Arizona Cardinals MUST AVOID Difficult Teams on Back End of 2026 Schedule

In this episode, Alex Clancy dives deep into the Arizona Cardinals' 2026 season outlook, with a special focus on navigating the most challenging stretches of their schedule—especially avoiding a “Murderers Row” slate of tough opponents at the end of the year. He breaks down why a backloaded schedule packed with powerhouse teams could stunt the Cardinals' progress and overshadow the development of young talents like Michael Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Jeremiyah Love. The discussion explores the importance of front-loading the hardest games early in the season, even if it means enduring some short-term pain. Alex Clancy argues that exposing new faces and a rookie head coach to adversity right away accelerates growth, helps identify stars, and could set a more positive tone for the offseason—unlike last year’s momentum-crushing late losses. The show then pivots to the critical musts on offense: after years of inconsistent and unreliable offense, it's time for the unit to prove itself, especially with significant capital invested in players and staff. Alex Clancy outlines what a cohesive, successful offense should look like under Mike LaFleur’s leadership and weighs the consequences if the new approach fails—stressing that if the run game and balanced play-calling don't materialize, the season could unravel quickly. Rounding out the episode, Alex Clancy tackles the nuances of bye-week scheduling, explaining why extremely early or late byes could hurt the Cardinals’ ability to reset and build momentum, while advocating for a well-timed midseason break. Throughout, he emphasizes how little factors—like schedule order and bye timing—can make a big difference in a pivotal year loaded with unknowns, pressure, and hope for progress. Let's discuss.   Everydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Square If you’re starting a business, or running one that deserves better tools, Square helps you sell, manage, and grow without slowing down. Right now, you can get up to $200 off Square hardware at https://square.com/go/LockedOnNFL. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now new customers can bet just five dollars and get one-hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets if your first bet wins. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started — Play Your Game. Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast. Rocket MoneyLet Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join athttp://RocketMoney.com/LOCKEDON   Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.   FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)     Find and follow Locked On Cardinals on your favorite podcast platforms:     Apple https://apple.co/3gzT6Pg Spotify https://spoti.fi/3wsOL7a Audacy https://bit.ly/3xdaqjU Stitcher https://bit.ly/3cFWffn Google https://buff.ly/2yH7WOl Megaphone https://bit.ly/2RUBlC5x Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.