News Cards Team Notes

[Arizona Cardinals]

Arizona Cardinals will start Jacoby Brissett on Monday Night Football

The Arizona Cardinals will start Jacoby Brissett in their Monday Night Football showdown with the Dallas Cowboys.

The team on Friday once again listed Kyler Murray as limited in practice, did not give a quarterback availability for the press, and waited until the weekend to make the call.

After it was reported that it would be Kyler, and then with the delays, plus the practice reports coming out that Brissett was playing with the first team, it seemed inevitable.

Now we know that it’ll be Brissett against the Cowboys on Monday.

Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett will start Monday night vs. the Cowboys.

Kyler Murray is making progress from his foot sprain, and could have a role Monday night, but Brissett will start. pic.twitter.com/MCFlCsRJhm

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 1, 2025

It’ll be interesting to see if the Cardinals can improve from 1-11 under Jonathan Gannon without Murray as the quarterback.

So, is this the week that the Cardinals finish a game?

Is this the week Gannon’s team looks like they are competent for four quarters?

The Cardinals at 2-5 need to win this game to have any semblance of hope for the rest of the season.

Source: https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/a...tart-jacoby-brissett-on-monday-night-football

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Hate Watch: Rooting interest for the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday

For the Arizona Cardinals, they are closer to picking top seven, than they are finishing up in the top seven of the NFL Playoffs.

Yet, with their game against the Dallas Cowboys looming on Monday Night, they can make up some NFC ground tomorrow just in their game.

They can also make up some ground before they even take the field on Monday.

Here is the hate watch agenda for today.

Atlanta Falcons at New England Patriots (-4.5) at 11:00 a.m Arizona Time

The Falcons are really not good, until they are. But their quarterback situation seems not great.

Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers (-13.5) at 11:00 a.m.

Maybe the Panthers win was a good win?

Chicago Bears (-2.5) at Cincinnati Bengals, 11:00 a.m.

The Bears are interesting. They don’t seem good, or bad, but they seem either on any given Sunday.

San Francisco 49ers (-2.5) at New York Giants, 11:00 a.m.

The Giants look to be on the last leg of the Daboll era, but has the Mac Jones era slowed down?

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions (-8.5), 11:00 a.m.

The Vikings are quite the cautionary tale right now.

New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams (-14.5), 2:05 p.m. Arizona time

The Saints usher in the Tyler Shough era. It could be ugly.

Source: https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/a...41/2025-nfl-playoff-picture-arizona-cardinals

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

What will it take for the Cardinals to defeat the Cowboys?

(Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

The Arizona Cardinals are facing one of the best offensive units in the league on Monday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys. That is the bad news.

The Arizona Cardinals are facing one of the worst defensive units in the league on Monday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys. That is the good news.

RELATED: CRITICAL GAME ON MONDAY NIGHT

The Cowboys can score, and score often, ranking #2 in points scored with 246. That is a 30.75 points per game average. In three games so far this season, they topped scoring 40+ (40, 40, and 44). That is a lot of points for a single game at the NFL level.

However, their offense is one-sided. They are a great passing team and are set up to throw the ball.

Dallas ranks #3 in total passing yards (2,168), which is just 14 yards out of the first-place slot. They are also #3 in attempts (299), #4 in completion percentage (70.2%), #10 in passes for first down conversions, #21 in interceptions (6), and ranked #1 in two categories: completions (210), and touchdown passes (17).

But they are below average at running the ball, ranked in the bottom third of the league in all categories.

That’s their offense in a nutshell.

The Cowboys’ defense?​

Lordy. This side of the ball is a mess. A huge mess. Where do you start?

Maybe begin with Dallas’ run defense. They are #30 against the run, allowing 1,168 yards so far. That averages out to being 146 yards allowed per match. #29 in rushing attempts. Sixth worst in average yards per carry (4.9) and have allowed the second most rushing touchdowns (10). This group is also dead last in allowing runs for first downs (77).

That Dallas defense is generational level bad

— TB EGO (@TomBradyEgo) October 26, 2025

On to the Cowboys’ pass defense. This group is #11 in attempts allowed (267), #8 in completions (183), #31 in yards per attempt (8.4), #9 in fewest interceptions (4), #6 in completion percentage (68.5%), #9 in sacks (15), and dead last in several categories: most yards gained (2,185), and most passing touchdowns allowed (20). This group as a whole is ranked #32.

Basically, there is minimal to no pass rush now that Micah Parsons was shipped off to Green Bay, and they can’t cover the pass.

What this game comes down to is Dallas’ #3 passing offense against Arizona’s #5 passing defense.

And, the Cardinals’ #28 passing offense against the Cowboys’ #32 pass defense.

Neither team can run the ball, so that’s not a factor. Arizona will need to air it out for most of the game against a very weak pass defense. How to stop the Cowboys’ offensive attack? Who has to this point? The Cowboys’ offense just might be too strong for the Cardinals to handle.

This means the Cardinals’ offense will have to keep pace with the league’s #2 overall offense.

One ace in the hole for Arizona is QB Jacoby Brissett. He has the patience to wait for the pocket to form and then isn’t inclined to take off the way QB Kyler Murray does. He will run and scramble if needed, but prefers to throw it downfield.

Here’s an odd streak: Playing at AT&T Stadium, Murray is 9-0-0 in the building from high school to college to the NFL.

What to stop​

The tight end position has been critical for the Arizona defense. Dallas has a very good receiving tight end in Jake Ferguson. He recently had a string of scoring six touchdowns in four games. He is a huge target in the Red Zone and will need some tight coverage from the linebackers.

The biggest weapons for Dallas are their receivers.

George Pickens (6’-3”, 200 pounds) is having a tremendous season. He has good leaping ability and is exceptional at knowing where the catch point is. Already, he has 63 targets with 43 receptions for 685 yards and has scored six touchdowns.

Pickens is a nasty player with a mean disposition. He really doesn’t care. He has a 66.7% success rate of catching the ball and can outleap most defenders. Maybe a safety over the top can contain him, but he gets open a lot. Like, a lot a lot. He will attempt to out-bully any and all defenders using his hands and shoulders. Plus, he has good speed (4.47).

Arizona will need its best cornerback on him all game. Another thing is to eliminate any soft cushion on him. He likes to catch those 5-6 yard outs and move the offense down the field. Keep it close on this one.

Then there is CeeDee Lamb (6’-2”, 200 pounds). Another great target for QB Dak Prescott. He has missed a few games this year because of injury, but will be in the lineup against Arizona.

Lamb is fast (4.51) and is a crafty route runner.

How to limit his production? Have the Cardinals’ second-best cornerback shadow him, then have safety help over the top. It may sound simplistic or normal, but this is a good receiver who can dominate a game if the defense gives him too much cushion coming off the line.

How to solve this is for the Cardinals to go into a 4-2-5 defensive scheme and bring in another safety or cornerback to help out. The Cowboys will throw a ton of passes all game because their running attack is horrible.

106 yards by six players against Denver. 31 yards in the Carolina Panthers’ loss. 117 yards in a tie with Green Bay. 119 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Playing the league’s #32-ranked secondary​

Other NFL teams have gone deep on this Cowboys’ pass defense and succeeded. The Broncos laid 44 points on them last weekend and had no issues passing the ball, no matter the down and distance.

Brissett will need to keep up his passing grade of throws over 10+ yards, which he is good at doing. That is where the soft zone lies and will become the key to success for the Cardinals’ offense. They will need to match points with this Cowboys offense or find themselves getting deeper into the hole. Dallas is also weak in tight end coverage.

This is the worst secondary in the league. Brissett will need to execute.

Brissett gives all effort into gaining large to medium chunks of real estate, then utilizes the run game to keep the defense honest and not go all out with blitz packages. Both TE Trey McBride and WR Marv Harrison need to be a major part of this offense.

TE games over 20% target share, 2025:

7: Trey McBride
6:
5:
4: Jake Ferguson
3: Harold Fannin, Sam LaPorta, Tyler Warren, Juwan Johnson, Tucker Kraft, Kyle Pitts, Dallas Goedert, Mason Taylor

All hail the TE1 pic.twitter.com/m2TXvpYJrX

— Ethan Kreager (@EthanKreagerFF) October 29, 2025

Yes, the Cowboys can score a lot of points very quickly. Yes, the Cardinals will need to take advantage of the fact that Dallas has the worst secondary in the NFL, and they will need to keep scoring at will to keep up.

And maybe this is obvious, but the Cardinals’ pass rush must up their game for this one. Prescott will bury a team if given all day to sit back and wait for somebody to get open. A great tight end and dominating receivers are what Arizona’s defense is facing. Collapse the pocket and make Prescott either throw early or scramble for minimal yardage. It will be a good challenge because Dallas has only given up 10 sacks all year.

This is not going to be a fun time for Brissett, who is still looking for his first win as a Cardinal. But it could become one of his best statistical games ever. Or, just another regretful loss where Arizona is leading in the waning moments and gives the game away.

Source: https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/a...-take-for-the-cardinals-to-defeat-the-cowboys

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Cardinals at Cowboys: How to watch Monday Night Football, TV schedule, radio broadcast, live stream and more

Happy Monday Night Football to all.

The Arizona Cardinals are on Primetime, by themselves. Not as a double header, not on some random Amazon Thursday Night Football.

No, this is the big boy, the OG primetime.

Here is everything you need to know about the game:

Week 9: Arizona Cardinals (2-5) vs Dallas Cowboys (3-4-1)​

Date: Monday, November 3, 2025
Time: 6:15 p.m. Arizona Time
Location: AT&T Stadium — Dallas, TX
National TV: ESPN/ABC (Locally the game can be found on ABC)
National online streaming: NFL+, ESPN+
TV announcers: Joe Buck (play-by-play) Troy Aikman (analyst) Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge (sideline)
Radio: Arizona Sports 98.7 FM
Radio announcers: Dave Pasch (play-by-play), A.Q. Shipley (analyst) and Paul Calvisi (sideline)
National Radio: Westwood One – Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Kurt Warner (analyst)
Spanish Radio: Fuego Radio 106.7 FM
Spanish Radio announcers: Luis Hernandez (play-by-play) and Irving Villanueva (analyst)
Betting line: Cardinals +3 per FanDuel Sportsbook

The Cardinals are heading into primetime with Jacoby Brissett at the helm and the Cardinals need a win in order to have any chance. Or hate watch each week comes from fighting for NFL Draft order.

Let’s go Cardinals!

Source: https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/a...tball-tv-schedule-radio-broadcast-live-stream

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Arizona Cardinals snap 5-game losing streak in Monday Night Football win vs. Cowboys

It was never close, but everyone was waiting on something to change, because it has fallen apart every week.

Yet, in this one they found a team who didn’t exactly play their smartest game, and the Arizona Cardinals found enough plays to hold on and win this one, despite another interesting fourth quarter.

The Cowboys bypassed a field goal that would have made it a 14-point game early in the fourth quarter and the Cardinals once again failed to do much on offense in the quarter. Yet, they made a couple of plays on defense this time.

The biggest being a sequence that saw Walter Nolen get his first career sack, then Will Johnson make a tackle on third down, and while Javonte Williams inexplicably tried to get more yardage, Cody Simon came in and ripped the ball out.

That basically ended any threat of a Cowboys comeback, but the Cardinals offense, after being almost flawless for the game, sputtered again in closing time.

Thankfully the 10-point lead was more than enough, and the team did enough to close out and get a win.

That moves them to 3-5 on the season, and a chance to keep going in the playoff race.

Source: https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/a...l-week-9-walter-nolen-will-johnson-cody-simon

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Arizona Cardinals big underdogs ahead of matchup with Seattle Seahawks

The Arizona Cardinals won in primetime on the road.

The books don’t care.

According to our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook, the Arizona Cardinals are 6.5-point underdogs ahead of their matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.

The Cardinals on the road this season are 4-0 against the spread, even if they are only 2-2 on the road this season.

So, with the line sitting at a touchdown, you have to like the chances of the Cardinals covering, even if it is on the road in Seattle.

The Seahawks beat the Arizona Cardinals in week four 23-20.

The Seahawks meanwhile at home this season are 2-2, with losses to the 49ers and Buccaneers, their wins though, they beat the Saints 44-13 and Texans 27-19.

Now, can the Arizona Cardinals defense show up two weeks in a row against good offenses?

The interesting thing is that the over/under is set at 45.5 and the money right now is on the under.

Who would you take?

Source: https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/a...izona-cardinals-odds-fanduel-seattle-seahawks

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Arizona Cardinals name Jacoby Brissett starter

The Arizona Cardinals are moving on.

They have decided that Jacoby Brissett will start against the Seattle Seahawks, and presumably moving forward as they look to maintain position in the NFC Playoff race.

The decision comes after Brissett and the Cardinals beat the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football, in which Brissett had 261 yards passing a two touchdowns to go along with his first rushing touchdown on the season.

Brissett is 1-2 as a starter.

Now the question becomes is this a complete benching or is this just this week moving into the position of softening the blow?

Jonathan Gannon likes the clarity naming Jacoby Brissett starter provides. Kyler Murray will continue to rehab is foot injury leading up to the Seahawks game. JG did not rule out IR for K1 @PHNX_Cardinals

— Bo Brack (@BoBrack) November 4, 2025

For Brissett, he has thrown for 860 yards and six touchdowns to one interception, with a 65.2% completion and a 102.5 quarterback rataing.

The concern becomes the amount Brissett is getting hit and hit hard, as he has taken 13 sacks already this season, which is only three less than Kyler, and he is hit a lot. He was hit 11 times in the Cowboys game, 12 times in the Packers game and 12 times in the Colts game.

That is what becomes the issue, is how long can a quarterback, any quarterback stand up to that type of continued assault?

Brissett has earned this opportunity, how will he handle it?

Source: https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/a...rizona-cardinals-name-jacoby-brissett-starter

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Are Arizona Cardinals fans more confident with Jacoby Brissett starting?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cardinals fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The change has been made.

The Arizona Cardinals moved to Jacoby Brissett as their starting quarterback before their matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. What that means for the rest of the season, who knows, but for this week the Cardinals won’t try and hide who their starter is.

And, they are coming off a win for the first time since September, so that begs the question, are you more confident in the direction of the franchise?

What is interesting now is how the next part goes. Under Jonathan Gannon, the Arizona Cardinals moved to 2-10 with anyone not named Kyler Murray as the quarterback.

They are in the teeth of their schedule, so this will be an interesting experience for the next nine games.

Source: https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/n...ls-fans-starting-jacoby-brissett-kyler-murray

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Cardinals place Kyler Murray on IR with a continued foot injury

Right after the Arizona Cardinals defeated the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football in front of a national audience to advance their record to 3-5-0, Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon held his post-game press conference.

RELATED: CARDINALS NAME BRISSETT STARTER

When asked how he thought QB Jacoby Brissett played against Dallas, Gannon stated:

“I thought he played well. Thought he operated. We had one protection issue. That’s on me. We got to do a better job with that. We just got to keep him clean, and he shows how he can deliver the football. He battles. He has gotten us out of a hole a couple of times now in the last couple of games. He’s resilient, bounces back, and plays the next play.”

Today, Gannon’s assessment of Brissett and the quarterback controversy became moot when the Cardinals placed Murray on the IR list. The placement does not seem to be season-ending, as Murray will have a chance to return with a minimum of four weeks on the list.

Gannon told ESPN Arizona:

“I really do [hope that happens],” Gannon said. “We got a lot of ball to play, and one day at a time. And where he sits right now is he’s got to pour into his health bucket and get ready to get healthy.”

Jonathan Gannon said the pivot to place Kyler Murray on IR “is completely predicated on the information that we have now and his health. He's got to fully focus on getting healthy.” pic.twitter.com/x6z0YaJuxg

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) November 5, 2025

This weekend’s game, Arizona faces division foe Seattle Seahawks (6-2-0) on the road in the afternoon slot. In their first matchup, the Seahawks held a 20-6 lead before Arizona came back to tie the game with 28 seconds remaining, only to have Seattle get in field goal range to win 23-20.

The following week, against the Tennessee Titans, Murray became injured and hasn’t played since.

Gannon added:

“Jacoby does his job, takes it one day at a time, prepares when he wasn’t the starter, prepares to be the starter. He knows his role can change, and now he’s going to prepare the same way.”

Which is a complete turnaround since the Cowboys win. After the game, in the post-game presser in Dallas, Gannon was asked about Murray. Specifically, the media question that was rendered was, “Will Kyler still be your starting quarterback when you…..”

Gannon interrupted and said:

“Yeah, nothing’s changed on that. That’s how I feel.”

Then came another poignant question from another reporter: “Is there anything Jacoby can show you to win this starting job?” Gannon’s answer?

“Like I said, nothing’s changed.”

Brissett has completed 65.7% of his passes and has thrown six touchdowns against a single interception in three games. He is also a QB sneak guru and has only been stopped short once in his career. Plus, the offense is able to convert a high number of third-down attempts, no matter the down and distance.

Then Brissett was brought out to the podium in order to answer questions. One reporter asked, “The offense has put up more than 300 yards a game the last three weeks, averaging 25 points. Why is this offense so effective with you under center?”

Brissett is the ultimate professional. He recognizes a “throw another player under the bus” question when he hears it. He is a team-first player. He also identifies that he has zero control over who plays on game day. He countered with:

“I don’t think it’s me. I really don’t. Everybody gets caught up in the beginning of the season, and everything’s going well or not going well. Good teams in this league find a way to continue to get better. That’s what we are doing at this point in the season. You tweak things. We are going back after this game and find out what we should do better.”

The idea to place Murray on IR began as a conversation on Tuesday night and became more clear Wednesday morning. It was a decision between the coaching staff, the quarterback, and his agent. Gannon has always stated that Murray is this team’s starting quarterback.

Gannon further noted:

“He’s not fully healthy, ready to go yet, so that makes the most sense. Obviously that’s a change, but we just felt. looking at it right now, that’s the best thing for him and us. He’s fully committed. Right now, what he’s going to concentrate on is getting healthy. He’s not healthy enough to play. He needs to get healthy so he can get back to playing football.”

The question after the Cowboys game was if Murray is actually a better quarterback than Brissett or the other way around. One of the TV analysts, Troy Aikman, a former Hall of Fame and Super Bowl quarterback himself, stated on air that he believes Brissett should remain the starter even after Murray is medically cleared to play.

Then early Tuesday, Gannon stated that Brissett would get his fourth consecutive start against Seattle.

Gannon had this to say about Murray’s continued rehab on his ankle:

“He’s doing well. He wants to be out there. He’s a competitor. I talked to him today. He’s a good teammate, and he’s working to get healthy.”

Murray participated some last week in the offense vs. defense portion of practice, leading up to the Dallas game. Gannon announced that Murray would start against the Cowboys, then recanted, telling the media that Brissett would get the start because Murray just wasn’t ready.

Brissett has played very well as this group’s starting quarterback. He threw for 320 yards, two touchdowns, plus a pick in a 31-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in a game the Cardinals held the lead late. That was followed by a narrow loss to the Green Bay Packers in which Brissett tossed for 279 yards with two touchdowns. Against Dallas, he had 261 yards with two touchdown passes plus a rushing touchdown.

Why did Gannon change his mind for the second week in a row?

Gannon told Yahoo! Sports on Tuesday:

“Jacoby will start, and Kyler will keep working on his health. I do like what the offense is doing right now. We’ve operated well, and we will go from there.”

It wasn’t long after Gannon announced that Brissett would start that NFL analyst Adam Schefter tweeted out on Tuesday what may be some answers:

Sources: Kyler Murray and the Cardinals have consulted with multiple doctors on his foot injury and have been told the timetables for recovery have been anywhere from 4-8 weeks, with an increased chance of setback until it’s properly healed. Murray now has more time to heal. pic.twitter.com/a6bPJJeEwL

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 4, 2025

So, according to Schefty, Murray is not healed after all, and now could be down for 4-8 weeks? Is that the reason? Or did Gannon decide that Brissett was the better option and subsequently bench a healthy Murray? Somebody did point out that the next “Call of Duty” video game, “Black Ops 7,” will be released on November 14. Just sayin.

Schefter is a reliable source of NFL news and notes. He is accurate in most cases, and he tells the truth. But he is also a friend to numerous NFL executives. Could this be a PR situation instead of an actual medical issue?

By saying Murray “now has more time to heal,” does that really compute to him being a soft benching? Remember, he practiced last week and at one time was supposed to start against Dallas.

However, right after Schefter’s tweet, respected NFL analyst Howard Balzer also tweeted:

That's what I reported when the injury happened, although the time-frame was 4-6 weeks. And that while he could possibly play, yes there was chance for aggravation and he wouldn't be able to do Kyler-Murray like things. Most ignored it, so drama could be created.

— Howard Balzer (@HBalzer721) November 4, 2025

In the Cowboys game, Murray made the trip but was in street clothes along the sideline. So, it wasn’t like he suited up and could be the emergency QB. He grew up 45 miles from that stadium in Allen, Texas, and wanted to be back in it one more time. He has a 9-0-0 record in AT&T Stadium, going back to high school and college.

When did these doctors make this evaluation of Murray? It had to be post-Cowboys game because right after the Dallas win, Gannon had stated that Murray was his starting quarterback. Or did he mean when Murray was ruled healthy and ready to go?

Gannon added:

“Obviously, for him, it prevents him from being fully healthy to go play, and him, as the person that he is and the player that he is, yes. And you could look at other things, like this injury for other people might not, but he’s played through some things that other positions, if they have those, they can’t play with those because of what they’re asked to do.”

In any regard, in the three games in which Brissett has started, the offense has traveled up and down the field all game and scored points. Keeping him as the starter may validate the coaching staff’s decision, and hopefully, more victories will follow.

There are nine more games left on the schedule. The division is really tough, and nobody is eyeing a division title at this juncture. 10 wins will get a team in as a Wild Card seed, and in the NFL, anything can happen.

In 2011, the New York Football Giants were tied for the division lead with the Cowboys with identical 7-7-0 records and two games remaining. In the finale, the two teams met with 8-7-0 records. The Giants won with a 9-7-0 record, hosted a playoff game, then had to travel to play the #2 seed Green Bay Packers in a blizzard, then another road game against the #1 seed San Francisco 49ers. The Giants defeated them all. Next up: the 18-0-0 New England Patriots and Tom Brady, who they defeated 21-17.

It started with Arizona whipping the Cowboys. Now, on with an upset win over the Seahawks.

Source: https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/a...ler-murray-on-ir-with-a-continued-foot-injury

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Are pressures the new sacks?

Total tackles, interceptions, and sacks are the hallmarks of any defense. There are other parameters, such as total yards allowed either in the run game or through the air, the number of batted passes, and tackles for loss. But the aforementioned stats are considered the Big-3.

Or, are they?

There is another metric that is fast becoming a major stat: pressures.

Pressures are used to evaluate how effective a defense is on passing downs. But this stat differs in scope and what it actually measures.

Registering sacks, this has always been a definitive moment in any game, similar to a hard dunk in a basketball contest. The game suddenly comes crashing down as the home crowd goes berserk, or the visiting stadium goes eerily quiet. A sack changes the offense’s current drive and not only takes away a useful down, but adds yardage to the grand total needed to gain another set of downs.

Sometimes, a sack will result in an injury to either the opposing team’s quarterback or to the blocker who attempted to stretch a hamstring or groin muscle trying to reach farther than his body is designed to achieve. And in today’s game, armed with various penalties designed to protect signalcallers, the play can go against the defense.

Sacks are exact. Sacks are easy to interpret. Sacks are straightforward to decide upon in the stat column for those keeping up with the game’s data. They are a specific form of pressure, and either the quarterback is knocked down on the ground or he’s not.

Other pass rushing stats, such as QB hits, knockdowns, and hurries, have their own agenda.

A hurry is when a quarterback is forced to throw the ball before he is ready. A knockdown describes when the ball has left the quarterback’s hand, and yet he is hit and falls to the turf. A QB hit is when a defender makes contact with the quarterback, but does not bring him but usually disrupts the QB’s actions.

Pressures are defined as all of the above.

A defensive player can achieve any of the above stats and also receive a “pressure” in his game numbers. Essentially, a single “pressure” is a defensive act that will interrupt the quarterback’s ability to make a clean throw.

Is a sack also a pressure? You bet.

Now, in a game, the word “pressure” can also have another meaning. Defenders constantly “apply pressure” to their opponent’s offense, especially during a passing down. But this definition of pressure is not the same as the statistic of “pressure.”

For those of you who are learning the English language, yes, the King’s English is full of quadruple meanings. Just try to keep up. You can read a book and then have read it with a cover that is red, and now you are well-read.

Forever, it seems, sacks have been considered one of the most important defensive statistics. Players can have nominal total tackles and other assorted stats, such as forced fumbles, but if the defender has upwards of 15 sacks, he is considered a major participant for that defense. Many athletes who get close to 20 sacks suddenly receive huge contract extensions in order to retain his services. He may not be any good at the other aspects, such as run support, pass coverage, recovering or causing fumbles, but as long as his sack numbers jump, he is consistently discussed in the media.

Pressures are a broader category encircling any instance where a defender employs significant pressure on the quarterback before the pass is thrown.

The question is, has “pressures” surpassed “sacks” as the definitive defensive indicator?

Every NFL defense has its particular method to apply pressure on its opponent’s offense. This is done with a normal amount of pass rushers, sending extra players via a blitz, or by implementing stunts.

The NFL is a passing league. While it is true teams have to be able to run, the facts are that offenses are geared more towards the passing element than trying to cram the ball down anybody’s throat play after play. How many clubs today actually claim a ground-and-pound attack?

---

Did you know?
Ground-and-Pound
A way to describe a team that runs the ball on most downs with great success. However, its origins offer the opposite meaning. In 1989, San Francisco 49ers cornerback Tim McKyer was being interviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle when McKyer thought the Chicago Bears’ run-first offensive scheme was horrible and one-dimensional. He said, “They don’t have a complicated offense. The Bears just try to ground-and-pound.”

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Consistent pressure is key to disrupting offenses. Creating “pressure” is a more constant and replicable facet of playing defense.

While the stat of “sacks” indicates how many times a defense has actually gotten to the quarterback, the stat of “pressures” is more revealing of a team’s pass-rushing ability overall.

Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick once stated:

“Pressures correlate more with good defense than sacks do.” They just might mean that a defense doesn’t necessarily need to sack a quarterback often in order to achieve a successful pass rush, as long as defenders are getting close to sacking him continually.

There are teams like the Kansas City Chiefs that live and die with blitz packages. Other defensive coordinators live on the opposite side of this spectrum. They believe that a defense can generate pressure without sending extra guys if you have the right athletes in their system.

In the Super Bowl this past February, the Philadelphia Eagles presented a standard pass rush without sending extra players, and it was a defining aspect of their lopsided win.

But what do the numbers say from last season?

NFL Pressure Rate Leaders: Four or Fewer Pass Rushers​

• Denver Broncos 39.3%
• Cleveland Browns 38.2%
• Seattle Seahawks 36.6%
• Philadelphia Eagles 35.5%
• Detroit Lions 35.2%

NFL Pressure Rate Leaders: Stunts​

• Los Angeles Rams 51.4%
• Cleveland Browns 48.6%
• Minnesota Vikings 48.6%
• Chicago Bears 48.6%
• Green Bay Packers 46.7%

NFL Pressure Rate Leaders: Blitzes​

• Green Bay Packers 48.3%
• New York Jets 48.2%
• Kansas City Chiefs 45.2%
• Cleveland Browns 44.8%
• Indianapolis Colts 44.7%

As you can see, sometimes a single presence of one dominant player, like Cleveland’s Myles Garrett, can change these metrics and highlight just how effective the defense is at confusing offensive linemen and obliging quarterbacks to speed up their decision-making process.

Sacks are certainly important perimeters for every defense. But have pressures become the new determinant of success? This tendency is set to continue.

Source: https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/arizona-cardinals-news/84377/are-pressures-the-new-sacks

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Arizona Cardinals sign veteran backup quarterback Jeff Driskel to practice squad

Today we got the answer to the question of who the next quarterback in the group is.

Next up for the Cardinals: What will the franchise do about a backup QB?

The Arizona Cardinals signed Jeff Driskel to their practice squad today.

From the team:

The Arizona Cardinals Football Club today announced that the team has signed quarterback Jeff Driskel to the practice squad. The signing took place today at the Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center in Tempe, AZ.

Driskel (6-4, 231) returns to the Cardinals after spending time on Arizona’s practice squad in 2023. He is a seven-year NFL veteran who has played in 25 games (12 starts) with Washington (2024), Cleveland (2023), Houston (2021-22), Denver (2020), Detroit (2019) and Cincinnati (2018). In his career, the 32-year old Driskel has completed 229-of-391 pass attempts for 2,394 yards and 16 TDs. He has also rushed for 417 yards and three TDs on 80 carries and has two receptions for 10 yards. Driskel was originally drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth-round (207th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Louisiana Tech.

Driskel will wear jersey #15.

The Cardinals new quarterback room is… Interesting. We will hope that Jacoby Brissett can stay healthy moving forward.

Source: https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/a...up-quarterback-jeff-driskel-to-practice-squad

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Cardinals get troubling news with the injury front

The Arizona Cardinals face the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday. Seattle is currently leading the NFC West Division with a 6-2-0 record. The Cardinals are at a critical stage of the schedule where any losses make any playoff aspirations get that much further away. Sitting at 2-5-0 and dead last in the division, it could be too late already.

RELATED: WEEK 10 INJURY REPORT

Or maybe not. But it must begin with beating the Seahawks, who are a very good ballclub.

Last week’s contest against the Dallas Cowboys, the Cardinals got some valuable help with the first appearance of first-round draft pick Walter Nolen, who had a fine debut. The team also got the services of Garrett Williams back from injury, as the team became a bit healthier.

This week, the news is troubling as Arizona will need every capable body in their tool box to knock off the division leader, and on the road.

Word from the Cardinals now states that three players will not make the Seattle trip: S Max Melton, CB Will Johnson, and LB Mack Wilson. All three are not only starters on the defense, but key components.

Wilson had a tremendous game against Dallas. He tied for the most total tackles with seven, and was everywhere. He did drop a sure interception, but had great run support.

In the third quarter, Dallas receiver CeeDee Lamb caught a 10-yard pass with Wilson the only man left and a great open field tackle. On the very next play, it was Wilson who nailed RB Javonte Williams for no gain. He missed a tackle with 17 seconds before the final period began. Left the game with a rib injury.

Melton left the game in the second quarter and was replaced by rookie Denzel Burke who had played sparingly on defense all year but was used on special teams in punt and kickoff coverage. Burke responded well and was a critical defender in this game. In the third quarter, he made a great open-field tackle on WR KaVontae Turpin for a six-yard gain on a third-and-14. Who can forget when Burke poked that pass away from Lamb on that fourth-down play in the Red Zone that may have saved the game?

Melton is in concussion protocol, which takes nine days.

He saved a touchdown when Williams went up the middle for 19 yards as Burke got a hand on his foot to trip him up, or he would have scored. And as the game was winding down, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott heaved a pass as far as he could throw it into the waiting arms of Burke to seal the game.

Johnson is proving he is one of the league’s best young cornerbacks. But so far, he can’t remain healthy. Against Dallas, he was assigned the Cowboys’ other really good receiver in George Pickens, who had just one catch in the first half. Johnson is listed with back/hip injuries.

Burke will start in Melton’s spot while fellow rookie Cody Simon will fill in for Wilson. Kei-Trel Clark is scheduled to replace Johnson.

Also, it was thought that LB B.J. Ojulari (knee) would be available against Seattle, but it was confirmed that he will remain on the PUP list. CB Kei’Trel Clark (ankle) was also limited on Thursday. S Budda Baker (hamstring) and S Kitan Crawford (hamstring) were both limited for the second consecutive practice. RG Will Hernandez (knee) was also limited.

OL Kelvin Beachum (NIR-Rest) – DNP
CB Max Melton (Concussion) – DNP
LB Mack Wilson Sr. (Ribs) – DNP
S Budda Baker (Hamstring) – Limited
CB Kei’Trel Clark (Ankle) – Limited
S Kitan Crawford (Hamstring)
OL Will Hernandez (Knee) – Limited
CB Will Johnson (Back/Hip) – Limited
WR Zay Jones (Knee) – Limited
LB BJ Ojulari (Knee) – Limited
WR Xavier Weaver (Ankle) – Limited

Source: https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/a...ry-report-will-johnson-max-melton-mack-wilson

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

6 key things to know about Cardinals’ Week 10 opponent: Seahawks

After defeating the Cowboys in primetime, the Cardinals will travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks, where they will look to even out the two-game series after losing to them back in Week 4.

Ahead of Week 10, here are six key things to know about Arizona’s opponent:

Where things stand​

At 6-2, the Seahawks are in a three-way tie with the Eagles and Buccaneers for the top record in the NFC. Seattle is on a three-game winning streak, with their most recent win coming against the Commanders last Sunday night by the score of 38-14.

Big signing is paying dividends​

After signing his three-year, $100.5 million contract this past offseason, quarterback Sam Darnold has been very good in his first season with the Seahawks. Darnold ranks in the top ten in various categories, including being No. 1 in yards per completion (13.4) and yards per attempt (9.6). Darnold has passed for 2,084 yards (7th in the NFL) and touchdowns (9th). He has benefited from his offensive line, which has been proficient in keeping him upright and giving him enough time to throw.

Centerpiece of the passing offense​

Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is enjoying a breakout season and is currently the NFL’s leader in receiving yards (948). Smith-Njigba has been a problem for opposing secondaries, posting 100 or more receiving yards in six of his eight games played.

New target for Sam Darnold​

To complement Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks acquired wide receiver Rashid Shaheed from the Saints in exchange for fourth and fifth-round draft picks. Shaheed previously played under offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak in 2024 and is already familiar with the system. He brings speed and ability to stretch the field to the positional room, which will benefit Darnold, who has proven to be an efficient deep passer.

Inconsistent running game​

Despite a commitment to running the football, the results in that department have been uninspiring. The Seahawks have run the ball more than any other team in the league (226 attempts), but rank 24th in rushing yards per game (103.9) and are tied for 26th in yards per carry (3.7).

Dominant defense​

Head coach Mike McDonald has the Seahawks playing stiff defense, ranking near the top across multiple categories. In six of their eight games, Seattle held their opponent to 20 or fewer points. The Seahawks rank second in the league in rushing yards allowed per game (85.9) and have allowed a league-low 3.3 yards per rush attempt. Additionally, they have generated consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks, ranking third in the league in sacks (27) and have multiple players with more than 20 pressures, with defensive lineman Leonard Williams leading the pack with 30.

Source: https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/a...now-about-cardinals-week-10-opponent-seahawks

 

[Arizona Cardinals]

Cardinals-Cowboys reactions: Jacoby Brissett, Walter Nolen, the offense and the defense

Happy Saturday one and all.

The Arizona Cardinals snapped a five-game losing streak and are looking to get their first win in the division in the 2025.

They will have to do so on the road against a very good Seattle Seahawks team, but more on that later.

First, Jess and I wanted to look back at the Cardinals win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Before the move to put Murray on IR, Jess and I discussed the decision to start Jacoby Brissett, and from there we had a great episode.

Enjoy the show with the embedded player above or by subscribing to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or your favorite podcast platform, so you never miss a show. Make sure as well to give it a five-star rating!

In this episode we talked about:

• (1:00) The decision to go with Brissett this week and his play against the Cowboys
• (22:40) The offensive play against the Cowboys outside of Brissett
• (30:28) Walter Nolen’s NFL debut
• (36:09) How the Cardinals did defensively

View Link

Source: https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/a...sett-walter-nolen-the-offense-and-the-defense