The Arizona Cardinals opened their season with a 26-14 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, and the box score had a little of everything: efficient quarterback play, a tight end doing tight end-star things, a surprise pass-catching standout, and a couple of letdowns mixed in.
Jacoby Brissett set the tone for Arizona’s offense. He threw for 277 yards and a touchdown, going 27 of 37 and getting the ball out quickly throughout the afternoon.
He never had to live in a high-pressure moment, either. Instead, he kept things moving while the Cardinals played with the lead, which made this feel like a cleaner version of the passing work he was already putting together last season.
Trey McBride kept reminding everyone why he’s the Cardinals’ best player. He finished with nine catches for 95 yards and a touchdown, and he did plenty of damage against one of the league’s best safeties in Derwin James. It was another big outing from a player who keeps showing up no matter the matchup.
Kendrick Bourne made a strong first impression in his Arizona debut. With so much attention naturally going to McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson, Bourne carved out his own lane and delivered eight catches for 75 yards. He caught every target thrown his way.
On defense, Andrew Wingard was all over the place. “Dewey” finished with four tackles, including two for loss, and he forced both Chargers turnovers with a forced fumble and an interception. That kind of disruptive day can swing a game in a hurry, and it did here.
Not everything was clean, though. Marvin Harrison Jr. had a 33-yard highlight catch, but that was the extent of his day. He was targeted only three times and finished with one reception.
And Blake Gillikin’s numbers were a little deceptive. His 52.7-yard punting average looks strong on paper, but he only punted three times, and two of those ended up as touchbacks.
In Other News...
Cardinals Suddenly Have A Safety Depth Problem They Cant Ignore
Kitan Crawfords Week 1 injury has quickly turned into a real roster issue for Arizona. The safety was carted off with a mid-ankle sprain and has since been placed on injured reserve with a designation to return, which means he will miss at least four weeks as the Cardinals try to manage a thin group on the back end.
Crawford is expected to be eligible to come back by Week 6, but the more immediate concern is how Arizona holds up in the meantime. Injuries have already thinned out the safety room, and with limited depth available, the Cardinals do not have much margin for error while they wait for one of their younger defensive pieces to get healthy. [Read more 🡒]
Mike LaFleur Just Put Trey McBride In Rare Company
Mike LaFleur did not waste much time putting Trey McBride in a special category after picking up his first career win as a head coach. During an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," LaFleur went out of his way to praise the Cardinals tight ends mental and physical toughness, his ball skills and the way he carries himself as a leader, all while making clear that McBride is still growing into what he can become.
The comparison that stood out most was LaFleurs view of how McBride can control the pace of a play, a trait he likened to Luka Doncic. For Arizona, that kind of versatility is the sort of thing that changes what an offense can be, and it also hints at why McBride has become such an important piece of the picture as the Cardinals try to build something more stable around him. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Secondary Shakeup Starts With Another Injury Move
The Cardinals kept adjusting the back end of their roster at the Tempe training center, placing a safety and special teams contributor on injured reserve and opening a spot by promoting Kalen King from the practice squad to the active roster. The moves fit a stretch in which Arizona has had to keep shuffling its defensive depth while also managing the special teams roles that tend to get overlooked until injuries force the issue.
Art Green and Jerrick Reed II were added to the practice squad as the team looked to replenish both cornerback and safety depth, while wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette was released from the practice squad to make room. For a secondary already dealing with turnover, the latest round of transactions suggests the Cardinals are still sorting out who will be available when the next game week starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]