GLENDALE – The Arizona Cardinals scored a touchdown on three of their first four drives of the game. Early in the second quarter, Arizona held an 18-point lead and looked primed for its first blowout win of the season. Then, disaster struck. After its third touchdown drive, the Cardinals only had two drives where it recorded more than 10 yards of offense.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The offense stalling lead the winless Tennessee Titans to score 19 unanswered points off the backs of rookie quarterback Cam Ward, who set a career-high in passing yards with 265. Ward would get his first ever game-wining drive, as Joey Slye knocks in the 29-yard field to complete the comeback and win 22-21.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) scrambles for a first down as Tennessee Titans linebacker Cody Barton (50) closes in at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Oct. 5, 2025.
Three straight weeks that Arizona lost on walk-off field, with this being the most painful at home and blowing an 18-point lead to a winless team, as the fans boo. The Cardinals had one of the easiest strength of schedules to start the season and are now an embarrassing 2-3.
1st Quarter: The Offense is alive!
Arizona Cardinals receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) warms up before their game against the Tennessee Titans at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Oct. 5, 2025.
Last week was the revival of Marvin Harrison Jr., and this week was him reaping the benefits. In the first quarter alone, Harrison set a season-high in receiving yards with 79. The highlight was on opening drive, as the second-year Cardinals wide receiver jumped over two Titans cornerbacks for the 43-yard catch to bring his team to the one-yard line.
Arizona would punch it in with a Michael Carter one-yard touchdown run, thus making it the first opening drive touchdown in nine games. The Cardinals offense was due for a big start, and it continued on its second drive. The danger of Harrison as a receiving threat caused the Tennessee defense to drop back in coverage, which opened the door for Kyler Murray.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) chats with teammate Michael Wilson (14) before their game against the Tennessee Titans at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Oct. 5, 2025.
On a third-and-3 inside the 20-yard-line, the Titans would send four towards Murray. The two-time Pro Bowler couldn’t find anyone down field and took it with his feet to scramble out of the pocket and go untouched for the 12-yard touchdown. It would be Murray’s first rushing touchdown since December of 2024, and it would be a big one to make Arizona’s lead 14-3 at the end of one.
2nd Quarter: Cardinals front remains superb
The Titans defense would get their first stop to start the 2nd frame, but the Cardinals defense quickly got the ball back for Murray. On the first play of the drive, Akeem Davis-Gaither pokes the ball out of Tony Pollard’s hand via a late strip. Linebacker Baron Browning with the great awareness to jump on the loose ball and secure the turnover for his team.
Sep 25, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals linebacker Baron Browning (5) against the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Arizona’s offense just kept on chugging, with a stellar three play sequence by Bam Knight. On a 2nd-and-7, Knight caught the ball in the flat to avoid multiple defenders to secure the first down, and followed it up with a sensational 10-yard run to bring the ball within the one-yard line.
Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing would reward Knight with a third straight touch, this time leading to the touchdown and extending the lead 21-3.
Oct 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Tennessee Titans running back Julius Chestnut (36) is tackled by Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Josh Sweat (10) during the first quarter at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images
The defensive front continued to its dominance, led by edge Josh Sweat. The $77 million man had a stellar second quarter, recorded a sack on third down to force the Titans to settle for a field goal. Tennessee became desperate going for it on 4th-and-10 near the end of the half, which didn’t bode well with Browning and Sweat coming in quickly to bring down Cam Ward with the sack and the turnover to end the half up 21-6.
Titans failed to reach the redzone in all six of their offensive drive, because of the prowess of Arizona’s defense.
3rd Quarter: Bad habits reappear
The offense looked to pick up where it left off in the first half, converting on three straight third downs on the opening drive. Trey McBride made a massive 12-yard catch on third-and-three to bring Arizona inside the redzone. However, back-to-back penalties on the offensive line put the offense back to a first-and-23.
The Cardinals were still in field goal range and looked primed to extend its lead, but a miscommunication between Murray and center Hjalte Froholdt led to a bad snap off the facemask. Tennessee would jump on the loose ball to get the team’s first turnover of the game. Murray would have to exit the game for a drive with an apparent foot injury because of him diving for the fumble.
Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Hjalte Froholdt (72) walks off the field after their 23-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Sept. 25, 2025.
Murray would return on a third-and-nine, where the offensive line would continue its sloppy play by having two penalties to kill the drive. The offensive line had four penalties in the third quarter and the bad snap leading to the turnover. Arizona’s offense continues to struggle to put together a perfect four quarters.
The saving grace for the Cardinals has been the defense, forcing three straight three and outs on the Titans offense. Defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson had the play on the third, with a tipped ball on third down near the end of the third quarter to stop Ward from converting to a wide open receiver.
4th Quarter: The collapse
Arizona’s offensive miscues came to its boiling point, as Emari Demercado broke away for a 72-yard touchdown, or so it seemed. Demercado was all alone but dropped the ball before he crossed the goal line, as the ball bounces into the back of the end zone for the touchdown.
Tennessee gets a massive break by a bonehead mistake by Demercado, which immediately led to Ward and the offense to go on a 80-yard touchdown. The rookie quarterback doubled his passing yards on the drive alone, throwing for 79 yards on three-for-five passing. The Cardinals catch a break, as Joey Slye missed wide right on the extra point to keep it a two possession game.
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) looks to throw the ball against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Oct. 5, 2025.
However, the bad luck continued for Arizona, as the defense seemed to get another turnover via an interception Dadrion Taylor-Demerson. The game-saving interception wouldn’t last long as Taylor-Demerson would fumble the ball, allowing the loose ball into the end zone for Tyler Lockett to recover for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 21-19.
Under four minutes to go, the Cardinals offense has the opportunity to close the game. Similar to the past four weeks, it wasn’t able to do it and gave the ball back to the Titans with a chance to pull off the improbable comeback.
Ward continued his hot second-half, where he threw for over 200+ yards, by finding Calvin Ridley for the 38-yard pass into the redzone and eventually for the win.
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
