Arizona Cardinals right to play starters against Seahawks
By Scott Allen
The Arizona Cardinals host the Seattle Seahawks in the final week of the 2015 regular season on Sunday
Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians announced on Monday that the Cardinals starters would play on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. To me, there was no other move to make. Whether that becomes reality or not and I think it will, remains to be seen.
I believe Arians though. I can tell you there will likely be some scoreboard watching going on. Regardless if there was a number one seed in the playoffs on the line or not, playing the starters is the right move.
The Cardinals already have clinched a bye. If the starters didn’t play Sunday they would go three weeks without playing a game. That’s not the way to go into the playoffs. Rust settles in. You also can’t play in fear of injury. Yes, I am aware of the injury history with the Cardinals. You can’t play scared though.
There is also the fact that the Cardinals can only dress 46 players on Sunday. Some positions don’t have backups. Sure, you could stick guys in places they don’t belong but then where does that get you? All season I’ve seen the comments on social media when the Cardinals are blowing someone out. People left and right calling for quarterback Carson Palmer to be pulled. He eventually came out of some of those games at the right times.
If you play for Bruce Arians and you are a starter, play well, and vital to team success, then you play. That’s the bottom line.
The Carolina Panthers will be playing at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the same time as the Cardinals are hosting the Seahawks on Sunday. The NFL moved tghe time of the Panthers game from 11 a.m. to 2:25 p.m. Arizona time on Sunday night so the Cardinals wouldn’t have the advantage of possibly sitting starters knowing the outcome ahead of time.
So, I’m fine with the starters playing. I prefer it. If you aren’t, I understand. Understand though this is for the better for the Cardinals. If someone important gets injured, then so be it. At least I can say the Cardinals weren’t afraid to roll the dice. I like a risk taker. In Bruce Arians we trust.