PASS FIRST: Arizona Cardinals MUST Become a Pass-Heavy Offense to Survive the 2025 NFL Season

PASS FIRST: Arizona Cardinals MUST Become a Pass-Heavy Offense to Survive the 2025 NFL Season

It’s time for the band-aid to be ripped off. This offense needs to become a heavy pass first offense if the Cardinals want to survive the 2025 season. Let’s discuss. You are Locked On Cardinals, your daily Arizona Cardinals podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day. Alex Fancy here. Follow me on Twitter, Clancy. Please go to the YouTube channel, search lock on Arizona Cardinals, hit that subscribe button, man. Every bears unite. Is that what people say now with like Avengers and stuff? I don’t do it. I’m not in the Marvel game. I’m too old for that, I think. I don’t know. Maybe I’m not too old for that. I just It’s never really been my thing. And we’re back. So, um, thanks for hanging out. Um, couple news and notes and then we’ll dive right in. Uh, three and four and two and five are miles apart. I think that’s obvious. will discuss, you know, uh, ramifications of a win or a loss on Sunday briefly before doing a full crossover Thursday with Peter Bowski of lockdown Packers tomorrow. Walter Nolan, the window is now open for him to return. Is he the key to help the defense sustain, you know, their success in the first three quarters in the fourth quarter where they fall they’ve fallen off a cliff multiple times this season and it’s pass first no matter what moving forward. I will discuss. Today’s episode is brought to you by Game Time. Download the Game Time app. Create an account. Use code locked in NFL for 20 bucks off your first purchase. So, a couple news notes. Marvin Harrison Jr. is still in in concussion protocol, but quote unquote doing good according to Jonathan Ganon and Walter Nolan’s uh return window has opened. So, we’ll see if um if they bring him back this week or if you see the bye-week in week eight and you’re just like, “All right, well, may as well bring the dude back in week nine, give him an extra week of rest.” Um, I don’t care who the quarterback is. The reason why the Arizona Cardinals have run the ball predominantly, I mean, first off, it was Drew Petting’s scheme coming in. It was able to, you know, have the offense control a little bit more of the game. Uh, a wild overcorrection from the more passhappy uh, offense with Cliff, even though they did run the ball significantly, too. It’s just different uh, naturally. Uh, you know, James Connor was really good. James Conor was a fringe pro for the last three years. Um, so when your best or your most important offensive player is a running back outside of quarterback, you’re going to you’re going to hit the rock. Okay? And that’s what’s happened. I mean, obviously two years ago or, you know, three years ago, 2023, when Kyler was out for the first eight weeks, they ran the ball because they, you know, Josh Jobs was here for 15 minutes before he started and, you know, they didn’t have a whole lot of talent outside of Trey McBride. Uh, 2024, they ran the ball really well, you know, and that was that was the the flagship for the team. Uh, even when drafting Marv, you know, Marv had eight touchdowns and Trey, you know, had had a couple, but it was really just it was James Connor first, you know, it was James Connor first. And now with James Connor out, Trey Benson on IR, you hope he’ll be able to come back the second he’s able to. Um, the best players are no longer in the backfield, so you need to adjust. And we saw that uh pretty glaringly in in Indie where Jo threw the ball 44 times. Like that’s that’s a lot. And when I continue to reiterate when Kyler Murray throws the ball 31 times, seemingly 70% of those are five yards in it. Like Jacobe Brouset was throwing the ball. It wasn’t just extension of the of the run game. And it was I mean awesome. It was awesome to see. It was awesome to see. I do want to have an aside here. Drew Petting said he didn’t see much difference with the offense with Jacob Brassette and Kyler Murray. Do they think that we’re we I’m not, you know, I’m not a reporter. I worked in radio. I never that was never something that I, you know, really wanted to do. I’m not a great writer. Um so I just view things out of my big dumb face and it seemed to work pretty well. Um, do they think the guys who are there every day, you know, Tyler Drake and Bo and and Donnie Drew and and Josh Wfus, like they think they’re dumb. Like, I know that there’s coach speak and I know that you have to protect players 100%. I’m not being like, come on, let let’s stay on this planet. And also Drew Pson with a straight face saying you didn’t see much difference with the offense uh which was said in Indie compared to the other weeks is just buffoonery. So listen, I think the impetus for this thought process is not just, oh, it’s obvious, which is, you know, it kind of is. Like the offense just wasn’t working and they were trying to run the ball and they were not very efficient and, you know, it’s kind of the new age NBA where you’re shooting threes to to set up, you know, lighter low post presence kind of thing. It’s kind of your throwing to set up the run. And they’ve got enough talent, I guess, until uh until Trey Benson comes back with Michael Carter and Bam Knight. Uh Marty Marcato is now hurt. I don’t know if he’s going to play or not, but uh you can throw the ball. The images for this was like it was two things. one Z Jones like okay so if this like and this is what I talked about before the season started the way to unlock the offense is to throw the ball to everybody and then when they didn’t do that I had to reverse course and say just throw the ball to Trey Martin just just do it just get the ball in the hands of the playmakers just do it now if Jacobe Brassette or Kyler Murray whoever the hell it is or me are is playing quarterback for the Cardinals for the rest of the year like if you’re going to throw the ball 40 times spread it out if you’re going throw the ball 25 times like they have 25 and 30 and the majority of them are you know in you know in front of the sticks throw it to your best players the impetus for it and this the third time I say impetus fourth is Zay Jones looked very productive he didn’t look old or rusty or anything like that he looked like the dude that you know has flashed elsewhere you know he flashed in in Jacksonville he had a little flashing in uh a little flash in in with the Raiders but like him and then the last flashball memory not only the touchdown to Greg Dorch, but the the go route to Michael Wilson where he went up and made a contested catch and you know the most important part of the game. It’s like maybe Michael Wilson is the biggest odd man out with an offense that’s completely anemic. Cuz listen, Michael Wilson’s produced when he’s gotten opportunities. It’s not the fastest, but he’s big, he is strong, he catches everything, and he’s great against the sideline, like you know, like I mentioned. So, that ball is the ball we’ve been hoping Marvin Harrison Jr. and Kyler Murray would connect on. If it’s Jacobe Brassette and Michael Wilson, if it’s Jacob Brassette and Marvin Harrison Jr., Jacobe Brassette and Trey McBride, whatever it is, they got to huck it. Like, this is the new world that we live in with the Arizona Cardinals. the run game can no longer be the anchor. And I think that’s should be obvious. Two weeks ago when Kyler was playing and they were beating Tennessee, it’s like, okay, well, yeah, just run the ball. Like, it doesn’t matter. Like, they were up, they had three rushing touchdowns, including one from Kyler Murray. It’s like, okay, so it’s working because it’s it’s a not so great team and you’ve got all the momentum and then the wheels fall off and you actually have to throw the ball and you end up losing the game. So for Drew Petting to say, going back to this for a second, that it looked completely the same, it’s it’s lunacy. I understand you have to protect be like, but I mean, you could at least acknowledge what we watched wasn’t some sort of VR, wasn’t a TV show that had nothing to do with the Arizona Cardinals. Like, what are we doing here? So, in summation, huck it. Throw it all over the field. Throw, throw, throw, throw, throw. I don’t care how many like my favorite play actions are when it’s just like a suggestion. It’s like everybody knows that you’re throwing the ball. It’s just like, here, I’m going to pretend to give this to you for like a split second, then bring it back. It’s the Joe Flacco uh uh play action. Jacobe does it great. He’s so smooth with it. Um, I’m not falling in love with Jacobe Brassette. I’m falling in love with how it was spread out last week. And Jacobe wasn’t great in the first half, but at least the Cardinals offense looked competent. It did. It looked competent. And that’s a far cry from the majority of the season that we experienced, except for the the tippy top peaks that filled the rest of the of the time where they looked like a top five offense. It’s the same story. The run game cannot be trusted to lead the way anymore. And until Trey Benson comes back and then we’ll see. Huck it. You’ve got the playmakers to make it work. Locked on Cardinals, your team every day. Walter Nolan’s practice window is opened. What does it mean? Anything? I don’t know. This is something that’s so outside of what we’ve talked about so far, which is wild. with the 16th overall pick on IR. Could Walter Nolan spark this defense to be able to play four complete quarters and keep the Cardinals in games? Let’s discuss. I’m Cody Ro from Lockdown Broncos and this episode is brought to you by Pelaton. Pelaton is shaping the future of fitness with the brand new Pelaton crossraining tread plus powered by Pelaton IQ. This is Pelaton’s most advanced equipment yet, giving you real time guidance and endless ways to move. Whether you’re running, lifting, or you’re crossraining with your favorite instructors like Alex Tusant, it’s training reimagined to make your workout more personal. Peloton is built for breakthroughs. With features that help you plan, stay motivated, and hit peak performance. You can let yourself run, lift, flex, and go while Pelaton handles all the rest. Plus, Pelaton IQ provides real time strength coaching, tracking your progress and suggesting weights that challenge you so you can get stronger. Plus, the new movement tracking camera. It counts your reps and corrects your form in real time, making sure every rep is safer and smarter. So, let yourself run, lift, flex, push, and go. Explore the new Pelaton crossraining tread plus at one pelaton.com. This episode of Lockdown Cardinals is also brought to you by FanDuel. NFL season’s here, dude. We’re over 33% of the way there. I tell you every week, appreciate football. FanDuel has an offer you don’t want to miss, and it’ll make you appreciate football, too. Right now, new customers can bet just $5 and get $300 in bonus bets if you win. That’s right. Pick a bet, put down five bucks. If it hits, you’ll unlock $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. The thing I’ve been highlighting during these reads recently is MVP. Like, do you have a sneaking suspicion that, you know, more of a long shot could actually stick it out like Daniel Jones, Baker Mayfield, or is Patrick Mahomes going to come back and and take the reign over again as MVP with with the numbers that he’s put up the last few weeks? All of that is at your fingertips with FanDuel. So, what are you waiting for? Visit fandal.com to download the FanDuel app today and get started. Please go to the YouTube channel, search locked in Arizona Carlos, hit that subscribe button, man. Um yeah, it feels weird. The season feels weird. Uh Cardinal squad show programming note tomorrow at 6 or tomorrow at 5, not tonight. Um for this week only and then uh following my instant reaction show uh on the after the game on Sunday, we’ll be doing the full hour as usual. Uh this season just feels weird. It feels like the Cardinals are 0 and six because or 0 and five because or 0 and six because uh you couldn’t enjoy the wins. And I’ve talked about that a little bit and I think everybody who’s watched those games in the first two weeks which seems like 2019. It seems like it was 30 years ago. I know 2019 isn’t 30 years ago but it’s like there’s been zero like at all except for the first quarter and a half against Tennessee. Um, so the interior of the defensive line has been okay. Klay has been good. Delin Tomlinson has been fine. The the the run defense, it’s going to be fascinating to see after getting lit up by by Jonathan Taylor. He did break it on the outside except for one that he went uh went up the B gap and broke a tackle and then ended up scoring or ended up getting down close to the close to the goal line. like you ran a bunch outside, but like it’ll be interesting to see going from Jonathan Taylor to Josh Jacobs. They just they’re just pound the rock in in Green Bay. Like is he going to eat him up too? Um I mean defensive line has been fine. The pass rush has been okay and I think Walter Nolan could like dude if Walter Nolan is as advertised and he’s got that quick twitch up the middle that could unlock everything on defense. Like really, if he’s as advertised, if he’s Will Johnson, like if he’s okay, yes, that is the dude in the middle of the field for the next seven years for this team or eight years, whatever it is, that could unlock everything. That’ll allow that’ll make everybody’s job easier. And it’s not like, okay, you have to go do this, the defense is going to suffer. But if he’s able to bring that speed, that is a counterbalance to Kas Campbell and and Dvin Tomlinson and Dante Stills up the middle, that allows for more double teams, more pressure put from the from the block scheme in the interior, which allows the edge job to be more one-on-ones. It allows more ability to blitz and bring more people. Like I think because of Darius Robinson and BJ Ojelari, we just kind of write off young players when they’re injured at the start of their career. And let me explain what I mean. What I mean by write off is not to say that they’re not going to amount to anything. That’s not what I mean. Um, what I mean is it’s it’s passive income that we just forget about and then don’t put it into an equation because it doesn’t feel real yet. Does that make sense? So, Dvin comes or uh uh Walter Nolan comes in, say he starts practicing in the next, you know, few days um and then he plays on Sunday. Let’s see. I don’t know. Listen, again, the by-week is in a weird spot. If it was week 11, week 12, I don’t know if they would have, you know, I don’t know if they would have opened up the window. I don’t know if I don’t know if he would have I don’t know. I just don’t know how healthy he is. We don’t They don’t tell us anything. So, he’s doing well. He’s progressing. He’s doing well. He’s progressing. Is there a world where he could can re, you know, re-energize and take this defense to another level? Like, not having Garrett Williams is a big big deal. Not having Garrett Williams is a big deal. Um, Hakee Davis Gaither got lit up this past. He had a couple really good plays. I tweeted out that, you know, another great signing by Monty with with Kazir White and then M Mac Wilson and then of course the rest of the game he gets absolutely destroyed. Uh it all starts with the pressure up front which will allow the DBs on the back end to eat and ball hawk. I just wonder if everything that we’ve watched on tape, everything that we’ve heard about him, people that I’ve, you know, obviously trusted and have made friends with over over the years in the space, like they’re like Walter Nolan’s a top 10 pick. Will Johnson was could have been a top 10 pick. So knowing that and a bunch of my buddies like the locked on host who drafted directly after the Cardinals or a couple after text me said damn it was hoping he’d fall to us. So people that I trust think this dude is an absolute terror. And the fact that he’s got a skill set where he’s much quicker, it can it’ll add a completely different element to this defensive front, which in turn will add a completely different element and allow for you to expect less um less attention to the edge rushers, which in turn could add more pressures, which in turn could add more bad throws, which in turn could add more turnovers, uh short fields, uh three and outs, whatever it is. And I don’t think that’s a far-fetched thing to say. Like this dude, dude, just YouTube Walter Nova Eclipse at Old Miss. Like the dude is scary on the football field. He’s got crazy passion. Like that was one thing. It’s like, “Oh, he’s too passionate.” Whatever. The red flags like, “Bro, once he got to Lane Keifin, like a a an adult operation, he was fine. He was fine.” So, it’ll be fascinating to see. And I, you know, I really hope that he plays on Sunday. Like that’s selfish of me. I’m assuming that he won’t. I would love to see him play. I mean, it’d be tough. Like, they opened it up what, five days, you know, before before the game. I just I just don’t see it, especially with the by-week game. But Walter Nolan is inching closer to playing his first NFL action. And I am so excited to see if he can really be the element that can allow this defense to get back to the prominence of what they were in the first three quarters of games. Um to withstand, you know, the entirety of of a game that they haven’t been able to do really. Octon Cardinals, your team every day. Three and four and two and five are different galaxies. We’ll discuss it next. This episode of Lockdown Cardinals is brought to you by our friends at Game Time. The NFL season is in full swing. Honestly, there’s nothing better than being in the stadium surrounded by fans cheering on your team. But let’s be honest, getting tickets can be a hassle. Between cues, login screens, and prices jumping at checkout, it’s frustrating. So, that’s why I use Game Time, the app that gives the advantage back to the fans. Game time is fast, easy, backed by the Game Time guarantee. You’ll always get 100% uh authentic tickets delivered on time and at the best price. Plus, all fees are included. So, the price you see is the price you pay. So, talking about football, they also do, you know, like for example, I wanted to see a stand-up comedy show with my mom, Jim Gaffigan. Okay, we were looking where he was playing. We’re going to Austin next week to see him. We used the Game Time app because I wanted to see the view of the seats before we bought him. And I knew the game time would do that for me. There was a flash sale. I was able to take advantage of that. and we’re going to see, you know, it’s a it’s a bucket list item for for my mom. So, I mean, Game Time made that possible. Now, on the Game Time app, create an account. Use code locked in NFL for 20 bucks off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, that’s promo code L O C K E D O N for 20 bucks off. Swap swap swipe tap ticket. Go download game time today. That’s a new one. Um, all right. So, YouTube channel, subscribe, notifications on, comment. You guys have been great with commenting. Uh, the season’s only going to get harder. The season’s only going to get harder, man. They’ve got I think they’re tied with Detroit for the toughest strength of schedule moving forward. So awesome. That’s exactly what we want to hear. Uh the importance of going to three and four salvages the season. And I know you know you’ll have the boobs in the comments say, “Oh no, the season’s done. season’s done. Pack it up. Fire everybody. Pack it up. Okay, you’re welcome to think that. Uh, more power to you and uh, good luck. If they beat Green Bay on Sunday, it would be the exact elixir necessary to go into the by-week. And it’s fascinating because contrary to that statement, they won four games in a row before going to their by-week and then they forgot to play football the rest of the season. So, it’s not it’s not an exact science, but this situation is wildly different, a little bit more dire. And if the Cardinals want to contend for anything this year, they got to win on Sunday. I think that’s pretty obvious. Um, I’ve really struggled and gone back and forth in my brain about if they’re going to fire anybody or not. And I find it hard to believe that they would cuz what’s it going to do? Oh, somebody needs to be held accountable. Okay, just don’t bring him back next year. At least if you have that unified front, there’s no fracture for the rest of the season. And I think there’s value in that. I think there’s value in that and I think for the culture for the camaraderie for the the the meteoric step up that they’ve taken since the last regime left. In my opinion, sustaining that culture is only really possible if everybody kind of stays at it. This team roster-wise is very close. Like, and we’ve seen why, man. Peris Johnson Jr. is going to be the left tackle forever. Like, he’s there. He’s the dude. Okay, Will Johnson is the next Patrick Peters who actually likes to hit people. Okay, he’s there and we’ll see if he has a sophomore slump, but so far so damn good. It’s a top ranked Pro Football focused defensive player. It’s like, what more do you want from a young man who was playing in college last year? Marv is going to be fine. Trey is great. like keeping it’s this this isn’t a dysfunctional team. There aren’t cancers in this locker room. There aren’t cancers in the coaching staff room. That is the part that is important to know and remember. So, for that purpose, maybe the coach, maybe Drew Petting isn’t the guy, okay? Maybe Jonathan Ganon isn’t the guy, but there’s no poison with this team from the GM down. I guess there’s no poison. Everybody’s on the same page. Everybody’s in lock step. Whatever cliche you want to use, boppity boppity bot here. And that is a very foreign concept. Nobody has any ulterior motives. Everybody goes to work on the same page every day trying to be better together. And that sounds Brady Bunchy, okay? and it probably is. But when I go back to comparing the Cardinals to other organizations or not doing that at certain times because everybody’s got their own journey, not having dysfunction, not having cancers or poison is something that is so valuable even if they’re losing more games than they win. So, I’m not saying you extend Drew Petting because he’s good for the culture and they’ve got a good, you know, kumbaya team. I’m saying firing somebody in the middle of the season, even if it’s especially if it’s a lost season, it becomes that it doesn’t bo like it doesn’t serve the purpose you think it’s going to. It doesn’t really serve any purpose because next season is going to be a completely new season, probably with a new OC, maybe with a new head coach. Why not keep solidifying this new Arizona Cardinals culture so it can last beyond this season? Yeah, I wasn’t expecting to say that. That almost made sense. Cardinal your team every day. Remember without you there is no me. Cardinal squad show tomorrow instead of tonight. Locked on uh crossover Thursday. Peter Bkowski of locked on Packers tomorrow. I will talk to you then.

The Arizona Cardinals are at a crossroads, and this episode dives deep into their potential offensive transformation. Host Alex Clancy examines the Cardinals’ urgent need to embrace a pass-heavy strategy, which could be the catalyst for their 2025 season turnaround.

Clancy meticulously breaks down recent game performances, highlighting how an increased focus on the passing game could unlock the full potential of key playmakers like Trey McBride and Michael Wilson. Listeners will gain insights into how this shift might reshape the Cardinals’ offensive identity and impact their playoff aspirations.

The episode doesn’t shy away from defensive concerns either. Walter Nolen’s possible return from injury is dissected, with Clancy exploring how his presence could bolster the Cardinals’ defensive line and overall defensive strategy.

A significant portion of the podcast is dedicated to the upcoming clash with the Green Bay Packers. Clancy analyzes this matchup from multiple angles, emphasizing its critical importance to the Cardinals’ playoff hopes and how it could serve as a litmus test for their new offensive approach.

The discussion extends beyond on-field tactics to examine the broader changes within the Cardinals organization. Clancy offers perspective on the evolving team culture under new leadership and stresses the importance of maintaining stability during this transition period.

Throughout the episode, Clancy weaves in expert analysis, statistical breakdowns, and informed predictions. He poses thought-provoking questions: Can the Cardinals successfully pivot to a more aggressive passing offense? How will this affect their run game? What are the implications for the defense if the offense starts spending more time on the field?

Listeners will come away with a comprehensive understanding of the Cardinals’ current situation, the potential risks and rewards of their strategic shift, and what to watch for in upcoming games. Whether you’re a die-hard Cardinals fan or a general NFL enthusiast, this episode provides valuable insights into team strategy, player development, and the nuances of mid-season adjustments in professional football. Let’s discuss.

The Best Daily Arizona Cardinals Podcast. Host Alex Clancy (@ClancysCorner) take an unbiased approach covering the biggest Cards stories.

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