Getting Defensive: Arizona Cardinals preseason week 2
“Getting Defensive”, a new weekly installment throughout the season, highlighting upcoming games, player updates, stats, and quotes
Preseason week 2 is here, and the starters will get some reps this week against the Oakland Raiders. After some strong performances from rookies Haason Reddick and Budda Baker, the defense is coming together quite nicely as we get further into the preseason and training camp.
Against the Cowboys in the Hall of Fame Game, the younger players and rookies made quite a statement. Robert Nkemdiche was playing like he had dinner reservations in the Dallas backfield, and rookie safety Budda Baker was showing us his best Tyrann Mathieu impression. Certainly, a great sign for two young players who will look to be key contributors on a versatile, aggressive defense.
This week, we’ll get a glimpse of a few starters mixed in with backups and rookies. I don’t imagine much blitzing — expect a pretty “vanilla” showing from James Bettcher — but do expect to see an aggressive bunch up front.
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Look for Josh Mauro to also make some noise. The 6-foot-6, 282-pound defensive lineman has earned his place on the defense. In 2016, Mauro started 13 games and although didn’t record a sack, he made an impact being a force at stopping the run game. Not a household name and somewhat flying under the radar, the Stanford product has turned into quite the steal. “He’s not under my radar,” coach Bruce Arians said.
What I’m looking forward to most while key players are on the field, is the play of the secondary. After a terrible showing from Brandon Williams last week, it will be nice to see Patrick Peterson and Tramon Williams get some work in. Mix in “the best player in the world” in Tyrann Mathieu, and you start to get a clearer picture as to how this defense will look come Week 1 against the Lions.
Huge expectations lean on the shoulders of James Bettcher, as he tries to orchestrate his players to dominance once again. But his coach certainly has faith in him. “I’ve felt great about this defense since the spring,” coach Arians recently said. I certainly do concur with B.A. on that statement.