The Arizona Cardinals suffered a tough 42-14 defeat to the Washington Commanders, bringing their record to 1-3 and raising concerns about the team’s overall talent on both sides of the ball. The Commanders, under the direction of offensive coordinator and former head coach Kliff Kingsbury, dominated in the running game, accumulating 216 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Running back Brian Robinson Jr. was a key player, racking up 101 yards on 21 carries. The Commanders also utilized Jeremy McNichols, who contributed with eight carries for 68 yards, and quarterback Jayden Daniels, who added 47 rushing yards on eight carries. Daniels, the former Arizona State star and Heisman Trophy winner from LSU, performed well in the passing game as well, completing 26 of 30 attempts for 233 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.
For the Cardinals, quarterback Kyler Murray completed 16 of 22 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown, which initially gave Arizona an early lead with a scoring drive highlighted by a connection to rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. However, the Cardinals struggled to maintain momentum, failing to pressure Daniels effectively and recording only one quarterback hit throughout the game.
Defensively, the Cardinals allowed four sacks on Murray, along with three additional quarterback hits. While running back James Conner rushed for 104 yards on 18 carries, the Cardinals’ offensive output from their skill players was minimal. With tight end Trey McBride unavailable, Harrison led the team with five receptions for 45 yards, while second-year receiver Michael Wilson and slot receiver Greg Dortch each added 38 receiving yards.