The Arizona Cardinals are 1-3 after another Week 4 loss that followed a familiar script: a chance to finish, then a collapse when the game was there to be taken.
At quarterback, Jacoby Brissett gave Arizona some real production, but not nearly enough to call it a clean day. He threw two touchdown passes, and the three interceptions came with varying degrees of blame, but the bottom line is hard to escape.
Brissett’s 55.2 passer rating was the worst he’s posted in years, and even if his offensive line didn’t give him much help, this wasn’t close to a passing grade. The Cardinals aren’t making a change for Week 5, though if Brissett doesn’t turn things around soon, that conversation may arrive faster than anyone wants.
Arizona’s running backs were one of the few bright spots. Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier combined for 105 yards on 22 carries, good for 4.7 yards per carry, and they added a touchdown as well.
The strange part was how quickly the Cardinals moved away from the run after building a 14-3 lead. When they did commit to it, both backs were effective.
That decision to lean away from the ground game is going to linger as one of the game’s bigger regrets for Mike LaFleur.
The pass-catchers also did enough to help Arizona stay in the game. Marvin Harrison Jr. scored his first touchdown of the season, Elijah Higgins chipped in a surprise score as TE2, and Michael Wilson turned in a 95-yard day on seven catches.
Still, when the game tightened up, nobody in that group came up with the decisive play. Arizona couldn’t get separation or haul in the tough ones on any of the final four targeted passes, and the offense stalled at the exact moment it needed a spark.
Trey McBride was mostly limited to checkdowns, finishing with 31 yards on seven catches, while Harrison went quiet after his touchdown and Wilson was targeted twice in the closing moments.
Up front, the Cardinals’ offensive line had its moments early, especially while the run game was working. That didn’t last.
Once the ground attack faded, Arizona was forced into a heavier passing script, and Brissett was blitzed on nearly 54% of his dropbacks with a 38.5% pressure rate. He was only officially sacked twice, but he got the ball out in 2.52 seconds on average, one of the fastest times in the NFL this week.
The right side remained a problem, with Isaiah Adams and Elijah Wilkinson drawing particular attention. Brissett wasn’t under siege on every snap, but this group still needed to do more.
Defensively, the Cardinals had a much better day against the run than they’ve had in some other outings. New York was held to 3.1 yards per carry, didn’t score on the ground, and was limited to four tackles for loss.
In the pass rush, Arizona recorded four quarterback hits and two sacks, with Walter Nolen III showing up and Darius Robinson adding a surprising sack. Roy Lopez was active too, finishing with six tackles.
Josh Sweat also made his presence felt with his first sack and multiple pressures, while Zaven Collins got to Jameis Winston as well. After spending much of the season waiting for this group to make a real impact up front, Arizona finally got more of it on Sunday.
The linebacker and coverage picture was more uneven. Mack Wilson Sr. forced a second-half fumble, but he also got targeted in coverage and allowed two touchdowns through the air. Jack Gibbens led the team with eight tackles, but the overall production from the unit was dragged down by what the Giants were able to do through the air.
In the secondary, Garrett Williams looked healthier than he did last week and was around the action throughout the game. Denzel Burke also picked off a pass.
Even so, the absence of Will Johnson mattered, and Arizona still couldn’t do enough to slow Malik Nabers, who finished with 6 catches for 112 yards and a touchdown. Budda Baker was the clear headliner on the back end, turning in what was easily his best outing of 2026 with an interception and two strong pass breakups.
But the day took a hit when Andrew Wingard left with an injury and rookie Wydett Williams stepped in. Williams gave up several big plays and was flagged for a block in the back on Baker’s interception return, making for a rough finish to what was already a mixed day for the group.
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Jeremiyah Love's Hot Start Comes With One Big Cardinals Question
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For the Cardinals, the praise is encouraging but still comes with a reminder of how quickly these early-season judgments can shift. Bruglers list is built on a small sample, and Loves start has certainly been loud, but the bigger question is how long he can keep this pace going once defenses adjust and the season settles into its grind. [Read more 🡒]