Cardinals Visit Giants in Week 4: Jess Root Predicts a 16-13 Arizona Win

Ahead of Sunday's Week 4 meeting at MetLife Stadium, Cardinals Wire managing editor Jess Root breaks down Jacoby Brissett's quick-release passing game and Arizona's run defense.

Arizona travels to East Rutherford, New Jersey, this weekend for a Week 4 date with the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, a Sunday-afternoon kickoff that pits a 1-2 Cardinals club against a 2-1 New York side. Betting markets originally listed the home team as 1-point underdogs; that margin has since stretched, with the Giants now getting 2.5 points.

Previewing the matchup, Giants Wire turned to Jess Root, the managing editor of Cardinals Wire, for an exchange covering Arizona's quarterback situation, its defensive problems and the likely shape of the game. Much of the discussion centered on Jacoby Brissett, whose efficient-looking start prompted questions about how much control he exercises before the snap.

On that subject, Root could not say how much freedom Brissett truly holds, noting he has watched the veteran change a play at the line only once. Apart from the season opener against a Chargers team he does not consider impressive, Root argued the quarterback has not been especially effective.

Arizona's passing game, in his telling, ranks near the bottom of the league at roughly 5.6 yards per pass play. Brissett threw 52 passes to compile 280 yards on Sunday, whereas a similarly high-volume outing against the 49ers last season brought him more than 400.

The Cardinals have been among the quickest teams to get rid of the ball, and Root insists that is intentional rather than a concession to pass-rush pressure. The consequence has been virtually no explosive gains. Because Brissett is limited as a runner and dislikes improvised football, he generally operates inside the design of the call — an approach Root called sensible for a player who has made his living as a backup.

Asked which matchup might tip the game toward a shootout or a defensive struggle, Root highlighted Arizona's assignment against the Giants' running tandem of Cam Skattebo and Najee Harris. Handling them has been a recurring problem: the Cardinals have been gashed on the ground, most notably in the second halves of their last two outings, and they give up 127.7 rushing yards per game.

Pressed on whether those struggles stem from the system, the players or difficult circumstances, Root answered that all three apply. The scheme, he said, has carried over from three consecutive bad seasons, the roster has not improved enough to repair it, and opponents protecting second-half leads have repeatedly pounded away on the ground without meeting resistance.

Root admitted the game makes him wary, but he does not expect many points. His forecast is a sluggish, grinding contest in which the Cardinals prevail, 16-13, on a field goal in the closing minutes.

Global Sportscast's schedule lists the Cardinals' visit to the Giants for Sunday, October 4, at 1:00 p.m. EDT. The game airs on CBS from MetLife Stadium.