Published Dec 17, 9:29pm EST by
Paul Lebowitz - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Dec 17, 9:29pm EST
Grok AI
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| Arizona Cardinals | +2.5 (+100) |
| Atlanta Falcons | -2.5 (-120) |
As the Falcons' season came undone, the focus has been on head coach Raheem Morris' job status. There's no defending him. He came in with great promise and fiery, inspiring oratory, but the on-field results have been disastrous.
However, one reason that Morris was hired instead of Bill Belichick was that Belichick was going to come in and take over the entire operation despite his protestations to the contrary. Although Belichick's life has taken some...unexpected...turns, could the Falcons have been any worse with Belichick and Jordon Hudson?
GM Terry Fontenot might also be on shaky ground. He's been on the job for five years and has not had a winning season.
Regardless of what happens after the season, the Falcons have not outright quit. Against the Bucs in Week 15, QB Kirk Cousins had his best game of the season since taking over for the injured Michael Penix, throwing for 373 yards and 3 TDs.
Atlanta came back from 28-14 down with less than 10 minutes remaining and won it on a last-second Zane Gonzalez field goal.
Over the past 25 years, the Falcons were 0-104-1 when trailing by 14 points or more in the 4th quarter.
— John Breech (@johnbreech) December 12, 2025
They are now 1-104-1 after this Zane Gonzalez field goal.
Falcons also set their franchise record for most penalties in a game. Wild win pic.twitter.com/F8qsqBqZeJ
Atlanta does have talent. Their running game is solid with Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. They're in the top 10 in the league in defensive passing yards per game. They have a solid pass rush with James Pearce, Brandon Dorlus, Jalen Walker, Zach Harrison, and LaCale London.
Despite the poor season, they're still trying to win.
ALSO SEE: Steelers vs Lions | Week 16 Odds & NFL Pick (Dec 21)
| PLAYER | STATUS |
|---|---|
| Tyrone Wheatley Jr., OT | INJURED |
| KhaDrel Hodge, WR | INJURED |
| Leonard Floyd, DE | INJURED |
| Drake London, WR | INJURED |
| Bralen Trice, LB | INJURED |
| Zach Harrison, DE | INJURED |
| Troy Andersen, LB | INJURED |
| Mike Hughes, CB | INJURED |
Are the Cardinals this bad or have they just said "the hell with it" knowing that there's going to be a new head coach and a new starting QB in 2026 with Kyler Murray on the outs?
It's probably a combination of both. Giving up 45 points to the Rams in Week 14? Yeah. That's understandable. It's the Sean McVay/Matthew Stafford/Puka Nacua Rams. They can score on anyone. But in Week 15, they gave up 40 points to the offensively challenged Texans.
That, as much as anything, is a sure sign that the Cardinals' players are making business decisions.
In his first game in the NFL, Texans' rookie running back Jawhar Jordan ran for 101 yards on 15 carries. For the Cardinals, Jacoby Brissett played well, completing 27 of 40 passes for 249 yards and 3 TDs.
Largely because of Brissett, the Cardinals are 7th in the league in passing yards per game. However, they are in the bottom third in every other team-centric stat. In part, it's because they've fallen behind early in so many games that they're throwing on almost every down.
The veteran QB insists his teammates are still invested in the season.
Jacoby Brissett says the Cardinals remain focused and haven’t checked out.
— Bo Brack (@BoBrack) December 17, 2025
Brissett has been on teams that have “you can tell guys are already in Cancun & Cabo” @PHNX_Cardinals pic.twitter.com/UeH2mp3dSj
Regardless, the record is what it is. It's a team in disarray and the Black Monday axe will inevitably fall on head coach Jonathan Gannon.
| PLAYER | STATUS |
|---|---|
| Cody Simon, LB | INJURED |
| Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, S | INJURED |
| Max Melton, CB | INJURED |
| Xavier Weaver, WR | INJURED |
| Darren Hall, CB | INJURED |
| Marvin Harrison Jr., WR | INJURED |
| Paris Johnson Jr., OT | INJURED |
| Jalen Thompson, S | INJURED |
| Andre Baccellia, WR | INJURED |
| Bam Knight, RB | INJURED |
| Evan Brown, G | INJURED |
In Week 16 Falcons-Cardinals, neither team has much to play for. Both head coaches are likely to be fired as soon as the season is over. Atlanta is in a better position to contend reasonably quickly when compared to Arizona. But they'll each have high picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Cousins can still hit the open receiver if he has time. Atlanta can run the ball effectively. The Falcons have been playing with greater urgency than the Cardinals have. By that alone, the road favorite Falcons should cover the light spread.
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Pick
Atlanta Falcons -2.5
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