Arizona Cardinals Are Underusing the One Weapon Their Offense Needs

Jeremiyah Love has produced early, but Alex Clancy wants Arizona to turn its rookie running back into a deeper receiving threat.

by Locked On Cardinals

Oct 3, 2026

Jeremiyah Love has produced early, but Alex Clancy wants Arizona to turn its rookie running back into a deeper receiving threat.

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The Arizona Cardinals have moved the ball in stretches without producing enough explosive plays, and Locked On Cardinals host Alex Clancy sees rookie running back Jeremiyah Love as the clearest solution. Love has 10 catches for 44 yards through three games, but none has gone longer than 9 yards — a usage pattern Clancy argued leaves the offense’s fastest player working almost entirely in short areas.

Love has handled a substantial early workload overall, totaling 41 carries for 160 yards while adding a rushing and a receiving touchdown. His 26 touches against the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday show Arizona already trusts him as a central piece, but Clancy contends that volume alone will not solve an offense that has struggled to create chunk gains.

Clancy called for more than the angle routes and checkdowns Love has seen so far in the passing game. He wants the Cardinals sending him up the seam, releasing him on wheel-like sideline concepts, and using formations that make defenses account for the rookie beyond the line of scrimmage. Those calls would test linebackers and safeties vertically instead of allowing them to rally downhill on predictable underneath targets.

Veteran running back Tyler Allgeier can continue handling a complementary, physical role, Clancy said, while Love becomes the backfield weapon who changes coverages. The distinction matters because Arizona does not need to pull Love from the running game to expand his receiving usage; it needs to diversify where and how those targets arrive.

A more dangerous Love could also create cleaner opportunities for wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson, as well as tight end Trey McBride. If defenses widen or keep a safety closer to Love’s releases, Clancy argued, the offense can build clear-out concepts and take more shots behind that attention rather than relying on long, mistake-free drives.

The idea carries extra urgency with quarterback Jacoby Brissett leading an offense that has shown it can sustain possessions but has not consistently threatened opponents downfield. Arizona does not need every Love target to become a highlight play. It needs enough credible vertical stress from its rookie back to make the rest of the passing game less condensed.

Love’s expanded passing-game role is a practical test for the next month: If the Cardinals can turn his touches into larger gains, they can relieve pressure on Brissett and avoid asking the offense to execute 12-play scoring drives every week.

Cardinals News and Notes

– Clancy argued that head coach Mike LaFleur must lean into a more aggressive offensive approach because he does not expect the defense to provide dependable support. His benchmark: Arizona needs to find a way to reach 25 points often enough to stay competitive.

– Clancy also flagged the upcoming schedule as a problem with little immediate relief, pointing to games against the New York Giants, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams (twice), Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, and Kansas City Chiefs. A difficult slate makes the search for explosive offense more pressing.

– On defense, Clancy floated the possibility that edge rusher Josh Sweat and safety Budda Baker could become trade candidates if the season continues to expose the roster’s shortcomings. That remains his opinion, not a reported indication that Arizona plans to move either player.