The Arizona Cardinals lost 20–17 on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, extending their losing streak to four games. However, the team received praise and was admired by their opponent for a variety of reasons. On the other hand, some quotes raised questions for the public.
Baker Mayfield (reported by Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic)
“They throw a bunch of like-bodies in there, they make you ID different fronts…I had to flip the protection a lot. They do a really good job at that.”
Mayfield completed 18-of-28 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown, a solid performance from the 30-year-old who was playing through a shoulder injury that he suffered a week prior. A solid stat line against a team with a healthy secondary, but it is worth noting that the Arizona pass rush is banged up, missing Walter Nolen III.
In short, Mayfield is giving his props to Cardinals’ defensive coordinator Nick Rallis for the pass rush packages that he designed against what is a solid Buccaneers offensive line. Doing so without Nolen is even more impressive.
Nick Rallis (also reported by Theo Mackie)
“We gotta coach this better, and we have to execute this better, but you have to be aware of the refs telling you who’s reporting…And any time the starting tackle reports, you gotta know there’s a reason.”
Rallis is referring to the play in the second quarter when Buccaneers’ tackle, Tristan Wirfs, caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Baker Mayfield. This play proved to be vital as the Cardinals only lost by three points, and to think what the outcome of the drive would’ve been, as it was third down.
The Cardinals' defense is full of talent, but it is all incredibly young. Cody Simon in particular will be a cornerstone on that side of the ball, and we believe he already is. However, at the same time, he is still a rookie and needs to learn to pick up when players who are normally marked as ineligible report in.
Conclusion
Looking back at interviews, press conferences, and other media, the Cardinals gained a ton of praise while at the same time being ridiculed by staffers within. At the end of the day, you just have to move on, celebrate the small wins, and improve on the elements that are in your control. Head coach Jonathan Gannon is already focused on next weekend, when the Los Angeles Rams (9–3) come to town.
This will be a tough game for Arizona, as L.A. is coming off the losing end of one of the league’s biggest upsets. It will be interesting to see how Gannon gameplans for the always explosive offense.