In the Arizona Cardinals' 30-16 loss to the Denver Broncos, 17 players participated in at least one of the 81 offensive snaps.
How was that playing time divided up? We have the numbers.
The first number after each name is their snap count, and the second is the percentage. Players in bold were starters.
Quarterbacks
- Jacoby Brissett (81/100)
- Did not play: Gardner Minshew II
- Inactive: Carson Beck (emergency third QB)
It was another roller-coaster ride for Brissett and the offense. The Cardinals have scored only one touchdown in 10 red-zone trips over the last two games and the final sequence when they were unable to score from the 1-yard line and inside the one was emblematic of the issues.
Overall, Brissett passed for 272 yards and a touchdown, but he was pressured 21 times and hit 13. That’s not a recipe for offensive efficiency. Many are calling for Minshew
to get a shot, but why anyone believes that will make a difference is a head-scratcher.
Referring to the sacks (three) and pressures, Brissett said, “It’s football. Stuff like that happens. I’m still standing.”
When head coach Mike LaFleur was asked what Brissett provides the offense, he said, "I'm not even going to talk about any of the individuals. It's us collectively. We have to finish better.”
As for the pressure, LaFleur said, "He got hit a little bit. We knew that they were going to try to take the air out of some of the underneath stuff knowing that a lot of the stuff we've put on tape is just getting the ball out of our hands pretty quickly. Not only that, but with their defensive structure, you knew we were going to have to get over the top. When you do that, you're going to hold onto the ball a little bit longer. (I’ll) just keep preaching to these guys (to) strain for that extra click to allow Jacoby to sit back there and allow our guys to separate down the field."
Running backs
- Bam Knight (43/53), Tyler Allgeier (38/47)
- Did not play: Evan Hull (played only on special teams)
- Inactive: RB Jeremiyah Love (injured)
- Injured reserve: James Conner (eligible to return), Trey Benson
Knight had 48 yards rushing, yet had one fewer carry (seven) than Allgeier. Knight’s long run was 29 yards and Allgeier’s was seven. The latter totaled a mere 19 yards on eight attempts (2.4 average). Surely, the offensive line is a part of it, but Knight has better burst than Allgeier.
He had 30 yards on three receptions with a long of 22, while Knight also had three catches, but for only five yards. He dropped a pass in the end zone and when LaFleur was asked about it, he said, again, "It's a collective, so it doesn't make you feel any better or worse. Again, we're collectively in this thing together. We can all do better and I trust the guys that are out there are going to be able to make those plays. He's going to have an opportunity at some point to make that play and he's going to."
Wide receivers
- Michael Wilson (73/90), Jalen Brooks (52/64), Kendrick Bourne (45/56), Simi Fehoko (7/9), Reggie Virgil (3/4)
- Did not play: Devin Duvernay (played only on special teams)
The three receivers with targets produced a poor catch percentage as only 8-of-20 were completed. Wilson was targeted eight times and caught four for 55 yards. Bourne and Brooks were each targeted six times, with Bourne catching three for only nine yards and Brooks one for 35. That set the Cardinals up at the 1-yard line where they snapped the ball five times (including two pass interference penalties) in the final two minutes without scoring.
Asked about McBride and Wilson, LaFleur said, "They're studs. They're awesome. They're going to be huge reasons why this thing flips."
Tight ends
- Trey McBride (75/93), Elijah Higgins (39/48), Tegan Quitoriano (29/36)
- PUP reserve: Tip Reiman (eligible to practice)
- Injured reserve: Hunter Long (eligible to return after Week 8), Jamison Geers
McBride had 10 receptions on 13 targets for 111 yards and a seven-yard touchdown catch. Higgins had three receptions for 17 yards. McBride’s assault on the league record books continues:
- With 406 receptions in 73 career games, he surpassed Travis Kelce as the second-fastest tight end in NFL history to reach 400 career receptions. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow (72 games) reached the mark faster.
- He is the fifth player in NFL history with at least seven receptions in nine consecutive games, joining Antonio Brown (14 in 2014-15 with Pittsburgh), Cooper Kupp (11 in 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams), Stefon Diggs (nine in 2020-21 with Buffalo) and Puka Nacua (nine in 2024-25 with the Los Angeles Rams).
- He has 10 career games with at least 10 receptions and joins Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (15 games), Travis Kelce (12), Zach Ertz (12) and Jason Witten (11) as the only tight ends in NFL history with at least 10 career games of 10 or more receptions.
- He now has 59 receptions this season and surpassed Ertz (57 receptions in 2018 with Philadelphia) for the most receptions by a tight end in his team’s first seven games of a season in NFL history.
Offensive linemen
- LT Jayden Williams (81/100), LG Isaac Seumalo (81/100), C Hjalte Froholdt (81/100), RG Hayden Conner (81/100), RT Elijah Wilkinson (81/100), T Josh Fryar (1/1)
- Did not play: T Jedrick Wills Jr., C Kingsley Eguakun (both played only on special teams; Eguakun elevated from practice squad)
- Inactive: G Jon Gaines II (injured), T Albert Reese IV
- Injured reserve: LT Paris Johnson Jr. (eligible to return, but won’t), G Isaiah Adams (eligible to return after Week 8), G Chase Bisontis
Conner made his first NFL start with Gaines sidelined by knee and ankle injuries. Williams had a particularly rough time handling Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto.
As for Conner, LaFleur said, "I thought he did some good stuff. Again, sometimes up front you have to watch the tape with that as well. I thought there was some good stuff, but obviously there were times where the pressure was getting on Jacoby pretty quick."
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Arizona Cardinals Week 7 offensive snap counts, observations vs. Broncos
