Cardinals’ 2025 offense: golden nuggets with plenty of sauce

Pro Bowl TE Trey McBride reveals the team’s new recipe

The Cardinals are looking to cook up a whole lot of new looks this year on offense. We here at ROTB have been hoping for it —- and according to Pro Bowl TE Trey McBride, it’s coming to a stadium near you in a matter of weeks.

What’s so cool about this developing aspect of Drew Petzing’s offense in his 3rd year as OC, is that, as he has maintained throughout his first two seasons, the playbook is commendably diverse, however, the execution of the plays needs to be more consistent.

The sauce that Trey McBride is referring to is in Petzing’s concerted effort to put more of the playmakers in motion, not just as a way to make it more difficult for defenses to handle during the pre-snaps, but for making receiving route accesses more immediate and readily available.

I have often felt that a number of Drew Petzing’s offensive philosophies align with Kyle Shanahan’s and Sean McVay’s, particularly in the primary intent to attack defenses with a punishing style of running the football.

Adding motion can help both the running attack and the diversity of the passing game.

Think over the years how often the Cardinals’ defense has been challenged whenever Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba have been sent on speed, sprint, short and reverse motions. Kupp is now on the Seahawks. Davante Adams is now on the Rams. Plus, with Deebo Samuel now traded out of the division, Ricky Pearsall figures to be the 49ers’ primary moving target at WR.

Given that today’s defenses tend to feature smaller and faster inside linebackers because of the priority to be especially effective in man and zone pass coverages, “pounding the rock” between the tackles is, as they say where I come from, “wickid smaht!”

Therefore, whenever an offense is establishing a good running game, it gives the offense an advantageous opportunity to exploit the 2nd and 3rd levels of the defense with savvy play action schemes.

Why is motion such an effective ploy?

1. It puts pressure on the defense to adjust their alignments and coverages.
2. It can give the QB a stronger read of the pass coverage, especially when a CB or LB chases his man across the formation.
3. It makes it much more difficult for the defense to employ “bump and run.”
4. It gives the receivers faster releases and improved forward and lateral momentum.

The Cardinals’ plays remain the same:

What Trey McBride is so excited about is the split-second confusion and decision-making the motions should create for the defense; this is not an overwhelming new learning experience for the players because the basic plays and their concepts are still the same.

For example, if a play that the Cardinals typically run with a 2-receiver side, with one WR in the slot and one WR wide, the Cardinals can line up the slot WR...