Cardinals go backwards, erase momentum in loss to Broncos

GLENDALE — The Arizona Cardinals looked like a different team (especially defensively) in last week’s win, leaving many to wonder if those positives would travel back home for Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos.

Through a quarter or so against the Broncos, that feeling remained with field goals and punts littering the box score early on as the Cardinals continued to stay aggressive under defensive coordinator Nick Rallis.

But just as fans began settling in for a low-scoring affair, the Cardinals turned back the clock in the worst of ways in the 30-16 defeat.

On top of the mountain of penalties Arizona picked up early on, it was Broncos quarterback Bo Nix’s 62-yard touchdown run that spelled the beginning to the end for the Cardinals’ chances of winning at home for the first time since Week 2 of 2025.

No one was even close before it was far too late.

BO NIX 62-YARD TOUCHDOWN RUN

DENvsAZ on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/sxC4uWF33r

— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2026

Denzel Burke never seeing the signal caller streaking down the field and sticking with his man only added to the rough optics for Rallis’ unit. Same with knowing that Nix had just 37 rushing yards across the first six weeks combined.

Toss in another explosive touchdown — a 52-yard catch-and-run from RJ Harvey to kick off the third quarter — and the defense again proved why it’s one of the worst against big plays in 2026. Just like that, all the momentum that was built up last week felt gone.

As for points allowed, Arizona has now given up five 30-point efforts in seven tries this year. Not good enough.

As for the opposing team, the Broncos hadn’t scored 30 points but once this season before Sunday. Denver was averaging 19 points and 259 yards per game. The Cardinals allowed 377 yards to go with those 30 points.

All that Rallis chatter is bound to pick up once more after this one.

The offense, meanwhile, once again struggled to find much of anything in the red zone.

Did it break off a streak of seven consecutive trips without a TD on Sunday? Yes, thanks to a Trey McBride touchdown.

But ending with a 1-for-5 mark does not scream offensive success. Arizona is now 1-for-10 across the past two weeks in the red area.

Of the misses, Bam Knight’s glaring drop despite a beautiful Jacoby Brissett throw stands out above the rest.

Instead of taking a 7-6 lead in the second quarter, Arizona again had to watch Chad Ryland put points on the board with a field goal.

And as LaFleur has said since last week, field goals in the red zone are not going to win games.

That couldn’t have been truer on Sunday.

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