Cardinals offer fans no hope in embarrassing loss to Rams at home
Arizona Republic insiders break down the Cardinals’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14.
The Arizona Cardinals continued their 2025 NFL regular season schedule with an NFL Week 15 game against the Houston Texans on Dec. 14. Look back at our live updates of the game, which was played at the Texans’ NRG Stadium in Houston.
The Arizona Cardinals fell to 3-11 on the season with a 40-20 loss to the Houston Texans.
The Cardinals trailed 23-7 at the half, but pulled to within two scores early in the fourth quarter.
Trey McBride had a banner day for the Cardinals and set an NFL record in the process. McBride surpassed five catches in a game for the 16th consecutive time to set a record for tight ends. He finished with 12 catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
Michael Wilson was second on the team with five catches for 54 yards. Michael Carter had 14 carries for 56 yards. QB Jacboy Brissett was 27-for-40 for 249 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
Houston QB CJ Stroud was 22-for-29 for 260 yards and three touchdowns. In his first NFL action, running back Jawhar Jordan finished with 15 carries for 101 yards. Nico Collins had three catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns.
Next up for the Cardinals is a Dec. 21 home game against the Atlanta Falcons.
NFL Week 15 picks: Falcons at Buccaneers | Browns at Bears | Ravens at Bengals | Cardinals at Texans | Jets at Jaguars | Chargers at Chiefs | Bills at Patriots | Commanders at Giants | Raiders at Eagles | Packers at Broncos | Lions at Rams | Panthers at Saints | Colts at Seahawks | Titans at 49ers | Vikings at Cowboys | Dolphins at Steelers | The Republic’s picks
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CJ Stroud found Nico Collins for the second touchdown pass between the two against the Cardinals.
Stroud is now 22-for-29 for 260 yards and three touchdowns. Collins has three catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Dalton Schultz has the other TD reception.
Score: Texans 40, Cardinals 20 (3:09 Q4)
Running back Jawhar Jordan stepped into an injury-riddled Houston backfield and put together a strong game.
He has 15 carries for 101 yards with 3 minutes to play. It’s the first action of his career. He was elevated from the practice squad on Saturday.
Jacoby Brissett completed an 11-yard pass to Michael Wilson to put the Cardinals within two scores of the Texans. Arizona went for 2, but the conversion failed.
After a slow start, Wilson now has five catches for 54 yards.
On the drive, Brissett completed passes to Trey McBride and Jalen Brooks.
The Texans added a 33-yard field goal — the fourth by Ka’imi Fairbairn — to start the fourth quarter.
Score: Texans 33, Cardinals 20 (11:01)
Tight end Trey McBride caught a pass and took it 20 yards for his second touchdown.
McBride had two catches for 41 yards on the drive. He now has 10 receptions for 117 yards and two touchdowns against the Texans.
The drive started after a 29-yard kickoff return by Jalen Brooks.
Score: Texans 30, Cardinals 14 (0:33 Q3)
The Texans used eight plays to cover 80 yards for their third touchdown.
CJ Stroud completed a pass to tight end Dalton Schultz for 4 yards for the touchdown. It was the seventh catch of the game for Schultz, who has 63 yards. No other Texan has more than three catches.
Stroud is 17-for-22 for 210 yards and two touchdowns.
Score: Texans 30, Cardinals 7 (3:55 Q3)
Jacoby Brissett’s pass to the endzone was intercepted by Karmari Lassiter, spoiling what could have been a Cardinals touchdown.
Arizona would have put itself back in the game with the touchdown.
Instead, the ball is in the hands of the Texans and headed the other way.
The Cardinals partially blocked a field goal as the first half ended to keep the Texans from adding to their lead.
Houston QB CJ Stroud is 13-for-17 for 177 yards and a touchdown. The Texans add 53 yards on 18 carries as a team. Dalton Schultz has six catches for 69 yards for Houston, while Nico Collins has a single catch for 57 yards.
Arizona QB Jacoby Brissett is 12-for-17 for 74 yards and a touchdown. He has been sacked once for a 6-yard loss. As a team, Arizona has eight carries for 26 yards. Trey McBride has seven catches for 69 yards and a touchdown. No other Cardinal has more than two receptions for 6 receiving yards.
Arizona will receive the ball to start the second half.
Score: Texans 23, Cardinals 7 (Halftime)
Cardinals receiver Andy Baccellia was surrounded by teammates before leaving the football field on a cart. He was injured during a kickoff return early in the second quarter.
Baccellia’s role in the game has been on special teams. He has two kick returns for 53 yards.
The injury update on Cardinals WR Andre Baccellia: he has a neck injury and will not return.
He was alert and had full movement of all his extremities and is being transported to a local hospital for further evaluation
— Mark Dalton (@CardsMarkD) December 14, 2025
If there is a silver lining to trailing 23-7, it could be much worse for the Cardinals.
The Texans settled for a field goal after reaching the Arizona 3. It was the third — and shortest — field goal for Houston in the game.
Score: Texans 23, Cardinals 7 (1:44 Q2)
Cardinals receiver Michael Wilson has been thriving in the role of WR1 over the last few games.
However, he has yet to make a catch vs. the Texans. He has been targeted twice.
In the last five games, Wilson has been targeted 63 times. He has 43 catches for 515 yards and two touchdowns.
Houston QB CJ Stroud scrambled 6 yards on a third-down play that put the Texans in field goal range.
Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked the 55-yard field goal. He now has two field goals and two extra points in the game.
Stroud is 5-for-6 passing for 94 yards and a touchdown.
Houston didn’t have to wait long for the offense to get back on the field. The Cardinals were forced to punt 93 seconds later
Score: Texans 20, Cardinals 7 (7:28 Q2)
Tight end Trey McBridge caught five passes for 47 yards in the span of 13 plays as the Cardinals scored their first touchdown.
A 2-yard touchdown reception by McBride capped the drive. He also had catches of 16 yards, 5 yards, 16 yards and 8 yards. Along the way, he set an NFL record for the most consecutive games with 5+ catches for a tight end. His streak is at 16 games.
After the touchdown, the ball was marked and saved for McBride.
Score: Texans 17, Cardinals 7 (13:41 Q2)
CJ Stroud’s pass to the end zone was knocked down by the Cardinals’ defense, who were flagged for pass interference.
The penalty moved the ball 24 yards to the Arizona 1.
On third-and-goal, Woody Marks carried the ball one yard into the endzone. Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked his second extra point.
Score: Texans 17, Cardinals 0 (6:21 Q1)
On their second possession, the Cardinals lost 7 yards — and another running back.
Bam Knight was hit hard on his only carry of the game. He is questionable to return with an ankle injury.
Arizona fumbled the kickoff return following Houston’s touchdown.
While Arizona’s defense actually knocked the Texans back a yard, the starting field position was good enough for Houston to be able to kick a 30-yard field goal.
Score: Texans 10, Cardinals 0 (12:00 Q1)
The Texans needed just two plays to establish a lead against the Cardinals.
CJ Stroud completed a 57-yard pass to Nico Collins on second down. It was that simple. The entire possession lasted just 49 seconds.
Score: Texans 7, Cardinals 0 (14:11 Q1)
Cardinals vs Texans schedule: What time is NFL Week 15 game?
The NFL Week 15 game between the Cardinals and Texans is on Sunday, Dec. 14 at 11 a.m. MST, 1 p.m. ET.
Texans vs Cardinals TV: What channel is NFL Week 15 game on?
The Texans vs Cardinals NFL Week 15 game can be seen on FOX.
Cardinals vs Texans streaming: How do I watch NFL Week 15 game on livestream?
Streaming options for the Cardinals vs Texans game include FUBO, which offers a free trial, and other streaming services that carry FOX, like Sling.
Texans vs Cardinals announcers: Who is calling the NFL Week 15 game?
Chris Myers (play-by-play) and Mark Schlereth (analyst) are scheduled to be the announcers for the Cardinals-Texans Week 15 NFL game.
Cardinals vs Texans game odds: Who is favored in NFL Week 15?
The Texans are a 9.5-point favorite over the Cardinals in NFL Week 15 odds for the game, courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook.
Houston is -525 on the moneyline, while Arizona is +400.
The over/under (point total) is set at 42.5 points.
Texans vs Cardinals picks, predictions: Who will win NFL Week 15 game?
The Arizona Republic’s Jeremy Cluff is predicting a 27-17 win for the Texans over the Cardinals in the Week 15 NFL game today.
Other sites are also taking the Texans to beat the Cardinals in their NFL Week 15 picks and NFL Week 15 predictions for Dec. 14, although they differ on whether or not Houston will cover the point spread.
Pregame reading for Cardinals vs Texans Week 15 NFL game today
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