Cardinals injury report: Trey McBride still out, Marvin Harrison Jr. still limited

A look at the Cardinals’ second injury report of the week.

There was goods news for three Arizona Cardinals players that were limited in practice Wednesday, but practiced fully on Thursday.

However, two others missed their second consecutive day of practice.

The full details are below.

Arizona Cardinals Week 4 Thursday injury report

Did not participate

TE Trey McBride (concussion)

DL Khyiris Tonga (knee)

Both McBride and Tonga have yet to practice this week, so it could be a longshot that either will be available for Sunday’s game. Their game status will be revealed Friday.

Limited participation

T Kelvin Beachum (hamstring)

WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (quadriceps)

Harrison appeared to be running and cutting fine in the portion of practice open to the media, but it is also prudent that the team be careful with his injury as well as Beachum.

Full participation

S Budda Baker (quadriceps)

LB Dennis Gardeck (finger)

DL Dante Stills (shoulder)

All three players were limited on Wednesday. Stills could be key on Sunday with Tonga’s availability uncertain and Justin Jones on injured reserve.

Washington Commanders Week 4 Thursday injury report

Did not participate

WR Jamison Crowder (calf)
RB Austin Ekeler (concussion)
DE Clelin Ferrell (knee)

Limited participation

G Sam Cosmi (Achilles)
CB Benjamin St-Juste (chest)

Full participation

CB Emmanuel Forbes Jr. (thumb)
S Quan Martin (elbow)
DT Jer’Zhan Newton (foot)

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Sub scribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

Cardinals-Commanders Week 4 preview, predictions with Commanders Wire

Bryan Manning joins Jess Root on the podcast to preview the Cardinals-Commanders Week 4 matchup.

The Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders play each other in Week 4 at State Farm Stadium Sunday at 1:05 p.m. Arizona time. The Commanders have won two games in a row and have not punted or turned the ball over in those wins.

The Cardinals are 1-2 and coming off a 20-13 loss to the Detroit Lions.

Former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury returns as Washington’s offensive coordinator.

Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels had a breakout performance on Monday night against the Cincinnati Bengals.

To preview the game, in this episode of the podcast, Commanders Wire managing editor Bryan Manning joined me to talk about Washington’s season, to preview the matchups and the game, and to make predictions.

It’s a good one. Enjoy the show!

Enjoy the show with the embedded player above or by subscribing to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or your favorite podcast platform, so you never miss a show. Make sure as well to give it a five-star rating!

Times and topics:

(1:00) The Commanders’ season so far

(20:58) Keys and matchups in the game this week

(34:52) Picks and predictions for the game

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Jayden Daniels’ Week 3 passer rating should have been higher than 141.7

Howard Balzer calculates what Daniels’ passer rating should be, based on where the current system stops.

Ten days ago, I delved into the inherent unfairness of the NFL passer rating system that fails to take into account how the game and technology has changed since it was implemented in 1973.

At the time the formula was devised, it established average percentages for the different categories based on what was known then. The most glaring is the average completion percentage of 50.0, which is a far cry from the 2023 league average of 64.5.

As for technology, the league used a booklet to manually tabulate passer rating and it was never intended to be used in games. In fact, official game statistics did not include passer rating until 1997.

The recent story focused on quarterbacks that have reached the 158.3 rating plateau in games. However, not sufficiently explored were game passer ratings that should have been higher than achieved, but failed to reach that number. For that to happen, the player has to reach or go above the maximum percentage in three categories: completion percentage (77.5), average yards per attempt (12.5) and touchdown percentage (11.9).

However, it’s possible that a quarterback could go much higher than the max figure in one category, not get there in the others, but still be over 158.3 or at least higher than what was listed as official. In fact, there are more than 300 of those instances where a player would be over 158.3 if the system was “opened up.” There must be many, many more that fall short of 158.3.

Which brings us to Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, who will be in State Farm Stadium Sunday to play against the Cardinals. In Monday night’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Daniels’ “official” passer rating was 141.7. However, he set an all-time rookie record by completing 91.3 percent of his passes in the game. Unfortunately for him, there is no credit in his passer rating for going over the max percentage of 77.5 in the formula.

How does that make any sense? Obviously, it doesn’t.

According to BAPR (Balzer Adjusted Passer Rating), that 91.3 figure wouldn’t be good enough to get him to or beyond the 158.3 barrier, but it does increase his BAPR for the game to 153.1.

As detective Joe Friday actually said in the iconic TV series Dragnet, “All we want are the facts.” Anyone can try, but you can’t argue about them.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Sub scribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

Commanders Week 4 injury report: RB Austin Ekeler ruled out

The details for the Commanders’ first injury report of the week as they prepare for the Cardinals.

This story was updated to add new information.

The Washington Commanders’ Wednesday injury report leading to Sunday’s game Week 4 against the Arizona Cardinals was distributed from Arizona where the team is practicing during a short week after Monday night’s game in Cincinnati.

Running back Austin Ekeler, who did not practice after suffering a concussion in the game, has already been declared out by head coach Dan Quinn.

The full details are below.

Washington Commanders Week 4 Wednesday injury report

Did not participate

G Sam Cosmi (Achilles)

WR Jamison Crowder (calf/rest)

RB Austin Ekeler (concussion)

TE Zach Ertz (not injury related/rest)

DE Clelin Ferrell (knee)

Quinn said the short week makes the decision on Ekeler the most prudent one and added, “We’ll have a chance to see what next week looks like then.” In Monday night’s win over the Bengals, Ekeler played only 13 snaps, but rushed three times for 35 yards with a 24-yard touchdown, caught two passes for 22 yards and had a 62-yard kickoff return.

Cosmi played all 59 snaps at right guard against the Bengals, while Ferrell was inactive. Ferrell did not travel with the team and has been ruled out of the game like Ekeler.

Limited participation

S Quan Martin (elbow)

CB Benjamin St-Juste (chest)

St-Juste played all 62 snaps Monday night and had six tackles (four solo), while Martin played 60 snaps and also had six tackles (two solo).

Full participation

CB Emmanuel Forbes Jr. (thumb)

DT Jer’Zhan Newton (foot)

Newton played 21 snaps (34 percent) Monday night and had four tackles (two solo). Forbes was inactive.

Arizona Cardinals Week 4 Wednesday injury report

Did not participate

TE Trey McBride (concussion)
DL Khyiris Tonga (knee)

Limited participation

S Budda Baker (quadriceps)
T Kelvin Beachum (hamstring)
LB Dennis Gardeck (finger)
WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (quadriceps)
DL Dante Stills (shoulder)

The article was updated to add injury information given about Crowder and Ferrell after the injury report came out

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Sub scribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

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Cardinals injury report: Trey McBride sits out, Marvin Harrison Jr. limited

A look at the Cardinals’ first injury report of Week 4. Trey McBride is in concussion protocol and Marvin Harrison Jr. was limited.

The Arizona Cardinals’ Wednesday injury report leading to Sunday’s game in Week 4 against the Washington Commanders has some surprising names: safety Budda Baker, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and outside linebacker Dennis Gardeck.

Defensive lineman Justin Jones (torn triceps) and tackle Jackson Barton (toe) are not listed because Jones was placed on injured reserve and Barton not on the active roster. He is on the practice squad injured list

Rookie wide receiver Xavier Weaver (oblique) is off the report for the first time this season.

The full details are below.

Jones is one of three NFL players that suffered torn triceps in Week 3. The others are Lions defensive end Marcus Davenport, who has also been placed on injured reserve, and 49ers defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who is expected to be.

Jones is also the third Cardinals defensive lineman to be lost for the season since a year ago September because of a muscle tear early in the season. In 2023, L.J. Collier in Week 1 and Carlos Watkins in Week 2 suffered torn biceps.

Arizona Cardinals injury report Week 4, Wednesday

Did not participate

TE Trey McBride (concussion)

DL Khyiris Tonga (knee)

McBride is in the concussion protocol, but was in the locker room after practice talking with teammates.

Limited participation

S Budda Baker (quadriceps)

T Kelvin Beachum (hamstring)

LB Dennis Gardeck (finger)

WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (quadriceps)

DL Dante Stills (shoulder)

Beachum was back at practice after missing Sunday’s game because of the injury that occurred in practice last Thursday. Stills was listed last week with the shoulder injury, but had a productive game against the Lions. The other injuries are believed to minor.

Washington Commanders Week 4 Wednesday injury report

Did not participate

G Sam Cosmi (Achilles)
WR Jamison Crowder (not injury related/rest)
RB Austin Ekeler (concussion)
TE Zach Ertz (not injury related/rest)
DE Clelin Ferrell (knee)

Limited participation

S Quan Martin (elbow)
CB Benjamin St-Juste (chest)

Full participation

CB Emmanuel Forbes Jr. (thumb)
DT Jer’Zhan Newton (foot)

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Sub scribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

Cardinals lose DL Justin Jones for season, sign DL Naquan Jones

Jones’ season comes to an end with a torn triceps and Naquan Jones returns to the Cardinals.

The triceps injury that Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Justin Jones suffered on Sunday against the Detroit Lions will cost him the rest of his season. Head coach Jonathan Gannon told reporters Wednesday that his injury is season-ending.

The team then announced that Jones was placed on injured reserve.

Jones, who signed a three-year, $30.2 million contract with Arizona this offseason as a free agent, sees his first year with the team end with four total tackles, one tackle for loss, one quarterback hit and a fumble recovery.

The Cardinals replaced him with another Jones they know.

They signed defensive lineman Naquan Jones off the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad to the active roster.

Jones spent time with the Cardinals last season on the practice squad and appeared in four games, totaling nine tackles, including one for loss.

He spent the offseason and preseason with the team as well, getting cut as rosters were trimmed to 53 players.

The 6-foot-3, 313-pound interior defender has been in the league since 2021. Between the Cardinals and Tennessee Titans, Jones has appeared in 36 games, starting eight, and has career totals of 62 tackles, seven tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, 3.5 sacks and two pass breakups.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Sub scribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

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Commanders to face Cardinals entering Week 4 with 1 crazy stat

The Commanders have neither punted nor turned the ball over in their last two games.

The Arizona Cardinals’ Week 4 opponents are the Washington Commanders, who enter this week having won their last two games. Their offensive coordinator is former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, and he has the offense cooking right now.

The Commanders have a stat entering Week 4 you might not believe.

They have not turned the ball over and have not even punted in their last two games.

In Week 2, against the New York Giants, a 21-18 win, they had the ball for eight possessions. They kicked field goals on seven of them. The only other possession was at the end of the first half when they got the ball with eight seconds remaining, and they did kneeldown to take it to halftime.

In Week 3 on Monday night against the Cincinnati Bengals, they had eight possessions. They scored in six of them. The other two possessions were for one play — kneeldowns to end the first half and then end the game.

So in their last two games, they have scored on 13 straight viable possessions — five touchdowns and eight field goals.

On the flip side, the Cardinals held the Detroit Lions scoreless in their seven second-half possessions in Week 2 in a 20-13 loss.

If the Cardinals are going to beat Washington on Sunday afternoon, that streal will clearly have to end.

One team’s streak is going to end on Washington’s first drive of the game.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Sub scribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

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Commanders QB Jayden Daniels has breakout game heading into showdown vs. Cardinals

The Cardinals will face Daniels and the Commanders after he threw the first 2 TD passes of his career and he set a rookie record.

The Arizona Cardinals will face the Washington Commanders in Week 4 at home. It will be their first game against rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who was the second overall pick in the 2024 draft.

He had a breakout game on Monday in Week 3.

He led the Commanders, who have begun the season 2-1, to a 38-33 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on the road.

He had his best game thus far, completing 21-for-23 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns. They were the first two touchdown passes of his NFL career.

He set the NFL single-game rookie record for completion percentage at 91.3%.

He had a passer rating of 141.7.

He also was Washington’s leading rusher with 39 yards on 12 carries and rushed for a touchdown. He leads NFL quarterbacks with 15 rushes for a first down.

He will come into State Farm Stadium with a lot of confidence.

Oh, and the Commanders haven’t punted in their last two games.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Sub scribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

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‘Not a lot of clarity’ on Cardinals’ injuries to start Week 4

Head coach Jonathan Gannon didn’t have much information to share with reporters about the Cardinals’ injuries on Monday.

The Arizona Cardinals had a few injuries of note in their loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. When head coach Jonathan Gannon spoke with the reporters on Monday, he didn’t have much news, and joked the reporters there wouldn’t be happy with him.

“The people that I talked about yesterday that got nicked a little bit, still working through some of those people right now with some different tests, meeting with doctors, stuff like that,” he said. “Not a lot of clarity on those guys.”

The only player he had an update on was tight end Trey McBride. He is in concussion protocol after a helmet-to-helmet collision with Lions safety Brian Branch.

What Gannon did say is there were “a couple of bumps and bruises,” which is something he says almost every week.

So we are waiting on information about the following players:

DL Justin Jones: He exited the game and did not return with a triceps injury. Considering the Cardinals’ luck with upper-arm injuries, it is hard not to worry that it might be season-ending.
DL Khyiris Tonga: He had a knee injury on Sunday.
OL Jackson Barton: He left in the fourth quarter with a toe injury. He had a walking boot on after the game. The Cardinals brought in another tackle for a workout if that is any sign of anything.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Sub scribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

PODCAST: 2024 Cardinals opponent preview – What did the Commanders do this offseason?

Jess Root is joined by Commanders Wire managing editor Bryan Manning on the podcast to talk about the Commanders’ 2023, offseason and more.

We have another edition of the podcast as we continue with the 14 shows in 14 days about the Arizona Cardinals’ 14 2024 opponents. In this edition of the show, Commanders Wire managing editor Bryan Manning joins me to talk about the Washington Commanders, who come to town in Week 4.

We go over what all happened last season in their two-win season, cover the coaching and player moves in the offseason and look ahead at what are reasonable expectations for them in 2024.

Enjoy the show!

Times and topics:

(1:00): The Commanders’ 2023 season

(11:13): The Commanders’ offseason moves – coaching changes, free agency, the draft

(32:36) Expectations for the Commanders in 2024

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