The Arizona Cardinals head into Week 7 vs. the Denver Broncos in one of the strangest statistical matchups of the season.
The Cardinals’ defense enjoyed its second stellar performance of 2026 in Week 6. But that doesn’t mean they have done well overall. Arizona still ranks 31st in points allowed with 178, per Pro-Football-Reference. On Sunday, however, the unit will face a Denver offense that is currently 31st in the NFL with 252.2 yards per game.
The irony? Denver is 4-2 despite scoring just 114 points all season, good for a paltry 19.0 points per game. Meanwhile, they notched over 300 yards offensively just once. That came in Week 2 vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars.
This could be a golden opportunity for the Cardinals‘ defense to finally string together back-to-back good games. But it could also be a springboard for the Broncos’ offense.
The burning question is: Will Arizona’s defense capitalize on an offense that struggled to move the ball, or will Denver find its groove against a unit that has allowed over 30 points in four of its six matchups?
How The Arizona Cardinals Defense Can Beat The Broncos’ Offense
Arizona must find a way to shut down quarterback Bo Nix and refuse to let him get hot. This season, Nix has struggled on third downs. Per The Football Database, Nix is completing just 48.3 percent of his passes on third down, including 38.5 percent between 3rd and 4-7. Between 3rd and 1-3, he is completing 40.0 percent.
Nix is way better through the air between 3rd and 8-10, where he completed 57.1 percent of his passes. As for 3rd and 11+? A 75.0 completion percentage. That said, if the Cardinals keep the play in front of them in 3rd-and-long situations, they can keep Nix and the Broncos from picking up first downs.
The Cardinals also can’t let the Broncos get hot late in the game. Nix has led Denver on four game-winning drives this season, with three fourth-quarter comebacks. In Week 6, the Cardinals nearly allowed a game-winning drive against the Los Angeles Rams, but Chad Ryland came to the rescue.
Arizona must also isolate the running game early and keep it isolated. The Broncos have the seventh-worst rushing offense in the NFL and have averaged 3.4 yards per carry. Forcing the passing game to go one-dimensional and Nix into trying to make something happen on third down is key to victory come Sunday.
Cardinals Defense Is Capable Of Holding Its Own
Given Nix’s subpar numbers through the air on third down, it’s a big reason the Broncos are the third-worst offense in the NFL in third-down conversions. They are currently converting 31.6 percent of their opportunities.
The Cardinals have the 12th-highest third-down conversion allowed rate at 41.8 percent. But it is still substantially better than what the Broncos have accomplished offensively. That said, Arizona has had just 67 opportunities to stop opponents on third down, which is the fourth-lowest number in the league.
Still, if the defense can get stops on first and second down, their performance could resemble what fans saw last Sunday. That could force Nix and Co. into fourth-down situations in the second half. And the Arizona Cardinals have stopped teams seven times on fourth down this season. Their 41.7 fourth-down conversion percentage is currently the 12th-best in the NFL.
While the Cardinals have struggled defensively in most of their first six matchups, they can handle Denver’s offense in Week 7. They only need to make key stops in key situations.
Arizona Cardinals Face Rare Statistical Matchup Against Broncos