The two ways to look at a trip to the desert for the Patriots in Sunday's matchup vs. the Cardinals are through the prism of finishing this season strong or with an eye toward the 2025 NFL Draft.
New England will come off its bye week already eliminated from playoff contention, while the Cardinals (6-7) playoff hopes are hanging by a thread after losing to the Seahawks in Week 14. Arizona is two games out of a playoff berth in the NFC, giving them a slim 8% chance to make the playoffs, per ESPN's playoff odds: the Cardinals are in must-win mode.