Arizona began life without DeAndre Hopkins with a shocking defeat, losing by 18 points to the hapless Detroit Lions in Week 15. Can the Cardinals snap their two-game losing skid against the Colts in Week 16, or will Indianapolis pile more misery on Arizona? Here's a breakdown of the Colts vs Cardinals clash.
Indianapolis Colts installed as +1 underdogs
Indianapolis' late-season surge continued on Saturday with the Colts beating the New England Patriots, 27-17, at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts have now won five of their last six games to jump to sixth place in the AFC standings with an 8-6 record. The Colts still have an outside shot of winning the AFC South as they just trail the reeling Tennessee Titans by one game with three games left in the regular season.
Jonathan Taylor wreaked havoc against the Patriots' defense, running for 170 yards on 29 carries. He made sure the Colts would not blow another double-digit lead, uncorking a 67-yard touchdown run with 2:01 remaining to seal Indianapolis' win against New England. With the victory, the Colts snapped their eight-game losing skid against the Pats.
Taylor tied Lenny Moore's franchise record of 11 straight games with a rushing touchdown with that lengthy run against the Pats. He will look to break the record against the Arizona Cardinals, who are 17th in the NFL in rushing defense, allowing 112.8 yards per game on the ground this season.
One guy who needs to step up for Indianapolis in Week 16 is Carson Wentz. He struggled mightily in the win against the Patriots, completing just 5 of 12 passes for 57 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
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Arizona Cardinals enter Week 16 as -1 favorites
Now that was a shock. The Arizona Cardinals crashed to their second straight defeat with a stunning 30-12 loss to the lowly Detroit Lions. It was the first time in NFL history that a team with one win or fewer defeated a side with at least 10 wins by double-digits. The Cards have now lost four of their past seven games since starting the season with seven consecutive victories.
Arizona got off to a horrible start against Detroit, gaining just 17 yards on its first three possessions. The Lions took full advantage of the Cards' offensive futility, racing to a 17-0 advantage after the opening half. The Cards failed to recover from that poor start as they dropped to fourth place in the NFC with their 10-4 slate.
The Cardinals will look to get their season back on track in Week 16 when they host the red-hot Indianapolis Colts. It is imperative for Arizona that Kyler Murray delivers a much better showing this Sunday. He looked out of sorts in the loss to the Lions, completing just 23 of 41 passes for 257 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Murray recorded just a 72.9 passer rating in that contest.
Writer's Prediction
Indianapolis wins.
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