The Arizona Cardinals dropped their first two home games of 2026 in blowout fashion. But the underlying numbers are even worse.
Arizona has played two home games this season and has lost each by 24 points. That’s a minus-48-point differential in their two contests at State Farm Stadium.
Arizona brought momentum into its Week 2 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. Coming off a surprising 26-14 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, the Cardinals looked poised to at least give Seattle a game. Then they fell back to reality with a 31-7 beatdown.
On Sunday, the Cardinals hosted the Detroit Lions, looking to get their season back on track. Despite taking a 7-0 lead early, Detroit stormed back and blew the Cardinals out, 45-21.
Do the math, and opponents have outscored the Cardinals 76-28 in both home games this season.
Arizona Cardinals Have Been Blown Out Twice In As Many Home Games
Breaking down these numbers even further, Arizona has allowed an average of 38 points on their home turf while scoring an average of just 14. What’s worse is that they have allowed 31+ points in both home matchups.
Ironically, the Cardinals’ offense got off to hot starts in both games. In Week 2 vs. the Seahawks, they scored with 14:57 to go in the first half, tying the game 7-7 before the offense and defense collapsed. The Cardinals generated just 151 yards on offense compared to Seattle’s 381. Remember, Arizona faced backup quarterback Drew Lock in that game.
Fast forward to Sunday, and the Cardinals’ defense forced a three-and-out before they scored on a 14-play, 73-yard drive. By halftime, the Lions blew the game open, taking a commanding 24-7 lead. Detroit ultimately led 45-14 before the Cardinals tacked on a touchdown with 2:52 left in the game.
While the Cardinals gained 327 yards, they also ran 71 plays. That breaks down to a paltry 4.6 yards per play. The Lions gained 412 yards on 65 plays, nearly outgaining the Cardinals by two yards per play with a 6.3 average.
State Farm Stadium Has Offered No Advantage
Sunday’s loss drops the Cardinals to 1-4 on the season, and their lone win came on the road. While 1-2 on the road, Arizona’s performance when visiting opposing teams’ venues has been much more respectable.
They have scored 24+ points in each of their three road games, and enjoyed a valiant final quarter and a half against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3. That doesn’t give them any moral victories, but the Cardinals have at least been watchable on the road.
Instead of stabilizing a team that has faced hostile crowds three times this season, State Farm Stadium has provided the opposite effect. Luckily for the Cardinals, three of their next four upcoming games will be on the road. Maybe that will give them some momentum as they head into midseason.
If not, then the Arizona Cardinals may be hard to watch when six of their final eight games of the season come at State Farm Stadium. Ultimately, it’s up to Mike LaFleur and Co. to decide if they’re going to get this right. But Sunday’s most recent blowout home loss doesn’t raise any optimism.
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