Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer faces the team that drafted him as the top pick in the 2004 NFL Draft the Cincinnati Bengals and is reportedly expected to have wide receiver John Brown on the field Sunday night. While Brown is expected to play, the team is reportedly less optimistic about wide receiver Michael Floyd, who will be limited at best, according to a tweet from ESPN's Adam Schefter, which can be seen below.
Cards expect WR John Brown (hamstring-Q) to play vs. Cincy; not as optimistic about WR Michael Floyd (hammy-Q), who at best will be limited.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 22, 2015
The Cardinals are 7-2 on the season and face a Bengals team that is 8-1 coming off their first loss of the year to the Houston Texans. While Brown is expected to play Sunday, Bengals cornerback Pacman Jones and defensive end Michael Johnson are officially listed as doubtful and are unlikely to play today, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Johnson is doubtful with a back injury and is a key player on Cincinnati's defense. The Bengals defensive end has 21 combined tackles and two sacks on the season, as well as a force fumble. The Bengals secondary will need some help as well if Jones can't make it on the field Sunday night with a foot injury. Jones is one of the Bengals' best cornerbacks, and he has 47 combined tackles, a sack and two interceptions this year. The Bengals defense will need players to step up, and leaders like Geno Atkins, Carlos Dunlap, and Dre Kirkpatrick will look to have their defense in place for this crucial matchup.
Arizona's offense will look to take advantage of the Bengals' injuries, and losing a pass rusher and a cornerback only helps the Cardinals' passing offense. Both Floyd and Brown are dealing with hamstring injuries, and they are the second and third leading receivers in yards for Arizona this season. Brown is expected to play, but it's unknown if Floyd will even be able to suit up, as he will likely test the hamstring out in pregame warm-ups. Look for wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald to make an impact if both Brown and Floyd are limited on Sunday, as Fitzgerald leads the team in receptions with 65 catches and has seven touchdowns on the season.
It looks to be an interesting matchup between two teams destined to make the playoffs. While both of these teams have top-tier defenses, the Bengals secondary matchup against the Cardinals wide receivers could be a key factor in who wins this game.
