Arizona was my last cut off my late telephone service today. The Cardinals look to be the better team than the Jets right now. Arizona’s offense is way ahead of New York’s. Brett Favre simply does not look comfortable at all (he’s said he only knows 75% of the offense), and enters this game with an injured ankle. Favre and his Jets receivers have little chemistry on the field, and that’s something needed considering how Favre likes to make a lot of impromptu plays in the passing game.
So why am I passing on the opportunity to take points with the Cardinals…the better football team?
NFC West teams have been historically bad against the spread in the Eastern Time Zone. Playing a game on a 10AM body clock has a lot to do with it. And this is the second straight week in which Arizona is faced with that obstacle. They lost and failed to cover last week at Washington.
But head coach Ken Whisenhunt elected to stay near D.C. for the week instead of returning to the West Coast. The move is somewhat unorthodox, especially for an NFL team. Now, on the surface, the move looks like a positive. But the concerns I have are these. By taking the players out of their comfort element; at home with their families and practicing in their facility, does it create some home sick issues? Do the players feel like their on an extended vacation? At night, bored in their hotel room, do they go out for a night on the town? Are they focused solely on football, or are they wondering what’s going on at home?
Those questions are enough to keep me off the Cardinals in this game. The Cardinals are professionals, and they should act like they are on a business trip, but remember, they are human just like you and I.
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