Key Adjustments the Cardinals' Coaches Failed to Make

By Walter Mitchell

As everyone in the NFL knows, the difference between winning and losing mostly depends on the adjustments the coaches make to put their players in the best possible positions to succeed.

During the Cardinals' 36-24 loss to the Giants, after the Cardinals had jumped out to a 14-0 1st quarter lead, Giants' defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson called his troops together and told them (to paraphrase) "we are going to send the dogs after the QB and clamp down on sticky man to man coverage the rest of the game." 

MUST SEE:

https://x.com/GiantsNationPod/status/2107544637770510800?s=20

Result: all the Cardinals would muster the rest of the game was 10 points. By the end of the game, the Giants' relentless pass rush pressure and their pesky man coverage behind it made all of the difference, under the most trying of circumstances given that the Cardinals at the end of the game had 1st and goal from the 4-yard line with one timeout and plenty of clock left to run 4 plays.

Adjustments that Mike LaFleur failed to make: (MUST SEE SHORT VIDEOS)

1. Going away from leaning on the "Pin and Pull" Rushing Assault, as beautifully analyzed by A.Q. Shipley and J.P. Shadrick.

https://x.com/WBJMItch/status/2107777683757105619?s=20

One of the great ways to counter for a revved-up defense like the Giants' was for the last three quarters to match their physicality with a fierce physicality of their own. The Cardinals after the first two drives took the pedal off the metal, which played directly into the Giants' hands.

2. Electing not to chip Abdul Carter consistently who was whooping up on RT Elijah Wilsonson. 

https://x.com/NFLPerformances/status/2107076771145506919?s=20

Unthinkable.

3. Not cleaning up the Cardinals' poor pass pro handling of the Giants' interior twists, TEXs (tackle end exchanges) and LB blitzes on the right side of the OL. 

https://x.com/theo_mackie/status/2107642652539703679?s=20

Pass pro grades:

C Hjalte Froholdt 26.2

RG Isaih Adams 40.1

RG Jon Gaines II 46.7

RT Elijah Wilkinson 30.9

Note: how fans can heap such blame on QB Jacoby Brissett for this loss is unconscionable given the circumstances and the lack of help he got from the coaches.

The one bright spot:

Pro Football Network

@PFN365

·

16h

🛡️ The highest-graded NFL offensive tackles entering Week 5, per PFN's OL Impact metric: 1. Darnell Wright, CHI - 97.1 2. Garett Bolles, DEN - 88.4 3. Paris Johnson Jr., ARI - 84.9 4. Jordan Mailata, PHI - 84.3 5. Penei Sewell, DET - 84.0

Mike Garafolo

@MikeGarafolo

·

Oct 5

Brutal loss for the #AZCardinals: LT Paris Johnson Jr. tore his biceps and is out for the season, HC Mike LaFleur said. Johnson stayed in the game for a few plays after getting hurt. Didn’t want to come out. Imaging today revealed the full extent of the injury.

Unreal that this keeps happening to the Cardinals OL.

Walter B J Mitchell

@WBJMItch

Man, gotta feel awful for PJJ. He was playing well and setting himself up for his 2nd contract. Hope he comes back stronger than ever in 2027.

4. On 3rd downs (and last two plays of game), throwing continuously under the sticks and short of the line to gain.

1

2-yd Pass

12:14 - 2nd

(Shotgun) J.Brissett pass short left to T.Allgeier to ARZ 31 for 2 yards (A.Reese).

3rd & 8 at ARI 29

2

2-yd Pass

9:15 - 2nd

(Shotgun) J.Brissett pass short right to T.McBride to ARZ 19 for 2 yards (G.Newsome).

3rd & 10 at ARI 17

3

Interception

3:15 - 2nd

(Shotgun) J.Brissett pass short left intended for Mi.Wilson INTERCEPTED by A.Reese (S.Harris) at ARZ 34. A.Reese to ARZ 26 for 8 yards (I.Adams).

3rd & 2 at ARI 35

4

-8-yd Pass

1:17 - 2nd

(Shotgun) J.Brissett pass short left to J.Love to ARZ 15 for -8 yards (A.Reese).

3rd & 18 at ARI 23

5

Sack

15:00 - 4th

(Shotgun) J.Brissett sacked at ARZ 38 for -11 yards (T.Edmunds).

3rd & 7 at ARI 49

6

5-yd Pass

10:21 - 4th

(Shotgun) J.Brissett pass short left to T.Allgeier to ARZ 45 for 5 yards (D.Reader; D.Banks) [A.Carter].

3rd & 12 at ARI 40

7

Incompletion

4:57 - 4th

(Shotgun) J.Brissett pass incomplete short left to T.McBride (A.Phillips).

3rd & 2 at ARI 11

8

Incompletion

0:14 - 4th

(Shotgun) J.Brissett pass incomplete short left to T.McBride (D.Banks).

3rd & Goal at NYG 4

9 

Interception Return Touchdown

0:00 - 4th

(Shotgun) J.Brissett pass short left intended for Mi.Wilson INTERCEPTED by D.Banks at NYG 2. D.Banks for 98 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

4th & Goal at NYG 4

Look at all of these wasted opportunities. It is absolutely unfathomable that both Trey McBride and Michael Wilson as #1 options on the last two plays of the game never ran a route into the end zone. Talk about saw off routes and getting MOSSED.

Note: the two times the Cardinals threw past the sticks resulted in big gains:

1 

24-yd Pass

0:09 - 2nd

(Shotgun) J.Brissett pass deep right to Mi.Wilson pushed ob at NYG 42 for 24 yards (G.Newsome).

3rd & 1 at ARI 34

Set up Chad Ryland's FG at the end of the half.

2

18-yd Penalty

0:27 - 4th

(No Huddle, Shotgun) J.Brissett pass incomplete deep left to M.Harrison.PENALTY on NYG-D.Banks, Defensive Pass Interference, 18 yards, enforced at NYG 22 - No Play.

3rd & 6 at NYG 22

Note: the Cardinals did everything that Dennard Wilson and his players were hoping for: 

A. Not handling or countering for the pressure up front. 

B. Having the QB speed up his rhythm and timing.

C. Having the Cardinals' receivers saw off their routes often making them half as long as originally intended

D. Getting absolutely MOSSED by the Giants' secondary. 

5. Deciding to play Tyler Allgeier on the final 4 splays instead of #3 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Jeremiyah Love.

For example, how about this play for 1st and Goal at the 4, which the Cardinals scored on the previous week versus the 49ers.

https://x.com/NFL/status/2104339293665984877?s=20

Having Jeremiyah Love on the field would have put undue pressure on that Giants' defense and even if they had a play for covering Love on the play, the Cardinals could have run drag routes across the middle as options 2 and 3. Look at how Trey McBride got free at the back of the end zone on this play.

Keeping Tyler Allgeier in to block played perfectly into the Giants' plans as they never had to defend 5 receivers in the end zone.

Drawing the attention and apprehension with Jeremiyah Love in the game could have been a back breaker for the Giants. Who are they going to cover him with? One of their linebackers?

Adjustments that Nick Rallis failed to make: (MUST SEE SHORT VIDEOS)

1. Not bracketing WR Malik Nabers, who went off for 118 yards and a huge TD. 

If fact, not only did Nick Rallis put his best cover CB on Nabers for much of the afternoon, Rallis close to put ILB Mack Wilson on him, with, get this, no safety help over the top.

This gift-wrapped TD is an utter dereliction of common sense.

https://x.com/UnderdogNFL/status/2106811216719208768?s=20

If a DC ever wanted to give an erratic QB a great chance to succeed, this is a sure way how. Nick Rallis once again has no competitive plan to defend the opponent's ace receiver, allowing Mailk Nabers to wreak havoc on the team's secondary.

2. Deja vu all over again, leaving the middle uncovered in the red zone and having the ILB off to the side try to cover the slot (this time from the right side). Another easy access TD for Jameis Winston this time to Theo Johnson.

https://x.com/BobbySkinner_/status/2106825611398312444?s=20

3. Time and time again because of a lack of pass rush lane discipline, giving Jameis Winston easy escape routes from the pocket. This, other than Banks' interception may have been the biggest play of the game for the Giants, who are facing 3rd and 20, down 24 to 19 and the Cardinals let Winston escape and throw to an uncovered (how can this be?) Malachi Fields.

https://x.com/NFL/status/2106824231820681438?s=20

If the Cardinals could have eliminated Jameis Winston's scrambles, they probably would have won this game.

Here's what happened every time: Josh Sweat's edge rushes were consistently getting pushed far to the outside by All-Pro LT Andrew Thomas which left gaping holes, that only the DT Walter Nolen could have closed if he keep his passing lane integrity. Instead on each occasion, Walter Nolen takes an inside rush, leaving a wide hole, as evidenced here. 

This made things so easy on Winston --- and think, on the other hand, of how difficult the Giants' pressures were making things for Jacoby Brissett. Huge difference in the game. 

4. Unlike Dennard Wilson, dialing back the blitzes. 

Blitz Percentage for Giants: 53%

Blitz Percentage for Cardinals: 30%

Note: Cardinals were giving up an average of 5.4 yards per play on blitzes and an average of 10.6 yards per play otherwise. 

It would have been far wiser to blitz Jameis Wilson with Mack Wilson than to ask Mack to cover solo on Nabers and Johnson. Adding an extra rusher via the blitz also could have made it harder for Jameis Winston to escape the pocket.

Conclusion:

The Giants were the far more aggressive team and their coaches John Harbaugh, Matt Nagy and Dennard Wilson outcoached Mike LaFleur and Nick Rallis.

Listen to John Harbaugh before the final play of the game:

https://x.com/AnthonyGros13/status/2107531975863238776?s=20

Hopefully Mike LaFleur and Nick Rallis can and will make some key adjustments this week versus Dan Campbell, Drew Petzing and Kelvin Sheppard. Learning from games like this is of paramount importance. 

Possible Hail Mary signing:

Mike Garafolo

@MikeGarafolo

·

19h

The #AZCardinals are signing OT Jedrick Wills off the #Bills practice squad, sources tell me and @RapSheet. The 10th overall pick in 2020 heads to Arizona after the team lost LT Paris Johnson Jr. for the season. @SalSports reported Wills was signing elsewhere. AZ it is.

P.S. Could the Cardinals want him to be a pass protection upgrade at RT if they feel optimistic about Jayden Williams starting at LT in place of PJJ?