Dec 7, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) reacts after a play during the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
GLENDALE – Sunday’s Week 15 matchup between the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans could turn ugly very fast. It’s a matchup between the seventh-ranked passing offense vs. the third-best passing defense in the NFL. The passing yards leader since Week 6 Jacoby Brissett has been reborn in Arizona and has had impressive production.
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However, Sunday is unlikely to yield similar results, as Houston will only be the second top-10 passing defense Brissett has faced all season. The 32-year-old played against the seventh-ranked passing defense in the Green Bay Packers in Week 7, where he threw for 279 passing yards and two touchdowns on 69.4% completion.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) calls out a play from the line of scrimmage against the Green Bay Packers at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Oct. 19, 2025. © Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Stellar numbers, but Brissett was at State Farm Stadium. Week 15 will see the career backup travel down to H-Town, where the Texans are only allowing 155.3 passing yards per game at NRG Stadium.
Brissett in major trouble on Sunday:
Houston’s defense is top 10 in almost every single defensive category. The unit is first in yards allowed (266.3), eighth in sacks (36), second in turnovers (12) and many more. Similar to the Green Bay game, Arizona will struggle against this front. The Cardinals will be out cornerstone offensive lineman Parison Johnson Jr., which puts an already compromised unit in a worse position.
Even if Brissett’s targets get open, like Michael Wilson and Trey McBride, the pocket might not be open long enough for him to make those reads. Of all current starters in the NFL, Brissett is seventh in time to throw at 2.8 seconds. The veteran won’t be gifted that amount of time often on Sunday, meaning he’ll need to play at a faster pace than what is normal for him.
Nov 30, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) is pressured by Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (31) during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Texans only have a 24.9% blitz rate and a 21.7% heavy box rate. Defensive coordinator Matt Burke doesn’t draw up blitzes often because of the powerful one-two combo of Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson, who have combined for 21.5 sacks.
The dynamic duo of Hunter and Anderson makes an already talented secondary, with Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter, more dangerous because of the limited time in the pocket for Brissett. Houston will be the best defense Brissett plays all season, and in a hostile environment, will need to rely on the play calling of Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing to draw up a scheme to survive.
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
