Tag: Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals’ Week 15 defensive snap counts and observations

See who played and what it meant.

The Arizona Cardinals played 70 defensive snaps on Sunday in their 38-24 win over the Cleveland Browns. Let’s take a look at the playing time splits and what it meant.

Defensive line

 (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Corey Peters, 49; Caraun Reid, 39; Zach Kerr, 24; Miles Brown, 16; Michael Dogbe, 14

Reid jumped right into the starting lineup and got big snaps, beating out Kerr. Everything else was pretty normal.

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Cardinals’ Week 15 offensive snap counts and observations

Backup lineman Mason Cole played more than David Johnson.

In their 38-24 victory over the Cleveland Browns, the Arizona Cardinals played 61 offensive snaps. Let’s take a look at how that playing time was divided up and what it means.

Quarterback

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Kyler Murray, 61

This is the norm. Murray plays every snap. He has only not played in three snaps all season, when things got out of hand against the New Orleans Saints.

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Saints tried to claim ex-Cardinals, Ravens pass rusher Terrell Suggs off waivers

The Kansas City Chiefs were awarded ex-Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals DE Terrell Suggs, but the New Orleans Saints tried to get him.

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The New Orleans Saints claimed veteran cornerback Janoris Jenkins off of waivers from the New York Giants on Monday, but they nearly added a second playmaker in Terrell Suggs. The former Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens pass rusher was claimed by the Kansas City Chiefs after being waived last week, but the Saints were one of four teams to try and pick him up.

As first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Saints and Chiefs were joined by the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks in making waiver claims for the experienced sack artist. Because the Chiefs had the worst record of the group at 10-4 (a win percentage of .714), they were awarded Suggs.

He’ll arrive in Kansas City just hours after news broke that former Saints defensive end Alex Okafor, now with the Chiefs, would miss the rest of the season with a pectoral injury. It’s brutal news for Okafor, who recovered from an Achilles injury and bet on himself to play for a new contract with the Saints last year, ultimately earning a three-year, $18 million contract with Kansas City. It’s disappointing to see his year end this way, but at least he’s already secured the bag.

The Saints being interested in Suggs makes plenty of sense, especially in the wake of injuries to defensive linemen Marcus Davenport and Sheldon Rankins. They’ve already added a pass rusher with NFL experience in Noah Spence, but there’s no confusing him for Suggs; the 13-year veteran logged 5.5 sacks and 7 quarterback hits in 13 games with the Cardinals this year, adding to his career total of 138 sacks. It’ll be interesting to see how the Saints adapt to life out on the edge without Davenport starting opposite Cameron Jordan.

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Chiefs claim OLB Terrell Suggs, stopping Ravens homecoming

The Baltimore Ravens likely had interest in returning outside linebacker Terrell Suggs this late in the season but the Chiefs got him first.

Though there was hope linebacker Terrell Suggs could return to the Baltimore Ravens, potentially ending his season with the team that drafted him and on a high note, a homecoming wasn’t in the cards. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Suggs was claimed off the waiver wire by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Suggs was released by the Arizona Cardinals last week. However, as a vested veteran after the trade deadline, Suggs had to go through the waiver wire instead of being free to sign wherever he’d like. While the Ravens are last on the waiver list thanks to their 12-2 record, it was reported Suggs would not report to any team other than Baltimore.

Still, with Baltimore the clear favorites in the AFC, another team putting in a claim on Suggs even to simply keep him away from the Ravens was a smart move. But Kansas City has a need for help at pass rusher as well.

Thought to be a weak spot on Baltimore’s roster throughout the offseason, it’s proven a mostly accurate assessment. The Ravens have done a good job generating pressure but have had to rely on defensive coordinator Don Martindale’s aggressive blitzing scheme to get the job done. Picking up Suggs wouldn’t have fixed the issue but it would have been a huge help to a Baltimore team that has struggled to set the edge or win one-on-one pass-rush matchups consistently.

Outside linebacker Matthew Judon has played well, notching 8.5 sacks through 14 games so far — his best season as a pro. Pernell McPhee was signed in the offseason to bolster the group and played well to start the season before heading to injured reserve after seven games. Tyus Bowser has stepped up nicely in recent weeks with three sacks since Week 11.

In 13 games with the Cardinals, Suggs put up a respectable season for any player, much less a 37-year old outside linebacker. His 5.5 sacks would rank second on Baltimore’s roster while his four forced fumbles would rank first.

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Ideal early four-round draft for Cardinals in 2020

The Cardinals have lots of needs to fill in the 2020 NFL draft – here’s a mock that fills four of them.

The Arizona Cardinals only have two games remaining on their 2019 schedule and many fans have begun thinking about 2020. A big part of that is the NFL draft.

Free agency will play a big impact in which direction the Cardinals go in with their first several picks, but since they have several needs, they could go in many directions.

Looking at the current roster, there is a need either outright or for depth at any position outside of RB and specialists. The four likely biggest needs would be at receiver, offensive line, defensive line and, now with the release Terrell Suggs, edge defender. One could also make an argument that they need help at tight end, linebacker, cornerback and safety.

So this four-round mock draft will focus on those four positions and addressing those large needs for the Cardinals.

Round 1: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The first round is the toughest call in any draft. With the Cardinals drafting likely in the top 10, there will be a lot of talented players to choose from, including what many fans call the perfect fit in Kyler Murray’s old college teammate.

Lamb can already do one thing better than any other receiver the Cardinals have and that is separate from the defense. His experience with Murray is a plus, as he would likely know what to do when Murray scrambles – not to mention how good he is after the catch.

Others considered: Auburn DL Derrick Brown, Georgia OT Andrew Thomas, Iowa OT Tristan Wirfs, Iowa DE A.J Epenesa, Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons

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Quandre Diggs not expected to play Week 16 against Cardinals

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll confirmed that safety Quandre Diggs has a high-ankle injury, and his status for Week 16 is in jeopardy.

The Seattle Seahawks went into Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers down four defensive starters, and they left the game down two more – Bobby Wagner and Quandre Diggs – who both suffered sprained ankles in the team’s Week 15 victory.

Wagner’s injury seems to be minor, but Diggs may not have gotten as lucky.

Carroll confirmed on 710 ESPN Monday morning that Diggs suffered a high ankle sprain and said they don’t know exactly how long he will be out.

“Quandre, he had a high-ankle shot there, so we’re gonna have to see how that goes and how he responds to it,” Carroll said on 710 ESPN’s Pete Carroll show Monday morning. “We don’t know at this point. Some of these injuries are really bad and sometimes guys have bounced right back. We don’t know yet.”

Diggs has been a huge addition to Seattle’s defense, recording three interceptions, one for a touchdown, as well as 21 combined tackles and one forced fumble in five games since coming over in a trade from the Lions.

He has been Seattle’s highest performer in the secondary, and his play has elevated the play of Bradley McDougald as well.

Seattle will likely turn to Lano Hill and potentially Marquise Blair to replace Diggs for as long as he is out, and updates on his status will be available throughout the week.

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Studs and duds in Cardinals’ 38-24 win over Browns

Who played well? Who should have played better?

The Arizona Cardinals played well in a 38-24 win over the Cleveland Browns. Who were the players to stand out in their play? Who came up short?

These are the studs and duds in the win.

Stud: RB Kenyan Drake

Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Drake was the stud of all studs in the game, scoring four touchdowns and rushing for 137 yards. He also had a catch for nine yards as well. It has become clear the team is leaning on him now for the rest of the season.

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NFC West standings: Seahawks take division lead, Rams nearly eliminated

The division winner likely will be decided by the Week 17 showdown between the 49ers and Seahawks. The Rams need to win out and help.

The NFC playoff picture changed on Sunday because of the NFC West. The Seattle Seahawks took the division lead in Week 15 and the Los Angeles Rams need a miracle to make it to the playoffs.

Here is what the standings are after Week 15:

  1. Seattle Seahawks, 11-3
  2. San Francisco 49ers, 11-3
  3. Los Angeles Rams, 8-6
  4. Arizona Cardinals, 4-9-1

The Seahawks and 49ers are in a virtual tie for the division lead but Seattle holds a head-to-head tiebreaker over them at the moment. The two teams will play each other in Week 17 in a game that likely will determine who wins the NFC West.

What happened in Week 15?

The Seahawks won another one-score game. This week, they beat the Carolina Panthers 30-24. Seattle played well offensively but gave up a lot of yards to the Panthers. Russell Wilson was 20-for-26 passing for 286 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Chris Carson rushed 133 yards and two touchdowns. The Panthers had over 400 yards of offense but quarterback Kyle Allen threw three interceptions.

The 49ers somehow lost to the lowly Atlanta Falcons 29-22. Atlanta played the 49ers almost completely evenly in every category. San Francisco outgained Atlanta 313-290 but Falcons QB Matt Ryan threw two touchdown passes and the 49ers had to settle on a field goal once in the red zone, while the Falcons scored three touchdowns in three trips.

The Rams were embarrassed. They were blown out by the Dallas Cowboys on the road 44-21. It wasn’t even that close, as Dallas built a 37-7 lead. Dallas rushed for 263 yards with both Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard gaining more than 100 yards each, while the Cowboys limited Todd Gurley to only 20 rushing yards. Dallas had 475 yards of offense. The Rams only had 289.

Now the Rams need a miracle to make the playoffs. They must win their final two games and the Minnesota Vikings must lose their final two games.

The Cardinals stopped a six-game losing streak by beating the Cleveland Browns 38-24 behind Kenyan Drake’s 137 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He was the first Cardinals player since 1993 to rush for four touchdowns in a game. They improved to 4-9-1.

What is next in Week 16? The Seahawks will host the Cardinals and the 49ers will host the Rams.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 251:

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Ep. 250:

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Kenyan Drake scores 4 touchdowns in Cardinals’ win over Browns

On Sunday, Kenyan Drake put on a show, as he rushed for 137 yards and 4 TDs in Arizona’s 34-28 win over the Cleveland Browns.

On Sunday, Kenyan Drake put on a show in front of everyone in Glendale, Arizona as he rushed for 137 yards and 4 TDs in Arizona’s 34-28 win over the Cleveland Browns. It just so happens to also be Drake’s first win of the season too.

Drake, who was traded by the Miami Dolphins to the Arizona Cardinals has given this Cardinals team an excitement for what next season may hold.

After the game, Drake shares just how much this win means to him, and what this team is capable of.

 

And after the game, Kliff Kingsbury gives Kenyan Drake one of the game balls, which he was more than deserving of.

Kenyan Drake is truly a testament of what hard work, grit, and perseverance can look like. He overcame many injuries and obstacles while at Alabama, and has continued to showcase those same qualities in the NFL. There’s no doubt this is truly just the beginning for Drake.

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What we learned in the Cardinals’ 38-24 win over the Browns

There were plenty of takeaways after the win.

The Arizona Cardinals sent fans home from State Farms happy for only the second time this season. They beat the Cleveland Browns 38-24 on Sunday, ending a six-game losing streak.

What did we learn in the win?

Kenyan Drake balled out

Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Drake had not been all that effective since his debut with the team in Week 9 when he rushed for 110 yards and scored a touchdown on the team’s opening possession.

He turned in a career performance. He rushed 22 times for 137 yards and four touchdowns. He is the first Cardinals player to rush for four touchdowns in a game since Ronald Moore did it in 1993. He also caught a pass for nine yards.

With all the talk of getting David Johnson more involved, Drake made it so Johnson barely even touched the field. It is hard to argue, too.

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