Bills injury report: Backup QB Mitchell Trubisky upgraded

We have the details of the Bills’ Thursday injury report as they prepare to play the Cardinals in Week 1.

The Arizona Cardinals visit Buffalo to play the Bills in the season opener Sunday and it appears backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky will be available.

Trubisky was upgraded from being limited Wednesday to full participation Thursday.

The details are below.

Buffalo Bills Week 1 Thursday injury report

Did not participate

DE Javon Solomon (oblique)

Solomon, who also did not practice on Wednesday, is a third-string end on the Bills’ depth chart.

Full participation

S Cole Bishop (shoulder), TE Quintin Morris (shoulder), WR Curtis Samuel (toe), QB Mitchell Trubisky (knee)

Trubisky has been recovering from an injury suffered in Buffalo’s Aug. 17 preseason game against the Steelers. He had full participation Thursday after being limited Thursday. The Bills have quarterback Mike White on the practice squad.

Bishop, Morris and Samuel also had full participation on Wednesday.

Arizona Cardinals Week 1 Wednesday injury report

Did not participate

  • S Joey Blount (back)
  • WR Xavier Weaver (oblique)

Limited participation

  • TE Tip Reiman (ankle)

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on SpotifyYouTube or Apple podcasts.

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Cardinals Thursday injury report: S Joey Blount added with back injury

Check out the details for the Cardinals’ injury report on Thursday.

The Arizona Cardinals had only two players on Wednesday’s first injury report of the season, but the number jumped to three Thursday.

The details are below.

Arizona Cardinals Week 1 Thursday injury report

Did not participate

S Joey Blount (back)

WR Xavier Weaver (oblique)

Blount, who is one of the team’s core special-teams players, was added to the injury report because of a back injury. The specifics haven’t been revealed as to the seriousness or when it occurred.

For the second consecutive day, Weaver worked on the side, and it could be doubtful that he will be active Sunday.

Limited participation

TE Tip Reiman (ankle)

The rookie third-round pick was limited for the second straight day, and it’s unknown what his status will be Sunday. Those designations will be part of the report Friday.

Buffalo Bills Week 1 Thursday injury report

Did not participate

  • DE Javon Solomon (oblique)

Full participation

  • S Cole Bishop (shoulder)
  • TE Quintin Morris (shoulder)
  • WR Curtis Samuel (toe)
  • QB Mitchell Trubisky (knee)

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on SpotifyYouTube or Apple podcasts.

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Cardinals make practice squad change on defensive line

Ben Stille signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers active roster. The Cardinals replaced him on the practice squad with DL Tyler Manoa.

Just when the Arizona Cardinals figured their roster and practice squad were set for Week 1, a change occurred Thursday after defensive lineman Ben Stille was signed off the practice squad by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Replacing him is defensive lineman Tyler Manoa (6-5, 315), who played last season at the University of Arizona after five years at UCLA.

Signed as an undrafted free agent in the spring by the Minnesota Vikings, Manoa was waived in the cut to 53 on Aug. 26.

He was on the field for practice Thursday morning with No. 90, which Stille had been wearing.

In his college career, Maona started 17 of the 58 games he played and registered 81 tackles, five passes defensed, 2.0 sacks with one forced fumble and recovery. At Arizona last season, he started 12 of 13 games and had 28 tackles, 1.0 sacks, one forced fumble and one pass defensed.

In one other practice-related note, safety and special-teams standout Joey Blount was not on the field at practice. His injury will be known when the injury report is announced later today.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on SpotifyYouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

Cardinals don’t totally ignore the persistent outside noise

The Cardinals are using outside opinions to partially fuel their competitive fire to prove the doubters wrong.

The subject of perception has been a point of conversation as the Arizona Cardinals prepare for opening day in the NFL.

What will the season look like? Can the Cardinals compete for a playoff spot? Will they be able to navigate an eight-week gauntlet to start the season that includes games against the Bills, Rams, Lions, 49ers, Packers, Chargers and Dolphins; teams that combined for a 65-37 regular-season record in 2023?

While there are those outside Arizona who believe the Cardinals have the makings of a playoff team, many don’t. Dart-board guessers list them anywhere from 27 to 30 in preseason power rankings with some ranking the defense as potentially the worst in the NFL.

How will it play out? Truthfully, no one really knows even if they think they do. What’s also true is that in the current chatter and outside noise world defined by social media, players can’t help but notice.

As quarterback Kyler Murray said when asked if there is the proverbial chip on the team’s shoulders, “I believe so. It’s hard not to hear what’s said. It’s hard not to see what’s said. Everybody’s got their projections for every team going into the season, but none of that really matters.”

That is also true and recalls the mantra of former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick who repeated ad nauseum, “Ignore the noise.”

Sometimes that’s hard to do.

Linebacker and team captain Kyzir White couldn’t help but launch into it Monday when he was asked what he expects from the defense this season.

“I’m expecting us to go out there, have fun, fly around, make a lot of plays, turnovers,” he said.

OK; that’s the obvious blueprint. However, he followed that with, “I see they got us; we’re going to be ranked last in the NFL. All that’s just motivation for us, fuel to the fire. We don’t really care about what nobody has got to say, but we definitely hear it, so it will definitely be fuel to the fire for us.

“Everybody on their phone, social media, you see a lot pop up. As much as you want to say you don’t see it, you definitely see it. Just got to tunnel that and put it in the right type of motivation or fuel. Whatever you need to do for yourself to just prove them people wrong.”

Do players talk about it much?

“Sometimes,” White said. “But it ain’t nothing like we go, ‘My God, they said this about us.’ Everybody got something to say. We gotta go out there and play. We get paid just like those guys and we’re gonna see what’s gonna happen Sunday.”

That was the message head coach Jonathan Gannon sent when he addressed the subject.

“They’re pros,” Gannon said. “They’ll block out what they need to block out. I’m not on social media. I don’t use my phone. I got an iPhone 2, so I don’t even know if I get that feed. Good or bad, I’m really not worried about the opinions of others, but with saying that, we have to go out and play.”

Which they will do, beginning Sunday in Buffalo.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on SpotifyYouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

Cardinals-Bills Week 1 preview: Players, matchups, picks, predictions

Jess Root is joined by Bills Wire’s Nick Wojton to preview the Cardinals-Bills Week 1 matchup with matchups, picks and predictions.

The Arizona Cardinals will take on the Buffalo Bills on the road in Week 1 to open their season. To prepare for this game, in the latest edition of the podcast, I was joined by Bills Wire managing editor Nick Wojton.

It was our podcast Week 1 preview for Cardinals-Bills.

We talked about quarterback Josh Allen and whether he is overrated or not, what he does well. We discussed how the Bills might look offensively in 2024 after receiver Stefon Diggs was traded and receiver Gabriel Davis departed in free agency.

How will the receiver room of Mack Hollins, Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman look and how will the passing game change?

Will James Cook cook again and how will the depth shape up?

We also talk about the loss of linebacker Matt Milano and what is expected from the defense.

Nick and I give what we believe to be the key matchups in this game and we both make game predictions.

He sees the Bills handling the Cardinals in a double-digit win, while I think the Bills win a high-scoring, close game where the Cardinals cover the 6.5-point spread.

I give Nick some over/under lines for some stats like touchdowns, interceptions and more.

Listen to get all the details!


Enjoy the show with the embedded player above or by subscribing to the show on Apple PodcastsSpotifyYouTube or your favorite podcast platform, so you never miss a show. Make sure as well to give it a five-star rating!


Times and topics:

(1:00) Looking at the Bills, what they do and who they are

(19:32) Key matchups in Cardinals-Bills

(31:04) Picks and predictions

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Throwback Thursday: Remembering the last Cardinals-Bills meeting

The last time the Cardinals and Bills played, it was a wild game with a wilder finish.

The Arizona Cardinals prepare for their 2024 season opener on the road this weekend against the Buffalo Bills. They are underdogs this week against an infrequent opponent.

The Cardinals and Bills have only faced each other 12 times ever, dating back to 1971, and the Cardinals have not won in Buffalo since that first meeting in 1971.

But the last time the two teams met, it was an extraordinary game.

It was in 2020 in Arizona.

It was a wild game. Buffalo’s Josh Allen had a touchdown pass and a touchdown catch from receiver Isaiah McKenzie. The Cardinals intercepted him twice.

Murray had two rushing touchdowns in the game.

There were seven made field goals in the game.

The Bills scored a go-ahead touchdown with 34 seconds left in the game with a clutch two-minute drive with Allen finding Stefon Diggs for a 21-yard touchdown pass.

But 34 seconds were too long. The Cardinals used 32 of those 34 seconds and won that game 32-30. It took an iconic moment in recent Cardinals history — the “Hail Murray.”

Murray found DeAndre Hopkins in the end zone between three Buffalo defenders for a 43-yard touchdown pass with two seconds left in the game.

What a moment.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on SpotifyYouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

 

Bills injury report: Backup QB Mitchell Trubisky hurt

Check out the Bills’ first injury report of the year as they prepare to face the Cardinals.

The Arizona Cardinals visit Buffalo to play in the season opener Sunday and the Bills might be forced to make a roster move to have a backup quarterback.

On their first injury report of the week, Buffalo had one player that did not practice, one limited and three with full participation.

The details are below.

Buffalo Bills Week 1 Wednesday injury report

Did not participate

DE Javon Solomon (oblique)

Solomon is listed on the team’s depth chart as a third-string player.

Limited participation

QB Mitchell Trubisky (knee)

The backup to Josh Allen suffered his injury during an Aug. 17 preseason game against the Steelers. If he is unable to play Sunday, the Bills would sign Mike White from the practice squad to the active roster.

Full participation

S Cole Bishop (shoulder), TE Quintin Morris (shoulder), WR Curtis Samuel (toe)

An unrestricted free-agent signing in the offseason and a starting receiver, Samuel was injured late in training camp. Bishop and Morris are backups.


Cardinals Wednesday injury report

Did not participate

  • WR Xavier Weaver (oblique)

Limited participation

  • TE Tip Reiman (ankle)

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on SpotifyYouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

Cardinals injury report: Only two rookies are listed in 1st report of year

Check out the details of the Cardinals’ first injury report of the season on Wednesday.

Although the Arizona Cardinals enter the season with six players on the injured reserve list, including expected starters edge rusher BJ Ojulari and defensive lineman Darius Robinson, the first injury report of the regular season on Wednesday was razor thin.

Only one player missed practice and one was limited. It’s important to note that reporting rules are based on 100 percent of normal reps in team drills. The details are below.

Arizona Cardinals Week 1 Wednesday injury report

Did not participate

WR Xavier Weaver (oblique)

The rookie undrafted free agent also did not practice Monday and it’s believed the injury occurred during practice last week. Weaver was working on the side during Wednesday’s practice.

Limited participation

TE Tip Reiman (ankle)

The rookie third-round pick was also not practicing last week, but no specific injury was revealed. Now we know it’s an ankle. On Monday, Reiman participated in stretching, but then worked on the side in the portion of practice (first 20 minutes) open to the media.


Buffalo Bills Wednesday injury report

Did not participate

  • DE Javon Solomon (oblique)

Limited participation

  • QB Mitchell Trubisky (knee)

Full participation

  • S Cole Bishop (shoulder)
  • TE Quintin Morris (shoulder)
  • WR Curtis Samuel (toe)

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on SpotifyYouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

Cardinals’ pass rush faces ‘big-time challenge’ against Bills QB Josh Allen

Josh Allen was sacked only 27 times last season.

To say that the outside narrative on the Arizona Cardinals’ pass rush (or lack thereof) has people in a panic would be a massive understatement.

And while there are legitimate concerns over how the team’s edge group will perform this season, it’s also true that a pass rush doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

Stopping the run and being ahead in games are also factors in putting opponents in known-pass situations, which helps generate pressure.

The Cardinals hope improvement in the interior line will take care of the first item, while a potentially consistent and explosive offense could provide more leads than occurred in last year’s 4-13 season.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon insists it’s also up to his staff to figure out ways to improve the rush and much of that can change from game to game based on the opponent.

We’ll get to that in a moment, but when Gannon was asked recently if he was OK with his group following the loss of BJ Ojulari for the season and Darius Robinson for at least the first four games, he said, “I’m comfortable. I am,” while acknowledging, “I know you guys might not be comfortable but that’s OK. That’s your opinion.”

He then explained, “We’re drastically different than this team, than that team, than the other team. Everyone has different ways to do things, and I think we’re going to be fine. It’s on the coaches to do a good job of who we have to make sure we can have success.

“We’re going to figure out with what we have going into Buffalo, we’ll put a plan together that is the best thing for our players and our team to win the game. And that can look different a lot of different ways.”

The one reality is that even if the Cardinals had the second coming of Reggie White on the roster, getting to Bills quarterback Josh Allen would be a challenge.

There were only three quarterbacks in 2023 that played at least 16 of their team’s games and were sacked fewer than 30 times: San Francisco’s Brock Purdy, 28; Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, 27; and … yes, Allen with 24. Purdy and Mahomes were in the Super Bowl, while the Bills were 11-6 and lost to the Chiefs in the playoffs by a field goal.

How the Cardinals approach their defensive plan Sunday will be critical. After all, it’s buyer beware trying to get to Allen considering he rushed for 524 yards on 111 carries last season and scored 15 touchdowns.

Monday, Gannon said, “He can make a lot of plays, and if you’re not right with rush mechanics he makes you pay. You have to be on the coverages because he can throw it anywhere. A big strong guy makes plays with his legs and his arm. A really good player.”

Asked Wednesday about the difficulty of getting those rush mechanics right, Gannon knew that Allen was sacked the fewest time in the NFL last season and said, “Partly because of his O-line. They played with each other I think the whole year; continuity there. They’re good, they’re well-coached.”

Gannon was correct: The five linemen last season started all 17 games and missed few of the offense’s 1,164 snaps: left tackle Dion Dawkins (1,120), left guard Connor McGovern (1,136), center Mitch Morse (1,129), right guard O’Cyrus Torrence (1,164) and right tackle Spencer Brown (1,161).

Those five missed a total of only 110 snaps during the entire regular season.

Morse was released in early March, so McGovern is moving to center with re-signed unrestricted free agent David Edwards the left guard. Edwards played all 17 games last season with no starts and played 148 snaps.

Gannon continued to say about Allen, “When you do get in the backfield a little bit, he’s got the ability to extend plays, make you miss, run away from you, run through you.

“So you’ve just got to be on it. That’s knowing your opponent. That’s going to be a big-time challenge for us, so we have to do well if we’re going to win the game.”

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on SpotifyYouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

Cardinals seek 1st win in Buffalo in over 50 years

The Cardinals have not won in Buffalo since their first-ever game against the Bills in 1971.

The Arizona Cardinals open the season this weekend on the road against the Buffalo Bills. They will attempt to do something they haven’t done in over 50 years — beat the Bills on the road.

The last time a Cardinals team won in Buffalo was their first-ever meeting in 1971 when the team was the St. Louis Cardinals. It was a 28-23 Cardinals victory in that inaugural matchup.

Since then, as they are infrequent opponents, the Cardinals have gone 0-4 in Buffalo. Their last meeting there was in 2016 when Bruce Arians was head coach and Carson Palmer was the starting quarterback. In that game, Palmer was picked off four times and sacked five times, and the Bills blew out Arizona 33-18 after taking a 17-0 first-half lead.

The Bills returned a botched field goal snap 53 yards for a touchdown.

Overall, the Cardinals and Bills have played each other 12 times. The Bills lead the all-time series 7-5.

The last time they played, though, it was in 2020 in Arizona, and the Cardinals won the game on the famous “Hail Murray” from Kyler Murray to DeAndre Hopkins for a game-winning touchdown to get a 32-30 victory.

The Cardinals and Bills kick off Sunday at 1 p.m. ET from Highmark Stadium. The game airs on CBS.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on SpotifyYouTube or Apple podcasts.