The Arizona Cardinals suffered a heavy defeat, losing 42-14 to the Washington Commanders, marking their record at 1-3 and raising concerns about the team’s talent on both sides of the ball.
Washington’s offense, orchestrated by former head coach Kliff Kingsbury, unleashed a powerful ground game, racking up 216 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. was a standout, carrying the ball 21 times for 101 yards. The team also effectively utilized Jeremy McNichols, who contributed eight carries for 68 yards, and quarterback Jayden Daniels, who added eight carries for 47 yards. Daniels, a former Arizona State star and Heisman winner at LSU, completed 26 of 30 passes for 233 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
On the other side, Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray managed to complete 16 of 22 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown, which came during a strong opening drive to rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. However, the brief lead was short-lived as the Cardinals struggled to maintain momentum for the rest of the game. They failed to apply pressure on Daniels, finishing the game with just one quarterback hit and allowing Murray to be sacked four times, along with three additional hits.
Despite a solid performance from running back James Conner, who rushed for 104 yards on 18 carries, Arizona had limited offensive support from its skill players. With tight end Trey McBride out, Harrison led the team with five receptions for 45 yards, while Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch each added 38 receiving yards.