Tag: Arizona Cardinals

Haason Reddick changing positions again, moving to OLB

He has struggled at inside linebacker. The Cardinals are hoping to salvage something out of him as a pass rusher.

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The Arizona Cardinals are moving linebacker Haason Reddick again. He came out of college at Temple as a defensive end. He was moved to inside linebacker. However, four games into his rookie season, because of an injury to Markus Golden, he moved to 3-4 outside linebacker. In 2018, he went back to an off-the-ball linebacker position, a 4-3 outside linebacker. In 2019, he was moved back to where he was originally drafted to play at 3-4 inside linebacker.

He is on the move again, moving back to the edge at outside linebacker.

Because of his struggles this season, he has found himself on the bench. He went from playing every down to only playing in sub packages and, against the Los Angeles Rams, Joe Walker replaced him completely. Reddick played one defensive snap on Sunday and allowed a touchdown to tight end Tyler Higbee.

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters Monday there has been discussion about moving him to outside linebacker, taking advantage of more of his abilities to rush the passer.

“He was great in college at that, and that’s an area we’re going to look at and see if he can help us,” he told reporters.

It isn’t a guarantee, though, that he gets playing time at the position in the final weeks.

“We’ll see in practice how that goes,” Kingsbury said on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Monday afternoon. “We want to maximize him as a player and see what we can get there. If that’s the answer, we’ll see how that plays out.”

Reddick was the 13th overall pick in 2017 and just has not worked out yet. This move back to the edge feels like a last-ditch effort to try and find some way to keep him from being a complete bust of a player.

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

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DL Jonathan Bullard to miss a couple of weeks; S Jalen Thompson day-to-day

The Cardinals could be down a couple of defensive starters this week.

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The Arizona Cardinals had two defensive starters leave the game on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams with injuries. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury gave an update on their status on Monday when he addressed the media.

Defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard suffered a hamstring on Sunday and was unable to return. Kingsbury told reporters, “It looks like he’ll be out a couple weeks.”

Bullard had missed the previous game with a foot injury and came back after the bye to play against the Rams. His injury will move Zach Kerr into the starting lineup and leave rookies Miles Brown and Michael Dogbe to come off the bench.

Rookie safety Jalen Thompson also left the game. At the time, it was not announced what injury he had. Kingsbury said Thompson is day-to-day with a head injury. Fellow rookie Deionte Thompson will fill in for him while he is out.

The first official injury of the week will not come out until Wednesday when the Cardinals return to practice.

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

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NFC West standings: Seahawks take over division lead

The 49ers and Seahawks are both 10-2, while the Rams keep their playoff hopes alive with a big win over the Cardinals.

The NFC West lead has changed. After games in Week 13, the San Francisco 49ers no longer are in first place. After losing to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday and a win by the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night, Seattle now has a slight lead in the division.

Here is what the standings look like three-quarters of the way through the season.

  1. Seattle Seahawks, 10-2
  2. San Francisco 49ers, 10-2
  3. Los Angeles Rams, 7-5
  4. Arizona Cardinals, 3-8-1

The Seahawks and 49ers have the same record but the Seahawks hold the head-to-head tiebreaker having beaten the 49ers in their one game against each other. If the season were to end today, San Francisco would have to play on the road to open the postseason.

Seattle picked up a big 37-30 win on Monday night over the Minnesota Vikings. They piled up more than 200 rushing yards on the night and Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes.

San Francisco played in what many called a Super Bowl preview on the road against the Baltimore Ravens. They held Lamar Jackson to only 105 passing yards but the second-year quarterback rushed for 101. Jackson led the Ravens on the final drive of the game and Justin Tucker hit a game-winning 49-yards field goal as time expired.

The Rams and Cardinals played each other for the first time this season. The Rams, coming off a 45-6 drubbing against the Ravens, bounced back and kept their playoff hopes alive. They improved to 7-5 by smashing the Cardinals 34-7. They had 549 yards of offense and quarterback Jared Goff, who had zero touchdown passes in November, threw for 424 yards and two scores.

In Week 14, the 49ers now have to go on the road again to take on the New Orleans Saints, who are the No. 1 seed in the NFC at 10-2.

The Seahawks will play the Rams in Los Angeles, while the Cardinals will play their second of three straight home games in December, hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have won four of their last five games to improve to 7-5 and keep their postseason hopes alive.

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

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Cardinals’ Week 13 defensive snap counts and observations

Check out how the 79 defensive snaps were split up.

The Arizona Cardinals played 79 defensive snaps on Sunday in their 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. How was the playing time divided up and what does it mean?

Defensive line

Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Rodney Gunter, 50; Corey Peters, 49; Zach Kerr, 39; Jonathan Bullard, 21; Miles Brown, 20

Bullard would have played more but got hurt during the game. Brown’s 20 snaps were likely the result of that.

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Cardinals’ Josh Shaw bet against own team and lost, per report

The strange saga of Arizona Cardinals safety Josh Shaw has taken another interesting turn. The safety, who was suspended Friday through at least the 2020 season for gambling on NFL games, bet against his own team, according to an ESPN report. From …

The strange saga of Arizona Cardinals safety Josh Shaw has taken another interesting turn.

The safety, who was suspended Friday through at least the 2020 season for gambling on NFL games, bet against his own team, according to an ESPN report.

From the ESPN report: "A three-team parlay that included an Arizona Cardinals game led the NFL in part to suspend Cardinals defensive back Josh Shaw for violating the league's gambling policy, multiple sources told ESPN. Shaw, who has been on injured reserve in August and has not played since signing with the Cardinals last March, made the parlay bet on Sunday, Nov. 10 at a Caesars sportsbook in Las Vegas, according to the sources. The bet was on the second halves of three Week 10 games, the sources said, and included the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were leading the Cardinals 17-13 at halftime. The Buccaneers were 1-point favorites for the second half. They failed to cover the second-half spread but went on to defeat the Cardinals 30-27. Shaw's bet lost, according to the sources."

Shaw, a fifth-year player out of USC, has been on injured reserve since Aug. 25 because of a shoulder injury. He signed a one-year contract with the Cardinals in March, and will become a free agent following the season.

An NFL investigation uncovered that no evidence indicating any inside information was used or that any game was compromised, according to a statement released by the NFL announcing his suspension, adding there was no evidence "suggesting any awareness by teammates, coaches or other players of his betting activity."

"The continued success of the NFL depends directly on each of us doing everything necessary to safeguard the integrity of the game and the reputations of all who participate in the league," Commissioner Roger Goodell said in the statement. "At the core of this responsibility is the longstanding principle that betting on NFL games, or on any element of a game, puts at risk the integrity of the game, damages public confidence in the NFL, and is forbidden under all circumstances.

"If you work in the NFL in any capacity, you may not bet on NFL football." 

Shaw can petition for reinstatement on or after Feb. 15, 2021. 

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Shaw went to a casino in Las Vegas this fall and "placed sports bets for the (first) time based on misinterpreted understanding of the Supreme Court ruling."

He flew to New York immediately upon notice of his suspension to meet with the league, and he has cooperated fully. "He considers it an innocent mistake with a severe outcome," Rapoport tweeted. 

The suspension is also notable for its rareness.

The last time an NFL player was suspended for betting was Baltimore Colts quarterback Art Schlichter in 1983, according to the Associated Press. He was reinstated the following year.

The most recent disciplinary action was in 1996, when Ravens backup quarterback Jon Stark was placed on leave with pay while the league investigated, according to the Associated Press.

This is also not Shaw's first suspension, although the previous instance came in college.

During his senior season at USC, Shaw was suspended after lying about how he injured his ankles.

Shaw had originally told school he got hurt jumping from a balcony into a pool to save a drowning child.

Later, it was revealed that he had jumped from a balcony to avoid police, who had been called to investigate an argument between Shaw and his girlfriend. He did not face domestic-violence charges. 

In 2015, the Bengals selected Shaw in the fourth round with the 120th pick of the draft. 

 

Cardinals’ Week 13 offensive snap counts and observations

See how the playing time was split up in the 64 offensive snaps they played.

The Arizona Cardinals played 64 offensive snaps in Week 13 against the Los Angeles Rams. How was playing time split up and what does it mean?

Quarterback

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Kyler Murray, 64

There was some discussion as to whether or not the Cardinals should have kept Murray in the entire game. Kliff Kingsbury wanted him to learn from the experience. That’s why Brett Hundley didn’t come in the game.

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Cardinals LB Jordan Hicks blames defensive woes on execution, communication

“We’ve practiced 95 percent of the plays where guys were running wide open. It’s absolutely unacceptable.”

The Arizona Cardinals suffered more defensive problems on Sunday in a 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. They have one of the league’s worst defenses statistically and are the worst defense against the pass.

It was on display on Sunday with 10 plays of at least 20 yards. Players were left wide open on several occasions.

While defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has been criticized for his scheme and plan, linebacker Jordan Hicks believes the problem lies with the players. It isn’t an issue of talent.

“I’d say it was the communication,” he told reporters after the game. “A lot of it is our guys being on the same page. When somebody is running wide open, most of the time it’s a bust. Most of the time, somebody is supposed to have that person. When one or two people are playing something different or playing a different leverage than what everybody else is playing, you are exposed. With one person out of position, you are going to get exposed.”

The problem is that it occurs over and over again each week.

Hicks says the team is being prepared in practice for what they see in the games.

“We have to do a better job of executing and doing what we’ve practiced. ,” he said. “We’ve practiced 95 percent of the plays where guys were running wide open. It’s absolutely unacceptable.”

The Cardinals have four games to improve and get things to an acceptable level.

There already have been personnel changes. Haason Reddick was benched in favor of Joe Walker full-time. Tramaine Brock has been cut. D.J. Swearinger was cut earlier in the season. Jalen Thompson began playing every down instead of splitting with Deionte Thompson.

Is it scheme, talent, communication or execution? It is likely a bit of all.

But if the Cardinals actually executed the scheme in place, we could see if the scheme is bad or not.

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

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NFC West roundup: 49ers and Cardinals lose, Rams win in Week 13

The San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals lost in Week 13 but the Los Angeles Rams won. Here’s how it stacks u for the Seattle Seahawks.

Week 13 was favorable for the Seattle Seahawks (9-2) overall, despite them not having played their crucial game against the Minnesota Vikings (8-3) yet. That game will take place Monday night at CenturyLink Field at 5:15 p.m. PT.

The San Francisco 49ers (10-2) lost to the Baltimore Ravens (10-2), which provides the Seahawks with a perfect opportunity to take the lead in the NFC West. The Los Angeles Rams (7-5) rebounded from their recent struggles with a blowout victory over the lowly Arizona Cardinals (3-8-1), who are now officially eliminated from postseason contention.

Let us dive into the specifics of both games ahead of Seattle’s Monday Night clash with Minnesota.

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Report: Cardinals to cut RB Zach Zenner

The running back room got healthy again. Kenyan Drake, David Johnson and Chase Edmonds are all healthy.

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The Arizona Cardinals are making moves after an embarrassing loss. After falling to the Los Angeles Rams 34-7 on Sunday, they are letting some players go. One is veteran cornerback Tramaine Brock.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, they are also releasing running back Zach Zenner.

Zenner was signed at the end of October after David Johnson got hurt. He was inactive the last two games.

With Kenyan Drake, Johnson and Chase Edmonds all healthy, Zenner’s roster spot could be better used with someone else at a different position.

The Cardinals will need to clear a spot on the roster for tackle Jordan Mills soon anyway. He has been designated to return from injured reserve and began practicing last week.

Zenner played in three games for the Cardinals. He ran the ball twice for negative-two yards. He also had one reception for 13 yards.

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

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Report: Cardinals to cut veteran CB Tramaine Brock

The Cardinals shake things up in the secondary as they have the worst pass defense in the NFL.

The Arizona Cardinals made a surprising release of a veteran defensive back early in the season when they cut ties with safety D.J. Swearinger. Following the team’s 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, they are doing it again.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, they are releasing veteran cornerback Tramaine Brock.

Brock played in 10 of the team’s 12 games and started seven. He was the team’s No. 1 corner for the first six weeks of the season while Patrick Peterson was suspended.

His release means the Cardinals will likely rely on Kevin Peterson or Chris Jones the rest of the year. Brock saw his role changed recently. Playing primarily in the slot since Peterson’s reinstatement, he only played outside on Sunday with Byron Murphy sliding into the slot. Brock was still the third cornerback but covered an outside receiver.

Perhaps some things were said or maybe Murphy has made enough progress to allow him to manage the slot. Kevin Peterson has made some plays in limited playing time this season.

The Cardinals are 3-8-1 on the season and have lost five games in a row. The defense is last in the league against the pass.

Brock finishes the season with Arizona with 37 tackles and three pass breakups. He did not record an interception this season.

Swearinger has been cut. Brock is getting cut. Linebacker Haason Reddick has been benched. What other changes could be coming?

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

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