Ravens vs Cardinals Preview

The Baltimore Ravens face the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football. 

The Arizona Cardinals need a win to solidify their grip on first place in the NFC West.

The Baltimore Ravens need a win — period.

The Cardinals (4-2) play their only home game over a six-week span when they face the Ravens (1-5) on Monday night.

Baltimore will play on the road for the fifth time in its first seven games.

"I'd rather have ours than Baltimore's," Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said of the schedules. "They've been back and forth three times to the West Coast."

The Ravens played at Oakland on Sept. 20 (and lost 37-33) and, last week, at San Francisco (and lost 25-20).

Every Arizona win has been a blowout. The Cardinals have lost the two that were close, most recently a 25-13 defeat in Pittsburgh last Sunday.

For the Ravens, they've all been close. They have not lost a game by more than six points. Their only win was in overtime, 23-20 at Pittsburgh on Oct. 1.

"When you watch them on film, this is a good football team," Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer said. "You can't look at their record and think anything. ... They just lost a weird one to Cleveland at home. They lost a weird one in Oakland. They were coming back last week in San Francisco. With Cincinnati, it was back and forth, back and forth, I think it ended up being a four-point game."

Arians harped all week on the Cardinals' tendency to play great most of the time, then have a five-minute lull.

Several defensive players admitted they let up a bit when the Steelers brought in third-string quarterback Landry Jones, who promptly threw two touchdown passes.

Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith wasn't about to comment about the Cardinals' issues.

"What they've goin' on, I'd love to have their problems," he said. "We're 1-5. You know what I mean?"

Here are some things to look for when Arizona, in its only Monday night game this season, faces the Ravens.

Source WBAL