Versatility is the one word that comes to mind when the subject is Arizona Cardinals 35-year-old pass game specialist Spencer Whipple.
His college playing career began at Pitt, continued at UMass where his dad Mark was the offensive coordinator and then concluded at Miami.
There were six years as a college coach beginning for two years as a grad assistant at Pitt and then at UMass where his dad was the head coach. At UMass, he coached tight ends, wide receivers and then was a quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator.
Whipple was hired by the Cardinals as an offensive quality control coach when Kliff Kingsbury became head coach in 2019 and then was the assistant wide receivers coach in 2020-21, co-pass game coordinator in 2022 and then has been pass game specialist since Jonathan Gannon became the head coach in 2023.
In 2021, he called the plays in a win at Cleveland when Kingsbury was out with COVID-19, helped coach the running backs in 2022 when coaches James Saxon and Don Shumpert departed the organization after training camp opened and he handled running backs coach game duties in this season’s Week 2 win over the Rams when Autry Denson was handling a personal issue.
His present job also includes numerous responsibilities that don’t go unrecognized by Gannon, who broke down how Whipple helps offensive coordinator Drew Petzing.
Gannon said, “He’s really involved with Drew. He’s typically ahead of the week, so when Drew sits down and starts looking at … when the whole offensive staff sits down, he has a really good understanding of how they like to play, what their rules are, their structures, the breakdown of all the coverages, all those things. He’s a really good football coach. He’s coached different positions before so he knows how it all ties in together. Really good resource for Drew.”
One detail, Gannon explained is, “He’s extremely intelligent, so he understands, ‘Hey, like they play their safeties like this.’ In practice, we play our safeties differently, so we’re gonna have to adjust that to make sure that they’re (scout team) giving them the right look if we’re on cards so we can say, ‘Play it like this because they don’t play like that.’ So he understands the intricacies of how different people play. I think that helps our guys to give the right looks in practice the way what they think they’re gonna see.”
On top of all that, Whipple became father of a baby girl about a month ago.
He spoke to the media Saturday:
Q: As you go over this passing game over six weeks, where would you assess where it is and maybe some of the places you might be able to fix some things?
A: Well, I think any season, any passing game, any running game, any scheme you have, you’re always looking for ways to continue to improve it and really my job, the thing that I do, is try to help get ahead on each opponent for Drew. There’s a lot of things that coordinators got to deal with the day after the games. So I try to stay a week ahead and prep him on the next defense. Kind of give him some things that the coverages may give us issues with or not and what things to attack. So that’s kind of what I’m working on and the passing game, the running game, the scheme; it’s always each team. You’re always looking for ways to improve things to add, things of that nature through the course of the season.
Q: So even now, are you already looking ahead to the next game in terms of being ready next week?
A: That’s right. So typically, that early start of the week I try to sit down with Drew. We’re coming off the game that we just played and then just try to prep him, get him up to speed on the next opponent, so he can kind of dive into the film with a little bit of an introduction to the next opponent. So basically at the end of the week, I try to scout ahead against the next team up until game day and then kind of refocus the brain back onto the team we’re playing that Sunday or Monday night like this week.
Q: From your perspective, what’s led to the inconsistencies for the past few games?
A: So I think it’s just that a lot of things go into plays. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a pass, run and things have to happen. That’s offensively, defensively and we have so much confidence in things that are happening as far as scheme, as far as where players are at and players feel the same way. And I think, when you look at something, you want to improve on something. I think the great thing that’s happened between players and staff is everybody’s kind of looking at themselves, like what’s a way that I can get better and improve and help in each area and I think the guys are doing that. You can see that day in and day out staff-wise, player-wise and that’s been the impressive thing. You know, just what’s the next thing I can work on? What’s the thing I can bring to the table and what are the things I can improve on to ultimately have success in any area of the football?
Q: Michael Wilson said that one of those focuses this week has been contested catches, putting in more work on that. Why has that been a focus this week for that group?
A: I think it’s just kind of a reminder that you can look at any position where a lot of times during the course of a season, you’re worried about game-planning and you’re worried about scheme and X’s and O’s. And then sometimes the big focus as you get early in a week is getting back to fundamentals. Doing some fundamental things that you could do at a grade-school, high-school level that you kind of get back to it, gets you in a rhythm. It gives you good reminders of your play-style, the way you want to play the game, the way you want things to look in the pass game, the run game. So, that’s been a focus, but that’s really always a focus in terms of the receivers.
Q: The Chargers have a very stingy defense. Is that to what they’re doing a lot? I know their offense is able to possess the ball a lot, which probably helps their defense quite a bit. Did you see something from this defense that you don’t normally see?
A: Well, I think it’s a really good scheme, really well done by (defensive coordinator) Jesse Minter. And I think that obviously they had a lot of success with that Baltimore kind of scheme. He was there a few years ago, and obviously Michigan. And then just the personnel they play with is impressive as well, so you can combine those two things and it makes it a really, really tough opponent to go against. I think if you look at the league; I was just checking the other day that pass yardage or might have been total yardage, a lot of those guys in the scheme because I’m looking ahead to Miami. Anthony Weaver (Dolphins defensive coordinator) was the defensive assistant; he was over in Baltimore and they run a similar type of scheme and having a lot of success. So, you’re kind of seeing that trend around the league and they’re doing a really, really good job in L.A. right now.
Q: What makes it difficult?
A: They play with great communication. They get a lot of guys on the same page the way they play in the back end. You can tell their coordinator on each and every single play. As far as personnel, the same way. Very stout, good team that plays hard and just have done a lot of good things through the first part of this season that’s impressive.
Q: How much do you enjoy this role being involved in so many different things.
A: I love it, I love it. Just the more exposure you can get to different things and you always kind of feel comfortable doing things you’ve done in the past. So the exciting thing is to do some new things and being able to look around at some league tape and kind of look at some trends that are going offensively. Anywhere I can help with the next opponent, things that I haven’t done in the past, that’s always an exciting thing that can help out in different areas.
Q: Can you go over some of those bullet points, all the things that you’re doing?
A: So along with just the preparation of the next opponent, that really takes up the bulk of the week, and then I try to go through some league film and try to look at some cutups of things that are happening in the league. It seems each year there’s little wrinkles here and there that teams are doing and teams are catching on to. Could be happening at the college level the teams are kind of using so just trying to find things that can maybe fit things that take a look at and then maybe work for us, maybe down the line, maybe for this opponent, maybe for weeks from now that you kind of just store in a library. So that’s a great part that I love. To enjoy to sit down and watch film and watch those teams. And then in the tight ends room with Coach (Ben) Steele and those guys in there and trying to help those guys as much as I can during game-week prep. And then on game day up in the booth, I’m just overseeing helping the whole offensive staff.
Q: When you’re doing the pre-scout of an opponent, are you looking at both sides of ball?
Q: Just the defensive scheme, personnel all those types of things.
Q: Early in the season, there was all this talk about so much two-high safety in the league. I’m sure you’ve seen all that. What’s your thought on where the game is now with those pass defenses?
A: I did hear that and I think you see a lot of, just the way we are offensively, what we’re looking to do some new things and add wrinkles, defensive coaches do the same thing too. So you see some ideas popping up that are maybe happening in college, other teams doing that teams are starting to use. So it’s kind of that chess match, that cat-and-mouse between coordinators and staffs that are prepping against each other. Some teams are expecting one thing, some teams are bringing another thing. So it’s just that evolution of scheme that you’re seeing across the league, which keeps it exciting. Keeps it fun for players, really and staff.
Q: Kyler was talking earlier the week and he was saying that (tight end) Trey (McBride) has more freedom, more flexibility to do different things in the offense. What does that look like compared to a year or two ago?
A: Any guy that comes in the league his first year, you’re just trying to get really caught up to speed on what you’re trying to accomplish on each play. That’s like alignment, assignment, key technique. And then as you show you can do those things at a high level, then you kind of can do a couple more things to add to your game. He’s always watching a lot of the stuff too; tight ends around the league doing different things. So as you kind of climb the ladder and you prove that I can play X, Y and Z spots. I can do this. And then you can add a little bit of flavor, difference to some of the routes, some of the techniques that we use. And that just comes with maturing, comes with age that you see across the league with all players.
Q: What have you seen teams try to do to take him away moreso this year?
A: A number of different things. Each team is going to have an answer and that’s kind of the key to find out what they’re going to do and he’s very diligent as far as watching that stuff during the week and what are some things they might do to cover me. Stop me in the pass game. And he’s just a really good target to throw the ball to because he’s always a friendly target and plays with a lot of speed. He’s got great game speed that he plays with low pad level. He’s always separated from defenders. So it’s fun to watch him during the games, practice. In practice out there he’s the ultimate competitor. You see him make plays and he can just light up the whole practice and it turns into a game, just the way he plays football, which is fun for everybody to see, coaches and staff. I’m excited to keep watching him grow.
Q: Being here longer than most guys on the staff with the Cardinals, what are you seeing from Kyler with the progress overall through all the seasons you’ve been here?
Q: He’s just been so impressive. Just from thinking back to Day 1, just that process of being a rookie. Especially in the quarterback room, all the things that are asked of you and up until this point, all the areas he’s grown and then to deal with the injury and battle through that and come back healthy and playing the way he is. Just seeing him around the guys as a teammate, as a leader. I remember some of his first days as a rookie and now he has this position on this team, has the influence that everybody’s looking up to him and plays the game with a lot of leadership. And then really just being able to be where he is as far as his mind goes, as far as assessing defenses and being able to run the operation is really, really impressive right now.
Q: Where does his ability to make plays with his feet on and off schedule put the most stress on defenses?
A: I think in a lot of ways, that’s probably the … if you ask defensive staffs and coordinators, they’re probably thinking of that first because you can have the perfect call on and you can have … there’s been so many times over the course of the years, you’ve watched teams may have covered things up and then at the blank of an eye, he can just turn the whole play into a positive. He may be 15 yards back behind the line of scrimmage and all of a sudden it’s an explosive. So that’s the type of power that he brings, the type of explosion, the type of game- breaking plays that he can bring to it. Where you might have the perfect call on and he can just make a play. And along with that, then go ahead and be able to diagnose and distribute the ball across any normal defense as well in perfect, drop-back situations. So that’s just another element that he brings. Not to be forgotten with this arm talent and what he sees on the field is really, really impressive.
Q: Have you been able to get any sleep over the last month?
A: Trying to, trying to. Last night was a little tougher. But, it’s … you gotta enjoy it, you know? Because the biggest piece of advice that I got from people was, you have a newborn, just enjoy it because it’s going to go so quick. And it’s gonna happen so fast. So, any moment I get at home, I enjoy it. I love being there and it’s been going really well.
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