The Arizona Cardinals gave up 216 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground in a 42-14 loss to the Washington Commanders, falling to 1-3 and leaving more questions about how well-equipped either side of the ball is in terms of talent.
Washington’s offense, led by coordinator and former head coach Kliff Kingsbury, attacked the Cardinals in the trenches, giving running back Brian Robinson Jr. 21 carries (101 yards).
The team peppered in Jeremy McNichols (eight carries, 68 yards) and got more out of quarterback Jayden Daniels (eight carries, 47 yards), the former Arizona State star who won a Heisman at LSU before becoming the No. 2 overall pick.
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McDaniels went 26 for 30 for 233 yards, a touchdown and a pick.
Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray completed 16 of 22 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown, a game-opening drive on a strike to rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
But that was the brief lead for the Cardinals on the day. They struggled to get pressure on Daniels and only recorded a single quarterback hit on the day.
Meanwhile, Arizona gave up four sacks on Murray — plus three more quarterback hits. Despite 18 carries for 104 yards from running back James Conner, the Cardinals got few offensive contributions from its skill players.
With tight end Trey McBride sidelined, the Cardinals saw Harrison finish with five catches for 45 yards, while second-year pro Michael Wilson and slot option Greg Dortch added 38 receiving yards each.