The Arizona Cardinals had hoped to build off their gritty, 18-16 win over the Los Angeles Rams last week. Their defense had finally begun to show promise. But Sunday’s 30-16 loss to the recently-struggling Denver Broncos put a damper on any hope that might have begun to grow.

The Cardinals played a brutal game on both sides of the ball. They could not punch the ball into the end zone given the opportunity. They allowed explosives to rain down from a Denver offense searching for answers.

And so, Arizona falls to 2-5 — the exact record they held in 2025 ahead of a matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.

Cardinals’ defense flattened by Broncos

The Broncos came into Sunday’s game having produced 300-plus yards of offense only once in six weeks. Twice this year had they been held under 200.

Denver QB Bo Nix and the passing attack had struggled so much, it led to shifts in offensive play calling duties and plenty of national scrutiny. All the Cardinals really had to do was ensure they weren’t the Broncos’ get-right game. But that’s exactly what they were.

Despite holding Denver to just 13 points at halftime — and keeping Nix and co. generally under control — Arizona surrendered 377 yards by the time the clock hit zero. Nix completed just over 50% of his passes, but managed 7.7 yards per attempt, which was by far his most since Week 2 against Jacksonville.

Denver ran for 159 yards on 26 carries, adding up to 6.1 yards per carry. That was compounded by a head-scratching 62-yard scamper by Nix himself, during which Arizona’s defense was nowhere to be found.

The Cardinals gave up big-time plays of 62, 52 and 47. They allowed both the longest run and completion of Denver’s season, a week after limiting Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay.

It was discouraging to witness — not just because another 30 points went on the board, and not just because Larry Fitzgerald’s number retirement ceremony was in front of mostly Broncos fans. The Cardinals cannot win games with a formula of both poor defense and inefficient offense.

To see immediate regression after some positive trends suggests the wholesale improvement is not coming.

Cardinals can’t score in Red Zone

Arizona’s offense, as it so often has done this year, moved the ball relatively well. They got close to reaching pay dirt over and over. They just couldn’t cash in at the right moments.

The Cardinals saw drives pull inside Denver’s 20 yard line five times. They settled for three field goals, turned it over on downs once and scored one touchdown while facing a 20-6 second-half deficit.

They are now 1-for-10 in scoring touchdowns over their last 11 red zone attempts.

When Trey McBride finally muscled his way into the end zone for the only touchdown of Arizona’s effort, that snapped a streak of six straight quarters without reaching the end zone. McBride’s 10 receptions for 111 yards was the biggest offensive performance of the day.

Jacoby Brissett completed just over 56% of his passes. He averaged 5.7 yards per attempt with 272 passing yards, and 67 of those yards came on the final drive of the game. On that drive, the Cardinals had first and goal at the Denver 1. Arizona proceeded to run seven plays without gaining a yard despite receiving two penalty-induced do-overs. They lost four yards on a sack.

The Broncos’ defense is a strong unit. Sunday was always going to be a challenge. But when double-digit-play drives do not result in six points, a lopsided final score is to be expected.

The Cardinals’ offense can move the ball; they’ve shown that. They cannot seem to score when faced with opportunities. Brissett has played backup-level football on an offense that still has yet to find any wholesale rhythm.

Certainly, it feels like changes must be inevitable on either side of the ball. But the Cardinals are sticking with Brissett, and have been reluctant to make major alterations to their staff and approach.