Tag: Vance Joseph

Cardinals have jeopardized their playoff chances with loss to Patriots

The Cardinals must do some soul-searching after a crushing 17-20 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday

Sunday was an abysmal loss for the Arizona Cardinals. The Cards had the Patriots beat in almost every statistical category, but found a way to lose in the end. A big part of that loss came off the right foot of Zane Gonzalez, but the team should never have been in that position to begin with.

So, since this is overreaction Monday, what is there to overreact to?

The Cards have severely jeopardized their playoff chances with this loss. While they still hold the NFC’s seventh seed, they have allowed other teams to get within striking distance. Minnesota, Chicago and San Francisco are all    5-6. With a loss to the Rams on Sunday, they’ll likely allow one of those teams to tie.

It was a week of missed opportunities in the playoff standings. The previously first-place Rams fell to the 49ers. A win in New England would have put the Cardinals ahead of L.A. in the division. They’ll have the opportunity to do that again this Sunday, but it would have been nice to have a bit of extra breathing room.

It would be easy to overreact to the Cardinals offense. Since being nearly unstoppable since their breakout game against Dallas, the unit has sputtered in their last two games. Vance Joseph’s defense has played well enough to win in both of those contests, particularly in New England. It’s fair to wonder if there is concern with Kyler Murray’s throwing shoulder, but almost everyone has said it’s a non-factor.

Despite losing to the 49ers, the Rams have one of the best defenses in the NFL. If the Cardinals offense plays like it has recently, they’ll undoubtedly fall back down to .500 on the year. Given their 5-2 start to the year, falling to 6-6 would be very disappointing.

While the second half was a mess for the Cardinals, they still could have won the game on a Zane Gonzalez 45-yard kick. He’d miss wide right, leaving the sideline stunned. This kick marks the third clutch kick missed by Gonzalez in the past month. He had crucial missed kicks against Seattle and Miami (one of which he was bailed out by Isaiah Simmons).

There’s a chance Gonzalez is moved on from this week. A year removed from being a Pro Bowl alternate kicker, Gonzalez may find himself back as a free agent. There’s still a chance the Cards hold onto him, but the sad truth is he’s cost the team from being much higher in the playoff conversation.

There really aren’t many options in the available kicker market. Longtime Seahawk Stephen Hauschka is available at age 35. There is also Aldrick Rosas, who has gone in and out of the active lineup for the Jaguars this season following a four-week suspension. Rosas was a Pro Bowl selection in 2018.

The Cardinals now find themselves in a pivotal matchup against the division rival Rams this Sunday. There are massive implications in this one. If they win, they’ll be 7-5 and second place in the NFC West. If they lose, they’ll be 6-6 and possibly no longer in possession of a playoff spot. They’ve come up big before, particularly against Seattle and Buffalo. We’ll see if they can do it again.

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Cardinals-Patriots preview: Week 12 matchup is pivotal to keep up in NFC West

Kyler Murray and the Cardinals travel to Foxborough to take on Cam Newton and Bill Belichick this Sunday.

Thursday Night Football was…disappointing.

Had they won that game, the Arizona Cardinals would have been in the driver seat to control their own destiny for the NFC West title. With the loss, they are a win behind both the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks.

In the span of eight days, the NFC West had three different first-place holders. The Cardinals held that spot after beating Buffalo and following Seattle’s loss to the Rams. After Thursday Night Football, the Seahawks held first, but lost is upon L.A.’s victory over the Bucs on MNF.

The point here, is the NFC West is still up for grabs. Yes, the Seahawks have an incredibly easy schedule, so they will require at least one loss for the Cards to take their place

Arizona must focus on themselves this Sunday as they go up against one of the greatest coaches in NFL history, Bill Belichick.


‘Hail Murray’ is one of the greatest moments in Cardinals history

In what is being deemed the ‘Hail Murray’, the Arizona Cardinals defeat the Buffalo Bills one a last second prayer to DeAndre Hopkins.

Oh my heavens.

All seemed lost for the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. The Cardinals defense, which played admirably in the second half, gave the offense multiple chances to put the game on ice. Instead, the No. 1 ranked unit sputtered, giving MVP-candidate Josh Allen another chance at redemption. The result was a beautiful touch pass to Stefon Diggs to take the lead 30-26 with roughly 30 seconds left.

It looked as if the Cardinals were going to lose back-to-back heartbreakers to fall 5-4. It was going to mark the second week in a row that they failed to capitalize on a chance to take first place(albeit off tiebreakers) in the NFC West.

Then, Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins did the impossible.

With 11 seconds to go, Murray narrowly escapes trouble and throws a prayer to DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins, with three Pro-Bowl level defensive backs covering him, comes down with the ball to win it for the Cardinals.

Since moving to Arizona, the Cardinals have had some amazing moments. This is undoubtedly one of the best.

From the 2008 playoff run to Larry Fitzgerald’s 2015 overtime winner against the Packers, the 2020 ‘Hail Murray’ rightfully belongs in that conversation. The sheer improbability of a hail mary alone makes this extraordinary, but the amount of defensive talent surrounding Hopkins on the play only adds to that.

The ‘Hail Murray’ has undoubtedly sent MVP discussions in the direction of Kyler Murray, as well as Offensive Player of the Year votes for DeAndre Hopkins.

We won’t know the full impact of this play until the end of the 2020 season, but for now, it grants the Cardinals an opportunity to take a one-game lead over the Seahawks with a win on Thursday.

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Bills-Cardinals Preview: Can the Cardinals rebound from their loss to the Dolphins?

The Cardinals are facing a difficult opponent in a seemingly must-win game to keep pace for first place in the NFC West

Last Sunday was disappointing for the Arizona Cardinals.

Their quarterback, Kyler Murray, was unstoppable all day. His offensive unit only punted once when WR Andy Isabella went backwards and lost the first down.

Still, the Cards found a way to lose, the guilty suspects being a depleted defense and kicker Zane Gonzalez. Vance Joseph’s defensive unit was playing without its CB2, CB3, and CB4. As a result, he failed to get creative and put any pressure on Tua Tagovailoa.

This week should be different, however. Byron Murphy and Dre Kirkpatrick are set to return to the lineup against Buffalo. Had they not been ready to come back, the Cards likely would have had a very tough tine again.

So, following last week’s loss, this game becomes very crucial. If the Cardinals lose, they will travel to Seattle in four days at 5-4. That is a much different record than the 5-2 they held going into their bye. Securing the win against Buffalo is paramount to move up to 6-3 going into Seattle.

If the Cardinals go 2-0 in the next week and a half, they will be first place in the NFC West. They must find a way to get it done.


Cardinals believe Isaiah Simmons could be good safety, but special linebacker

Simmons’ overtime interception is a preview of the type of player he can be once he learns the position.

Despite the success the Arizona Cardinals have had so far this season, there has been one lingering question people want to know. They want to know why first-round pick Isaiah Simmons isn’t playing.

He made one of the biggest plays of the game in the team’s 37-34 overtime win over the Seattle Seahawks, intercepting Russell Wilson to set up Zane Gonzalez’ game-winning field goal.

It was one of only five defensive snaps Simmons played.

Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said it was a great play. It also illustrated what he and the team hope for him.

“His length and his speed obviously showed there and that’s what he could be,” Joseph told reporters this week. “He could be a serious advantage for us with his size, his length and his speed that close to the ball.”

With Jordan Hicks and De’Vondre Campbell playing well, it has been hard to find Simmons snaps. Of course, when the Cardinals were short on safeties, many wondered why Simmons, who played safety in college, wasn’t asked to fill in.

Joseph doesn’t doubt Simmons can play safety in the NFL. He doesn’t think he would be the type of impact player he will be as a linebacker.

“Obviously as a safety, he would be a good player, but once he understands how to play NFL linebacker, with his skillset, he is going to be a force to be reckoned with. And that’s what we want from him.”

Fans are impatient and want to see more of him. He clearly wants to play. But the coaches also want to win games and want to play the best players. If Campbell is better right now, it makes sense that he is on the field.

Simmons’ time will come.

When it does, Joseph has no doubt how it will be. “It’s going to be special.”

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Overreaction Tuesday: Cardinals back in NFC West 1st-place contention following win over Cowboys

The Arizona Cardinals handled the Dallas Cowboys an ugly loss on Monday Night Football, re-igniting the Cardinals playoff chances.

It was a beautiful day to be an Arizona Cardinals fan.

The Cardinals marched into Texas and absolutely handled the Cowboys on national television.

Kyler Murray threw for two touchdown passes and rushed for another without throwing an interception. Kenyan Drake looked like the back we saw at the end of 2019. Vance Joseph’s defense sans All-Pro pass rusher Chandler Jones dominated the league’s No. 1 scoring offense.

It started very shakily for the Cards. Jordan Hicks dropped a gift of an interception from quarterback Andy Dalton and Dennis Gardeck was barely unable to register a safety. Arizona got the ball at midfield and went backward 12 yards before punting.

A pair of fumbles from Cowboys’ star runner Ezekiel Elliot set the tone for the rest of the game. The Cardinals offense never felt challenged from that point forward.

  • Kyler Murray ran circles around the Dallas defense
  • Christian Kirk had a big game with two touchdown receptions, one being an 80-yard bomb from Murray
  • Kliff Kingsbury’s offense proved it can work around a slow day for DeAndre Hopkins (that is, until he nearly took a drag route to the house)
  • Kenyan Drake capped a strong performance with a 69-yard touchdown run
  • Larry Fitzgerald proved he’s still got it, coming up clutch early in the game and torching the secondary in the red zone on a Murray overthrow.
  • Haason Reddick leads the Cards in sacks and had two on Monday night
  • Budda Baker had a forced fumble, an interception(the first of his career!), and a sack. It would be criminal for him to not receive the NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
  • The Cardinals have allowed 14 QB hits at this point in the season, which is the lowest in the league. Sean Kugler and the offensive line have been tremendous to this point.
  • Byron Murphy had his best game as a pro. He got the better of almost every ball that was thrown his way.

I probably missed some things, but that’s just the kind of day it was for the Cardinals. This victory has put the NFC on notice that Arizona is a real threat. They are back in contention for first place in the NFC West.

Their next matchup is at home against the Seattle Seahawks, who are coming off their bye. This game now has huge implications, given that the Cards could tie the Seahawks’ win total heading into their bye. They can’t quite take the throne back with the win, but they can put themselves at a 5-2 record before some much-deserved rest.

That game will be a big test for the Cardinals. Today’s game was as well, and they aced it.

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Overreaction Monday: Cardinals back to winning ways after Sunday’s victory

The Cardinals convincingly beat the New York Jets this Sunday, showing signs of a talented team ready to make a playoff push.

The Arizona Cardinals convincingly beat the New York Jets on Sunday 30-10. It was a game they needed to win and were expected to win by a large margin. The win did feel like the Cardinals came to play much more than they did the previous two weeks.

Outside of an interception that was more just a great play by Jets LB Avery Williamson, Kyler Murray looked like himself again. DeAndre Hopkins continued his Offensive Player of the Year campaign by racking up 6 receptions for 131 yards and a score. Murray and Nuk seemingly dialed up the same play- a go route to the far sideline, twice to put the Jets away.

The Victory Monday feels will not be strong this week, as it is expected to be announced that All-Pro OLB Chandler Jones will miss the remainder of the season with a torn bicep. Jones, who has been an iron man for the Cards, is one of the few players that the team cannot afford to lose. Barring a change of direction, Arizona will lose one of its best players as the Cardinals prepare for the much more difficult part of their schedule.

The seemingly rejuvenated Cardinals need to keep momentum rolling and beat the Dallas Cowboys next Monday. Dallas themselves suffered a potentially fatal blow, losing star QB Dak Prescott to an ankle injury in a win over the Giants. The highly anticipated primetime matchup between the Cardinals and Cowboys will be without two of the NFL’s stars. Andy Dalton will serve as the quarterback in Prescott’s absence, who has been a quality starter for many years in his career.

After dropping disappointing games to the Lions and Panthers, the Cardinals sit at 3-2. Beating Dallas puts them at 4-2 heading into a home matchup against the red-hot Seattle Seahawks. That’s in Arizona, by the way, where we all know the Seahawks have had their way in the past few years.

On the topic of potentially losing Chandler Jones for the rest of the year, the Cardinals would be wise to search the market as the trade deadline approaches. The October 29th deadline gives Steve Keim enough time to possibly find some help for the pass-rushing unit. Without Jones, a veteran acquisition appears necessary given the talent in the NFC West (even if it is just a one-year rental).

If all comes to pass, the Cardinals will deeply miss Jones. Still, their rebound effort in New York re-ignites hope that we may see playoff football in the desert.

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Isaiah Simmons is being criminally under-utilized by Cardinals

With back to back losses for the Arizona Cardinals, is it time for them to unleash their 8th overall pick, Isaiah Simmons?

There were plenty of angry reactions from fans following the Arizona Cardinals’ Week 4 loss to the Carolina Panthers. One of them, and perhaps the most logical of the bunch, was questioning the almost non-existent use of 2020 No. 8 overall pick Isaiah Simmons.

Simmons was called for a horse collar tackle on Arizona’s first defensive drive of the season in San Francisco. he was then burnt by RB Raheem Mostert for a 76-yard touchdown. Since then, he has hardly seen the field.

When the Cardinals started off 2-0 and had back-to-back exceptional defensive performances, the benching of Simmons was looked past.

The Cardinals are now 2-2, and are coming off a terrible defensive performance.

The time is now to play Isaiah Simmons.

Despite the recent performance against the Panthers, the Cardinals defense has been reasonably improved since last year, particularly when they had their starting safeties. Still, it is not enough in its current state to compete with the high-flying offenses of the NFC West.

Outside of Budda Baker, the Cards are missing speed and another sideline-to-sideline defender. Simmons fits that bill.

He may not be ready. That much is clear. However, playing practice squad safeties that are consistently getting burnt in coverage is not an acceptable alternative.

Simmons was a standout at Clemson and earned the Butkus Award in 2019. Here’s a quick recap of the last group of players to win that coveted award.

2018- Devin White

2017-Roquan Smith

2016- Reuben Foster

2015- Jaylon Smith

2014- Eric Kendricks

2013- C.J. Mosley

2012- Manti T’eo

2011- Luke Kuechly

2010-Von Miller

Those are some elite NFL players that won the Butkus award in previous years. One would imagine last year’s winner will be pretty good in his own right.

Until the Cardinals defense starts playing well enough to win football games again, Simmons should not be on the bench. His athleticism and ball skills are something this defense could desperately use right now.

The defense needs a spark. Let Simmons be just that.

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Overreaction Monday: Cardinals are free-falling in the NFC West

The Arizona Cardinals may be in panic-mode following an embarrassing loss to the Carolina Panthers. The team has fallen to 2-2 on the year.

Arizona Cardinals fans were on cloud nine following the team’s impressive 2-0 start. They had gone into Levi’s Stadium and taken down the defending NFC champion 49ers (before their entire defense went on injured reserve). Following that victory, they killed Washington in their home opener.

Two weeks later, the Cardinals are back at .500 after losing to two mediocre teams. Had the Cards played to their potential to this point, they would likely be 4-0.

Their loss to the Detroit Lions was supposed to be a wake-up call. It was a close game that came down to a few turnovers by Kyler Murray. Those were supposed to be cleaned up, and the team needed to learn from that loss.

Instead, they were embarrassed by the Carolina Panthers led by Matt Rhule, who was coaching his fourth NFL game.

What was most concerning about Sunday’s loss? Everything.

Arizona wasn’t effective in any phase. The offense, which features Kyler Murray, DeAndre Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk, failed to get going against a bad Panthers secondary.

First off, what is going on with the offense? The first two games felt as if they were ready to explode into a top-five unit in the league. The talent is certainly there, and they showed flashes to start the year. Even against Detroit, the team could move the ball. The game just came down to a few mistakes by Murray.

Kliff Kingsbury’s game plan was interesting to say the least. There was no attacking the ball downfield, outside of missed first-quarter opportunities to Larry Fitzgerald and Andy Isabella. After being labeled an MVP candidate, Murray looks off. It is quite concerning, given that we know Murray has the potential and talent to be an elite NFL quarterback. Kingsbury, on the other hand, showed his ability to adjust and scheme his players open last season. Both of them are plenty capable, so what is happening here?

Secondly, the defense was picked apart by Teddy Bridgewater in the short passing game. Carolina, who featured two backup offensive linemen, completely shut out Arizona’s pass rush. The Cardinals had three pressures on the day and zero sacks. Outside of Devon Kennard’s absence, the defensive line was intact.

Where is Chandler Jones? Where is Jordan Phillips?

Vance Joseph seemingly gave the Panthers first downs at will, playing ten yards off-the-ball soft zone coverage. The concerning part here is Carolina’s offense thrives off the short and intermediate passing game. So why are they playing so far off the ball? There were no adjustments made all day.

I understand that having two starting safeties out makes it difficult to play press man-to-man, especially given the way Curtis Riley played yesterday. There’s no reason to be angry with the soft coverage game plan going into the game. But, if you’re still being picked apart at halftime, change something.

Isaiah Simmons, the 2019 Dick Butkus Award, hasn’t seen the field on a struggling defense. How is that plausible?

At this pace, the Arizona Cardinals are free-falling in the league’s best division. Even if they turn things around, these two losses will come back to bite them unless they can make up for it by beating two of the very good teams on the latter part of their schedule.

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Cardinals want defensive players to be ‘stars in their roles’

“It’s good to have a bunch of good players,” said defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.

The Arizona Cardinals will have a number of players who will not likely play every snap or be a starter. Among them are some defensive linemen, outside linebacker Haason Reddick and both inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell and inside linebacker Isaiah Simmons.

Particularly when it comes to Campbell and Simmons, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph knows he will have to get creative. Jordan Hicks played every snap last season. Campbell has been a productive player for years and Simmons has the potential to be a star and might be very difficult to keep off the field once he knows the defense.

It is a problem he likes having.

“It’s good to have a bunch of good players,” he said after practice on Thursday.

Joseph wouldn’t say exactly what the plans are for both Campbell and Simmons, but he is formulating some plans.

“We have some ideas to use our best players in the right positions,” he said.

That doesn’t just apply to Campbell and Simmons. He also mentioned players like defensive lineman Zach Allen, Reddick and linebacker Dennis Gardeck. He is excited for all of them.

“We’ve got a lot of talented players that haven’t played a lot but should earn reps for us,” he said. “It’s our job as a staff to find out what all those guys do well and do those things.”

They might not all have a big role, but they will have their role. They will have to execute it.

“We want guys to be stars in their roles,” said. “It could be small role. It could be a huge role, but just be a star in your role.”

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