Cardinals mailbag: Is Jeremiyah Love’s increased workload here to stay?

The Arizona Sports Cardinals mailbag is back for another week of action!

And naturally, the increased usage for running back Jeremiyah Love was a topic for discussion this week.

Same with defensive coordinator Nick Rallis’ job status…

Let’s dive right in:

Cardinals Week 4 mailbag

Shane: Should we expect the same workload for Love going forward? Kid looked great against the Niners.

TD: As I’ve said, he makes others look like they are running in slow motion.

That’s exactly the kind of workload I think many have been wanting to see out of the rookie after two weeks of getting his feet wet in a near-even split with veteran Tyler Allgeier.

Head coach Mike LaFleur talked about riding the hot hand last week, but with what Love showed, it’s hard to not want to lean on him to get the offense back on track, especially from an explosive play standpoint.

 

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He didn’t pop any explosives last week, with his longest run ending at eight yards, but he looked so close to taking multiple the distance. It’s only a matter of time before those highlights start taking over the internet.

As for the Love-Allgeier split in Week 3, I don’t think that will be an every-game situation. Allgeier is still going to factor throughout the season as the Cardinals try to keep both as fresh as possible.

But to me, there’s a clear pecking order of playmakers right now in Arizona:

– Trey McBride
– Michael Wilson
– Jeremiyah Love

After that, it’s everyone else.

 

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Love clearly earned the right for touches moving forward.

Charles: What’s your prediction on when a Nick Rallis firing could happen?

TD: The Cardinals defense is back to what many of us expected it would be. There is no pass rush and divisional foes are still putting up points on the regular.

Since Rallis took over in 2023, the Cardinals have allowed at least 30 points in 10 of Arizona’s 20 NFC West matchups. That includes the first two divisional games of 2026.

And that’s just the division, with opponents putting up at least 30 points in 21 of 54 games since 2023.

If the 30-burgers keep coming, it’s only a matter of time before Rallis is shown the door.

Even if he does make it through the year, I wouldn’t be surprised if LaFleur looks for another option.

Phil: Whoever starts in New York as the QB1, is it possible for us to get pressure on them from our edge rushers and D-line?

TD: Anything is possible with Giants quarterback Jameis Winston under center! And that includes Arizona’s pass rush taking a step forward.

Through three weeks, the Giants have faced the 12th-highest pressure rate in the NFL at 38.1%. Of the 37 pressures New York has gone up against, seven resulted in sacks for a 7.8% sack rate. That’s the 11th-highest rate in the league.

New York is also leaving their guards on islands at a league-leading rate despite their success rates being less than the league average of just under 50%.

They aren’t Tampa Bay Buccaneers status — 13 sacks allowed, 41% pressure rate, 11.6% sack rate — but an opportunity awaits for the Cardinals this week.

After all, it’s not the Seattle Seahawks or San Francisco 49ers, Arizona’s last two opponents who are keeping their quarterback upright and out of harm’s way better than just about everyone else this year.

That is if pass rusher Josh Sweat (more on him below) gets it together and Walter Nolen III can be that game wrecker he talked about being this offseason.

John: The question early in the season was “will the Cardinals trade Josh Sweat at the deadline?” The question now is “CAN they trade him?”

TD: They absolutely can still trade him as soon as right now! It’s just going to be for a fraction of what the asking price should be.

Despite coming off a career year, Sweat has been a no-show in the one area he knows best: Rushing the passer. Of his 55 pass rushes this year, only three have resulted in a pressure. None have resulted in a sack.

That potential first-round pick they could have gotten this past offseason is not happening at this rate.

If Sweat does want out, putting his best foot forward before the deadline closes in is key. Because if I’m general manager Monti Ossenfort, I’m not even thinking about picking up the phone until those sack numbers (and Sweat’s trade value) trend back up.

Dealing a premier pass rusher for pennies on the dollar is not good business, especially with no concrete backup plan on the roster.

Bobby: What about Tyler Allgeier? He didn’t play a lot and didn’t seem to be moving well.

TD: Allgeier isn’t on the injury report this week. While he might be dealing with some bumps and bruises, I think he’s relatively healthy three weeks in.

As far as his usage, I think it comes down to two things. With another week removed from his high ankle sprain, Arizona wanted to lean more on Love to push the envelope last week. For the first time in his NFL career, he was utilized like a No. 3 overall pick should be.

I also think there is something to say about riding the hot hand as LaFleur and others have referenced. It didn’t take long to see Love was moving the ball efficiently.

And even though he only had a long of eight yards, the rookie still averaged 4.3 yards per carry on his way to 90 yards on 21 attempts. His five catches went for another 19 yards and a touchdown.

It’s hard not to have that kind of playmaker on the field, regardless of the one-two punch Arizona has in the running backs room.

Thanks to everyone who submitted their questions this week!

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