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Question: Why didn’t a Cardinals backup QB play late in the Lions’ loss?

Remember the football movie “Friday Night Lights”? The movie took place in Odessa, Texas, where high school isn’t a sport, but a religion. The flick starred Billy Bob Thornton as the head coach of the Permian High School Panthers. In…

Published: Tuesday, 13 October 2026 at 12:00 PM
Question: Why didn’t a Cardinals backup QB play late in the Lions’ loss?
Key Things to Know
  • Barry Shuck questions why the Arizona Cardinals did not substitute starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett during a blowout loss.
  • The Detroit Lions defeated the Arizona Cardinals with a final score of 45-21.
  • Shuck argues head coach Mike LaFleur should have given fourth-quarter snaps to Gardner Minshew or Carson Beck.
The Story in 60 Seconds

Writer Barry Shuck questions why Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur kept starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett in the game during the closing minutes of a 45-21 blowout loss to the Detroit Lions. Shuck argues that leaving Brissett on the field during an insurmountable fourth-quarter deficit needlessly risked injury to the starter in a decided contest.

The author contends that the Cardinals should have used the garbage-time snaps to evaluate backup quarterbacks Gardner Minshew or rookie Carson Beck. Shuck notes that neither backup had taken a snap through the first five games of the season, making the blowout an ideal opportunity to test alternative options.

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