The Arizona Cardinals and the rest of the NFC West are going to find a long and tough uphill climb when the 2012 NFL regular season gets going, because they'll have to deal with the strength of the NFC North and the power of the AFC East. It's far from being an easy task, and it's likely the Cardinals will have a lot of struggle adapting to this schedule
After the jump, more on the Cardinals and their opponents.
Arizona has one of the toughest road schedules in the league. Arizona must go to Green Bay, Minnesota, New England, New York and Atlanta. While there are some advantages (both Atlanta and Minnesota will be domed games, so no elements take effect here), most of these teams are playoff contenders on a regular basis. They will not be easy for a Cardinals team that has their struggles in the environment.
It doesn't get easier in Glendale. They'll have to face Chicago, Detroit, Miami, Buffalo and Philadelphia at home. While Buffalo and Miami are the lower squads in the AFC East, the Bears, Lions and Eagles are all significant threats and figure to provide stiff competition.
To discuss the schedule with Cardinals fans, head to Revenge of the Birds.