For a few days, the mood around the Cardinals had shifted.
Beating the division-rival Los Angeles Rams had given Arizona real hope entering its Week 7 matchup with Denver, especially with the Broncos carrying a strong record and still showing cracks. But that confidence evaporated fast at State Farm Stadium, where Denver rolled past the Cardinals 30-16 and left Arizona sitting at 2-5.
The first quarter offered a brief glimpse of the defense that helped fuel the win over the Rams. Nick Rallis’ group came out with energy, and the front got after Broncos quarterback Bo Nix early, including a sack from defensive end Darius Robinson. Through one quarter, Arizona had limited Denver to only two field goals and no touchdowns.
Then the game tilted sharply.
Nix started doing damage with his legs, and the Cardinals had no answer for it. He broke loose for a 62-yard touchdown run, slipping through untouched for the score.
Soon after, he connected with Broncos running back R.J. Harvey on a 52-yard touchdown screen, with Harvey working through traffic after Denver set the play up well.
After tackling so cleanly against the Rams, Arizona’s defense let too many plays get away from it here.
There were flashes from the Cardinals’ defense, but they were swallowed up by too many rough snaps. The performance never held together for long.
Offensively, Arizona still ran into the same familiar problem: not enough help beyond its top targets. Trey McBride and Michael Wilson continued to stand out, but the Cardinals still need another legitimate pass catcher. Jacoby Brissett did deliver a few nice deep throws, but Arizona’s receivers couldn’t finish the job.
The bigger issue is speed. McBride and Wilson are more about strength and possession than stretching the field, and that was true even when Marvin Harrison Jr. was available.
A different kind of outside threat could change the shape of this offense, the way players like Khalil Shakir do for the Buffalo Bills or Luther Burden III does for the Chicago Bears. That type of addition would fit what head coach Mike LaFleur needs.
Brissett’s day also stood in sharp contrast to what the Cardinals got from Nix. The Broncos quarterback didn’t light up the box score, but he did what Arizona has wanted from its own starter: move the ball, avoid mistakes, and keep the offense on schedule. Nix finished with one touchdown pass, no interceptions, and an 88.6 passer rating.
Coming into the season, the Cardinals expected Brissett to deliver that sort of steadiness. Instead, he has turned the ball over more than expected and missed too many routine reads.
The issue isn’t that Arizona needs him to play like Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills or Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens. It’s that the simple stuff has become a problem.
I still don't think the Cardinals' infrastructure is great for any quarterback, but after this game, going with Gardner Minshew or Carson Beck is the right choice.
That quarterback conversation is only part of the mess. Arizona’s red-zone issues are becoming a major problem, and they showed up again against Denver.
After going a full week without a touchdown and settling for six field goals in the red zone, the Cardinals were only one for five inside the 20 this time. Their lone touchdown came when Brissett hit McBride on a seven-yard score.
Two straight weeks of poor red-zone execution should set off alarms. This offense is built with more possession-heavy pieces than most, so it should be better in tight spaces. Instead, the Cardinals keep walking away with field goals when touchdowns are sitting there.
That’s the kind of flaw that can swing a season. If Arizona can’t turn those red-zone trips into touchdowns, it’s going to keep giving games away. And if Mike LaFleur can’t fix it, the second half of the season could get long in a hurry.
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 🡒]