The Cardinals never played at home in Week 1 of the NFL season during their 18 seasons at Sun Devil Stadium. Sunday night will be the seventh time in 11 seasons at University of Phoenix Stadium that the Cardinals have hosted a Week 1 game. With the Patriots coming to town for "Sunday Night Football," it makes a difference.

The Cards have won six straight home openers and have won 10 straight home games in September. It's interesting to note that the last time the Cardinals lost at home in September was back in 2009, when the reigning NFC Champions lost not once but twice.

You remember that season, right? The Cards lost their opener, at home, to a lesser 49ers team. A couple of weeks later, Peyton Manning and the Colts blew them out of the building. The Cardinals were 1-2, everyone asked "What's wrong?" -- and then they got to 10-5 before shutting it down in the regular-season finale against the Packers.

Since then, the Cards' home opener has been in Week 1 four times (wins over Carolina in Cam's first start in 2011, Seattle in Russell Wilson's first start in 2012, San Diego on "Monday Night Football" in 2014 and New Orleans last year), Week 2 once (beating Detroit in 2013) and Week 3 once (beating Oakland in 2010.)

You can argue, easily, that the Patriots represent the best team the Cardinals have hosted in the home opener in that span (although the 2012 Seahawks turned out to be pretty good). But the Cardinals have made that first home game advantageous.