The Cardinals are looking to cook up a whole lot of new looks this year on offense. We here at ROTB have been hoping for it —- and according to Pro Bowl TE Trey McBride, it’s coming to a stadium near you in a matter of weeks.
“It’s not as basic…they’re adding a lot of motion…”sauce”…extra flavor. A lot more complex.”
Trey McBride talks the evolution of the Arizona Cardinals under OC Drew Petzing. pic.twitter.com/WM1z08YhQV
— PHNX Cardinals (@PHNX_Cardinals) June 3, 2025
What’s so cool about this developing aspect of Drew Petzing’s offense in his 3rd year as OC, is that, as he has maintained throughout his first two seasons, the playbook is commendably diverse, however, the execution of the plays needs to be more consistent.
The sauce that Trey McBride is referring to is in Petzing’s concerted effort to put more of the playmakers in motion, not just as a way to make it more difficult for defenses to handle during the pre-snaps, but for making receiving route accesses more immediate and readily available.
I have often felt that a number of Drew Petzing’s offensive philosophies align with Kyle Shanahan’s and Sean McVay’s, particularly in the primary intent to attack defenses with a punishing style of running the football.
Adding motion can help both the running attack and the diversity of the passing game.
Think over the years how often the Cardinals’ defense has been challenged whenever Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba have been sent on speed, sprint, short and reverse motions. Kupp is now on the Seahawks. Davante Adams is now on the Rams. Plus, with Deebo Samuel now traded out of the division, Ricky Pearsall figures to be the 49ers’ primary moving target at WR.
Given that today’s defenses tend to feature smaller and faster inside linebackers because of the priority to be especially effective in man and zone pass coverages, “pounding the rock” between the tackles is, as they say where I come from, “wickid smaht!”
Therefore, whenever an offense is establishing a good running game, it gives the offense an advantageous opportunity to exploit the 2nd and 3rd levels of the defense with savvy play action schemes.
Why is motion such an effective ploy?
It puts pressure on the defense to adjust their alignments and coverages.
It can give the QB a stronger read of the pass coverage, especially when a CB or LB chases his man across the formation.
It makes it much more difficult for the defense to employ “bump and run.”
It gives the receivers faster releases and improved forward and lateral momentum.
The Cardinals’ plays remain the same:
What Trey McBride is so excited about is the split-second confusion and decision-making the motions should create for the defense; this is not an overwhelming new learning experience for the players because the basic plays and their concepts are still the same.
For example, if a play that the Cardinals typically run with a 2-receiver side, with one WR in the slot and one WR wide, the Cardinals can line up the slot WR on the other side and then motion him into the originally intended slot. Same play —- just set up differently on the pre-snap.
Another wrinkle is motioning the RB out of the backfield. That puts enormous pressure on how defenses will account for the flexed-out RB in pass coverages. Typically, when a RB goes in motion defense are apt to audible into a zone coverage, which can open up numerous options for the passing game.
Why have Kyler Murray’s offenses been relatively motion free throughout his first 6 seasons in the NFL?
Here is a tweet that has recently been popular on X:
“Kyler Murray offenses generally use very little motion. I welcome the change and hopefully the willingness to adapt from Kyler. Petzing’s offense used motion an above average amount with Dobbs, with Kyler under center it has dropped significantly.”
It’s a question that we have been trying answer here on ROTB for years. I have asked Clu Kerley why he thinks this has been the case and will let you know what he says. Let me again ask all of you.
My hunch has always been that Kyler treats his pre-snap reads of the defense the way he peruses a chess board before making his move. On a chessboard there are no moving parts, but there are ways to discern where one thinks the opponent is vulnerable, based on where some pieces are clustered and where some pieces are less impeded.
Being able to see how the defense reacts and adjusts (or not) to the motion is apt to give Kyler a stronger sense of what the pass coverage is. Some defenses disguise their coverages pretty well, but that’s something Drew Petzing and Kyler Murray can scout on a weekly basis. Some defenses prefer not to chase the motion man (so as not to give away their man-to-man coverage) but have rules for which side of the formation they will play man to man and which side they will opt to zone. Or playing both sides man or both sides zone.
Mixing and matching coverages with regard to motion is a chess game all of its own.
The Cardinals’ 2025 offense focus: continuity, timing and chemistry:
The focus of the Cardinals’ offense this off-season is to build off of the team’s personnel continuity (by virtue of all the second half of last year’s starters and a significant majority of the key backups returning) in order to buckle down on their chemistry and their fundamental execution of the plays.
Drew Petzing has a high regard for the younger players he has received through the draft and free agency.
RBs: Emari Demercado, Trey Benson
TEs: Elijah Higgins, Tip Reiman
WRs: Michael Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr.
OL: Paris Johnson Jr., Jon Gaines II, Isaiah Adams, Christian Jones, Hayden Conner
Therefore, it makes so much sense this off-season to galvanize the talent of the offense by not only doubling down on their abilities, but by giving them another off-season of reps that should make the offense stronger and more consistently efficient.
Adding motion to plays that the team has already been repping and trying to perfect for 2-3 years now is an auspicious way to implement it.
Plus, as I have mentioned numerous times before, having an offense that consistently uses motion, will inevitably help the defense prepare for the motion-heavy offenses in the NFC West and the other motion-heavy offenses on the schedule.
Thanks to Clu Kerley and, as always, to all of you.
ROTB Challenge:
Watch Chris Simms’ video on how Kyle Shanahan is masterful at using motion and, while you are watching it, imagine how similar motion schemes can improve the Cardinals’ running and passing games.
As “Homicide Hunter” Lieutenant Joe Kenda likes to say whenever arriving at an epiphany, “Well, my oh my.”