👋 GOOD MORNING - Happy Friday! We made it through another week, and I hope yours was great.

Just wanted to kick off today’s newsletter with a little positivity for the Mercury — good luck tonight in Game 4! Regardless of the outcome, just know we’re so proud of everything the team accomplished this season, and if nothing else, this is a great preview that the best has yet to come. You can find plenty more, including the status of star Satou Sabally, in the Quick Hits section below.

It’s Friday, so you know what that means — here’s a joke to get you through to the weekend: I just went to the library to check out a book on anti-gravity. Haven’t been able to put it down.

Let’s run it back next week. On to the show!

— Patrick Brown, PHNX Sports Daily Editor

First the backfield went down. Now, it’s the quarterback position.

Yep, the injury bug is biting the Cardinals hard.

Murray sat out practice again yesterday, nursing an injured foot that briefly caused him to leave last week’s loss to Tennessee. Though he ultimately returned and finished the game, his status moving forward is anything but certain, though coach Jonathan Gannon said he is day-to-day.

Jacoby Brissett, who impressed during the preseason, is in line to get the start if Murray can’t go.

So much uncertainty on offense is the last thing the team needs heading into Sunday’s matchup against the 4-1 Colts in Indianapolis. The reeling Cardinals desperately need a win to right the proverbial ship, having lost three straight after starting the season 2-0.

Arizona Cardinals at Indianapolis Colts
10 am, FOX
bet365 odds: Indianapolis -7.0

I’d really like to not re-live Emari Demercado’s bonehead play that shifted the entire momentum of the game, but it needs to be said. Demercado was actually the leading rusher last week, notching 81 yards on three carries, but 71 one of those yards came on the aforementioned folly that will go down in NFL lore.

Michael Carter wasn’t exactly a breakout star, but he did punch in the game’s first touchdown and finished with 51 yards on 18 carries. Most importantly, ZERO fumbles.

Arizona lost three fumbles last week, and the Colts are tied for the fourth-best turnover margin in the league, at +5.

No one can replace Murray, but Brissett earned the backup quarterback role for good reason, outperforming everyone else at camp and in preseason to get the nod. The lack of connection between Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. has been well documented this season, but Brissett brings a veteran presence as well.

The 32-year-old has started 53 games since the 2016 season, spending time with the Colts, Patriots, Browns, Dolphins and Commanders. He’s thrown 53 touchdowns and 24 interceptions, and has averaged 6.4 yards gained per pass attempt.

The Colts were a perfect 6-for-6 in terms of red zone touchdowns in their 40-6 win over Vegas last week, but even after that output Indianapolis ranks 19th in the league with a 60 percent success rate. The Cardinals, for reference are right behind them on offense with a 58.82 percent red zone touchdown rate.

Defensively, however, Arizona owns an advantage, as it ranks fourth in the league by allowing red zone touchdowns just 47.06 percent of the time. Can the Cardinals’ defense stand strong when it matters most?

Now or Never: The Mercury host the Aces at 5 pm today in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals, needing a win to keep their season going. Phoenix will be without star Satou Sabally, who suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter of Game 3, so the task is even that much taller.

Don’t stop believing!

U-Win: The No. 21 Sun Devils look to remain unbeaten in the Big 12, but it’s a tall order on the road against the 4-1 Utes. ASU has won three straight after losing to Mississippi State in Starkville, but news broke last night that quarterback Sam Leavitt is doubtful for the game, which would put the ball in backup Jeff Sims’ hands. Sims, a sixth-year senior, is well-equipped to lead ASU into battle, and he actually started last year’s game at Cincy with Leavitt out.

He finished 12-for-23 for 155 yards while adding 14 rushes for 53 yards, though ASU lost 24-14.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:15 pm on ESPN — make sure to keep up with our PHNX Sun Devils crew for the latest!

Battle of the Cats: Arizona, meanwhile, hosts unbeaten No. 18 BYU, its second ranked opponent in three weeks. The Cougars are favored by just under a field goal, but just like Utah, they don’t have any sort of win that jumps off the page. The Wildcats can improve to within one game of bowl eligibility with a win, and it would be a quality one, at that.

Kickoff is scheduled for 5 pm on ESPN2.

Rise Up: Rising FC hits the road to face North Carolina FC tonight (4 pm), desperately needing a win to keep pace in the USL postseason chase. Phoenix is searching for its first win since Aug. 23 over Colorado Springs, and is just two points ahead of Orange County in the race for the final playoff spot in the USL Western Conference.

Stay tuned to our PHNX Cardinals crew for the latest!

Heading into the weekend like: