TEMPE — The depth behind the Arizona Cardinals’ starting lineup is again getting tested this week with playmaker and tight end Trey McBride ruled out against the Washington Commanders with a concussion.

He marks the second Cardinals starter sidelined for the upcoming contest this week after defensive lineman Justin Jones was lost for the season with a triceps injury suffered last week.

Losing McBride is tough. Entering Week 4, McBride is pacing the team in catches with 14 (21 targets) for 122 yards.

Only Marvin Harrison Jr. has recorded more targets (22) and yards (198) than McBride. He’s yet to find the end zone through the air but did score on a fumble recovery in Week 2.

“Obviously, that hurts us that he may or may not be in the game. But for me, I got all the faith in Elijah (Higgins) and Tip (Reiman)” quarterback Kyler Murray said Wednesday.

With McBride out this weekend, Higgins serves as the most likely candidate to command the majority of the tight end targets against a Washington defense that has been gashed in the passing game to the tune of 291.7 yards per game. That ranks 31st among NFL defenses.

The Commanders, however, haven’t allowed much from a tight ends standpoint. Across three games, Washington has given up nine catches for 74 yards and no touchdowns to opposing tight ends.

That included shutting down Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki, who is second on his team with 14 catches and 156 receiving yards.

Higgins has been praised for his continued transformation from a wide receiver to tight end in Year 2 with the Cardinals.

“I’m completely good with ‘Higgy Bear,’” head coach Jonathan Gannon said Wednesday. “He’s a good player.”

The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder presents another big-bodied target for quarterback Kyler Murray and has already shown off his improved connection with his pass catcher despite limited opportunities in 2024.

In the Cardinals’ Week 2 win over the Los Angeles Rams, Higgins was on the other end of an improbable 18-yard touchdown strike from Murray.

The play had a little bit of everything, from Murray putting defenders on skates to Higgins’ awareness to find open space with his signal caller on the run.

KYLER MURRAY ARE YOU SERIOUS?! 😱

📺: #LARvsAZ on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/gfHzqbrZ0w

— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2024

Per Zebra Sports, the touchdown had a completion probability of 24.7%, the second-lowest mark among tight ends at the time.

Higgins also hasn’t dropped a pass, catching all four of his targets for 41 yards and the score.

“He’s a very talented player. He’s in a room that’s really competitive … and he’s competing. He’s very coachable and wants to keep learning,” pass game specialist Spencer Whipple told Arizona Sports back in August.

“There’s a transition from playing receiver your whole life and then going to tight end. He’s grasped hold of that and now he’s just trying to improve on the little details that he can. Technique, fundamentals, always asking questions, wanting to learn more and eager on the practice fields and in the meeting room.”

Arizona Cardinals TE Elijah Higgins is expected to have an increased workload with Trey McBride out vs. the Commanders. pic.twitter.com/giXQidxBBd

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) September 27, 2024

What about Tip Reiman taking snaps with Trey McBride out?

Through three games into rookie Tip Reiman’s NFL career, the tight end has more starts (one) than targets (zero).

He came in classified as a blocking tight end and he’s been exactly that for Arizona.

Does that change this week with McBride out?

The Cardinals like to operate with multiple tight ends and while Reiman’s target share isn’t expected to jump off the page this week, he could find himself picking up some of the scraps similarly to how Higgins has operated.

Travis Vokolek could be another Cardinals tight end in line for added reps, though much like Reiman, has been used primarily as a blocker.

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The Arizona Cardinals ruled out tight end Trey McBride and defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga against the Washington Commanders, head coach Jonathan Gannon said Friday before the official injury report was released.

McBride is still in concussion protocol following his collision with Detroit Lions defensive back Brian Branch on Sunday.

Tonga did not practice this week with a knee injury.

Right tackle Kelvin Beachum and backup guard Isaiah Adams are questionable but were limited in practice Friday.

Receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and safety Budda Baker were both limited in practice on Wednesday with quad injuries, but the latter was a full participant on Thursday. Harrison got the full-go upgrade on Friday.

For the Commanders, running back Austin Ekeler, receiver Jamison Crowder and lineman Clelin Ferrell have been ruled out for Week 4 with no other players in question for the game.

Arizona Cardinals injury report vs. Washington Commanders – Week 4

Here is the Commanders’ injury report:

Washington Commanders injury report

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The former Cardinals head coach is back in the Valley for a game against his former pupil this week, and he said it’s been fun to see a more confident look to Murray.

“At the end of last year I thought you could see the confidence getting back in the knee as he made a bunch of plays and played really well, and he’s played great this season,” Kingsbury said at Arizona State University, where the Commanders have practiced this week. “They’re a couple plays away from being undefeated.”

“You see the speed, the quickness. The competitive nature is there. It’s been great to see the guy I basically banked my entire career on what he would be and I still believe in it. It’s cool to see him playing as well as he is.”

Kingsbury added that despite how things ended, he has “nothing but good memories” in Arizona.

“That’s why I still got my house here, I love it out here,” Kingsbury said. “I’ve always been grateful to Michael (Bidwill, Cardinals owner) for giving me the opportunity that he did, first fired college coach to ever get that opportunity.

“The guys in that building are some of my closest friends, and I continue to watch those guys play. James Conner, Budda (Baker), they still inspire me.”

Where has Kliff Kingsbury’s journey taken him since leaving Cardinals?

From when he initially left Arizona with a one-way ticket to Thailand, Kingsbury said he underwent a perspective change. He first spent a year as an analyst under head coach Lincoln Riley at USC, before he was two NFL teams’ choice for offensive coordinator this past off-season.

He said over time away from the NFL, he watched a ton of film and talked to other offensive minds, such as Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken who transitioned from back-to-back national titles at Georgia to the Ravens.

Kingsbury said the biggest difference between head coaching and coordinating is how much more relationship-building can happen with your side of the ball as a coordinator.

“You’re spread pretty thin as a head coach between your staff and all members of the team,” Kingsbury said. “It’s been cool to just get to know those guys a little bit on a deeper level and spend more time in that room consistently.”

Kingsbury and the Commanders head into State Farm Stadium on Sunday for a 1:05 p.m. MST matchup with the Cardinals. Listen to play-by-play coverage on the Arizona Sports app, online or on 98.7.

TEMPE — Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort made it a point to bring in players who provided a boost in the talent department and had knack of staying upright.

But even the best laid plans don’t always work out.

After starting every game across the past two seasons with Chicago, veteran defensive lineman Justin Jones’s streak came to an abrupt end three games into his Cardinals tenue due to a season-ending triceps injury suffered in last week’s 20-13 loss to the Detroit Lions.

With him now on injured reserve, it’s on Arizona’s depth within the D-line room to avoid any drop off with Jones sidelined the rest of the way.

“Definitely a huge blow. He’s a great D-lineman, great teammate, great friend. Been praying for him. Hopefully he’s doing well,” safety Budda Baker said Thursday.

“Of course, I have all the belief in all the other players to pick up that slack and to play Cardinal football at the end of the day. These other guys have an opportunity to play and just going to be exciting to see what these guys can do.”

Unlike the current depth at right tackle behind Kelvin Beachum, Arizona’s defensive line has a few options to consider, highlighted by second-year pro Dante Stills.

It’s been a couple of weeks to say the least for Stills.

After not putting much on the tape across 25 defensive snaps in Week 1’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, Stills was a healthy scratch in Arizona’s big win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Ahead of Sunday’s loss to the Lions, though, the defensive lineman was a limited participant at practice.

That didn’t stop him from making an impact come Sunday, with Stills racking up five tackles, a sack and a quarterback hit. All but one tackle came after Jones left the game with the triceps injury.

Stills stepping up in the wake of injuries isn’t anything new for the young lineman.

As a rookie, Stills was thrown into the mix early on with injuries to L.J. Collier and others along the line in 2023.

After he was a healthy inactive in Week 1, Stills went on to record 47 tackles, five of where were for loss, 3.5 sacks, five QB hits and a fumble recovery across 15 games played (eight starts).

That experience and having gone through a similar situation just a season ago has already come in handy for the lineman.

“It definitely helped me,” Stills said. “I got a big jump on the game I guess you could say with a lot of the experience I had and kinda seeing blocks and play style like that. I feel like last year was big for me.”

As for that shoulder issue? Stills is back to practicing fully after being a limited participant to start the week.

Stills isn’t the only Cardinals defensive lineman that’s in line for increased playing time moving forward, either.

Similar to Jones, veteran defensive lineman L.J. Collier was lost for the season early on last year after signing with the Cardinals that offseason.

Now, Collier has the chance to earn a more prominent role in the rotation and potentially regain the starting role he had entering 2023.

While Stills has been used at a similar rate across the two games he’s appeared in, Collier saw a healthy increase of snaps with Jones out. After seeing no more than 38% of available defensive reps in the two games prior, the six-year veteran saw that number jump to 48% in Week 3.

Getting those added opportunities could go a long way in Collier proving his worth as a 2019 first-round pick.

Since the Seattle Seahawks nabbed him with the 29th overall pick, Collier hasn’t lived up to the price tag behind three sacks, six tackles for loss and two QB hits in 49 games played (18 starts). Injuries have played a factor in his production, appearing in at least 12 games in a single season just once (2020).

Recently signed Naquan Jones could also find himself in the rotations in some capacity if he can get back up to speed after rejoining the team this week following a stint on the Miami Dolphins practice squad.

Waiting in the shadows

Yes, in the immediate aftermath of Jones’ injury, all signs point to Stills and Collier taking on a bigger workload.

But in the potentially not so distant future, Arizona could be getting back a massive reinforcement in rookie defensive lineman Darius Robinson.

Robinson was in the mix to start entering the regular season before a calf injury suffered in practice put him on the injured reserve.

Following Sunday’s game, however, Robinson is eligible to come off the IR, that is if he’s healthy enough to do so.

Either way, whenever the versatile Robinson returns to the mix, he’ll provide an immediate upgrade in the trenches.

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“Started all this, laid the foundation. Obviously the people that recruited me here, I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for me in my football career,” said Daniels, who played in Tempe from 2019-21. “And the relationships that I’ve made off the field here, still cherish them to this day.”

The No. 2 overall pick, Daniels is practicing in Tempe with the Washington Commanders this week ahead of a matchup with the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. He said he still has a good relationship with Herm Edwards, who was at the helm as ASU was hit with NCAA infractions for recruiting violations under his watch.

“I’m always talking to Herm. Love Herm. He recruited me here,” Daniels said. “Phenomenal head coach, phenomenal man. Looked out for me while I was here. I still talk to him today so that dynamic’s still there.”

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels discussed his departure from ASU and how much Herm Edwards means to him. pic.twitter.com/8LOW3e06uq

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 26, 2024

He said name, image and likeness (NIL), which saw its influence grow while Daniels was in college, did not play a factor in his decision to leave ASU after the 2021 season for LSU, where he won the Heisman Trophy last year.

“It didn’t mean nothing to me. My time here was great, but I didn’t leave for any NIL purposes or things like that. NIL didn’t really have that much of an impact on me,” Daniels said. “But I’m never against players making money off their name, image and likeness. Just know what’s the end goal for you.”

He instead said the move gave him the chance to find himself, both as a man and a football player, after his arrival at ASU was his first time being on his own.

What did Jayden Daniels enjoy most about his time at Arizona State?

Although his Sun Devil tenure had bitter endings, ASU had a real moment developing pros under Edwards. Daniels listed Brandon Aiyuk, Rachaad White and Ricky Pearsall as three players he was proud to grow with.

“It’s awesome. It started here, we grew up and to see everybody live out their dreams, those are brothers to me,” Daniels said.

Aiyuk and Pearsall were each first-round picks and White was picked in the third, while Daniels was the No. 2 overall pick after winning the Heisman Trophy at LSU.

The quarterback pointed to an upset win over Oregon in which he won Pac-12 Player of the Week as a freshman among the moments that stand out to him from his time. He said his rapport with Aiyuk helped set up the game-winning touchdown the two connected on.

The other highlight Daniels pointed to from over his ASU career?

“Being undefeated versus Arizona,” Daniels said, the 70-7 win in 2020 included.

Overall, the quarterback had positive feelings about being back in his old stomping grounds.

“It’s cool, first time back in a while, being able just to walk around here and re-live some memories in my head,” Daniels said Wednesday. “But the main thing is to focus on the Arizona Cardinals.”

Daniels will lead the Commanders into State Farm Stadium on Sunday for a 1:05 p.m. MST matchup with the Cardinals. Listen to play-by-play coverage on the Arizona Sports app, online or on 98.7.

This comes days after Barton was elevated from the practice squad and made his first NFL start in the team’s 20-13 home loss to the Detroit Lions, where he suffered a toe injury in the fourth quarter and had to exit the game.

Prior to Sunday, Barton had 10 NFL appearances, including two for the Cardinals since 2023. He was a seventh-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts in 2019.

Pleasants, who spent the offseason and preseason with the Cardinals, was brought back to replace Barton. He was released in August amid the preseason roster cutdown to 53 players.

Since entering the league in 2020, he’s appeared in two games: one with the Carolina Panthers in 2021 and one with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023.

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TEMPE — The Arizona Cardinals hit the hard eject button on former head coach Kliff Kingsbury after a failing 28-37-1 mark and one embarrassing Wild Card showing across four seasons.

The move off of Kingsbury and an offensive scheme that appeared to have run its course in the NFL — on top of general manager Steve Keim’s resignation — left a sour taste in many Cardinals fans’ mouths given the contract extensions handed down to the pair the previous offseason. Plus, the fall from relevance in 2022 that was plagued with plenty of off-the-field distractions further signaled a change was needed.

It put the Cardinals on a complete course correction and rebuild, especially from a culture and foundational standpoint, now led by head coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort.

Kingsbury on the other hand headed back to the college ranks in 2023 as a senior offensive analyst for USC alongside would-be 2024 No. 1 pick Caleb Williams before eventually finding his way back to the NFL. This time, though, as the Washington Commanders offensive coordinator.

Similarly to what he did with the Cardinals in 2019, Kingsbury began his tenure with a first-round rookie quarterback who brings dual-threat and playmaking abilities that needed little time to show up at the NFL level.

But come Sunday, the two sides will once again cross paths — albeit on different sidelines — when the Cardinals host the Commanders in Week 4.

Regardless of Kingsbury’s ending in Arizona, Gannon, defensive coordinator Nick Rallis and the rest of the unit are making sure all bases are covered internally heading into game day.

The team and the talent may be different — aside from ex-Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz — but there’s still plenty to glean from those who played under and coached alongside Kingsbury.

“We turn over every stone,” Gannon said Monday. “Obviously, I have a high opinion of Kliff and what he does. They have some good players over there.”

“You got to take in every bit of information you can get. You know what I’m saying?” Rallis added.

Unlike what we saw toward the end of the Kingsbury era in Arizona, the Commanders offense heads into Sunday’s tilt operating at a high level following back-to-back weeks without having to punt. Aside from a trio of kneel downs at the end of the half or game, Washington has scored on all of its 13 drives.

Even with eight of those scoring drives ending with field goals — seven alone coming from Week 2’s 21-18 win over the New York Giants — that’s an impressive feat for any NFL offense.

Kingsbury is also utilizing rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels under center at a much higher rate than he did with Kyler Murray. Through three games, Daniels has already attempted 26 passes out of the formation. For comparison, Murray had 48 throughout his entire rookie season and posted just 29 in 2021.

Cardinals DC Nick Rallis is expecting a blend of new and old from Washington Commanders OC and Arizona’s former head coach Kliff Kingsbury.

And yes, picking the brain of Kyler Murray and others is part of the process for the DC. pic.twitter.com/RT91BIyTFI

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) September 24, 2024

“He’s got completely new players. There’s going to be differences but then there’s going to be things that he does really well schematically that I’m sure he’s carrying over,” Rallis said Tuesday.

“Or if he hasn’t shown it yet, I’m sure he still has it in his arsenal. So, it’s a combination of some new stuff and some stuff he probably did here.”

But just how Murray was an early catalyst to the team’s success and overly relied on to make things happen, Daniels is giving off a lot of the same vibes early on.

After failing to find the end zone through the air across the first two weeks of his NFL career, Daniels lit up the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football behind 254 yards and a pair of touchdowns (both from under center) on an uber-efficient 91% passing. He continued to be a threat on the ground, too, scoring his third rushing touchdown of the season in the 38-33 victory.

Now entering Week 4’s matchup, Daniels has accounted for all but 290 yards of Washington’s total offense (1,080). He’s scored all but three of the Commanders’ eight total touchdowns.

Sound familiar?

Quarterback Kyler Murray on the differences between playing in former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s system compared to OC Drew Petzing’s offense.

Come for the quote, stay for the wink. 😉 pic.twitter.com/ZWvV2ri6CG

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) September 25, 2024

“Two different systems, obviously. One is more reliant on other things and the other one is more reliant on other things,” Murray said before ending his answer with a wink.

I’ll let you decipher that last part on your own.

The return of Kingsbury is bound to bring back memories of a previous regime that showed early promise only to crash and burn.

But if there’s at least one memory wouldn’t mind reliving on Sunday, it’s Kingsbury’s parting 1-8 record at State Farm Stadium.

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TEMPE — The Arizona Cardinals didn’t get more than 22 offensive snaps from free agent signing and starting right tackle Jonah Williams before he was placed lost to a knee injury in the season opener.

There have been few updates regarding his status since the Week 2 move to place him on injured reserve, leaving many to wonder if he will even make it back to the trenches this year.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon, who had said on Sept. 11 he wasn’t going to speculate on a timeline for Williams, did little to alleviate that fear on Wednesday morning.

“We’ll see. Hypotheticals, I don’t know,” he said Wednesday when asked if Williams was expected back this year.

Gannon did add Williams was doing well but did not provide any other information regarding his progress.

The earliest Williams can come off the IR is in Week 6 — that is if he’s healthy enough to go by then.

But while there is plenty of unknown surrounding Williams’ status, the Cardinals could be getting some added clarity regarding fellow right tackle and Week 2 starter Kelvin Beachum.

The veteran, who logged his 150th start against the Los Angeles Rams, was back practicing Wednesday after missing last week’s contest with a hamstring issue that popped up midweek.

Kelvin Beachum a.k.a Grandpa was back practicing during the open portion of Arizona Cardinals practice on Wednesday.

Did not see TE Trey McBride or OL Jackson Barton. pic.twitter.com/C5JJoZSFNF

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) September 25, 2024

He’ll have to get through the week of practice before getting the green light, but it’s a promising development for Arizona’s O-line, especially given the depth at tackle.

With Week 3 starter and practice squad member Jackson Barton headed to injured reserve with a toe issue suffered Sunday, the Cardinals’ next best option is another practice squader in Charlie Heck.

Heck played 11 offensive snaps once Barton went down but allowed two quarterback pressures against Detroit pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson. Heck does have 21 games of starting experience from his four years (2020-23) with the Houston Texans.

Beyond him, the cupboard is pretty barren given Christian Jones’ place on injured reserve.

If Arizona was really in a pinch, it could roll out rookie guard Isaiah Adams.

Despite his role as a backup guard, Adams does have some prior experience lining up on the outside. In his final season at Illinois, he was used primarily at right tackle, recording 730 of his 840 offensive snaps at the position.

Arizona also re-signed tackle Austen Pleasants to the practice squad as another potential option.

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The Cardinals signed Naquan Jones to the roster to fill the void with Justin Jones placed on injured reserve. The 26-year-old Naquan Jones played in four games for Arizona last season and was signed off the Miami Dolphins practice squad.

Justin Jones was Arizona’s top free-agent addition this offseason as the team attempted to shore up its depth on the defensive line.

He reportedly inked a three-year, $30.1 million deal with $19.8 million of that guaranteed.

The veteran recorded one tackle before going down Sunday, which brought his tackle tally to four on the year. He had a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.

The now-28-year-old started every game for the Bears the past two seasons, a reason the Cardinals pursued he and fellow free agent Bilal Nichols. Jones posted 4.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 17 QB hits in 2023.

Through three weeks with Arizona, Jones was the most-used defensive lineman with 100 snaps (54.5% of those available).

What is the Cardinals’ defensive line depth chart look like after Justin Jones’ injury?

With starting spots up for grabs, Arizona signed Jones and Nichols and also drafted the more versatile Darius Robinson in the first round.

Robinson injured his calf before the start of the season, and the team entered Week 1 with the veterans starting along with nose tackle Roy Lopez.

Robinson will miss a minimum of one more game on Sunday at home against the Washington Commanders. He is eligible to return off injured reserve for an Oct. 6 game at the San Francisco 49ers.

That leaves Nichols, L.J. Collier and second-year pro Dante Stills to work at defensive tackle this coming week. Lopez and Khyiris Tonga have played at nose tackle, though the latter suffered a knee injury in the Detroit game.

Stills, who was limited throughout the last week of practice with a shoulder injury, was a healthy scratch in Week 2 in a win over the Los Angeles Rams.

He was quiet in 25 snaps in Week 1 but was busy against the Lions on Sunday, posting six tackles, including a sack.

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After Daniels completed 21 of 23 passes and Washington carved up the Bengals defense for 356 yards in a 38-33 victory Monday night, the young cornerback chalked it up to “those quick throws.” But Daniels also had all the time in the world in the pocket, thanks to improved offensive line play and balance provided by running backs Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler.

The No. 2 draft pick out of LSU and reigning Heisman Trophy winner made the most of it. And Kingsbury rides into a game Sunday at the NFL team he coached from 2019-22, the Arizona Cardinals, on a high with Washington now 2-1.

“Kliff has done an incredible job,” starting left guard Nick Allegretti said. “I feel like he just kind of shoots from the hip, and he lives in the moment. He may set up one, two, three in a row, but situation by situation he’s ready with the play call, and it’s really impressive how we were able to mix the run and the pass and read option.”

Daniels was responsible for 293 yards — 254 passing and 39 rushing — and he threw for two touchdowns and ran for another. Robinson and Ekeler each also got into the end zone.

After going 0 for 6 in the red zone with five false start penalties and needing seven field goals from Austin Seibert to beat the New York Giants at home in Week 2, Washington went 3 for 3 at Cincinnati.

“We knew third down in the red zone was going to be a really big part of this,” coach Dan Quinn said. “(Kliff Kingsbury) and the staff had a really clear understanding of what we had to do. You have those moments that come up and you take your shot and deliver and they weren’t going to miss it.”

While Daniels’ average time to throw was 3.13 seconds per passing attempt, according to Pro Football Focus, Joe Burrow had 2.06 seconds — a testament to Washington’s pass rush and a rebuke of Cincinnati’s. But that should not take away from Daniels completing 91.3% of passes — a rookie record.

“That kid has poise,” said receiver Terry McLaurin, who caught a 27-yard TD pass from Daniels. “He’s been doing a great job in camp making those throws, but to come out here and do it when you’ve got to have it with the game on the line — that’s what great players are about, and I think he’s going to be well on his way if he continues to work.”

What else is working to help Kliff Kingsbury’s Commanders offense

Along with the offense, Washington got a boost from its special teams in the form of a 62-yard kickoff return by Ekeler and a 25-yarder by Noah Igbinoghene.

“He gave us the field position that changes everything,” Quinn said of Ekeler’s return at the start of the second half. “He has such a unique ability to make guys miss in space.”

What needs help

The defense is still an area of concern after allowing Burrow and the Bengals to rack up 436 yards. Washington ranks 29th out of 32 teams overall on that side of the ball and 31st against the pass, which is worrisome with Arizona’s Kyler Murray looking to bounce back from a flat showing in a loss to Detroit.

“Thank God for our offense,” defensive tackle Jonathan Allen said. “They won it for us today. Defense, we’ve got to be better. No other way around it.”

Stock up for Jayden Daniels’ top target

McLaurin had the breakout game he was hoping for after making just eight catches for 39 yards through the first two weeks of the season. The TD was part of a four-catch, 100-yard performance.

“It felt good,” Daniels said. “We continue to work. We’ll still face some adversity. It’s not smooth sailing from the jump. There will be ups and downs but just staying even keel, keep working and improving.”

Stock down

Punter Tress Way might need to get in some extra practice time after not seeing any action the past two games. Of course, the Commanders will take it if the offense continues producing on every drive.

Injuries

Ekeler did not travel with the team to Arizona because of a concussion. His status bears watching, especially given the short week.

Cornerback Emmanuel Forbes could return after missing the past two games following surgery to repair a ligament in his right thumb.

Key number

5 — Consecutive fourth-down attempts Washington has converted in as many tries to start the season.

Next steps

The Commanders hope that not returning home and instead practicing this week in Tempe helps them acclimate to the Pacific Time Zone. They opened as 3 1/2-point underdogs at the Cardinals on BetMGM Sportsbook.

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Daniels is coming off a breakout performance on Monday Night Football in a 38-33 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on the road. Daniels completed 21 of his 23 pass attempts for 254 yards and two touchdowns.  He also ran for 39 yards and another touchdown. Washington is now 2-1 and winners of two straight.

Daniels started as a true freshman in Tempe under then-head coach Herm Edwards, posting 17 touchdowns with only two interceptions. After a pandemic-shortened 2020 sophomore year, Daniels struggled more as a junior and would enter the transfer portal. He went to the SEC and LSU, where he built off a year of adapting and learning the system to winning the Heisman Trophy last season. This got Daniels selected second overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The rookie quarterback’s visit will surely inspire questions on his decision to depart Arizona State, something he did speak on in December with The Pivot Podcast.

“There was just so much uncertainty there with everybody,” Daniels said. “[Antonio Pierce] was gone, I didn’t know anything about coach Herm, so I was like, ‘I gotta go somewhere else, I gotta start fresh.’ For me I was like, man, I seen what Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, what those guys were doing on this big stage and I grew up playing against them. I was like, ‘Nah, I know I can do this.’ …

“Then LSU came knocking. And I was like, ‘Man, I can’t pass up this opportunity.’ We play in the SEC, we play in the best conference and you play on national television every week. So I was like, ‘Man, I need to show and prove that I can play and show that I can.'”

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TEMPE — Early on into the Cardinals’ 20-13 loss to the Buffalo Bills, it looked like Arizona’s defense was in for a long afternoon after back-to-back scoring drives and a 20-point first half by the visitors.

Detroit’s two-headed running game was as advertised behind 109 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, while quarterback Jared Goff completed all 12 of his passing attempts for 137 yards and a pair of scores in the first two quarters.

There really wasn’t an area the Lions couldn’t beat the Cardinals, who trailed at the half for the first time this year, leaving some expecting the worst for the rest of the game.

The defense, however, didn’t just bounce back in the second half, it gave it right back to Detroit. And even though Arizona was on the losing end of the one-score ballgame, head coach Jonathan Gannon got a glimpse of what the unit can be.

“You give up 20 points in a half, that’s not great. And then to keep the score at 20 with the takeaway, the fourth-down stop, the punts in there … I thought they battled and gave us a chance,” Gannon said Monday. “That game could have gotten out of hand if they’re not physiologically prepped the right way. I think they showed me that they were.

“That’s the first time we’ve been down at half, right? What are you going to do about it? I thought that we made some adjustments and they executed the adjustments and we had guys make a bunch of plays. That was really good to see. That was one of the things I was enthused about last night watching it was we responded the right way. That’s typically the sign of a good unit.”

After quarterback Kyler Murray’s interception on the first drive of the second half put the Cardinals even further behind the eight ball at home, Arizona’s defense locked in and pitched a shutout the rest of the way.

Allowing just 123 yards of total offense across Detroit’s final seven drives of the game, the Cardinals defense forced four punts, a turnover on downs and an interception courtesy of pass rusher Dennis Gardeck.

A big part of Arizona’s success was limiting Detroit’s run game across the final two quarters and forcing the Lions into third-and-longer situations.

Following their strong first half on the ground behind David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, the Lions ran for just 78 yards on 22 carries.

Detroit’s average distance on third down meanwhile pumped up from 4.2 yards in the first half to 6.7 in the second. And when the Lions were in those short third-down situations of two yards or fewer — twice in the second half — the Cardinals defense was right there to force a fourth down.

That wasn’t the case early on, with Arizona allowing five third-down conversions out of six tries.

The Cardinals’ pass rush also saw an uptick in play as the game went on, doubling its pressures on Goff from two in the first to four in the second. It also doubled Detroit’s sacks allowed with a pair across Sunday’s action.

It’s an encouraging sign for the Cardinals pass rush heading into a Week 4 clash with former head coach Kliff Kingsbury and the Washington Commanders.

“I think we’re affecting the quarterback. I really do, especially in times of not known pass I think we’re doing a good job,” Gannon said. “A little bit better than last year I think. … In known pass (situations), I think we’re doing a better job of making the ball come out a little bit quicker, moving the quarterback off the spot and disrupting and affecting his timing and rhythm.”

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GLENDALE — Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon isn’t big on momentum. In fact, he’s still not a true believer after doing a deep dive this offseason on it.

But what transpired in the second quarter of the Cardinals’ 20-13 loss to the Detroit Lions might be worth another case study.

Looking to stop the Lions deep in their own territory, the Cardinals successfully got quarterback Jared Goff out of sorts. With Jalen Thompson and Owen Pappoe applying pressure, Goff attempted to get the ball out.

Instead of finding an open receiver, Goff’s pass was tipped before falling right into the hand of Mack Wilson Sr., who took the interception to the house.

Just like that, it was at the very least a tie ballgame.

That was until the referees blew the play dead, signaling that the two-minute warning had been reached before the ball was snapped.

From the replay, it looked like Detroit got the ball off in time. The referees saw something different, however.

“Mechanically, we have an official that is watching the clock and what he had as a ruling was the clock was at two minutes and the ball was snapped,” referee Brad Rogers told pool reporter Josh Weinfuss. “So, by rule when the clock is at two minutes, it is then dead. We’re not going to let the play get off. We started killing the play by blowing whistles.

“I know the play started, but when we start blowing the whistle, it shuts it down. Some of the players were still going because they couldn’t hear our whistles apparently – so it looks like there’s part of the action that’s still moving and some of the action is stopping. So, when we start blowing our whistles, it shuts the play down completely.”

It was a brutal development for the Cardinals, who then watched the Lions bounce back from the pseudo-interception with a seven-play, 72-yard touchdown drive late in the half.

As for Gannon’s thoughts of the whole ordeal?

“They call what they call,” he said postgame.

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