Jacoby Brissett Says Man Coverage Is Coming Every Week After the Cardinals Finally Beat It

Jacoby Brissett saw progress against the Rams' man looks. Pat Surtain II, Riley Moss and a Denver defense that stifles play-action are Arizona's next test.

by Andrew Hughes

Oct 23, 2026

Aug 14, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) in action against the Atlanta Falcons in the first quater at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Jacoby Brissett got the answer he wanted from the Arizona Cardinals’ pass catchers in Los Angeles. After two weeks of stalling against man coverage, they found enough room against the Rams to deliver an 18-16 win, Arizona’s first since Week 1, a week after coach Mike LaFleur challenged his receivers to win their one-on-one matchups.

Brissett said this week the test is not over. “Thought we had separation. We made some plays. It’s obviously a work in progress because it’s going to be man [coverage] every game, but I thought we made improvements and created some separation on some key plays,” Brissett said, per ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss.

Why defenses keep doubling Trey McBride

Oct 18, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) after the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The math changed when the Cardinals sent Marvin Harrison Jr. to Houston. The Giants played man coverage 56% of the time in Week 4 and the Lions 51% in Week 5 while bracketing Trey McBride and Michael Wilson, per AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban. Through five games, McBride had 42 catches for 308 yards and Wilson had 29 for 288.

“You dream of man coverage. You can’t wait for man coverage,” LaFleur said before the Rams game.

At SoFi Stadium, Brissett completed 24 of 35 passes for 218 yards, and Jalen Brooks’ late catch set up Chad Ryland’s walk-off field goal. Arizona won as a 12.5-point underdog despite going 0-for-5 in the red zone.

This season, Brissett has 1,328 yards, nine touchdown passes and six interceptions on 234 attempts. His 80.3 overall grade from PFF ranks 10th among 35 quarterbacks. He is playing on a reworked deal with $15.5 million guaranteed, with questions about whether Carson Beck takes over never far away.

Pat Surtain II returns to Denver’s secondary

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Denver brings a tougher exam. Cornerback Pat Surtain II was limited Wednesday in his first practice since injuring his ankle in Week 4 against the 49ers. Riley Moss was a full participant after playing 20 defensive snaps in his Week 6 return.

Surtain has allowed nine catches and a 66.9 passer rating in 147 coverage snaps, according to PFF, even with a 46.7 coverage grade that ranks 87th among 102 corners. Moss has given up a 92.9 passer rating with one interception and two pass breakups, per his PFF page.

The Broncos also defend one of Brissett’s strengths. He has four touchdown passes on play-action, tied for second behind Kirk Cousins, while Denver has allowed a league-low two play-action touchdowns and 6.0 yards per attempt, per ESPN Research. Arizona could lean on three-tight-end sets after logging 25 snaps of 13 personnel against Detroit, a franchise record.

Brissett sits No. 26 in Henry McKenna’s Week 6 QB rankings for Fox Sports, and fans in Glendale want proof the Rams game was more than a one-week fix. Beating man coverage against the 4-2 Broncos would supply it.