Arizona Cardinals coach Mike La Fleur said Monday that he does not plan to make changes to the team's coaching duties after a 1-4 start. Following a 45-21 loss to the Detroit Lions, La Fleur said he will not replace himself as offensive playcaller or defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, who calls the defensive plays. He said that if he felt changes were needed to help the team win this week, he would make them, but he believes the best approach is to reevaluate what has worked and what needs improvement.
La Fleur said he had tough conversations with all three phases of the team, singling out the offense and defense as areas needing to improve. He said he reviewed film of the offense, then the defense, then special teams. The Cardinals' defense has allowed more than 30 points in each of the past four games, all losses. La Fleur expressed confidence in his defensive players, saying he has the right guys to play better, though he has not seen consistent production. Arizona has recorded seven sacks in its past two games, its best two-game stretch since Weeks 12 and 13 of the 2024 season.
One potential change this week involves the active roster for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams. La Fleur said the team would discuss putting rookie quarterback Carson Beck on the active roster instead of serving as the inactive emergency quarterback, a conversation the Cardinals had not held this season.
Offensively, La Fleur said the unit is either producing well or stalling in three-and-outs, with little in between. The Cardinals have scored touchdowns on their opening drives in each of the past two weeks before slowing down. La Fleur said there are reasons for that pattern but called it the million-dollar question the team is still working to answer.
Source: ESPN NFL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing