What in the world is happening to the Jets? New York crashed to its third consecutive defeat with a humbling 31-13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. They simply had no answer for Ben Roethlisberger who passed for 380 yards and four touchdowns. With the loss, the Jets are now three games behind the division-leading New England Patriots in the AFC East standings.
It won’t get any easier for them this coming weekend as standing in their way are the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona is eighth in the league in total defense, allowing just 308.0 yards per game this season. The onus then is on quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to deliver the goods this coming Monday. He completed 25 of 38 passes for 265 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Pittsburgh. One positive development for Fitzpatrick in this game was that he finally avoided the interceptions that have plagued his play all season. He has already thrown a league-worst 10 picks this campaign.
That being said, the Jets will still fancy their chances against the Cards as they have fared extremely well against them. The Jets have won each of their last five games against the Cardinals. They have also covered the spread in three of those five meetings. New York eked past Arizona, 7-6, in their last meeting back in 2012.
The Jets are 4-6 SU and 3-5-2 ATS in their last 10 road games.
No Carson Palmer? No problem! The Cardinals bucked the absence of their franchise quarterback as they beat the San Francisco 49ers, 33-21, in a thrilling showdown at Levi’s Stadium on Thursday night. Drew Stanton stepped up big time in Palmer’s absence, throwing for 124 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win against San Francisco. Also doing their part in this critical victory were David Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald. Johnson accounted for 185 total yards (157 yards rushing, 28 yards receiving) while Fitzgerald caught six passes for 81 yards and two scores. The dynamic duo combined to gain 266 of Arizona’s 288 yards from scrimmage.
The Cards will look to sustain the momentum of that huge win when they lock horns with the reeling New York Jets this coming Monday. For Arizona to record its third victory of the season, it needs to continue its excellent play on the defensive end. The Cardinals got 17 points off three turnovers by the 49ers on Thursday. They will be licking their chops at the prospect of facing a Jets side that has struggled mightily on the offensive end this year. The Jets are 24th in the NFL in scoring, averaging a measly 18.4 points per game this season.
The Cardinals are 6-4 SU and 2-8 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Arizona (-7.5) not only wins but also covers the spread against New York.
