Surprising Colts hope to keep rolling as reeling Cardinals try to snap 3-game losing streak

Arizona (2-3) at Indianapolis (4-1)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, FOX

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Tennessee Titans linebacker Jihad Ward (53) sacks Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen signals a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon walks the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado (31) reacts on the sideline after fumbling the ball out of the end zone on a touchdown run during the second half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren (84) celebrates a touchdown catch with tight end Will Mallory (86) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

BetMGM NFL Odds: Colts by 6 1/2.

Against the spread: Cardinals 2-3, Colts 4-1.

Series record: Colts lead 9-8.

Last meeting: Colts beat Cardinals 22-16 on Dec. 25, 2021, in Glendale, Arizona.

Last week: Cardinals lost to Titans 22-21; Colts beat Raiders 40-6.

Cardinals offense: overall (26), rush (12), pass (30), scoring (23).

Cardinals defense: overall (21), rush (8t), pass (28), scoring (4).

Colts offense: overall (4), rush (9), pass (4), scoring (2).

Colts defense: overall (14), rush (12), pass (19), scoring (3).

Turnover differential: Cardinals even; Colts plus-5.

RB Emari Demercado. It will be interesting to see how he responds after one of the more embarrassing and costly mistakes in recent NFL history, dropping the ball just before the end zone on a potential 72-yard touchdown run in last weekend’s loss to the Titans. Demercado has been forced into a bigger role recently because of injuries to the team’s top two running backs, James Conner and Trey Benson.

TE Tyler Warren. Three weeks ago, the rookie threw the key block to spring Jonathan Taylor’s game sealing TD run at Tennessee. Two weeks ago, he scored his first career TD on a 2-yard run. Last week, he had his first TD catch and threw his first NFL pass. Coach Shane Steichen acknowledged Monday his staff enjoys figuring out new ways to deploy Warren. It’s fun for the fans — not for defenses.

Colts’ red zone offense vs. Cardinals’ red zone defense. Indy appeared to solve this problem last week by scoring six TDs on six red-zone trips. Now, though, they face one of the league’s top goal-line units. If Arizona’s goal-line defense stiffens, it could keep them in the game — regardless of who plays quarterback for the Cardinals.

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray (foot) was hurt during the second half of last week’s game but finished the game. He didn’t practice Wednesday. … DL Darius Robinson (chest) also missed Wednesday’s practice. … TE Tip Reiman (ankle) is out for the season after being put on injured reserve. … The Colts will have a new kicker in Michael Badgley after losing Spencer Schrader to a knee injury and could have a new linebacker, Germaine Pratt, after Joe Bachie went on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. … DT Grover Stewart (biceps) and WR Alec Pierce (concussion protocol) both practiced Wednesday and could return this week. … It seems more likely CB Kenny Moore II (Achilles tendon) might miss another game.

Indy won the last game in 2021 when the Colts were featured on “Hard Knocks: In Season.” Arizona won the previous two matchups. … Lucas Oil Stadium opened in 2008, but the Cardinals have won the only other contest between these franchises in the retractable roof dome, 16-13 in 2017. … Steichen and Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon were the offensive and defensive coordinators on the Philadelphia team that reached the Super Bowl following the 2022 season. Both took their current jobs after that loss. … Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. is the son of former Colts receiver Marvin Harrison, a Hall of Famer.

The Cardinals have lost three straight, all on last-second field goals. It’s the first time that has happened in league history. … Backup QB Jacoby Brissett played four seasons with the Colts from 2017 to 2020 and could be forced into action because of Murray’s injury. … Thirteen of Harrison Jr.’s 20 catches have come in the last three games. He’ll make his first regular-season appearance on his father’s former home field. … LB Josh Sweat has five sacks in his first five games with Arizona. His four straight games with at least one sack is tied for the league’s longest active streak. … Blake Gillikin had punts of 60, 62 and 63 yards last weekend against the Titans. He became the first Cardinals player since at least 1970 with three punts of 60 or more yards in one game. … Arizona ran for a season-high 168 yards against Tennessee with a group that included Demercado, Michael Carter and Bam Knight … Arizona is allowing just 19.2 points per game, which ranks fourth in the NFL. … Indy is 3-0 at home this season and has won five straight home games dating to last season. … The Colts have the largest point differential (plus-74) and the most red-zone drives (26) in the NFL this season. … QB Daniel Jones has won four games this year — surpassing his total from his final two seasons and 16 starts with the New York Giants. … RB Jonathan Taylor leads the NFL in carries (94), yards rushing (480) and TD runs (six) entering Week 6. His 613 yards from scrimmage rank third. … Warren is the first tight end in NFL history to average 10.0 yards or more per catch in each of his first five games. … LB Zaire Franklin needs four tackles to surpass three-time All-Pro Shaquille Leonard (614) to become the Colts’ tackling leader over the past 31 years. … Indy is tied for fifth in the league with 14 sacks. … Shrader was leading the league in scoring with 53 points before his injury. … Rigoberto Sanchez has punted seven times this season, the fewest among the league’s regular punters.

In a game featuring two of the league’s best young tight ends — the other being Trey McBride — Warren appears to be in a better position. Jones has looked his way often as the Colts continue to manufacture ways to give him touches. The Cardinals’ defense, meanwhile, has struggled to pressure quarterbacks and slow opposing tight ends, perhaps leading to another big day for Warren.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Reilly Smith tapped the puck into an open net in overtime following the second late-game blunder by San Jose goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic and the Vegas Golden Knights rallied for a 4-3 victory over the Sharks on Thursday night.

The Sharks seemed poised for their first season-opening win in five seasons after they killed a penalty protecting a one-goal lead late in the third before a run of bad bounces and mistakes led to a crushing loss.

William Eklund nearly scored an empty-netter to ice it for the Sharks but he tapped his first attempt just wide and then had a wraparound stopped by defenseman Shea Theodore.

Vegas then went the other way and Jack Eichel innocently flipped the puck toward goal but it took an odd bounce and got past Nedeljkovic to tie it at 3 with 1:34 to play.

Nedeljkovic’s problems only got worse in overtime when he came far out of his net to play a loose puck only to have it deflect right to Smith who was alone in front for the winner.

The Sharks lost 15 games last season after holding a lead in the third period and started this season off with another.

Pavel Dorofeyev scored his fourth goal of the season for Vegas and Brett Howden also scored as the Golden Knights bounced back from a shootout loss in their opener to Los Angeles on Wednesday night.

Akira Schmid made 20 saves.

Philipp Kurashev, Alexander Wennberg and Jeff Skinner scored for San Jose.

Nedeljkovic made 27 saves in the loss.

Golden Knights: At Seattle on Saturday night.

Sharks: Host Anaheim on Saturday night

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL