Cardinals, 'Thursday Night Football' Looking For Same Thing

With Saints visiting, team seeks offensive answers

Oct 20, 2022 at 10:01 AM

Kevin Parrish Jr.

azcardinals.com

Linebacker Zaven Collins can't quite get to a pass during the Cardinals' most recent home game against the Eagles. The Cardinals host the Saints Thursday night.

The last couple of "Thursday Night Football" games have been a difficult watch. Not enough points, not enough offense.

The quarterback embraces the chance to flip the script when the Cardinals (2-4) host the Saints (2-4) at State Farm Stadium Thursday night in a game that will stream nationwide on Amazon Prime.

"It's been a theme," Murray said with a chuckle. "People have been talking about it. We'll try not to keep that standard going. We're trying to make it a high-scoring one for us on offense."

There is some irony there. The Cardinals enter the game struggling with three losses in four games, and while the defense has been excellent, the offense can't seem to find itself.

The Cardinals' offense scored a season-low three points against a Seahawks defense ranked second-to-last in points allowed (27.2) in Week 6. The Saints also rank near the bottom in points allowed, and star cornerback Marshon Lattimore has been ruled out with an abdomen injury.

Still, as the Cardinals have learned, the opponent doesn't matter if the offense isn't on the same page. Fixing that issue has been the team's focus. In route to doing so, the team hopes newly acquired wideout Robbie Anderson can solve some of their troubles, as with the return of star receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

"When (Hopkins) is out there, he puts a pep in everyone's step with his energy," head coach Kliff Kingsbury said. "He's always talking and he's very competitive.

"There's a level of confidence players and coaches feel when he's out there. He's a guy that can make a play at any moment. We'll see what he can do. He hasn't put pads on and lined up against a defensive back in close to a year, so we can't expect him to be the savior."

The Cardinals also have a chance to end their home struggles with a victory. The team has not won at State Farm Stadium since Week 7 of last season.

Kingsbury said he hates it for the fans. So do the players. That's why Thursday brings such a crucial feeling to perform. It's a chance to end the streak and bring enjoyment back to Thursday Night Football.

"It's getting to that time when you don't want to press that button," Murray said. "But we have to win."