The Arizona Cardinals offense didn’t have enough in the tank to steal a win from the Houston Texans in Week 11, and one reason is that some of their players just didn’t have a great game. Kyler Murray wasn’t the same quarterback that he was in the Cardinals Week 10 win, and his performance, though solid, helped contribute to the loss with too many bad passes.
However, Murray was no dud in his second game back, and he still gets a free pass since it was his first road game in a while. But, he must step it up for the following roadie when the Cards fly into Pittsburgh in less than two weeks.
Two players on this list put up pitiful performances, and they are both running out of chances with the Redbirds. A trio, however, fared well, and we will recognize them below. We also talked about quite a few players yesterday, like Marco Wilson, Leki Fotu, and Greg Dortch, so they will not be included on the list.
3 studs and 2 duds in the Arizona Cardinals most recent loss
Stud: Jalen Thompson
Jalen Thompson enjoyed an under-the-radar performance this past Sunday, snagging eight total tackles, which also happened to be solo tackles. He also had one sack, a tackle for loss, a deflection, an interception, and a quarterback hit, solidifying what was an epic performance from a safety who spent the earlier portion of the season battling a hamstring issue.
In nine games this season, Thompson is once again putting up Pro Bowl-caliber numbers, with two interceptions, 35 return yards, one sack, two quarterback hits, and four tackles for loss. Thompson, despite being part of the Keim regime, is just 25 and has more than earned a spot under Monti Ossenfort.
Dud: Josh Woods
Josh Woods will get the first call to step up in Kyzir White’s absence as the primary inside linebacker, and so far, he’s been marginal. While Woods posted seven tackles (six solo), they are almost always between four and five yards downfield, and that won’t get it done long-term.
Woods’ performances all season have been rather pedestrian, as he has just one tackle behind the line, one quarterback hit, and a half-sack in eight games played, despite seeing the field in 388 snaps on defense so far in 2023.
Stud: Garrett Williams
Garrett Williams’ presence has turned up pressure on Marco Wilson, mainly because quarterbacks aren’t throwing his way. Over the past two weeks, Williams has technically allowed a 100 percent completion percentage, but when you break it down, that 100 percent has come from two passes total for just seven yards and 3.5 yards per target.
On Sunday, Williams allowed just five of those yards, and quarterback CJ Stroud did all he could to pressure Wilson. Since Williams missed the first six games of the season, his sample size is still small, but opposing quarterbacks are completing 53.8 percent of their passes on him for just 46 yards.
Dud: Marquise Brown
College teammate of Kyler Murray’s or not, Marquise Brown isn’t getting things done and he should find the nearest exit if he keeps playing this way. Brown had 18 yards on two receptions and five targets this past week, and his 52.3 catch percentage is by far the lowest of his career.
If Brown wants to remain on the Arizona Cardinals, then he needs to start taking advantage of the opportunities Murray is giving him - assuming the quarterback gets the pass there. He’s got six more games to get it right, and his performance this past Sunday didn’t help matters.
Stud: BJ Ojulari
Sound performances from BJ Ojulari are becoming normal, and that’s a good thing if you’re an Arizona Cardinals fan hoping that Ossenfort hits ringers on all of his draft selections. This past week, Ojulari notched another sack and a tackle for loss, continuing what is turning into a successful rookie season.
Since becoming a regular part of the rotation, Ojulari has over delivered, and he now has 4.0 sacks on the year, with 21 combined tackles, four quarterback hits, and four tackles behind the line. Most of that production came from Week 5 and onward, mainly once he was up to speed after missing most of the offseason and training camp.
Will Ojulari and Company continue their upward trend in Week 12 and beyond? And will the likes of Marquise Brown and Josh Woods get it together during the final six games in 2023? We will get closer to those answers in Week 12 when the Cards host the Los Angeles Rams.
(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference)