The Arizona Cardinals will look to bounce back from their 20-13 Week 3 loss to the Detroit Lions Sunday afternoon when they host the Washington Commanders.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Cardinals (1-2) will welcome back former head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who is now Washington’s offensive coordinator. Arizona is still paying Kingsbury after firing him in Jan. 2023, 10 months after he agreed to a contract extension through 2027. Kingsbury spent four seasons with the team and posted a 28-37-1 record overall.
In his first-ever coordinator role in the NFL, Kingsbury and former Arizona State (2019-21) quarterback Jayden Daniels have the new-look Commanders (2-1) offense rolling the last two weeks.
No team in the Super Bowl era has done what the #Commanders just did: two consecutive games with ZERO turnovers and ZERO punts.
Take a bow Jayden Daniels.
Take a bow Kliff Kingsbury.
Take a bow Terry McLaurin.
Take a bow Washington Commanders.What a night. pic.twitter.com/YlcgqCYEDQ
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 24, 2024
Daniels has had an incredible start to his NFL career after being drafted No. 2 overall in April. In the Commanders’ 38-33 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football last week, Daniels broke the record for the highest completion percentage by a rookie quarterback at 91.3%, as he connected on 21 of his 23 throws for 254 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 39 yards and a touchdown. For the season, Daniels has the highest completion percentage of all quarterbacks at 80.3% and the most rushing touchdowns among quarterbacks (3).
With how good the Commanders’ offense has been (fifth in points, sixth in total yards), their defense has been on the opposite end of the spectrum. Washington ranks 29th in opponent yards per game (377.3), 30th in opponent points per game (29.3) and dead last in opponent third-down conversion percentage (61.29%).
The Commanders’ team stats and rankings per teamrankings.com:
After their offensive explosion in Week 2’s 41-10 win over the Los Angeles Rams, the Cardinals offense regressed against the Lions, highlighted by only 77 rushing yards as a team and 17 for James Conner. Kyler Murray completed 21-of-34 passes for 207 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson each had 64 receiving yards, while Harrison caught his third touchdown pass of the season. The Arizona defense played much better than expected, allowing 0 second-half points to Detroit after it led 20-10 at halftime.
The Cardinals are still among one of the top offenses in the league, as they are fourth in points per game (27.3) and seventh in yards per game (345.3). The defense is near the middle of the pack in several statistics, but was tied for the league lead with 23 tackles for loss after Week 3. One statistic that does not compute well for the Cardinals is that they are last in the league in opponent completion percentage at 75.34%, while as mentioned before, the Commanders lead the league in completion percentage.
The Cardinals’ team stats and rankings per teamrankings.com:
Arizona will notably be without star tight end Trey McBride (concussion) and placed starting defensive tackle Justin Jones (triceps) on injured reserve after Week 3.
Washington ruled out running back Austin Ekeler (concussion), defensive end Clelin Ferrell (knee) and wide receiver Jamison Crowder (calf).
Local Game Information
Start Time: 1:05 p.m. MST
Location: State Farm Stadium
TV Channel: FOX
Radio:Â Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, Spanish on Fuego 106.7 FM
Spread: Cardinals -3.5
Over/Under: 48.5
In a matchup of two teams who are trying to prove themselves in the league, here are the predictions from the Burn City Sports staff ahead of the meeting:
Brendan Mau (@Brendan_Mau/ X) – Suns and Cardinals Reporter (2-1 on predictions)
Cardinals win 31-26
The Cardinals have a lot to build on defensively with how well they played in the second half against the Lions. However, they cannot let Daniels get rolling with both his legs and on the ground like he has the last couple weeks. Arizona will need to be able to keep Daniels in the pocket and tighten up its coverage on his targets, while defensive coordinator Nick Rallis also dials up creative blitzes. Offensively, it is paramount the Cardinals get back to the rushing dominance they showed in the first two weeks, and Washington’s defense should allow them to do that.
If Arizona is able to establish its run game, Murray should have a big game through the air as well, and at home, this should give the Cardinals a lot of momentum on both sides of the ball. I predict the Arizona offense to have a really big game even without McBride, while the defense plays alright, but is able to force Washington into a lot of field goals that ultimately prove enough for the Cardinals to move to 2-2.
Michael McDermott (@MichaelMcDMLB/ X) – Diamondbacks and Cardinals Reporter (2-1)
Cardinals win 34-31
This game features two excellent offenses and two defenses that don’t provide much resistance, so it could come down to who possesses the ball last. In order to win this type of game, the Cardinals will need to win the time of possession battle to slow down the Washington offense. Establishing James Conner early and the play action game will be the key. Arizona’s passing game will be affected by injuries to Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr., so their best plan of attack is be the more physical team.
A player who could be an X-factor for the Cardinals is running back Emari Demercado, who they use on obvious passing downs due to his pass protection and receiving abilities. Since they don’t have their top receiving tight end, they’ll have to be more creative with their passing game looks. The combination of being at home and the more physical running game should give the Cardinals the edge in this one.
Alec Cipollini (@AlecCipollini/ X) – Mercury and Arizona State Reporter (2-1)
Commanders win 27-24
The Cardinals could very well be 3-0 as both of their losses to the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions were decided by one touchdown. James Conner had a quiet game against the Lions, but the offense in general struggled last Sunday. Still, he has relatively been a solid start to this season and I believe he will be heavily relied on vs. the Commanders, especially with Trey McBride injured. It is going to be a run-heavy game by Arizona and the Commanders will have to make adjustments on the fly to shut it down.
Jayden Daniels returns to Arizona after playing three seasons (2019-21) for ASU, and will have a lot of motivation to get a victory by any means necessary in one of his old stomping grounds. He is thankful for his time with the Sun Devils and will surely try to continue his impressive start in the NFL in front of some Sun Devils fans in Glendale. Former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who is still getting paid by the team after being fired, and former tight end Zach Ertz will both have a chip on their shoulder as they return to Glendale for the first time as part of the Commanders. While I can see the Cardinals dominate in the run game, both McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. being injured is going to dampen their offensive output and I believe the Commanders have what it takes to steal a dramatic win.
Cardinals rule out star TE for Week 4 matchup against Commanders
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