Giants Facing Under the Radar Challenge Against Cardinals

The New York Giants are facing the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon in a game that they should win, even without Jaxson Dart and Brian Burns.

The Cardinals are 1-2, and while they put together a surprising win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1, they haven't exactly looked great since.

The Giants, meanwhile, are 2-1 and are coming off of a tight 12-7 victory over the Tennessee Titans. Was it a thoroughly impressive win? No, but at least they won a close game, something they weren't able to do last year.

The Titans weren't the strongest competition, and the Cardinals aren't, either. The game is at MetLife Stadium, so New York should be able to post another W in the standings.

But it won't be as easy as some may think.

While Arizona doesn't have the best situation under center with Jacoby Brissett, the Cardinals actually have some interesting weapons.

Michael Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Kendrick Bourne comprise a very solid wide receiver room. Tight end Trey McBride is one of the best in the league at his position. Then there's rookie running back Jeremiyah Love, who hasn't gotten off to the best start, but remains dangerous as a versatile weapon.

Given that the Giants are thin in their secondary as it is (although they will be getting Deonte Banks and Tyler Nubin back this week), Arizona's playmakers could cause some problems in the passing game.

Now, I will say that New York should put up more points against the Cardinals than it did versus the Titans. Arizona has one of the worst defenses in football, and Jameis Winston should absolutely have a stronger performance than he did in Week 3.

But if the Giants only manage 12 points again, that's probably not going to get it done against a Cardinals offense that really isn't terrible.

The good news is that this isn't a trap game for New York. The Giants play the Washington Commanders the following week, so it's not like they are running the risk of overlooking the Cardinals for a far superior opponent the next Sunday.

But at the same time, New York cannot take Arizona lightly, and let's be honest: it's not like the Giants are in the best shape right now.

The offense is far more limited with Winston under center rather than Dart, and the lack of Burns in the front seven will damage a Big Blue pass rush that had already been pretty disappointing thus far in 2026.

If New York plays mistake-free football and avoids surrendering big plays, it should be able to come away with a win, but this won't be a complete cakewalk for the G-Men.