The Arizona Cardinals already find themselves trailing in the first quarter after an impressive opening series by Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati offense. An impressive 12-play, 72-yard drive that ended in a touchdown.
Ja’Marr Chase was a workhorse on this possession, as the former No. 5 overall pick from 2021 caught three passes for 39 yards, including the team’s first touchdown of the game.
Chase saw a 22-yard catch on a 3rd and 10 where Burrow found him in the middle of the field with rookie cornerback Will Johnson in coverage. Chase practically ripped the ball away from Johnson, leading to the big gain.
Chase capped off the drive with a 13-yard catch and run, featuring a spin move he displayed on cornerback Darren Hall, and took it to the endzone for the game’s first touchdown.
Despite letting up the score, Arizona saw solid production from another rookie cornerback in Denzel Burke. Who broke up a pair of passes on the opening series intended for Tee Higgins and Andrei Iosivas. Burke, a fifth-round pick out of Ohio State, is seeing more playing time each week with the injuries in the secondary.
It is going to be tough sledding for an Arizona secondary that is already without its star safety in Budda Baker. If the Cardinals want any shot of making it a game against, they need to slow down the Bengals’ explosive passing game that shredded them on the opening drive.
Joe Burrow threw for 55 yards on the first series, exposing a young group of defensive backs. It will be interesting to see how head coach Jonathan Gannon makes adjustments as the game goes on.
The team needs to slow down the Burrow/Chase connection while also ensuring they can keep Tee Higgins in check as well.
As it stands, 7–0 Bengals lead with less than five minutes remaining in the opening quarter.