The Cardinals have spent three weeks showing exactly why their 2026 season feels so hard to pin down. One Sunday they looked like a team with a new offensive gear.
The next, they got buried. And in Week 3, they landed somewhere in between: enough ball control to stay afloat, not enough punch to finish the job.
That’s why Sunday’s trip to face the New York Giants feels like a chance to clean up the mess and get to 2-2. The problems in front of Arizona are real, but they also look fixable if the Cardinals can stop tripping over themselves.
The first issue is the most obvious one: penalties. Arizona was flagged 10 times for 86 yards against the 49ers, with six of those coming on offense and two each on defense and special teams.
That kind of self-inflicted damage mattered because the Cardinals actually owned the ball for nearly 39 minutes, compared with San Francisco’s 21. Long, grinding drives only go so far when holding calls and other flags keep pushing you backward and forcing you to start over.
And this hasn’t been a one-off. The Cardinals are currently the ninth most penalized team in the NFL and second in penalty yardage.
Even in their win over the Chargers, they gave away more than 110 yards to flags. Most of the damage has come from the offensive line, whether it’s pre-snap movement or holding, which puts the spotlight on Mike LaFleur and offensive line coach Justin Frye to tighten things up before Sunday at MetLife.
The second problem is the lack of explosive plays. Over the last two weeks against Seattle and San Francisco, Arizona hasn’t produced a single play over 20 yards.
That’s a bad sign for any offense, and it’s even more glaring when the Cardinals and Giants are tied for the fewest explosive plays in the NFL with two apiece. Both of Arizona’s came in Week 1 against the Chargers.
The numbers up front help explain why the offense has been stuck in mud. The Cardinals rank 24th in run block win rate and 31st in pass block win rate.
That’s a brutal combination, because the running game and passing game are feeding off each other in the worst possible way. A stronger ground attack from Jeremiyah Love would do more than just move the chains; it would also create room for the passing game to breathe and give players beyond Trey McBride and Michael Wilson a chance to matter.
Instead, Jacoby Brissett was left running a slow, steady offense last Sunday that kept drives alive but never really threatened. Without much time to throw and without an elite run game taking heat off him, he ended up leaning on Wilson and McBride too heavily.
The third problem sits on the other side of the ball. Nick Rallis’ defense has to generate more pressure.
Through three games, the pass rush has been underwhelming, and opposing quarterbacks have had too much comfort. Drew Lock and Brock Purdy both posted quarterback ratings of 130-plus in back-to-back weeks, a clear sign that Arizona isn’t making life hard enough on passing downs.
When the front four can’t speed up the quarterback, the coverage behind it gets exposed. That’s been especially costly with the young defensive back group now also missing CB1 Will Johnson.
The Cardinals do have one bright spot in Walter Nolen III, who hasn’t piled up sacks but has been winning often. He is the only Cardinal with a pass rush win rate in the top 20 of the league at 17%.
The matchup in New York gives Arizona a chance to chip away at that last issue. The Giants’ offensive line is still vulnerable on the interior, and if the Cardinals can force uncomfortable throws from backup Jameis Winston, that could ease the load on the secondary and shorten drives. If that happens, it would also help prevent the defense from wearing down.
For a team trying to settle itself after a chaotic first three weeks, that matters. Clean up the penalties, find a few more explosive plays, and get the defensive line to do its part. That’s the path the Cardinals need if they want Sunday to end with a win.
In Other News...
Cardinals Just Sent A Clear Message On Marvin Harrison Jr
The early chatter around Marvin Harrison Jr. has not changed Arizonas thinking, at least for now. Despite a slow start to the 2026 season and some trade speculation beginning to swirl, the Cardinals reportedly are not interested in moving the young receiver and continue to view him as part of the roster they want to build around.
ESPNs Dan Graziano reported that Arizona has already made other offensive investments, which helps explain why Harrison is not being treated like a player on the block. The stance could evolve later, but the current plan is for Harrison to stay in Arizona, giving the Cardinals a chance to let the situation settle before anything more dramatic enters the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Suddenly Have A Bigger Pass Rush Concern Before Giants
The Cardinals head into their Week 4 matchup with the Giants already managing a thin margin on defense, with safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson ruled out because of a back injury and edge rusher Josh Sweat listed as questionable with a groin issue. New York, by contrast, enters the game without any players on its injury report, which only sharpens the pressure on Arizona to clean up a pass rush that has been part of the conversation all week.
Coach Mike LaFleur has already pointed to the recent struggles up front and said the team has spent its prep time trying to get sharper for Sunday. For a Cardinals defense trying to create more disruption, Sweats status looms large because the difference between a manageable rotation and a real concern can show up quickly when a game plan hinges on getting to the quarterback. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Quarterback Plan Leaves One Big Cardinals Question Unanswered
The Giants are heading into their matchup with the Cardinals with a clear answer at one of the most important spots on the field, as veteran Jameis Winston is set to start while the offense continues to bring J.J. McCarthy along. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said McCarthy still needs more time to learn the system before he can be trusted in a meaningful game, leaving New York to lean on a familiar hand as it prepares for Arizona.
For the Cardinals, the bigger issue may be how much uncertainty still hangs over the Giants quarterback room beyond Winston. McCarthys status for the game remains unclear, and Jake Haener is expected to serve as the primary backup, which leaves Arizona waiting to see exactly what kind of depth chart it will be dealing with by kickoff. [Read more 🡒]