Cardinals continue to struggle vs. pass-catching offensive linemen

Opponents of the Arizona Cardinals haven’t shied away from getting their offensive linemen involved in the receiving game in the second half of the season.

And for the most part, they’ve been successful, with former Cardinals OL Cody Ford — now with the Cincinnati Bengals — being the latest big man to take it to Arizona’s defense.

The Bengals didn’t even try to hide it, either.

Bengals OL Cody Ford splits out wide and makes a play!

AZvsCIN on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/wtHhQilvuF

— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2025

In the third quarter of a lopsided game in Cincinnati, the Bengals lined up Ford on the outside and let Ford do the rest on a 21-yard catch and run.

Ford, who turned 29 years old on Sunday, nearly found the end zone after barreling through rookie cornerback Denzel Burke and others.

He may have not hit pay dirt on the play, but the Bengals wouldn’t be held out for long with Chase Brown rumbling in on a one-yard score to make it 37-7 in favor of Cincinnati.

It marks the third time in recent weeks a Cardinals opponent has tried to get the better of Arizona with a big-bodied pass catcher.

Offensive lineman Tristin Wirfs scored a touchdown in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ win over the Cardinals in Week 13.

Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Jake Matthews should have had one in Week 16 but couldn’t come down with the easy touchdown grab. The miss didn’t matter much toward the end result, though, with Atlanta getting the win on the road.

Sunday marks yet another indictment on the issues plaguing Arizona’s defense.

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