The Cardinals may be 2-4, but the conversation around them is moving fast, and not every rumor in the building carries the same weight heading into Week 7.
Jacoby Brissett is one of the names drawing the most attention, and for now the chatter points in one direction. Brissett keeps earning praise in the eyes of Mike LaFleur, and his game-winning drive against the Rams only helped his case, even with another pretty average outing overall.
After another upset win, Arizona has a little less urgency to force changes, which includes the quarterback spot whenever that moment comes. It just won’t be next week.
On the defensive side, Jeff Rallis has not exactly been cleared from the crosshairs, even after Sunday’s rebound. The Cardinals came out with more pressure and played their best defensive game of the season, but one strong showing does not erase the bigger concerns. If this weekend goes badly and the defense falls back to earth against Denver, the larger questions around the unit will come right back.
There’s also been talk about the backfield, but that’s another idea the Cardinals probably can’t afford to entertain. Bam Knight looked strong on Sunday, yet a group built around only Knight, Tyler Allgeier and Evan Hull doesn’t leave much room for comfort.
Love’s ankle does not appear serious, and if it had been, he would have landed on injured reserve last week. He could miss multiple games, but ruling him out for four weeks during his rookie season, when Arizona needs him most, would be a reach.
One place where the Cardinals may have to rethink their approach is Sweat. At the start of the season, keeping him made sense.
Now the landscape has changed. The more Sweat starts looking like his old self again, the more interest he should generate as the trade deadline gets closer, when his value would be at its peak.
He wants a pay raise and a fresh start elsewhere, and if he keeps getting to the quarterback, Arizona could end up finding a market that meets its price.
And then there’s the schedule, which suddenly offers a real path for momentum. This is still a week-to-week league, and Arizona has already proven that several times.
Denver, Dallas, Seattle and Los Angeles are up next over the next four weeks, and all four are considered very beatable right now. Nothing about that run is guaranteed, but after knocking off the Rams, it’s at least possible the Cardinals come out of that stretch with multiple wins.
In Other News...
Seahawks Stay Committed To Sam Darnold Despite One Growing Concern
The Cardinals got a fresh reminder of why their defense has been so hard to crack in the early part of the season, even if the spotlight in the division has been on quarterbacks and playmakers elsewhere. Safety Budda Baker was quick to point to defensive coordinator Nick Rallis after Arizonas upset win, and the praise centered on how the game plan came together against the Rams in a tight, low-scoring finish.
For Arizona, that kind of endorsement matters because it speaks to trust, preparation and the kind of structure the defense is trying to build week to week. Bakers comments also hinted at how clearly Rallis mapped out the approach ahead of time, a detail that helps explain why the Cardinals were able to stay disciplined when the game tightened up late. [Read more 🡒]
Chad Ryland Had One Unexpected Spark In Cardinals Win Over Rams
The Cardinals latest win over the Rams had plenty of late-game tension, but Chad Ryland ended up as the difference-maker in a game that was too tight for comfort. Arizona had to claw back from a late deficit, and Ryland kept the offense moving with a flawless night on field goals, giving the Cardinals a reliable edge in a game that tilted on every possession.
What made the performance stand out was how unusual it was even by NFL standards. Ryland joined rare company by becoming just the 10th kicker in league history to hit six field goals in a single game, and he also climbed into fourth place in Cardinals history for most points by one player in a game. For a team that has already seen enough volatility this season, it was the kind of steady special-teams outing that can change the feel of an entire week. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Face Serious Off-Field Fight Over Damaging Workplace Allegations
The off-field scrutiny around the Cardinals took another turn this week as the organization continued to deal with a lawsuit brought by two former employees, Don Shumpert and Kendra Hogue, who accuse the team and owner Michael Bidwill of racial discrimination, improper pay and other workplace problems. The Cardinals have denied the allegations, but the claims add another layer of distraction for a franchise that has spent plenty of time trying to keep attention on football.
A federal judge has now said the discrimination portions of the case cannot move through open court, instead sending those claims into binding arbitration under agreements the employees signed. The ruling does not make the dispute disappear, and it leaves the larger fight over the workplace allegations in a different forum, with the public getting only a limited view of how this one will play out. [Read more 🡒]