The Washington Commanders will open an easier four-game stretch when they travel west to face the Arizona Cardinals. Can they pull out the win against their former NFC East foe?
After taking a look at early season matchups against the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals, we dive into the Washington Commanders' week 12 opponent when they travel to Arizona to face a first-year Cardinals' coaching staff.
2025 Record: 3-14, fourth in NFC West
Key Players: Jacoby Brissett, Marvin Harrison Jr, Michael Wilson, Paris Johnson, Budda Baker, Josh Sweat
Key Losses: Jalen Thompson, Dalvin Tomlinson, Calais Campbell, Kyler Murray, Jonah Williams, Kelvin Beachum
Key Additions: Jeremiyah Love, Isaac Seumalo, Tyler Allgeier, Roy Lopez, Kendrick Bourne, Gardner Minshew
How They Fared:
The fourth team in a division with three teams that made it to the divisional round of the Playoffs in 2025, the Cardinals had one of the worst seasons in their franchise history. The season didn’t start out that way, as Arizona jumped out to a 2-0 start before losing 14 of their last 15 games to finish 3-14, tied with the Jets and Raiders for the worst record in the league. Quarterback Kyler Murray injured his foot during their week 5 loss to Tennessee and never returned to the field. Jacoby Brissett replaced him and despite ok stats, only won one game in his 12 starts. Tight end Trey McBride led his position in catches, yards, and touchdowns, while wide receiver Michael Wilson had his first 1000-yard campaign. No Cardinal running back reached 100 carries, as Michael Carter had the highest amount with 92. Overall, the Cardinals had the fewest carries and second-fewest yards out of any team in 2025. The run defense wasn’t much better, ranking 25th in yards and 24th in touchdowns. Arizona’s defense gave up the 4th-most points in the league, and the most first downs. Josh Sweat led the team with 12 sacks but only one other player, Calais Campbell, reached more than two. Ultimately, it was a season to forget for Arizona that ended with head coach Jonathan Gannon losing his job and Murray being released in the offseason.
2026 Expectations:
DraftKings has the Cardinals win odds at 3.5 for the 2026 season. In a loaded NFC West, the site has the team at +10000 odds of winning it, with the lowest odds of winning the Super Bowl at +50000. The Cardinals are looking to improve from their record last year, but how much will they improve by in 2026?
Key Matchup: RB Jeremiyah Love vs LB Sonny Styles
Two rookies on either side of the ball looking to be a focal point of their team’s identity going into the 2025 season. Love was taken third overall by the Cardinals to be their next star running back. While Styles went seventh overall as the next leader of the defense for Washington. Both players will face challenges along the way. Arizona’s offense has many questions, with quarterback Kyler Murray being released in the offseason and major questions along the offensive line. Washington’s defense ranked among the worst in the league last year, and the team is looking for free agent signings and young guys like Styles to help improve the unit. Both teams will hope that each player has adjusted to the league at this point of the season and is showcasing the talent that made them top draft picks. There’s a good chance the team with the better-performing rookie will come out on top in this game.
