When it comes to playing under the bright lights of University of Phoenix Stadium, the New England Patriots are no stranger to it.

University of Phoenix Stadium was the place where the Patriots lost to Eli Manning, David Tyree and the New York Giants in Super Bowl 42, bringing an end to their perfect season. The stadium also played host to the Patriots when they played the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 49, famously known for the last second interception from Malcolm Butler at the one-yard line.

On Sunday night, it will be the place where the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals will do battle on Sunday Night Football.

When it came to the bright lights of primetime games last season, the Cardinals shined the brightest winning five of their primetime games.

Television Broadcast

Kickoff: Sunday, Sept. 11 at 8:30 p.m. ET TV

Channel: NBC

No Brady, no Gronk

Jimmy Garoppolo will start the first four games of the 2016 season while Tom Brady serves his suspension (Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports)
Jimmy Garoppolo will start the first four games of the 2016 season while Tom Brady serves his suspension (Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports)

For the first time since the 2008, the New England Patriots will be without their starting quarterback Tom Brady, as he serves his four game suspension for his role in Deflategate.

Jimmy Graoppolo will be under center running the Patriots offense. In his first two seasons, he has completed 20 passes on 31 attempts, throwing for 182 yards and a touchdown. These four games will be crucial in determining the future of Graoppolo with the Patriots organization.

The Patriots will also be without the services of starting tight end Rob Gronkowski. It was announced Friday that Gronkowski will not play Sunday night, along with Jonathan Cooper and Nate Solder.

Gronkowski was limited in practice all week after battling a hamstring injury for the past couple of weeks. This will be a big blow for the Patriot offense. When healthy Gronkowski is one of the NFL’s most dynamic targets.

Chandler Jones faces old team

Chandler Jones is ready to face his former team for the first time (Rob Schumacher/azcentral sports)
Chandler Jones is ready to face his former team for the first time (Rob Schumacher/azcentral sports)

Arizona returns majority of the starters they had on defense. Going into the offseason, the biggest problem that needed to be addressed was the pass rush. They addressed the issue by trading for Chandler Jones.

“I’m taking this like a regular Week 1,” Jones told the Boston Globe. “This is a big game for me, but I’m approaching it like it’s another game.”

The Cardinals also used their first round pick on Robert Nkemdiche. Add in Calais Campbell, Alex Okafor, and Marcus Golden to the mix, this Cardinals’ front seven should be trouble for offensive coordinators.

Cardinal offense vs. Patriot defense

The Patriots will be given the task of slowing down the Cardinals high scoring offense (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
The Patriots will be given the task of slowing down the Cardinals high scoring offense (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

The versatile Cardinals’ offense will go up against one of the top defenses in the league. The Patriots were in the top 10 when it came to stopping the run. The Patriot front seven will have a tough task in slowing down second year running back David Johnson and veteran Chris Johnson.

The Cardinals’ offensive line will have quite the chore also, the Patriots defense ranked second in the NFL with 49 sacks. The Cardinals brought in veteran guard Evan Mathis to help solidify the right side of the Cardinals O-Line. The battle in the trenches will be something to watch.

Another interesting battle to watch will be the Cardinals play makers at wide receiver versus the Patriots secondary. Carson Palmer has many options to get the ball into the end zone. Whether it’s the speedy receivers in John Brown or J.J. Nelson or the big targets in Larry Fitzgerald or Michael Floyd. The Cardinals receivers caught 35 touchdowns last season while the Patriots secondary had 12 interceptions and forced 22 fumbles. Should make for an interesting matchup.

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