After starting the 2025 season 2-0, the Arizona Cardinals have lost five straight games and sit at the bottom of their NFC West division.
However, the stories have been told; the Cardinals’ five losses have come by a combined 14 points, with two walk-off field goals and two four-point losses to the best teams in either conference.
The Cardinals have been right there in every game this season, leading in the fourth quarter in six of their seven games. However, that narrative gets tiring after losing five straight games. But after a bye week, Arizona has a potential solution.
What’s 1 Key to Turning the Arizona Cardinals’ Season Around?
The Cardinals need to get the run game going. Now, I know that seems cliché. But sometimes it’s relatively simple in football.
Running the football isn’t just about that. It brings a level of physicality, confidence, grit, and toughness. It’s what could push a team from losing one-score games to winning those one-score games.
For the Cardinals, if they won all of their one-score game this season, Arizona would be 7-0 and have the best record in the NFL – quite the difference from the reality.
Throughout the bye week and practice leading up to the Cardinals’ Week 9 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football, Cardinals insider Darren Urban spoke with offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr. about what needs to change in the Cardinals’ approach.
“One thing we have been talking about is we need to get started with the run game this week,” Johnson said (h/t azcardinals.com). “I know that is something we are choosing to make an emphasis on as an offensive line. That’s regardless of the opponent. This is a good week to remind the league how much we want to work on it, put that on show.”
This is the perfect week, as the Cowboys’ run defense is one of the worst in the NFL. Dallas is ranked 29th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed and gives up the sixth-most rushing touchdowns in the NFL, according to PFSN’s Defense Impact.
Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon was rather coy in his press conferences this week, not giving many details on Arizona’s plan, but he did mention emphasis on the Cardinals’ offensive line.
“That’s a cool storyline, but coming out of the bye there were two things (the offensive line coaches) wanted to put emphasis on,” Gannon said (h/t azcardinals.com). “I want our O-line to play with a lot of effort and violence, block the right people and move the right people.”
That’s something the Cardinals have struggled to do consistently this season. Arizona ranks 26th in the NFL in rushing attempts, 22nd in rushing yards, and 20th in rushing touchdowns, according to PFSN’s Offense Impact.
Now, a large part of that has been because of the inconsistency at running back. Arizona started the year with James Conner and Trey Benson, who led the Cardinals’ charge the last two years.
Arizona was a top 10 rushing team in 2023 and a top 15 rushing team in 2024, but the Cardinals also lost their offensive line coach this offseason to the Cowboys.
Now, it’s time for Arizona to hit the reset button on the run game and try to get it going against one of the best matchups in the NFL.
The Cardinals will be doing so with a trio of practice squad and mid-season pickups in the backfield. Bam Knight is expected to start, but Emari Demercado and Michael Carter are expected to get touches as well.
However, if the Cardinals’ offensive line can create holes on Monday night and move the line of scrimmage, it shouldn’t matter who’s carrying the ball in the backfield.
Football is won in the trenches, and the Cardinals will look to reset their trenches, riding a five-game losing streak on Monday night.