There were tangible reasons to justify the falling short of the playoffs in 2020. late-season injury was the main reason why Arizona was unable to parlay a 6-3 start into its first playoff berth since 2015. A defense that allowed at least 26 points six times over the season's last 10 games also contributed to the Cardinals posting a 3-6 record following their Week 8 bye. But all in all, the Cardinals' 8-8 record was a significant improvement from their 5-10-1 record in coach Kliff Kingsbury's first season in the desert in 2019.While some fans may have been inclined to give them a pa s last season, that won't be the case for the Cardinals in 2021, especially after the offseason Cardinals general manager Steve Keim had. On offense, the Cardinals added former Pro Bowlers ,and along with rookie wideout . Defensively, the Cardinals signed perennial All-Pro pa s rusher as well as former Pro Bowl cornerback (and Super Bowl XLIX hero) . Arizona further added to its defense when it spent its first-round pick on , one of the top-rated linebackers in the draft.Despite their roster upgrades, William Hill Sportsbook has the Cardinals' Over/Under set at 8 games, which would put them below the .500 mark. Below, you can check out my week-by-week breakdown and predictions of every game game on Arizona's 2021 schedule, including each team's Over/Under set by William Hill. But first, let's explore several notable takeaways from Arizona's schedule as well as pinpointing the toughest part of its upcoming journey. Key schedule observationsArizona's opponents posted a cumulative .507 winning percentage in 2020, which puts it in a tie with Tenne see for the 13th toughest Marc Gasol Jersey scheduleNine games against 2020 playoff teams Three prime-time games that include a Christmas Day showdown with the Week 12 byeNine road games, eight home gamesToughest stretchThe schedule is relatively consistent, with relatively winnable games often sandwiched between formidable opponents. Two things of note is that the Cardinals will be on the road for four of its first six games. Their toughest stretch takes place after their Week 12 bye. The slate starts with a December game in Chicago, followed by a home game against the . After another road game in Detroit, the Cardinals will play host to the Colts on Christmas Day. The Cardinals will kick off 2022 with a road game against what should be a vastly improved team before closing out the regular season against the always tough at home. Now let's get to the predictions:Week 1- Sunday, Sept. 12Location: Ni san Stadium (Nashville, Tenne see)Time: 1 p.m. ET2020 record: 11-5Series record: 7-4 (Cardinals lead)Opponent win total: O/U 9.5The Cardinals' run defense -- 22nd in the league in 2020 -- will be immediately tested in 2021 in the form of , the reigning two-time rushing champion. On offense, Murray should have succe s against the Titans' suspect pa s defense. It's a close call, but I'm taking the Titans in a tight-knit, high-scoring affair. Prediction: Cardinals lose 31-27 Pick Six Newsletter Crafted By The Best NFL Experts Get the day's big stories + fun stuff you love like mock drafts, picks and power rankings. I agree to receive the "Pick Six Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. Malachi Flynn Jersey By pre sing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the and acknowledge Paramount's . Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Sorry! There was an error proce sing your subscription. Week 2- Sunday, Sept. 19Location: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)Time: 4:05 p.m. ET2020 record: 7-9Series record: 17-11 (Vikings lead)Opponent win total:O/U 8.5A week after facing Henry, the Cardinals' defense will again be put up to the test against , who finished second in the NFL in rushing last season. Unlike Week 1, I'm taking the Cardinals to win behind the efforts of Murray, who should be able to take advantage of a Vikings defense that finished near the bottom in most defensive categories in 2020.Prediction: Cardinals win 30-20Week 3- Sunday, Sept. 26Location: TIAA Bank Field (Jacksonville, Florida)Time: 1 p.m. ET2020 record: 1-15Series record: 3-2 (Cardinals lead)Opponent win total:O/U 6 This one should be fun. The Jaguars, 1-15 last season, should be vastly better under Urban Meyer, who has led a revamping of Jacksonville's roster that includes the addition of rookie quarterback . This is the type of early-season game against a rookie quarterback where defensive veterans Watt, Butler, and should thrive. It might be closer than Cardinals fans would want, but the Cardinals should leave Jacksonville with their first road win.Prediction:Cardinals win 20-16Los Angeles RamsFirst meeting:Week 4 (SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California) - Sunday, Oct. 3, 4:05 p.m. ETSecond meeting:Week 14 (Glendale, Arizona) - Sunday, Dec. 13, 8:15 p.m. ET2020 record: 10-6Series Record:45-38-2 (Rams lead)Opponent win total:O/U 10.5For a second straight year, the Cardinals dropped both games to Los Angeles in 2020. Whether or not the Cardinals can win at least one of their games against the Rams in 2021 may determine whether or not the Cardinals make the playoffs. Like the Cardinals, the Rams are also expected to be better this season with the addition of former Lions quarterback . If healthy, Murray has proven himself capable of having succe s against the Rams' talented defense. These matchups will likely come down to how much succe s Watt and the rest of the Cardinals' defense can have against Goff and the Rams' offense. The Cardinals are certainly capable of forcing a series split, but until Kingsbury and Co. prove otherwise, I'm rolling with the Rams in both games. Week 4 Prediction: Cardinals lose 38-28Week 14 Prediction: Cardinals lose24-20First meeting:Week 5 (State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona) - Sunday, Oct. 10, 4:25 p.m. ETSecond meeting:Week 9 (Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California) - Sunday, Nov. 7, 4 Yuta Watanabe Jersey :25 p.m. ET2020 record: 6-10Series Record:32-27 (49ers lead)Opponent win total:O/U 10Arizona kicked off the 2020 season by beating the then-defending NFC champions. In their Week 17 rematch, the Cardinals dropped a pivotal game to the 49ers after allowing a season-high 227 rushing yards. Rest a sured that the 49ers (with a new stable of running backs that includes and ) will test the Cardinals' run defense when they head to State Farm Stadium in Week 5. Along with stopping the 49ers' running game, a big question in these matchups -- along with the Cardinals' 2021 season in general -- will be whether or not the team will get enough from their stable of running backs. The Cardinals, after all, did not bring back , the team's leading rusher each of the previous two seasons. If Arizona can establish its running game in both contests with the 49ers, it will certainly pay dividends and could lead to a series split.Week 5 Prediction:Cardinals win 27-24Week 9 Prediction: Cardinals lose28-21Week 6- Sunday, Oct. 17Location: FirstEnergy Stadium (Cleveland)Time: 4:05 p.m. ET2020 record: 11-5Series record: 33-15-3 (Browns lead)Opponent win total:O/U 10 It's time to pick an upset. The Browns will likely be favored for this one, and for good reason; they're deeper and more talented than the Cleveland team that nearly upset the in the divisional round of the 2020 playoffs. But the Cardinals' depth at receiver, along with the new pieces on Arizona's defense, may be enough to give the Cardinals an upset win. A key here will be whether or not the Cardinals can take advantage of Cleveland's suspect interior defense. This is where Conner, who had succe s against the Browns as a member of the , could shine.Prediction: Cardinals win 33-27 Week 7- Sunday, Oct. 24Location: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)Time: 4:25 p.m. ET2020 record: 4-12Series record: 2-2Opponent win total:O/U 4.5This has the makings of a "trap" game given that it falls between the trip to Cleveland and a home game against the Packers. But if the Cardinals handle their busine s, this should be one of the most predictable outcomes on Arizona's schedule. It might not be pretty (Houston will likely try to beat teams by keeping po se sion and playing bend-but-not-break defense), but a win is a win in the National Football League. Prediction: Cardinals win 24-17Week 8- Thursday, Oct. 28Location: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)Time: 8:20 p.m. ET2020 record: 13-3Series record: 45-26-4 (Packers lead)Similar to Cleveland, Green Bay will likely be favored when it faces the Cardinals, a suming that is still at quarterback. Regardle s, I'm taking the Cardinals at home on a short week in front of a national TV audience. This is a game where Watt, Jones and the Cardinals' pa s rush will be key. It is also the ideal spotlight for Murray to reinforce his status as one of the NFL's top young guns.Prediction: Cardinals win 28-24Week 10- Sunday, Nov. 14Location: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)Time: 4:05 p.m. ET2020 record: 5-11Series record: 13-5 (Panthers lead)Opponent win total:O/U 7.5 The Panthers, especially with a healthy , should be better than the five-win outfit they were in 2020. But the Cardinals should win this one, given the quarterback matchup Chris Boucher Jersey (Murray vs. former quarterback ) and the youth on the Panthers' defense.Prediction: Cardinals win 35-21Seattle SeahawksFirst meeting:Week 11 (Lumen Field, Seattle) - Sunday, Nov. 21, 4:25 p.m. ETSecond meeting:Week 18 (State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona) - Sunday, Jan. 9, 4:25 p.m. ET2020 record: 12-4Series Record:22-21-1 (Seahawks lead) Opponent win total:O/U 10Seattle and Arizona split two highly competitive games in 2020, with the home team winning both contests. I'm going with a similar result in 2021, but don't be surprised if the Cardinals are able to sweep a Seattle team that has several question marks, especially in the secondary. Winner aside, this matchup has turned into must-see viewing, largely because of the quarterback matchup between Murray and . Week 11 Prediction: Cardinals lose24-20Week 18 Prediction: Cardinals win 27-17Week 13- Sunday, Dec. 5Location: Soldier Field (Chicago)Time: 1 p.m. ET2020 record: 8-8Series record: 57-28-6 (Bears lead)Opponent win total:O/U 7.5The Bears' quarterback situation makes this a tricky game to predict.Regardle s of whom is under center for Chicago (barring injury, it will be either veteran or rookie), Chicago in December is never an easy game, especially for a warm weather team like Arizona. The Cardinals could very well win this game, especially if the Bears' season is in the dumps by this point. But given the po sible weather conditions, along with the fact that the Bears do have one of the league's more formidable defenses, I'll pick the Cardinals to fall in the Windy City. Prediction: Cardinals lose20-17Week 15- Sunday, Dec. 19Location: Ford Field (Detroit)Time: 1 p.m. ET2020 record: 5-11Series record: 34-28-6 (Lions lead)Opponent win total:O/U 5The Lions, a five-win team in 2020, should be tougher in 2021 with under center and defensive-minded Dan Campbell taking over what was the league's 32nd-ranked defense in 2020. That being said, the Cardinals should be able to take care of busine s in the Motor City, especially if the Lions can contain while making Goff and the Lions' offense one-dimensional.Prediction: Cardinals win 30-24Indianapolis ColtsWeek 16- Saturday, Dec. 25Location: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)Time: 8:15 p.m. ET2020 record: 11-5Series record: 9-8 Cardinals leadOpponent win total:O/U 10Like several other games on their schedule, the opposing team's unknown quarterback situation makes this a tough game to predict. That being said, I feel confident that will enjoy some measure of succe s in Indianapolis, where he will be reunited with Frank Reich (his offensive coordinator in Philadelphia). Given the strength of the Colts' roster, this should be an exciting Christmas Day game. I'll take the Cardinals prevailing while improving their postseason odds.Prediction: Cardinals win27-24Dallas CowboysWeek 17- Sunday, Jan. 2Location: ATT Stadium (Arlington, Texas) Time: 1 p.m. ET2020 record: 6-10Series record: 56-33-1 (Cowboys lead)Opponent win total:O/U 9.5This game may very well come down to the quarterbacks, as the Cardinals' Tracy McGrady Jersey defense will have to prevent from having a field day. Arizona's defense also can't sleep on , who is out to regain his place as arguably the NFL's best running back. Murray and the Cardinals' offense has enough firepower to keep pace with the Cowboys, but something tells me that Prescott is going to have one of those games.Prediction: Cowboys win 34-28Cardinals 2021 season projectionFinal record: 10-7Final conference record: 6-6Final division record: 2-4