The Arizona Cardinals, for the fourth straight game, could not manage to execute in the fourth quarter, falling 31-27 to the Colts in Indianapolis. Arizona put together its best offensive performance of the season by a wide margin, but their worst defensive game.
Generally, living with a poor defensive performance every now and then is palatable, if the offense is able to keep pace. Somehow, they did keep pace on Sunday, despite missing their starting QB and losing their top receiver early in the first half.
Backup QB Jacoby Brissett played an excellent game, but Arizona fell just shy of the go-ahead Red Zone score, and their defense could not get enough push to halt a potent Colts offense.
Cardinals’ Passing Attack: By the Numbers
Regardless of one’s opinion of Kyler Murray, it’s undeniable that the Cardinals’ passing attack was the best it’s been all season. Brissett completed 27 of his 44 passes for 320 yards, two scores and one errant interception. He was decisive and poised in the pocket, while Arizona’s offensive line provided better protection than in recent weeks.
Brissett’s yardage was the most by a Cardinals QB by 100 yards this season. If the veteran backup had thrown for two more yards, it would have been the most QB passing yards since week eight of the 2022 season under Kliff Kingsbury (326 passing yards by Murray against the Vikings).
The Cardinals’ run game wasn’t exactly sharp, with just 88 yards on 24 carries (down their top two backs). But Arizona’s 400 total yards of offense was also the most they’ve recorded in a game since week 13 of 2024 — also against Minnesota.
But the offensive performance went beyond raw yardage totals. Brissett commanded the ball downfield and found open men. Perhaps offensive coordinator Drew Petzing opened up the downfield attack more, or perhaps Brissett was able to deliver to open men. Certainly, receivers were getting open, and frequently.
Marvin Harrison Jr. left with a concussion early in the first half after making two catches for 32 yards, and Arizona’s response was to feed Trey McBride and Zay Jones. Jones led the Cardinals in receiving yards with 79 — five yards shy of his 2024 total and more than double his season total so far in 2025. Jones’ day marked the second-highest receiving yard total by any Arizona pass-catcher this year.
McBride also had his best overall performance of the year, hauling in eight passes for 72 yards and a contested goal line touchdown.
Despite being undermanned, Brissett spread the ball around to eight different men. And of those eight receivers, six recorded at least one reception of 20 or more yards. For context, the Cardinals only had a receiver record one or more 20-plus-yard reception six total times in their prior five games.
Players like Greg Dortch and Michael Wilson were given opportunities to play to their strengths. Dortch got the ball in open space and scampered for a touchdown, while Wilson used his 6-foot-2, 213-pounds frame to box out a Colts DB for a 30-yard contested jump ball — on a crucial two-minute drill drive.
Arizona put together five drives of nine or more plays, and four resulted in points. They punted only twice.
Safe to say, it was a completely different look from Petzing and Brissett on Sunday. Whether that speaks more to the offensive staff, Murray, or Brissett himself remains to be seen.
Cardinals’ Defense Struggles
Arizona’s defense looked rough on Sunday. Granted, Jonathan Taylor and Daniel Jones have been shredding opposing defenses all season, but there was a distinct lack of front-seven dominance.
The Cardinals surrendered 6.1 yards per play, tied for the highest number of the season. They allowed 150 rushing yards for an insane 5.6-yard clip and allowed Daniel Jones to complete 73% of his passes for 220 yards and two scores while only managing one sack.
Arizona’s defensive front looked out of sorts, and a handful of costly penalties extended some of Indianapolis’ drives. For as tough as Nick Rallis’ group has looked all year, Sunday was not their sharpest day.
That type of defensive performance can be overlooked throughout the course of a 17-game season, but only if their offense were to consistently reward their good performances. Instead, fourth-quarter breakdowns have become a theme, as Arizona has lost by one score in each of the past four games — with each lead change coming late in the fourth.
When a season with such high expectations hits such a low point, everyone is responsible. Arizona’s defense has to reward its offense for putting up a competent day, as well.
But alas, Arizona is 2-4, on the brink of a lost season.
