Good, Bad and Ugly From Arizona Cardinals Week 1 Win

It wasn't a perfect victory for the Arizona Cardinals against the New Orleans Saints in their season opener, but there was more than enough good to get the win.

There's plenty to work on, too, but that comes with every team's first game of the season.

The bottom line is Arizona is 1-0 to start the year with good to build on and enough tape to identify what needs improving.

Throughout the game, we were able to identify each of those, and here we will assess the good, the bad, and the ugly from this game. Let's start off on a positive note and look at the good, which was a welcome sight to fans who are familiar with the recipe for success for this team.

The Good

Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murra — Sep 7, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Davon Godchaux (92) chases Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) out the pocket during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Kyler played it safe

The Cardinals won eight games last season, and they came when Murray had one-or-fewer turnovers. He was also sacked more than once in just one of those wins. When Murray plays safe, conservative football, the Cardinals win football games.

Is it exciting? No, but it works. Still, he completed over 70% of his passes and tossed two touchdowns. Despite being sacked five times, Murray was excellent in the most boring way possible. If that's what it takes to win, then keep it going.

Trey Benson agenda off to a great start

If you're all aboard the Trey Benson hype train, then you have to be happy with what you saw. Benson finished the day with eight carries for a game-high 69 yards. He also had the longest play from scrimmage with his 52-yard run.

It wasn't some elite day for the Cardinals' run game (more on that later), but Benson looked explosive and exactly what the team envisioned he'd become when he was a day-two pick last year. If he can keep it up, then the Cardinals will have as great a one-two punch at running back as any in the league.

Marvin Harrison Jr. looks much improved

All that offseason work was evident on the field in the Big Easy for Harrison. The second-year man caught five of his six targets for 71-yards and a score. He looked much more comfortable and confident going up and beating defenders with his newfound bulk, but he also just looks flat out better.

With many critics calling his rookie season underwhelming at best, this was exactly the start that Harrison needed to silence the criticism. The Saints aren't some world-beating defense, but Harrison showed the goods that we saw in flashes last year.

The Bad

Spencer Rattler, QB, New Orleans Saint — Sep 7, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (2) during warmups before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Pass catchers not named Marvin Harrison Jr. or Trey McBride

The Cardinals got exactly what they were hoping for out of Harrison and McBride to start the season. Harrison had a good day, while McBride was his old steady self with six catches for 61-yards. Beyond those two, it was bad with no other way to word it. James Conner was the only player besides Harrison and McBride with more than one catch; he had four for a whopping five yards, although he did score. Tip Reiman was second on the team with 10-yards; no one else had more than six yards. That's abysmal, but at least the offense still functioned well enough.

Tight end coverage

For as long as I can remember, covering the tight end position has never been a point of strength for the Cardinals; they aren't off to a great start this year. Veteran Juwan Johnson had a good day, hauling in eight passes for 76-yards (both team highs). He was targeted for the team's final play of the game, too, but wasn't able to make the play. Arizona faced several stud tight ends this year, and the teams that host them have to be happy with how the Cardinals' defense struggled to start the year.

Spencer Rattler solid

Rattler had six starts under his belt going into this game, so it's not as though he was completely raw. Still, he didn't show much in that timeframe to suggest he can be a starter at the next level. He didn't advertise that against the Cardinals, but he looked better than we had hoped he would. A Cardinals team built around a defensive identity that spent big-time money this offseason to improve didn't crush Rattler like they were supposed to. If this game is played midseason it may be different, but Gannon and Nick Rallis' game plan should've been more effective.

The Ugly

Arizona Cardinals HC Jonathan Ganno — Sep 7, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Arizona Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The offensive line got bullied

Murray was sacked five times. Saints defenders recorded seven tackles for loss. The Cardinals ran for 94 yards on 26 carries if you subtract Benson's 52-yard run. It was anything but an encouraging performance for a Cardinals' offensive line that we are hoping can play no worse than average this season. The Saints have solid defenders up front, but they shouldn't have been pummeled the way that they were. It was a bad look with much better defenses on the horizon.

Where was the pass rush?

The Cardinals spent tens of millions of dollars in free agency and NFL Draft capital to improve this pass rush and they got one measly sack against a bad Saints team. To their defense, New Orleans boasts a good offensive line, so it's not as though they were at a massive disadvantage. However, this is a new offense with a young, relatively inexperienced quarterback and a first-year head coach. There's no reason that Arizona shouldn't have controlled the line of scrimmage better, and just one sack is a pitiful look for this group.

An ugly win against a bad team

Good teams win and great teams win ugly, but that doesn't mean this was what we wanted to see. The Cardinals are a much better team than the Saints, but that didn't always look the case throughout 60 minutes. It looked like the Cardinals were struggling to balance on their feet as a newborn and it nearly cost them a win that many felt was supposed to be a layup. A win is a win, and by the end of the season that is all that matters. For now, it was anything but encouraging.