As an Arizona Cardinals fan, were you able to watch the game against the Dallas Cowboys? If not, find a YouTube source and watch it. The game is a tale of two halves.
It is also a tale of two quarterbacks: starter Jacoby Brissett and his backup Gardner Minshew.
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For two quarters and one series, the Cardinals got into the Red Zone three times and could not cash in. They scored three points and had 130 yards of total offense. Brissett was sacked four
times and held the ball too long. He overthrew several receivers numerous times. The team’s best target, TE Trey McBride, had one catch for five yards and only 22 rushing yards.
Minshew came into the game during the second possession of Quarter 3. The Cardinals were down 17-3 after Dallas kicked a field goal right after the half, and Brissett led the offense to a six-play drive that ended with a punt after he was sacked twice.
Minshew entered the game with 1:35 left in the third quarter. On first down, he connected with WR Devin Duvernay for seven yards. On second down, RB Tyler Allgeier took it to the house to the tune of 63 yards to cut the lead to 17-10.
Keep in mind, all game, Dallas was in total control. All of their fans in attendance, all 90,763, knew for three quarters that their beloved Cowboys were going to win this game without any problems.
In the end, the Cardinals took the game into overtime and won 33-30. Minshew had orchestrated two comebacks, one in overtime, and the other with 1:09 in regulation to tie the game at 30-all. In the first half, Arizona had 130 total yards, whereas when the final gun sounded, they had 437. Minshew threw three touchdowns. The offense suddenly could not be stopped, and every play, every decision was the correct path. Plus, the Cardinals are now 1-0 under Minshew and 3-15 under Brissett.
During the post-game press conference, Arizona head coach Mike LaFleur addressed the quarterback situation going forward. He addressed many issues, such as injuries, but this article is strictly what Coach said about the quarterbacks.
Here is what LaFleur stated:
Q: Just kind of, where is this team right now that has to be exhilarating the way that ended up?
A: I don’t know if there are any words that I can express about this team right now other than that they’re resilient and they just keep fighting. They’re always in the fight. That was a total team effort right there. Obviously, we didn’t do enough on offense, and that was a collective. That was not just on one person. That was collective. In the first half, our defense kept us around. They kept us around and had a really good offense. That’s a very good offense. And they played extremely well. Shoot, they averaged 3.6 yards per play today. And for the special teams to do what they did, miss the extra point, and then come back and be resilient. It’s just resilience, and I’m proud of those guys.
Q: What went into your decision to sit Jacoby and play Gardner?
A: I just I thought we needed a spark and again it had it was a collective deal. I need to be better with our scheme. Obviously, I need to be better with our play calling, and all of us need it. We we got a we got a lot to fix right now. I don’t want this last 30 minutes or 35 minutes to mask the stuff that we need to fix on offense because I know we’re a lot better than that. I know we can execute better than that. So, start this week. I’m just excited about this win right now.
Q: So, if that was how it looked with those two, why not make that change earlier today or earlier in the season?
A: Yeah, again, it was collective. That’s, I know what the story is going to be, and I understand that, and so does he. But that was collective, and it starts with me.
Q: What were the things that Gardner did that unlocked the offense?
A: Yeah, he did a good job. Obviously, extended a few plays, stuff like that. But I thought his timing was great. He’s had a lot of success in this league, guys, and he’s about as resilient as they come, too. If you ask Gardner, he’s ready at all times. I thought the guys made some plays for him, and he was getting the ball out of his hands. Obviously, kind of what unlocked it to start was he started with a six-yard completion to Duvernay. Then we have that long run by TA right there. And it just kind of somewhat unlocked and loosened them up. Like, that’s why you need explosives and big plays because it loosens people up. I’m going to flip it really quick because I can. The defense played awesome. But we ended up with three receivers, one running back, and our right tackle going down, and all those kinds of things. Then the quarterback change. And for those guys to continue to battle was unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like it from an injury standpoint in the skill position in my life.
Q: What was your message, or what does it take for a team mentally to stay in and force overtime with a new quarterback and stay in it?
A: That’s what we all signed up for. It is what it is. Next man up, and we just saw that at the highest level that I’ve ever been a part of. It got to the point where you’re just like, Gardner doesn’t even know who he is throwing balls to at that point; you don’t know who’s mixing and matching and Mike’s (Wilson) hurting and stuff like that. I’m calling plays based on the formation, and Simi (Fehoko) and Mike are switching themselves at the end right there. So, Simi can do some of the grinder work because of where Mike was at. And Simi’s not feeling great either. Again, I think you guys can tell I’m at a loss for words in terms of just how I feel for that locker room right now. And I feel for the guys that got hurt because every single one of those guys put their body on the line. A lot of young guys in there that I’m excited to watch continue to grow. We’ll see what this list looks like tomorrow once we get back home and get a little bit more of a look at it. But yeah, proud of that locker room.
Analysis
Obviously, Coach LaFleur won’t divulge anything about the quarterback situation at this point. He will need to get input from OC Nathaniel Hackett, offensive quality control coach Brett Ekkens, and QB coach Matt Schaub. Only then will a decision be made.
It was interesting that none of the reporters at the presser specifically asked Coach whether he would stick with Minshew going forward. Not that he would have answered it directly, but it just seemed like a logical conclusion.
Another interesting point is that already today there have been a few reports that Brissett may be on the trading block. After all, the NFL trade deadline is November 10, and Brissett is 3-15 in his starts with the Cardinals in two seasons.
These reports aren’t that Brissett should be benched because his play has regressed; it is that Brissett should be shipped off.
Joey O’Donoghue of Arizona Cardinals Today podcast stated:
“You can’t go back to (Brissett). I don’t care. Minshew has got to start here the rest of the way out. And if that’s the case, Jacoby Brissett, with a little over a week before the trade deadline, is a name to watch.”
The Baltimore Ravens were down to their third quarterback this past weekend, a kid who went undrafted, Joe Fagnano. The Atlanta Falcons are another possibility. And right now, Brissett’s value would be at his peak. He has only sat one half of one game, so it’s not like Arizona has tossed him on the woodpile and is begging another club to take him.
Brissett is in his 11th season and has played in 109 NFL games with 73 starts. A quarterback-needy team wants a guy who has the experience to come in and not need much instruction. That is Brissett. He has thrown for 16,485 yards and tossed 86 touchdowns against 39 interceptions. And he is a very durable player.
If the coaching staff believes that a combination of Minshew and perhaps later, Carson Beck, is where this team is headed, then what is the advantage of keeping Brissett?
Today, Coach LaFleur confirmed that Minshew would start against division foe Seattle this weekend.
You want to know what is absolutely odd? This time last year, the conversation was about how stagnant the offense was under QB Kyler Murray, and how Brissett had sparked the offense.
