The Arizona Cardinals are heading into a crucial week four contest against the New York Giants with a 1-2 record.
Arizona and head coach Mike LaFleur are coming out of a competitive 36-30 loss at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers.
The loss once again gave reason to believe that this team will be better relative to expectation, but there’s still a distance to go to bridge this hope.
Cardinals Receive Sobering Power Rankings Assessment
While the Cardinals are showing promise as a team moving into game four this season, there is also reasons to temper hopes.
This comes in conjunction with the consensus in various NFL power rankings, with the team dropping in many publications.
Bleacher Report: 28
ESPN: 28
CBS: 23
While the CBS ranking is more generous in comparison to the others, the same questions remain. A large piece of these concerns rest in the defense, as the Cardinals are coming off ceding a great deal of yardage over the last two weeks.
This raises questions about the immediate future of defensive coordinator Nick Rallis. The fourth-year DC is facing criticism for not calling an aggressive enough game against the 49ers. In extension of Rallis is the rostering of Budda Baker and Josh Sweat.
Beyond the questions the defense is facing is centering around the lack of explosiveness from the offense. While QB Jacoby Brissett is settling into his own, the Cardinals are among the least high-flying units in the league. LaFleur is still attempting to find ways to get Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr. involved downfield, but it simply isn’t that simple.
Week four will serve as a litmus test for just how far along the Cardinals are.
Arizona Faces Major Test in Giants
The Giants went into the 2026 season with high hopes. New York has a high-profile head coach in tow, with John Harbaugh leading the franchise.
The new leadership, a promising quarterback in Jaxson Dart, and shifty draft picks made on defense lent to the positive perception of the team in 2026.
Unfortunately, Dart is now out for the remainder of the regular season due to a knew injury. Compounding this is OLB Brian Burns tearing his ACL, rending the veteran out for the season. This both presents challenges for the Giants, as well as an opportunity for the Cardinals to take advantage and secure a victory.
This is a game that Rallis should draw up an aggressive gameplan in. Not only is Giants QB Jameis Winston coming off of consecutive erratic performances, but the team is also procuring a thin wide receiver core.
Beyond this, the Cardinals and LaFleur should test a rather young, yet talented Giants defense. Expect running back Jeremiyah Love and the receiving core to be focal points of the offensive attack. The Cardinals simply must exploit these advantages to come out on top, restoring a level of confidence in the team’s trajectory moving forward.
Arizona and New York are playing one another at 1:00 P.M. EST on Sunday.
Cardinals Receive Mixed Standing in Week 4 NFL Power Rankings After Tough Loss