The Cardinals finally turned Jeremiyah Love loose, and the timing could hardly be better for Arizona.
After opening the year with Love in a committee behind veteran Tyler Allgeier, the No. 3 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft broke through in the Cardinals’ 36-30 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. He handled 26 touches and piled up 109 scrimmage yards, both more than he had in his previous two games combined, and he added a touchdown through the air. For the first time, the backfield belonged to him.
That shift matters for the Week 4 matchup at MetLife Stadium, where the Cardinals are set to face a Giants defense that has already had trouble holding up against the run. Arizona looks like it may have found the right moment to feature Love as the clear lead option.
The Giants had real interest in Love before the draft, with head coach John Harbaugh reportedly “seriously looking” at the former Notre Dame standout this offseason. New York eventually went in a different direction and landed rookie linebacker Arvell Reese, but the possibility that Love could have ended up in blue still lingers as the teams prepare to meet.
Against San Francisco, Love led Arizona’s backfield in snaps for the first time in his young career, finishing with 51 to Allgeier’s 30. Only Chubba Hubbard of the Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley and Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard had a higher rush attempt share, at 77.8 percent. The route split was close, but the workload on the ground made the message clear: the Cardinals handed Love the keys.
That should be a problem for New York. The Giants have allowed the third-most adjusted yards before contact per attempt this season at 2.83, a sign they are getting moved off the line.
That issue showed up in 2025 as well. Arizona hasn’t exactly dominated up front either, ranking 27th in that same offensive category, but Allgeier has been the main reason the production has lagged.
With Allgeier now pushed into a more defined backup role, Arizona’s run game looks better positioned moving forward. Put a back like Love into that setup, and the Giants may be staring at exactly the kind of performance they hoped to avoid.
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