Ravens at Cardinals: Preview and prediction

The Baltimore Ravens were supposed to be one of the best teams in the National Football League this year. Instead, the Ravens have been nothing but a mess, falling to a 1-5 record through six games.

Head coach John Harbaugh and quarterback Joe Flacco have only missed the playoffs once in their respective careers, but it seems certain that 2015 will become the second. Flacco is hardly to blame, though, when you consider the lack of talent around him.

General manager Ozzie Newsome allowed wide receiver Torrey Smith to leave in free agency, knowing he had rookie receiver Breshad Perriman to take Smith’s place. Instead, Perriman has missed the entire season with a knee injury, giving the Ravens very little to work with on the outside. Steve Smith Sr. remains a productive player, but his running mates are brutal.

The Arizona Cardinals have plenty of receivers in Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and John Brown. The Cardinals are one of the more prolific teams in the NFL, led by quarterback Carson Palmer. As long as the offensive line can hold up, head coach Bruce Arians will be smiling throughout the season with his offense racking up points.

At 4-2, the Cardinals are leading the competitive NFC West. A win would put Arizona two games ahead of the Seattle Seahawks and 1.5 games in front of the St. Louis Rams. The Cardinals need to keep winning with both the Seahawks and Rams expected to continue playing well.

In this contest, the main matchup will be Baltimore’s secondary against Arizona’s receivers. If the Ravens can limit Palmer and the passing attack, they have a shot.

Pick: Arizona 30, Baltimore 16