For all you New York Giants fans out there thinking the Arizona Cardinals are going to be a cakewalk in Week 4, boy, do I have some bad news for you.
Although the Cards are 1-2 through three games, their record might not necessarily be indicative of what this team actually is. After shocking the Los Angeles Chargers in opening week and then getting pummeled by the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in Week 2, Arizona bounced back nicely (albeit in a loss) with a 36-30 defeat in San Francisco against the undefeated 49ers.
These birds are feisty. With quarterback Jacoby (Jake Briskett) Brissett and rookie running back Jeremiyah Love, this will not be an easy contest for the G-Men, especially with a struggling Jameis Winston under center and a pass rush that’s been virtually nonexistent through three weeks and will now be without Brian Burns for the rest of the season.
New York hedged its Winston bet a little bit by adding former Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the wake of Jaxson Dart’s season-ending knee injury, but unless the game goes to hell out of the gate, Big Blue likely won’t see Nine... err, No. 18 take the field.
Sitting at 2-1, this is the perfect opportunity to keep the good times rolling and dial up the heat on the rest of the NFC East with a win.
Here's everything you need to know heading into Week 4.
- How to watch Giants vs. Cardinals in Week 4
- Giants' Injury Report for Week 4
- Cardinals' Injury Report for Week 4
- Biggest Giants storylines heading into Week 4
- Predictions for Giants vs. Cardinals in Week 4
Last updated: Friday, October 2 at 6:00 am ET
How to watch Giants vs. Cardinals in Week 4
- Date: Sunday, October 3
- Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
- TV Network: CBS, Paramount+
- Announcers: Spero Dedes (play-by-play), Adam Archuleta (color analyst), and
Aditi Kinkhabwala (sideline reporting)
This will be the 130th regular-season meeting between the two teams. The G-Men lead the all-time series 81-46-2. In their most recent matchup in 2023, the Giants beat the Cardinals 31-28 at State Farm Stadium in Week 2.
Giants' Injury Report for Week 4
Practice Status
- DNP - Did not participate in practice
- LP - Limited participation in practice
- FP - Full participation
- (-) - Not listed
Game Status
- Out - Player will not play
- Doubtful - Player is unlikely to play
- Questionable - Player is not certain to play
- (-) - Not listed
Player | Position | Injury | Wednesday (9/30) | Thursday (10/1) | Friday (10/2) | Game status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Andrew Thomas | OT | Groin | DNP | DNP | ||
Tyrone Tracy Jr. | RB | Knee | DNP | LP | ||
Deonte Banks | CB | Calf | LP | LP | ||
Tyler Nubin | SAF | Calf | LP | LP | ||
Elijah Campbell | SAF | Foot | FP | FP | ||
Nic Jones | CB | Shoulder | FP | FP | ||
Patrick Ricard | FB | Nose | FP | FP |
As things currently stand, Andrew Thomas’ injury appears to be the most worrisome. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound tackle is working through a groin injury suffered late in Week 2 that was serious enough to keep him from returning to the game.
Arizona might not have the passing attack of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and the Bengals, but having two starting defensive backs -- Deonte Banks and Tyler Nubin -- still limited going into Friday isn’t the best news. The G-Men were without both last week, though, and held Cam Ward and Co. to 181 yards through the air.
Cardinals' Injury Report for Week 4
Player | Position | Injury | Wednesday (9/30) | Thursday (10/1) | Friday (10/2) | Game status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Budda Baker | SAF | Rest | DNP | FP | ||
Isaac Seumalo | OG | Rest | DNP | FP | ||
Josh Sweat | EDGE | Rest | DNP | FP | ||
Dadrion Taylor-Demerson | SAF | Back | DNP | DNP | ||
Hjalte Froholdt | C | Knee | LP | LP | ||
Roy Lopez | DT | Groin | LP | LP | ||
Walter Nolen | DT | Shoulder | LP | LP | ||
Mack Wilson | LB | Thumb | LP | FP |
Someone has to say it...
The Cardinals resting three starters -- Budda Baker, Isaac Seumalo, and Josh Sweat -- on Wednesday was: see Kobe Bryant above ^. You put up 30 points on the Niners, and you get a vacation, apparently.
In all seriousness, the trio was all back on Thursday at full capacity. It's a relatively healthy team for the Cards entering Week 4. They will be missing starting cornerback Will Johnson, who went on IR with a neck injury following their Week 2 loss.
Biggest Giants storylines heading into Week 4
Will Jameis Winston struggle again?
Famous Jameis needs a touchdown like a pub needs a Guinness.
Winston has thrown for 229 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception across essentially two full games since taking over for Dart seven snaps into Week 2, and the Giants haven’t found the end zone once with him under center.
They survived the Titans anyway, with Dominic Zvada accounting for all 12 points in a rainy, windy slopfest at MetLife Stadium. Winston understandably pointed to the nor’easter afterward as part of the reason New York kept things conservative, but the weather can’t keep taking the fall forever -- he even knows it:
“My desire is to score some touchdowns this game,” he told reporters this week. “It’s required.”
Uh, yeah, that’d be nice. Head coach John Harbaugh already named the 32-year-old the Week 4 starter, so this is still his offense for now. McCarthy’s arrival does make another 118-yard, zero-touchdown afternoon considerably more interesting, though.
Speaking of...
Does J.J. McCarthy see any game action?
Probably not. That doesn’t mean we can’t keep one eye on the sideline. Over/under five million times the camera crew shows him during the broadcast?
The G-Men sent a 2027 fifth-round pick to Minnesota for McCarthy on Monday, giving the former No. 10 overall pick a fresh start after his Vikings career went kaput and giving New York a more promising backup than Jake Haener.
McCarthy is learning an entirely new offense, so expecting Harbs to throw him onto the field six days after the trade feels a little ambitious. He couldn't grasp Minnesota's offense in two-plus years, so... expectations.
The more interesting scenario is what happens if Winston and the offense pick up exactly where they left off. Or if they want to do some funky play-calling and get creative with it?
New York has scored zero touchdowns over its last two games. If that drought continues and Arizona jumps out to an early lead, the temptation to see what the new guy can do becomes much more tempting.
Will Jeremiyah Love show the MetLife crowd what they missed out on?
Big Blue was heavily connected to Love throughout the pre-draft process before the Cardinals took the Heisman finalist at No. 3 overall, two picks before New York was on the clock. The Giants drafted Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese at No. 5 instead.
Nearly six months later, we’re about to get our first real look at who got the better end of that draft-night twist.
Love is coming off his biggest game yet, piling up 109 scrimmage yards on 26 touches against San Fran after Arizona brought him along slowly to begin the season.
Reese, meanwhile, is fresh off his own breakout performance against Tennessee and has quickly become one of the most important players in a Giants front seven that just lost Burns for the year.
So, naturally, the rookie New York drafted could spend part of Sunday trying to stop the rookie it never got the chance to draft. Funny how that works.
Predictions for Giants vs. Cardinals in Week 4
ESPN Experts
- Matt Bowen - Cardinals
- Mike Clay - Cardinals
- Jeremy Fowler - Cardinals
- Dan Graziano - Giants
- Kalyn Kahler - Giants
- Pamela Maldonado - Cardinals
- Eric Moody - Cardinals
- Jason Reid - Giants
- Ben Solak - No pick
- Lindsey Thiry - Giants
- Seth Wickersham - Cardinals
Bleacher Report Experts
- Brad Gagnon - Giants
- Ian Hanford - Giants
- Kristopher Knox - Giants
- Moe Moton - Giants
- Gary Davenport - Cardinals
- Wes O’Donnell - Cardinals
- Brent Sobleski - Cardinals
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