The Arizona Cardinals left their Week 4 loss with more than another damaging result. They also failed to continue building the offense around rookie running back Jeremiyah Love. Locked On Cardinals host Alex Clancy said Love received only 15 touches as quarterback Jacoby Brissett threw three interceptions and Arizona squandered four chances from inside the 5-yard line.
Clancy’s criticism was not simply that Love needed a bigger workload. He argued the Cardinals abandoned an approach that had worked early, even as the game remained within one score. Arizona selected Love third overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, making the rookie one of the franchise’s largest investments and a player the offense needs to feature when it reaches scoring territory.
The most frustrating sequence came in the game’s final drive, after a pass-interference penalty created first-and-goal from the 5. Clancy pointed to targets for Cardinals wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson, plus tight end Trey McBride, before Brissett threw an interception on fourth down. He questioned why Love did not receive a carry during that four-play stretch after the running game helped Arizona establish its early lead.
Clancy also focused on the defense after New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston overcame a pair of interceptions to lead an offense that repeatedly found open receivers. He said defensive coordinator Nick Rallis should be dismissed, citing 97 points allowed across the Cardinals’ last three games, not counting the Giants’ game-ending pick-six. That remains Clancy’s assessment, rather than a reported organizational decision.
The loss leaves Arizona at 1-3 and puts more pressure on head coach Mike LaFleur to find an offensive identity that does not ask Brissett to carry every high-leverage possession. Love’s role should be central to that correction, particularly after the Cardinals’ goal-line failures turned a winnable game into another loss.
The Cardinals return home to face the Detroit Lions next Sunday. Clancy predicted Detroit could expose Arizona’s defensive problems, but the immediate offensive question is whether LaFleur responds by putting more of the game in Love’s hands.
More Arizona Cardinals Essentials
- 5 Best Quarterbacks in Arizona Cardinals History
- 5 Best Running Backs in Arizona Cardinals History
- 5 Best Wide Receivers in Arizona Cardinals History
- Richest NFL Owners: Where Does Michael Bidwill Rank?
