Top 5 Players Who Will Decide Cardinals vs Bengals

Over the summer, the Arizona Cardinals’ road trip to face the Cincinnati Bengals always felt like a loss. Fast forward to now, and it still feels that way, but for an entirely different reason. Unlike over the summer, when these two teams were playoff hopefuls, they’re both looking ahead to 2026 with a lot to prove. Injuries have derailed their respective seasons, and the future is honestly bleak for both franchises.

However, Arizona seems directionless, while Cincinnati feels more stuck in the mud. One team should have an easier turnaround, but that’s far from a guarantee. But as far as this game goes, the Bengals are much further ahead than the Cardinals are.

The talent discrepancy is difficult to explain, but a bad Bengals team is better than a bad Cardinals team. Neither has a good defense, but are we sure this will be some sort of high-scoring offensive shootout? I’m not so sure.

Whatever the case may be, the following players are the five best for either team, excluding the quarterbacks. This is a rare instance where all the best players are on one side of the ball (offense), thanks to the best defensive players (Trey Hendrickson and Budda Baker) being out due to injuries. Still, this group of offensive weapons is as good as you’ll find, and there should be some fun football to watch -- should being the operative word.

First, let’s talk about the gunslinging quarterbacks with very different career outlooks.

The quarterbacks…

Jacoby Brissett has passed for more than 2,900 yards in 10 games and has thrown at least one touchdown in each start. If he were turning the ball over less, perhaps the Cardinals would have another win or two. Instead, the team is 1–9 with Brissett starting and has lost seven straight.

When healthy, Joe Burrow is arguably the best quarterback in the league. Burrow is a nimble athlete who can maneuver the pocket and extend plays, but his arm talent is what separates him from his peers. With a legitimate all-star cast of weapons at his disposal, it’s rare to stop Burrow when he’s healthy. Unfortunately, that’s rarely been a guarantee in his excellent career.

5. Chase Brown

Unless you play fantasy football, you may not be aware of Brown, and it’s understandable. The third-year back was a fifth-round pick out of Illinois and has been much better behind the scenes than in the national spotlight. He was 10 yards short of 1,000 rushing yards in 2024 and is within striking distance of that mark again this year.

Brown is a great pass catcher out of the backfield, with 116 catches and eight touchdowns in two seasons. He’s the type of running back you just like to put the ball in his hands and let him work. Brown can make defenses pay in multiple ways, and the Cardinals will have their hands full trying to manage him and the rest of the Bengals’ offensive weapons.

4. Michael Wilson

Wilson makes his debut in our top-five players entering this game, and for good reason. Few players have been as dominant as Wilson has over the last month and a half, with 587 receiving yards and four touchdowns over his last six games. His connection with Brissett has been nothing short of stellar, and he’s going up against a bad Bengals defense.

This game is stacked with wide receiver talent on both teams, but Wilson is worth mentioning in a list dominated by offensive players. With the way Wilson is playing, he’s among the top 15 receivers in the league as of now.

3. Tee Higgins

Higgins has been a stud since entering the league in 2020, and he’s having a fine season with 10 touchdowns (tying his career best). His size and speed allow him to stretch the field and post up on defensive backs with ease. In an offense tailored around the passing game, Higgins has made a name for himself as one of the NFL’s best.

What’s more impressive are the numbers he is managing to post while playing second fiddle to Ja’Marr Chase (more on him later). Chase’s presence has allowed Higgins to thrive off better matchups and turn into one of the best WR2s in the game. With seven touchdowns in his last six games and a matchup against a thin Cardinals secondary, Higgins could have one of his best games of the season.

2. Trey McBride

It was an uncharacteristically bad week for McBride against the Falcons, with just four catches for 27 yards. In fact, it was his worst output all year. We’ve seen many more highs than lows, and this Bengals defense isn’t exactly striking fear into McBride or anyone else.

McBride has been unstoppable this season, and he will be covered by rookie linebackers Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. The young duo has shown promise, but they’re going to be in for a classic “Welcome to the NFL, rookie!” sort of game.

1. Ja’Marr Chase

Pound for pound, Chase may be the best wide receiver in the game. We share that sentiment with McBride among tight ends, but Chase’s claim is much more impressive due to such a deep field of wide receivers league-wide. He posted a rare receiving triple crown in 2024, and he’s over 1,200 receiving yards despite catching passes from three different quarterbacks. The term “quarterback-proof” applies directly to Chase.

Arizona is entirely unmatched against Chase. This is the same receiver who cooked the Cardinals for 192 yards and three touchdowns in 2023, and he could be in for a repeat performance against a worse secondary.