The Cardinals are running out of runway with Jacoby Brissett, and Sunday’s loss to Denver only pushed the conversation louder.
Arizona fell to 2-5 after a 30-16 defeat to the Broncos, and the offense once again never found its footing. The Cardinals’ red zone problems carried over from last week, and the result was another game under 20 points - their second straight and their third such outing in the first seven weeks.
Denver’s defense made the day miserable for the Cardinals. The Broncos hit Brissett 13 times, held Arizona to 5-of-17 on third down, and allowed just one touchdown across five red zone trips.
Still, Brissett will be back under center in Week 8 against the Dallas Cowboys. Mike LaFleur confirmed that after the game, and when asked what Brissett brings, he kept the answer pointed at the whole operation.
"I'm not even going to talk about any of the individuals. It's us collectively. We just gotta finish better," he said.
"... We had opportunities to make some plays that we didn't, and when we get to the point where we're going to flip this thing, we got to make those plays. This is a collective deal in terms of coaching and playing, but we can make that easier on ourselves."
Brissett’s start to the year has come after a re-worked deal in the early part of training camp, which ended his offseason holdout and added more money to the final year of a two-year contract. He has started every game since.
The issue for Arizona is bigger than one quarterback, and Brissett is not the only reason the offense has sputtered. The line has been below par, and the pass-catchers have not met expectations. But that doesn’t change the reality that the Cardinals’ offense has stalled far too often, and Brissett’s limitations have shown up again and again.
He brings the profile of a veteran who can stay in the pocket and protect the ball, but his ceiling and quick trigger have put a cap on what this offense can be. LaFleur was expected to bring innovation; instead, Arizona has looked stuck through seven weeks.
Early in the season, the Cardinals could lean on the idea that Brissett gave them the best chance to win right now. That argument gets harder to sell at 2-5.
LaFleur may be trying to keep the focus on the present, but the longer Arizona waits to consider other options, the deeper the hole becomes. A switch to Gardner Minshew or even Carson Beck would not mean the Cardinals are waving the white flag. It would mean they are finally admitting Brissett has taken this offense as far as he can.
In Other News...
Cardinals Right Back In A Frustrating Spot After Broncos Loss
A trip to Denver only deepened the frustration for Arizona, which dropped a 30-16 decision and slid to 2-5 in a game that followed a familiar script. The defense gave up 377 yards and too many chunk plays, while the offense could not turn enough possessions into points, leaving the Cardinals chasing the game for most of the afternoon.
Jacoby Brissett finished just over 56 percent of his passes for 272 yards, but Arizona still came away with only one touchdown on five trips inside the 20-yard line. Trey McBride again gave the passing game a steady target with 10 catches for 111 yards and the lone score, yet the Cardinals are still left looking for a way to make those opportunities count when they need them most. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Keep Moving The Ball But One Problem Is Getting Worse
The Cardinals had enough offense to stay in the game for stretches against Denver, moving the ball well enough to create chances and getting solid play from key contributors like linebacker Jack Gibbens and tight end Trey McBride. Even in a 30-16 loss, there were individual performances worth pointing to, which is part of what makes this stretch so frustrating for Arizona.
The bigger issue is that the same problems keep showing up in different forms. The rushing attack still hasnt found much traction, the pass rush remains inconsistent and the offense keeps leaving points on the field when it gets close to scoring range. Add in the penalty issues, and it becomes harder for the Cardinals to turn decent drives into the kind of finish that changes a game. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Loss To Denver Exposed A Problem Fans Will Be Debating
The Cardinals Week 7 loss in Denver looked a lot like too many of their setbacks this season: a defense that could not keep the score manageable and an offense that spent long stretches under siege. Arizona fell 30-16 and slipped to 2-5, with the Broncos again pushing the Cardinals defense past the 30-point mark. It was the kind of game that leaves the larger questions hanging over a team trying to find any sign of traction.
Jacoby Brissett had little room to settle in, as Denvers pressure repeatedly forced the issue and kept Arizona behind the chains. Even with the game unfolding in the shadow of a special halftime moment for Larry Fitzgerald, the on-field concerns were impossible to ignore, especially the way the Cardinals were beaten up up front. For a team already searching for answers, that is the part of the loss that figures to keep coming up. [Read more 🡒]