Cardinals Must Improve These 3 Areas

With the Arizona Cardinals sitting at 2-2, they have a real opportunity to get back on track against the Tennessee Titans, but a couple of things need to change if they want to make that happen.

Even though Arizona started 2-0, some glaring weaknesses were painfully obvious. Against the Saints, it was a stagnant offense, and against the Panthers, the Cardinals collapsed and almost allowed for an embarrassing loss in Week 2.

In Weeks 3 and 4, the Cardinals’ weaknesses were even more present, resulting in last-second losses to the 49ers and Seahawks. A struggling offense highlights the frustration of late, but it’s more than that.

A lot needs to be done if Arizona wants to contend for the NFC West title, and it starts in Week 5 against the Titans.

With that, here are three things that the Cardinals must improve upon if they want to bounce back and improve to 3-2 with a victory over the Titans.

Improved decision-making from Murray

Sep 25, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) passes against the Seattle Seahawks in the third quarter at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Kyler Murray hasn’t been great this season, no way to sugarcoat that, but he’s shown flashes of the player we all know he can be.

When he’s cool, calm and collected, Murray has looked spectacular. Last Thursday night against the Seahawks, he was clinical in the fourth quarter and almost completed an impressive comeback against Seattle.

That doesn’t quite forgive a pitiful first three quarters from Murray. And it wasn’t just the Seattle game; against the Saints, Panthers and 49ers, there’s been some brutal football played by this Arizona offense.

Murray isn’t the only one to blame for the Cardinals’ struggles on offense, but he’s the one throwing to the receivers, and it’s safe to say he hasn’t been good enough if Arizona wants to compete for a playoff spot. He needs to be more decisive, especially when he leaves the pocket, and he needs to limit the drive-killing sacks he commonly takes.

Drew Petzing’s play-calling obviously needs some work as well, but even if he calls a brilliant game, it won’t matter if Murray isn’t making the right decisions in the right time frame.

Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson and Trey McBride are all talented pass-catchers, and at times it feels like Murray isn’t doing enough to elevate them. Petzing needs to draw up more plays for them, but at the end of the day, Murray has to be the one to go through his progressions correctly and locate the open receiver.

The run game has taken a hit with the losses of James Conner and Trey Benson, and that just puts more pressure on Murray to create some magic by himself. If that’s through the air, great, but if he wants to use his legs, that would work too.

It’s Year 9, and Murray has a playoff-caliber roster around him. It’s up to him if he wants to make everyone around him better or have the Arizona offense sink further into mediocrity.

UPDATE: Several Key Cardinals Could Miss Titans Game

Get more aggressive offensively

I’ve mentioned the play-calling already, but I had to give Petzing his own section here.

The offense has been bad, and while Murray is definitely worthy of blame, the plays Petzing has installed haven’t been competitive at times. Arizona doesn’t have much of a running game anymore, so they’ll have to pivot somewhere else.

To me, that seems like the perfect opportunity to get aggressive. That doesn’t mean rush decisions or try to bite off more than you can chew, but it means taking shots when it makes sense to and speeding up the offense when you have the Titans’ defense on its toes.

Murray can create positive plays on his own, but he and Petzing need to be able to work together to allow for a competent Arizona offense. With talent all over the field, the Cardinals should be able to get aggressive, and if they can’t, then we’ll have to realize that maybe this team wasn’t as good as advertised.

While I don’t think that’s the case, you have to bet on yourself, and getting aggressive, both with the tempo and play-calling, does exactly that. The Cardinals’ offensive line was ranked No. 4 in the NFL by PFF, giving the offense a baseline that should allow it to thrive if Petzing can switch things up in a positive way.

It’s been clear that the offense has been the issue, and if Murray and Petzing can turn it around, the Cardinals could possibly reach their full potential this week against Tennessee.

MORE: Cam Ward Implodes: 3 Bold Predictions for Cardinals vs Titans

Apply more pressure on defense

Similar to the offensive side of the ball, Arizona’s defense should really try to apply pressure on the Titans.

Tennessee ranks 31st in yards per game and 32nd in points per game, as what many believe to be the worst offense in the NFL. The Cardinals’ defense has been great this season, and if they’re able to get after Cam Ward early and often, Arizona’s defense will probably be too much to handle.

This is exactly what needs to happen if the Cardinals want to put away the Titans, as even though the defense has been impressive throughout the first four weeks, Arizona has allowed its opponents to hang around in each game.

If pressure is applied, particularly from the front seven, there’s a good chance that the Cardinals could force some takeaways and put this one out of reach early. And for a team looking to bounce back and get back into the win column, an emphatic win might be exactly what the doctor ordered for the Cardinals.

Improved decision-making from Murray

Get more aggressive offensively

Apply more pressure on defense

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