Tag: Cardinals vs. Vikings

Analyzing Kyler Murray’s 5 INTs in last 3 weeks

A look at what happened with each of Murray’s five picks in the last three games.

The Arizona Cardinals are mired in a three-game losing streak since their bye week and four-game winning streak. It has caused them to fall from first place in the NFC West to third place and leaves them with virtually no shot at winning the division.

One reason for the losses has been an uptick in turnovers by quarterback Kyler Murray. He has thrown five interceptions in the last three games after only three in the first 10 games of the season.

But interceptions are not all equal. Some are the result of bad decisions. Some are the result of a bad throw. Others are because of a tipped ball or mistake by a teammate and some are because a defender makes a great play.

Below, we look at each of Murray’s five interceptions in the last three weeks to see what sort of interception they were.

Week 12 pick-six by Seahawks CB Coby Bryant

This was a back-breaking play for the Cardinals in their 16-6 loss to Seattle in Week 12.

It was fourth-and-1, a fake handoff to James Conner with Murray keeping the ball and running right. The problem was that cornerback Devon Witherspoon make an amazing play, changing directions immediately after seeing Conner didn’t get the ball and cutting off Murray so he would not have been able to make the line to gain.

Murray had to make a play. He had Michael Wilson available to throw to, so he threw it, but it was offline and too strong, sailing over Wilson’s head and into Bryant’s arms. He returned it 69 yards for a touchdown.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon was not upset about the interception.

“They happen those plays,” he said the day after the game. “That’s in a ‘gotta-have-it’ (situation), so he’s okay to put the ball at risk. We coach ‘gotta-have-itā€™s’ a little bit differently just because a ‘gotta-have-it’ is just that. But yeah, I’m sure he wants the throw back a little bit, but credit to them.”

Verdict: It wasn’t a bad decision. He had to try and make a play. It was a bad throw and a worse result. If Bryant is tackled right after the pick, it is a little better than a turnover on downs. You can hate the result, but the decision was fine and what he should have done in that situation.Ā 

Week 13 interception vs. Vikings to Byron Murphy

Murray was under pressure and appeared to try and get Michael Wilson the ball. It was overthrown and Muprhy picked it off at the sideline, making a good play.

After the game, Murray said he was trying to throw the ball away.

That makes sense. He was under pressure but still in the pocket, so to throw it away, it had to be somewhere looking like he was trying to throw it to Wilson.

Verdict: Bad throw and he took responsibility for it. It wasn’t an unnecessary risk. He had to both look like he was trying to throw the ball to Wilson and still get it out of bounds. He did not.Ā 

Week 13 interception vs. Vikings by Shaq Griffin

This was the final offensive play ofĀ  the game by the Cardinals. It was fourth-and-10 with 40 seconds left in the game when they were losing.

Murray didn’t have a choice but throw the ball. It was fourth down, they had to go for it and nobody was open. All Murray could do was throw the ball and hope Marvin Harrison Jr. could make a play.

Verdict:Ā It was a desperation throw. He didn’t have anyone open to throw to. It was their last play. It could have been a better throw, but it wasn’t a bad interception. It was either going to get picked off or fall incomplete ā€” same result.Ā 

Week 14 interception against Seahawks by Ernest Jones

On a second-and-19 in the first quarter, Murray attempted a throw to Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jones picked it off.

Jones initially was turned toward the middle of the field, giving Murray a window to throw the ball.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon credited Jones on the play.

“That’s where the ball should have went, and he kind of read his eyes and rocked back out of it,” he said postgame. “He was playing the strong side and came back to the weak. That was good play, so give credit to them.”

In essence, Jones baited Murray to make the throw and it worked.

Verdict: Great play by Jones.Ā 

Week 14 interception vs. Seahawks by Coby Bryant

On second-and-nine, Murray has Zay Jones open. When Murray throws the ball, Bryant isn’t in position to make a play. He ran from many yards away to undercut the route and make the interception.

“I actually think they busted the coverage, and he saw him late wide open, and he just has to put a better ball on him,” Gannon said on Monday. “Flatten him.”

It was the right throw for the moment (although it wouldn’t have counted anyway because there was a holding call on the play that the Seahawks declined). But Murray should have zipped it in there to avoid the turnover.

Verdict: Not a bad decision, but made the wrong throw technique. Floating the ball allowed Bryant to recover. A harder, flatter throw would have been a completion that would have been negated with the penalty. A great play by Bryant.

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 Spotify,Ā YouTubeĀ orĀ Apple podcasts.

 

Kyler Murray tells the truth about the penalty in loss to Vikings

The false start called on Tip Reiman in the fourth quarter when the Cardinals were at the five-yard line was a terrible mistake by officials.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray finally went public Wednesday about the crucial false start flagged against tight end Tip Reiman late in Sundayā€™s game against the Vikings.

Coaches and players usually refrain from criticizing the officiating for two reasons.

First, it can sound like an excuse. And second, no one wants to be fined by the NFL no matter how much money they make. However, there is rarely any public accountability for the officiating by the league and the Cardinals surely arenā€™t the only team affected by game-changing calls.

To review Sundayā€™s scenario, with a 19-16 lead, the Cardinals had moved from their own 30-yard line to the Vikings 5-yard line, where it was first-and-goal. The drive began with 11:08 to play in the game and after running 12 plays, there was 4:14 on the clock.

The Cardinals were five yards away from taking a two-score lead. However, on that fateful first down, before the snap, Vikings defensive lineman Jerry Tillery clearly entered the neutral zone and likely crossed the line of scrimmage. That resulted in Reiman moving.

A flag flew, and game analyst Greg Olsen immediately noted that Tillery had moved, but was then shocked when the penalty was announced as a false start on Reiman. A subsequent replay showed even more obviously how Reiman reacted to Tillery, which, by rule, is a defensive penalty.

Had it been called correctly, the ball would have moved close to the 2-yard line. Instead, as we know, it was moved back to the 10 and we also know what happened next.

NFL teams routinely send numerous plays to the league office after games for clarification on calls made to learn why certain decisions were made and, yes, to be told whether they were right or wrong. However, except in very rare instances, the NFL doesnā€™t announce the mistakes, and teams are told not to relay any information to the media.

On Monday, when head coach Jonathan Gannon was asked if the Cardinals follow that reporting protocol, he said, ā€œYeah, (through) the allotted process, we try to gain information and learn from it.ā€

However, when asked if that specific play had been submitted, he understandably said, ā€œI get the question, I appreciate the question. However, Iā€™m not gonna get into what we send in to learn from.ā€

In talking to a source with knowledge of NFL rules and who saw the play, it was confirmed it should have been a defensive penalty. The source said, ā€œAnd I donā€™t think itā€™s even close.ā€

So it was that while Murray was talking to the media Wednesday, he was asked about the loud environment and red-zone issues the offense experienced in Minnesota and Seattle the week before.

Murray somewhat couched his words, but said, ā€œI think the false start was kind of a … I donā€™t want to say what I actually want to say, but I don’t think that was a false start. I think that that really affected the game in that moment. And I don’t put that on Tip as far as not being locked in or focused.ā€

We all know Murray and others donā€™t ā€œthinkā€ it, they know-know it, but itā€™s ancient history now.

They have to find a way Sunday to somehow make sure they control their own destiny and not have it be affected by the whims of a penalty flag.

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 Spotify,Ā YouTubeĀ orĀ Apple podcasts.

 

The implications of the Cardinals’ loss to the Vikings

Jess Root and Seth Cox break down the loss to the Vikings on the podcast.

The Arizona Cardinals lost in Week 13 to the Minnesota Vikings, their second straight loss after a four-game winning streak. Cohost Seth Cox and I broke it all down in the latest show of the podcast.

We reacted to the loss, went over the play of quarterback Kyler Murray, questioned some of the coaching decisions in the game and then go over the good and the bad both on offense and defense.

And with the news of James Conner’s new contract, we reacted to that.

Enjoy the show!

Enjoy the show with the embedded player above or by subscribing to the show onĀ Apple Podcasts,Ā Spotify,Ā YouTubeĀ 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) Reactions to the Cardinals’ loss to the Vikings and the play of Kyler Murray

(14:26) The coaching decisions in the loss

(30:20) The good and bad on offense and defense

(38:48) The implications of the loss

Cardinals DL Darius Robinson focused on improving after first NFL game

ā€œIā€™m a game-changer and I didnā€™t change the game at all,ā€ Robinson said. ā€œI’ve got to get better.”

Arizona Cardinals rookie defensive lineman Darius Robinson has his first 22 NFL snaps under his belt and he is expected to attack this practice week with a vengeance after he was disappointed in himself.

He said as much after Sundayā€™s loss to the Vikings.

ā€œIā€™m a game-changer and I didnā€™t change the game at all,ā€ Robinson said. ā€œI’ve got to get better.”

When asked about the five sacks the defense had, Robinson said, ā€œThey were ballinā€™. I just didnā€™t do my part today. But Iā€™ll be better moving forward.ā€

Thatā€™s what his teammates and coaches also believe, stressing to Robinson that the NFL is usually about stacking games and getting better every day. Thatā€™s the mantra that head coach Jonathan Gannon preaches.

ā€œI thought he did some good things,ā€ Gannon said. ā€œI thought he was disruptive. His plan fell out how we wanted it to fall out. I think he had a really good learning experience. (The) first time he’s played in three months, got lathered up, made some plays, rushed some different people and played the run versus different people.

ā€œI think he’ll take a big step forward as we keep moving on. He’s hard on himself, I feel like, which is what you want but he also did some good in that game too. He’ll learn from it and grow.ā€

Linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. said, ā€œHe was pretty down on himself like he didnā€™t do what heā€™s capable of, but Iā€™m just trying to keep talking to him and let him know youā€™re just getting back into it. I know itā€™s gonna turn. I know the DRob Iā€™ve seen in training camp is going to eventually come out and itā€™s just a waiting game and being patient and just staying locked in, focus on the task at hand and execute when your numberā€™s called.ā€

Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis emphasized the reality of the NFL, noting that ā€œthere was good and bad. This is his first NFL game, so it wasnā€™t gonna be perfect. I knew that. Heā€™s hard on himself because he wants to be great. And he probably is too hard on himself. I think there was some really good stuff and some stuff we gotta clean up.ā€

Asked if itā€™s good in a way that heā€™s hard on himself, Rallis said, ā€œAbsolutely. We just gotta make sure that we channel that and that itā€™s actually really maximizing and heā€™s learning from it.ā€

For himself and Robinson, Rallis said, ā€œItā€™s a performance-based mindset, so Iā€™m not gonna linger on those mistakes and make them affect me (him) negatively. Iā€™m gonna use that to correct it and then move on and clear my head and make it so that my (his) performance is going forward and Iā€™ve (weā€™ve) learned from it and not stressed out about it.ā€

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 Spotify,Ā YouTubeĀ orĀ Apple podcasts.

 

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray has to stop trying to play miracle ball

Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray has regressed some and his team needs his best if they still want to win the NFC West in 2024.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has regressed some in his decision-making ability and it has cost his team the division lead heading into NFL Week 14. Luckily, Murray and the Cardinals will have a chance to redeem themselves versus the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday.

Two costly interceptions, an excessive 45 pass attempts and red zone struggles versus the Minnesota Vikings are an indication that the Cardinals offense has been uncharacteristic. Murray isn’t committing to his first reads in the pass game, holding the ball entirely too long in the pocket, and hoping to create miracles on broken plays.

Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing needs to pump the brake with his approach and get back to the ground game with running back James Conner more frequently. Petzing’s overuse of Murray was senseless, as the Cardinals held a 19-6 lead in the third quarter, meaning that Murray’s meltdown was an act of impulse rather than necessity.

Murray had the luxury of 77 total plays and the offense pretty much dictated the game in Week 13. Yet it was Murray’s two absurd interceptions that deflated a very optimal Cardinals push in Minnesota.

If the Cardinals and Murray want to actually win the NFC West, they need to revert back to playing fundamental football, not reaching for aimless miracles by being excessive in the pass game.Ā 

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 Spotify,Ā YouTubeĀ orĀ Apple podcasts.

 

Trey McBride makes history in loss to Vikings

McBride did something no other tight end in NFL history has done.

The Arizona Cardinals had a disappointing 23-22 road loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in Week 13. But tight end Trey McBride made history in the loss.

He caught 12 passes for 96 yards in the game. It was the second straight game for McBride with 12 receptions, who caught 12 for 133 yards in Seattle in Week 12.

In doing so, McBride became the first tight end in NFL history to have consecutive 12-catch games.

He has 73 receptions for 781 yards through 12 games this season. His current pace has him on track for 103 catches for 1,106 yards. He set the franchise single-season record for receptions by a tight end last season with 81. He will likely break that. That projected yardage would still be shy of the franchise single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end. That is held by Hall of Famer Jackie Smith, who had 1,205 receiving yards in 1967.

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 Spotify,Ā YouTubeĀ orĀ Apple podcasts.

 

Negative plays and penalties doom Cardinals, especially in the red zone

A look at the numbers that hurt the Cardinals in their 23-22 loss to the Vikings on Sunday.

After last weekā€™s loss to the Seattle Seahawks, a game in which the Arizona Cardinals scored only six points, head coach Jonathan Gannon noted that about one of every six plays was for negative yardage.

Including penalties and negative yardage plays, there were nine for 79 lost yards of the 58 snaps in the game (one every 6.44), which is right at Gannonā€™s number. Adding to that were 13 incompletions, including one interception, and two plays for no yards.

It was more of the same in Sundayā€™s gut-wrenching 23-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings with much of the damage done in the red zone.

On 86 total snaps, including false starts on which there isnā€™t actually a snap, there were 13 negative plays for 77 yards, which is one in every 6.62 plays. Eight were penalties for 60 of the yards. There were also 14 incompletions, including two interceptions and a spike, plus 12 plays that gained only one (six) or two yards (six).

Gannon said, ā€œWe fouled too much today because that’s a low-flag crew. To have whatever we have, almost 100 yards (10-96) in penalties, we’re shooting ourselves in the foot a little bit. Itā€™s the presnap penalties on offense (where) we’re going backwards. These are negative plays because of our own accord. So got to get that cleaned up.ā€

The red zone was incredibly painful. Six trips resulted in one touchdown (a 15-yard pass from quarterback Kyler Murray to wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. for a 19-6 lead), four field goals and one missed field goal. Thatā€™s 19 points of a potential 42. The Vikings scored two touchdowns and two field goals in the red zone, a total of 20 points of a possible 28.

It is fair to note that the Cardinals’ red zone possession on the opening drive of the game began at the 17-yard line on third-and-6. An excellent tackle left running back James Conner two yards short of the first down on a reception.

On three others, numerous mistakes left the Cardinals with third downs that had 12, 16 and 21 yards to go.

As Murray said, similar to Gannon, ā€œWe shot ourselves in the foot. We put ourselves back behind the chains how many times all together? I feel like every time we got down there, besides the touchdown to Marv, obviously right before the two-minute, we had penalties.

ā€œThey’ll beat you if you play bad football in the red zone. You get up against a good team and a good defense, and that kills you.ā€

Overall, the Cardinals did gain 49 yards on nine plays thanks to three opportunities that exited the red zone after reaching it. Those yards were offset by five penalties for 40 yards lost.

The worst came with the Cardinals poised to take control of the game in the final quarter.

It began on the 30 after the Vikings crept to within 19-16 on a 31-yard field goal. Starting at the 30 with 11:08 to play, key plays were:

  • A James Conner 16-yard run;
  • A 14-yard catch-and-run by tight end Trey McBride on third-and-12;
  • An 8-yard run by Emari Demercado on third and-6 that moved the ball to the Minnesota 31.

After that, Murray ran for five and Conner ran for seven with the latter sandwiched between passes of five and nine yards to McBride that got the ball to the 5-yard line with 4:14 to play.

Prior to a first down and goal-to-go failure against Seattle, the Cardinals had been successful scoring touchdowns 16 consecutive times.

This one made it two straight misses. The roof began caving in when tight end Tip Reiman was whistled for his third false start although it was clear that Vikings defensive lineman Jerry Tillery was across the line of scrimmage before Reiman moved.

Instead of moving the ball close to the 2-yard line, where a touchdown would have produced a two-score lead, it went back to the 10. Murray was guilty of intentional grounding, losing 15 yards. A Trey Benson run and McBride reception got the ball back to the 4-yard line, but Gannon opted for a field goal and a six-point lead.

Was Murray frustrated not going for a touchdown?

ā€œI trust JG,ā€ he said. ā€œI see both sides. Go up six and make them score; trust the defense to go get a stop. Go for it, you don’t get it, they’ve still got to go down and score. If you do get it, you probably put the game away. Obviously, if we run the play, Iā€™m confident to get it, but I have full faith in JG.ā€

Asked about trying for the touchdown, Gannon explained, ā€œThereā€™s thought about it. Just wanted to go up more than a field goal there. Definitely a decision point that we talked about. So be it. … Iā€™d rather they have to score a touchdown to beat us there.ā€

Which, of course, they did on an eight-play, 70-yard drive that lasted only 2:07. Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was 5-for-7 for 57 yards on the drive that ended with a 5-yard scoring pass to running back Aaron Jones and that had continued on with a fourth-and-5, 12-yard pass to wide receiver Justin Jefferson to the 21-yard line.

On Minnesotaā€™s final three drives that put 17 points on the board, Darnold was 12-for-17 for 156 yards and two touchdowns after being 9-for-14 for 79 yards on the first six possessions. Seven of the completions in the three scoring drives totaled 129 yards (18.4 average).

As for what happened prior to that fourth-down decision, Gannon said simply, ā€œThat was brutal.ā€

A legion of Cardinals fans surely agree with him on that.

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 Spotify,Ā YouTubeĀ orĀ Apple podcasts.

 

Vikings 23, Cardinals 22: Late mistakes spoil otherwise good defensive game

Kyler Murray threw two interceptions and the team was penalized 10 times, wasting a mostly great defensive performance.

The Arizona Cardinals played a great defensive game against the Minnesota Vikings but lost their second consecutive game, falling 23-22 to the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 13.

After leading for almost the entire game, the Vikings scored a go-ahead touchdown with 1:13 to go and on Arizona’s final drive, Kyler Murray threw an interception on fourth down.

The Cardinals dropped to 6-6 and the Vikings improved to 10-2.

Arizona’s 10 penalties hampered the offense all game.

Here is how it went down.

Cardinals 3, Vikings 0

The Cardinals took an early lead on their first drive. James Conner rushed for 16 yards and Trey Benson had one for 10. Kyler Murray completed all five of his passes to four players, but Conner’s third-down reception in the red zone was not enough for a first down and Chand Ryland kicked a 32-yard field goal to get them on the board.

Cardinals 3, Vikings 3

The Vikings also had good offensive success, but L.J. Collier’s third-down sack of Sam Darnold after the Vikings got in the red zone forced a 44-yard field goal.

VIKINGS FUMBLE!

Aaron Jones caught a five-yard pass and Sean Murphy-Bunting punched the ball out for the second time, forcing a fumble that Roy Lopez recovered at the Minnesota 19.

Missed FG

The Cardinals came up empty after the takeaway. It was a bad series. They were penalized twice, Greg Dortch had a catch for negative yards and then Ryland missed a 45-yard field goal wide right, the second straight game he has missed a kick.

Cardinals 6, Vikings 3

Ryland made a 31-yarder after the Cardinals stalled in the red zone again. They got the passing game going a little as Michael Wilson had a 22-yard grab and then snagged a deflected throw for 13. But they were penalized three times on the drive.

Cardinals 6, Vikings 6

The Vikings hit a 55-yard kick with 1:12 left in the first half. Mack Wilson sacked Sam Darnold on third down to force the kick. Darnold connected with Justin Jefferson for a 23-yard play, the biggest play of the game for the Vikings.

Cardinals 9, Vikings 6

Ryland hit a 24-yarder as the first half expired to give them the lead. The Cardinals went 64 yards on 12 plays. McBride had three catches and Murray had a couple of scrambles.

Missed FG!

Parker Romo missed wide left on the first possession of the second half after a pass interference penalty on Murphy-Bunting got the Vikings in Arizona territory. The Cardinals took over at their 33 following the miss from 43 yards.

Cardinals 12, Vikings 6

Ryland made a 40-yard kick to extend the lead to six points after a 10-play, 45-yard drive.

Mack Wilson’s 2nd sack leads to 3-and-out

After the field goal, the Cardinals forced a three-and-out, made by Wilson’s second-down sack, his second of the game and the team’s fourth of the afternoon.

Murray to Marv TD! Cardinals 19, Vikings 6

After Fabian Moreau was penalized for pass interference, putting the ball in the red zone, Murray connected with Harrison for a 15-yard touchdown, the first touchdown of the game for either team.

Cardinals 19, Vikings 13

The Vikings woke up offensively, going 70 yards in six plays. Darnold found Johnny Mundt for a four-yard touchdown.

Murray picked off!

Murray was under pressure and threw a deep pass that was picked off by former Cardinals cornerback Byron Murphy. The Vikings took over at their own 32.

Cardinals 19, Vikings 16

After the interception, Justin Jefferson had a big catch and the Vikings got into the red zone, but Darnold threw three consecutive incompletions and they tacked on three points with a 31-yard kick with 11:11 left in the game.

Cardinals 22, Vikings 16

The Cardinals got down to the five, but Tip Reiman was flagged for a false start and Murray was called for intentional grounding. He threw to McBride to get to the four on third down, but they elected to kick a 23-yard field goal to extend the lead to six rather than go for the touchdown. There was 3:22 left in the game.

Vikings 23, Cardinals 22

The Cardinals fall behind for the first time as Aaron Jones scored on a five-yard run. They would get the ball back with 1:13 left in the game.

Kyler picked off on 4th-down

Shaq Griffin picked off Murray’s fourth-down throw to Harrison, sealing the Minnesota win.

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 Spotify,Ā YouTubeĀ orĀ Apple podcasts.

 

LT Cam Robinson to play for Vikings

The Vikings will have left tackle Cam Robinson in the lineup against the Cardinals in Week 13.

The Minnesota Vikings will have their full starting offensive line playing against the Arizona Cardinals. Left tackle Cam Robinson, who left last week’s game with a foot injury and was questionable to play this week on the final injury report, was not part of the Vikings’ inactive list.

Who was on the Vikings’ inactive list?

Vikings Week 13 inactive list

  • QB Brett Rypien
  • S Jay Ward
  • CB Dwight McGlothern
  • DL Levi Drake Rodriguez
  • OL Michael Jurgens
  • OL Ed Ingram
  • TE Josh Oliver

Oliver and Ward were ruled out this week on the final injury report.

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 Spotify,Ā YouTubeĀ orĀ Apple podcasts.

 

Darius Robinson to make NFL debut; Jalen Thompson returns to lineup

The Cardinals released their inactive list and Robinson was not on it for the first time since returning to the team from injured reserve.

Arizona Cardinals fans will finally get to see the NFL debut of first-round pick defensive lineman Darius Robinson. The team released its inactive list 90 minutes before kickoff against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 13 and he was not included for the first time.

Robinson, who started the season on injured reserve with a calf injury, has been working for weeks since being activated. He has had two full weeks of practice.

The Cardinals have a plan for his usage. With him being active, defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga will not dress.

Returning to the lineup after missing two games with an ankle injury is safety Jalen Thompson.

Here are the Cardinals’ inactive players for Week 13:

Cardinals Week 13 inactive list

  • OLB Julian Okwara
  • OL Christian Jones
  • TE Travis Vokolek
  • WR Xavier Weaver
  • DL Khyiris Tonga

Okwara has fallen out of the rotation since the acquisition of Baron Browning. Jones, Vokolek and Weaver have been regularly inactive.

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 Spotify,Ā YouTubeĀ orĀ Apple podcasts.