Browsing: Cardinals

The Green Bay Packers reportedly won’t know if running back Josh Jacobs can play Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals until shortly before kickoff.

Jacobs is being considered a “true game-time decision” ahead of the Week 7 matchup, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Saturday.

The running back was listed as “questionable” due to illness and a calf injury on Saturday’s injury report.

The Packers and Cardinals are set to kick off in Arizona at 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday.

Schefter previously reported Saturday afternoon that running back Pierre Strong Jr. had been elevated from the practice squad to the active roster ahead of Sunday’s game.

Jacobs vomited before and during the Packers’ Week 6 win over the Cincinnati Bengals despite contributing 93 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to the victory.

“I really don’t know where it came from. I just kind of woke up this morning just not feeling my best,” Jacobs said after last Sunday’s win.

Jacobs was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday but returned as a full participant Friday, according to the Packers’ injury report.

The Packers then adjusted the report to add cornerback Keisean Nixon as questionable due to illness on Saturday.

Having multiple sick players on the roster may have made it even worse news when the Packers’ plane was delayed by almost six hours on the tarmac ahead of a Saturday night flight to Phoenix.

The Packers will have less than 18 hours on the ground before it’s time to kick off on Sunday afternoon against the Cardinals.

After Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor dominated against Arizona’s offense in a Week 6 win over the visiting Cardinals, the Packers may have been hoping to stick to a similar script with Jacobs.

If illness, injury or the short turnaround keeps their star running back on the sideline this weekend, wideouts like Romeo Doubs could get more usage as the Packers turn lean away from their run game in Week 7.

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Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado owned up to his costly turnover in Sunday’s 22-21 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

With Arizona leading by 15 points in the fourth quarter, Demercado got loose for what initially looked like a 72-yard touchdown run. Unfortunately for he and the Cardinals, he started his celebration prematurely. He lost possession before crossing the goal line, and the ball went out of the end zone for a touchback.

“I made a mistake. There’s really no excuse,” Demercado told reporters after the game. “I was obviously emotional. It was a big play, but I just got to be smarter.”

The third-year back added he’s not going to think about the play any longer than he needs to.

“You just have to,” he said. “Can’t get it back. Nothing I can do about it, so why keep holding on to it?”

It’s almost certainly game over if the Cardinals jump ahead by 22 points with less than 13 minutes to play. Instead, the Titans got a major lifeline.

Tennessee got touchdowns on its next two drives, and Joey Slye connected on a 29-yard field goal as time expired to give his team its first win.

Demercado’s fumble wasn’t the sole reason for Arizona’s late collapse, and the football gods seemed to be tipping the scales in favor of the Titans. You don’t often see a defensive interception turn into an offensive touchdown, which is what happened during the frenzied fourth quarter.

With a losing skid that now sits at three games, Arizona will hope its luck in Week 6 improves as it hits the road to play the red-hot Indianapolis Colts.

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The Arizona Cardinals had a 21-6 lead against the previously winless Tennessee Titans heading into the fourth quarter on Sunday. Somehow, they blew it, losing a third straight game on a field goal as time expired.

“I don’t really know what to think about that,” quarterback Kyler Murray told reporters after the 22-21 loss. “I don’t even know. I really don’t even know. That’s ‘How to Lose a Game 101.’ I don’t know. It was crazy.”

“That was bad,” he added. “That was bad. Bad. All around, it was bad.”

Two plays stood out. The first was running back Emari Demercado dropping the ball just before the goal line in celebration of what should have been a 72-yard touchdown run. Instead, the ball rolled out of the end zone and was a touchback, taking six points off the board (and driving fantasy players bonkers in the process).

The second was a bizarre play after Arizona safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson intercepted the ball but fumbled as he went to the ground. The ball kicked off of several players, bounced into the end zone and was recovered by Tennessee wideout Tyler Lockett for a score, cutting the deficit to 21-19.

The Cardinals also went eight straight drives to end the game without scoring and the defense couldn’t stop Cam Ward and Tennessee’s offense in the fourth quarter, so there was plenty of blame to go around. But anyway you slice it, Murray and the 2-3 Cardinals let one get away.

“I just think if you look at the mistakes, I think we played well enough to win the game, but crucial, bonehead mistakes just gave them a chance to stay in the game,” Murray told reporters. “I think they were literally a play away from quitting, but we left them and we kept them in the game.”

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Sep 30, 2025, 02:45 PM ET

ST. LOUIS — Chaim Bloom says the St. Louis Cardinals will be sticking to their roots to get back to October baseball.

Bloom, who has been in line since last year to become the organization’s president of baseball operations, spoke to the media Tuesday as he takes over a team that finished the season 78-84, fourth in the NL Central and missing the playoffs for a third consecutive season.

“The Cardinals win first and foremost with players we develop,” Bloom said. “That operating model that has sustained this organization for decades is still sound. But for it to develop the results that we need, we have to be elite at acquiring and developing baseball talent in every aspect.”

Bloom said he will retain manager Oli Marmol.

“As far as our field staff, there are still some things that we need to sort out,” Bloom said. “I expect a lot of continuity. It’s a good group of people that really cares.”

Bloom served as an advisor to the organization this season. He is taking over for John Mozeliak, who said last year he had advocated for bringing Bloom in to get a fresh look at where the Cardinals were at as a team.

“We’re not where we want to be,” Bloom said Tuesday. “We’re not where we need to be. We’re not where our fans expect us to be. We are not where we expect ourselves to be.”

St. Louis has won 11 World Series. Only the New York Yankees have won more. Their most recent title came in 2011 in Tony La Russa’s last season managing the club.

“Our goal is to field a team every year and compete for this division and a World Series championship,” Bloom said. “In this competitive business, the front of the line is always moving. We’re not going to concede anything. We need to be focused on our ultimate goal.”

Bloom, a 2004 graduate at Yale, spent 15 years (2005-19) with the Tampa Bay Rays, including the final three as senior vice president of baseball operations. He was chief baseball officer for the Boston Red Sox from Oct. 28, 2019, through Sept. 14, 2023, when he was fired. The Red Sox advanced to the American League Championship Series in 2021.

Bloom could explore trades for Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, and Willson Contreras. Those three veterans all have no-trade deals.

Arenado, 34, has two years remaining on his contract and is owed $42 million. Gray, 35, has one year left on his deal. He is owed $35 million in 2026. And Contreras, 33, has two years left on his contract. He is owed $36.5 million and a $5 million buyout for the 2028 season.

“I don’t like to draw a line and say these guys are in and these guys are out,” Bloom said. “The game is too hard for that.”

In the past three years, the Cardinals’ farm system has failed to produce impact players. Fans have shown their displeasure with that.

“I understand their frustration,” CEO Bill DeWitt Jr. said. “They love their Cardinals. They love their Cardinals winning. We’re going to make every effort to get back to that.”

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CHICAGO — The fans out in the Wrigley Field bleachers on Sunday afternoon continued their season-ending tradition of holding a potluck dinner prior to the final home game of the year. The Cubs†grounds crew took the field for the seventh-inning stretch and led the crowd in a singing of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.â€

For the past several years, these would be signs that the season was coming to a close. This yearâ€s Cubs squad, however, is not finished. The 2-0 victory over the rival Cardinals on Sunday was mere formality to conclude the regular-season portion of this Chicago teamâ€s journey. The playoffs arrive on Tuesday.

With the win over St. Louis, the Cubs put the period on a 92-70 showing that secured the National Leagueâ€s top Wild Card spot. The North Siders are set to host the Padres in the best-of-three NL Wild Card Series, beginning with Game 1 on Tuesday at 2:08 p.m. CT at the Friendly Confines.

In the regular-season finale, Seiya Suzuki launched a solo homer in the fifth, marking his 32nd blast of the year and his fifth in the past four games. Rookie Moisés Ballesteros contributed a run-scoring single in the seventh inning for some added insurance, helping Chicago to its highest win total since collecting 95 in 2018.

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Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald heaped praise on quarterback Sam Darnold following Thursday night’s 23-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Speaking to reporters after the dramatic road victory, Macdonald said: “Sam’s playing out of his mind right now. You see him, he’s just such a cool customer. But he’s a guy on a mission. He’s so determined for us to be a great team and a great offense, and he’s doing a great job leading us.”

Darnold, 28, signed a three-year, $100.5 million contract with the Seahawks in free agency this past offseason on the heels of a resurgent campaign with the Minnesota Vikings.

After bouncing around between the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers, Darnold looked like a bust in relation to being the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, but the outlook completely changed last season.

Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 record, and he set new career marks by completing 66.2 percent of his passes for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns en route to his first Pro Bowl selection.

When the Vikings made the decision to go with 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy as their starter in 2025, they allowed Darnold to leave in free agency, and the Seahawks are reaping the benefits.

Behind the strong play of Darnold, the Seahawks are off to a 3-1 start and potentially trending toward their first playoff appearance since 2022.

Through four games, Darnold is completing 70.0 percent of his passes for a league-high 905 yards, plus five touchdowns and two interceptions.

On Thursday night, Darnold was highly efficient, going 18-of-26 for 242 yards with one touchdown and no picks.

He was at his best on the final drive of the game after the Cardinals scored a touchdown and tied the score at 20-20 with just 28 seconds remaining in regulation.

A 22-yard completion from Darnold to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba put the Seahawks in field goal range, and kicker Jason Myers nailed one from 52 yards out as time expired, giving Seattle a three-point victory over an NFC West rival.

There were legitimate question marks surrounding whether Darnold’s 2024 season in Minnesota was a fluke, but based on what he has done thus far in Seattle, it is looking more and more like he is the real deal.

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The Seattle Seahawks had some fun on social media after extending their winning streak over the Arizona Cardinals to eight games with a 23-20 victory on Thursday night.

First, the Seahawks created their own custom bone temple graphic of Arizona helmets from the film 28 Years Laterto troll the Cardinals.

The team quickly followed that up with a Toy Story 3clip featuring Mr. Potato Head in his tortilla form and the pigeon that attacks him on a ledge.

The old saying of “to the victor goes the spoils” has the Seahawks feeling good about themselves right now. They have won eight straight games against their NFC West rivals dating back to the 2021 season.

In addition to their recent dominance over the Cardinals, the Seahawks have won three straight games since their Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

For all of the concerns that were raised about Seattle’s decision to replace Geno Smith with Sam Darnold, the offense has been good through four games, scoring 27.8 points per game. He went 18-of-26 for 242 yards and one touchdown on Thursday night.

The defense, which was expected to be the team’s strength, has lived up to the hype. It may not be at the Legion of Boom-era level of dominance, but the unit has held each of its first four opponents to 20 points or fewer.

Since Week 2, the Seahawks have allowed 268.0 yards per game. They gave up a season-low 253 yards to the Cardinals.

Until the Cardinals can stop this losing skid against their division rivals, the Seahawks will continue to post about their triumphs. These two teams will meet again in Seattle on Nov. 9.

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Kyler Murray feels like the first half was the biggest difference for the Arizona Cardinals in their 23-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Murray the Cardinals were “physically dominated” and the offense “couldn’t get it going” against Seattle’s defense through the first two quarters.

he Cardinals were held to just three points in the first half. Six of their first seven drives resulted in three punts, two interceptions and the end of the first half. They gained a total of 119 yards on 35 plays.

Murray’s second interception wasn’t his fault. The ball hit Marvin Harrison Jr. in the hands, but the second-year wideout bobbled it, and Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV was able to pick it off.

That turnover was particularly harmful because the Cardinals had gotten well into Seattle territory and if Harrison caught it, they would have come very close to converting on a third-and-11 to keep the drive going.

The Cardinals started to figure things out in the fourth quarter. They had back-to-back scoring drives, including a redemption moment for Harrison on a 16-yard touchdown catch.

Arizona was able to tie the score at 20 with 28 seconds remaining in regulation, but the ensuing kickoff was placed at the Cardinals’ 40-yard line after it fell short of the landing zone.

The Seahawks got into field-goal range to set up Jason Myers’ 52-yard game-winning kick as time expired.

It was yet another frustrating loss for the Cardinals, coming just four days after they missed multiple opportunities in a 16-15 defeat against the San Francisco 49ers.

After starting the season 2-0, the Cardinals find themselves at .500 with both of their losses coming against divisional opponents. They will go back to the drawing board to prepare for a Week 5 matchup with the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 5.

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It came down to a field goal as Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks went into the desert and came away with a hard-fought Thursday night win, defeating the Arizona Cardinals 23–20 at State Farm Stadium to improve to 3–1 on the season.

Darnold completed 18-of-26 passes for 242 yards and one touchdown, finding AJ Barner for a scoring strike. Barner finished with 32 yards receiving. Zach Charbonnet added a rushing touchdown as part of a 39-yard performance on the ground, while Jaxon Smith-Njigba chipped in with 79 yards on four receptions.

Seattle’s offense was balanced and efficient, and its defense came through with timely stops to keep Kyler Murray and the Cardinals in check.

Murray finished 27-of-41 for 200 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He connected with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emari Demercado for scores.

With the win, Seattle remains in the early NFC West hunt, while Arizona drops to 2–2.

Fans praised Darnold and Seattle after their gritty win over Arizona on Thursday:

The first quarter got off to a crazy start as Murray threw an interception, snagged by Seattle’s Coby Bryant — who then fumbled on the return. Cardinals running back Trey Benson recovered, setting up Arizona’s first points: a 33-yard Chad Ryland field goal. Seattle answered on the next play with a touchdown to take a 7–3 lead into the second.

Murray threw his second interception in the second quarter and Seattle capitalized with another touchdown. The Seahawks held Arizona scoreless the rest of the half, taking a 14–3 lead into the break.

Out of halftime, the Cardinals controlled the third quarter with two field goals — including a 57-yard bomb from Ryland — while the defense kept Seattle off the board. Arizona trailed 17–6 heading into the fourth.

Seattle opened the final quarter with a scoring drive, but Murray hit Harrison Jr. in response to close the gap. After a missed Seahawks field goal, Arizona marched downfield and tied the game with a touchdown pass to Demercado with 28 seconds left.

A kickoff that fell short of the landing zone gave Seattle a shortened field, and Darnold took advantage, hitting Smith-Njigba for a 22-yard gain to put the Seahawks in immediate field goal range for the 44-yard game-winner.

Seattle will have an extended break before hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 5.

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SAN FRANCISCO — After a disappointing end to their road slate, the Giants knew theyâ€d need to come out strong during their final homestand of the season to have any shot at hanging around the National League Wild Card race.

Theyâ€re not off to a good start.

The Giants inched closer toward elimination after falling to the Cardinals, 6-5, in Monday nightâ€s series opener at Oracle Park.

Heliot Ramos crushed a leadoff homer against Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy and then put the Giants ahead, 4-2, with a bases-loaded, two-run single in the fourth, but St. Louis erased the deficit by scoring four runs off Justin Verlander in the fifth.

At 77-80, the Giants are now 3 1/2 games behind the idle Mets and Reds for the final NL playoff spot with five games left to play. They could be eliminated as soon as Tuesday if they lose and the Mets win, a harsh reality for a club that stood only a half-game out of the third NL Wild Card spot entering play on Sept. 14.

“We just have to keep playing hard,†Ramos said. “Anything can happen.â€

Verlander entered Monday with a 0.87 ERA over his previous five outings, but he was charged with six runs (four earned) over 4 1/3 innings in his penultimate start of the year. It was clear that he wasnâ€t at his best stuff-wise, as he averaged 92.3 mph on his four-seam fastball, a 1.7 mph dip from his season average of 94 mph.

“The stuff today was not great,†Verlander said. “I felt a little lethargic out there. I tried to battle through as best I could. Weâ€ve been cracking the whip pretty hard. Itâ€s that time of year. That takes its toll, but Iâ€ve generally been feeling pretty good. This is the first one where I was a little lethargic. Just got to make sure I focus on my recovery this next time through and hopefully kind of refresh.â€

Verlander surrendered a game-tying, two-run homer to Iván Herrera in the game-turning fifth and then faced more trouble after Alec Burleson singled and Nolan Arenado doubled to put runners on second and third with no outs.

Verlander subsequently retired Thomas Saggese on a flyout that was too shallow to score Burleson from third. The 42-year-old right-hander nearly avoided more damage by coaxing a fielderâ€s choice grounder from Pedro Pagés, but second baseman Casey Schmitt couldnâ€t throw home after he dropped the ball on the exchange, allowing Burleson to score the go-ahead run and knock Verlander out of the game.

“You could see right away the velo was down a little bit,†manager Bob Melvin said. “I think he might be a little bit on fumes right now. Heâ€s been pitching on a regular turn. Weâ€ve been moving him up out of necessity. But Iâ€ll tell you what, he still competes. Heâ€s on his way to potentially pitching his way out of that inning, and we end up making an error. Obviously, at that point in time, it was time to go get him with the pitches he had [84] in four-plus. But you could see he was ratcheting it up another level, like weâ€ve seen him a bunch here. Unfortunately, we let a run in.â€

Tristan Beck entered the game to replace Verlander and got another ground ball from Jordan Walker, but the Cardinals†right fielder hustled down the line and managed to beat out the potential inning-ending double play, knocking in another run to extend St. Louis†lead to 6-4.

Rafael Devers brought the Giants within one with an opposite-field solo shot off McGreevy in the bottom of the fifth, but they couldnâ€t add on after that, resulting in the clubâ€s eighth loss in its last 10 games.

“Itâ€s one of those games that we thought we should have won, obviously,†Ramos said. “Weâ€re trying to keep fighting. Weâ€re trying to make it to the playoffs. We just have to play better, thatâ€s it.â€

The Giants might not be in contention by the time Verlanderâ€s spot in the rotation rolls around again on Saturday against the Rockies, but he said he plans to make one more start regardless of where the team sits in the standings.

“I donâ€t see why I wouldnâ€t,†Verlander said. “As long as I feel okay physically, which I have, yeah. Itâ€s my job.â€

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