The Cardinals were missing key defenders all over the field in their 44–22 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Starting cornerbacks Will Johnson and Max Melton, along with middle linebacker and team captain Mack Wilson Sr., headlined a full injury report.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis had to rely on young, inexperienced players to make plays on Sunday. While the final score doesn’t show it, it is worth giving a pair of rookies out of Ohio State their flowers, as they showed why they could be the future of that defense.
Linebacker Cody Simon made his first career start on Sunday. As a matter of fact, he wore the team’s green dot (helmet microphone). The 23-year-old played every defensive snap, and he led the team in tackles with seven (3 solo, 3 assisted). Simon received a Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade of 92.1, including a coverage grade of 91.1. He was all over the field.
While Arizona’s pass defense got shredded by Jaxon Smith-Njigba and company, they were down both starters and were relying on another rookie to pick up the slack. Denzel Burke, who intercepted Dak Prescott last week, made it two weeks in a row that he recorded a takeaway in the stat sheet. On a Sam Darnold pass that was deflected at the line, Burke had to stop on a dime and dive toward the ball to make the play.
Despite the blowout loss, Gannon should be thrilled to see his two former Buckeyes making plays all over the field, and this is definitely something that the team can build off. The two of them proved that they could find themselves in the franchise’s long-term picture, as both are talented and on affordable contracts.
Props to general manager Monti Ossenfort and his team for identifying quality talent in the draft.