.

This game will be a great one for the two young tight ends, and the fireworks will be in a constant state of a grand finale. National Tight Ends Day may have passed, but McBride and Pitts are going to have performances that rival some of the best we've seen from anyone at the position in 2025. If you have either of these two in fantasy football, you should be pumped for what is going to be a big day.

Speaking of which...

Fantasy football players rejoice!

Congrats on making the (likely) second round of your fantasy football playoffs! I can safely assume that some Cardinals and Falcons standouts have helped get you this far, and I'm pleased to tell you that you should once again put your trust in these guys to help you get to the next round.

The tight ends are going to be great, as we just discussed. Brissett threw three touchdowns against arguably the best defense in the league last week in the Houston Texans; he's been one of the best waiver-wire pickups of the year. He and Michael Wilson have had a helluva connection, and although Marvin Harrison Jr. should be in line to return to the lineup, I suspect he will still get his looks.

The Falcons will enjoy a Cardinals defense that has been very friendly to fantasy players. Cousins rediscovered his magic against the Buccaneers, and I believe he can be just as strong against this defense. If Drake London is healthy—and all signs point that way—he will look to make a statement in his return after missing more than a month. Bijan Robinson is going to go bananas, too, and his push for a rushing crown will get a major, and much-needed, boost.

If you have the Falcons defense, start them, too. I expect lots of points and stalled drives for field-goal opportunities. Simply put, this game looks to be a fantasy football goldmine.

Falcons get season-high sacks, Cardinals allow season-high sacks

It's been a long time since the Falcons enjoyed an elite pass rush, but they've quietly collected 48 sacks, with rookie James Pearce leading the way with 8.0. Fellow rookie Jalon Walker has 5.5 sacks of his own, and breakout defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus has 7.0. A whopping 16 players have recorded at least one sack, and the defense has recorded seven sacks against the Indianapolis Colts and multiple games with six sacks.

The Cardinals have not rushed the passer nearly as well, and their offensive line is amongst the worst in the league. As far as offensive lines Atlanta has faced this year, only the Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets have allowed more sacks. Arizona is without Paris Johnson Jr. and Evan Brown for this matchup, and Brissett has been sacked 13 times in the last four games. He was sacked six times against the Green Bay Packers and Jacksonville Jaguars, which is the most the team has allowed in a single game this year.

Things are going to get ugly in this showdown. The Falcons have recorded the most sacks of any team the Cardinals have seen this year, and Arizona is about to surrender its worst game of the season. Conversely, Atlanta will have its best game of the season.

It's going to be a high sack total for the Falcons, and I could see them reaching double-digit takedowns when the dust settles.