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Well that was much needed! Following a tough home loss, the Cardinals played well as a team, making them all winners this week. Add in the losses for the Seahawks and Rams, and suddenly, the sky isn't falling in Glendale (at least for the moment). But some players need some individual praise, and a few.... maybe could step it up. Let's get to it!
WINNERS-
Cardinals Secondary- Might be tough to find a bigger winner from this group than Marcus Cooper, who clearly staked his case as CB2. The 2 interceptions were just icing on the cake- he was in great position for nearly every ball thrown his way, taking away any perceived "weak link" in the secondary. Swearinger and Pat Pete added picks of their own. Tony Jefferson recovered a fumble and led the team with 11 tackles. Tyvon Branch had 10. This group led the charge for a defense allowing just 7 points.
Larry Fitzgerald's Eventual Hall of Fame Induction- Where do i start? The big catch in the first half? The 101st touchdown, with Grimes all over him? The TD that wasn't? Even when he's not making plays, he's making plays. Case in point- when Fitzgerald's corner route froze the safety long enough for Jaron Brown to sneak past him.
Josh Mauro- I had to spotlight this kid. Defensive lineman are always doing the dirty work, battling in the trenches, and sometimes we overlook them. You might look at the stats, see 1 tackle, and write him off. But who tipped that pass that Cooper eventually took to the house? Mauro. Who made the big play recognizing another screen and shutting that down? Mauro. Liked what i saw from him today. #97 was hustling all game.
Baevid- He just keeps making yards when there doesn't look to be any. Oh, and he straight abused Kwon Alexander on the sideline. Just keep chugging. He's the truth.
Carson Palmer- No, he wasn't perfect. But it's hard to fault 18-33, 308 yards, 3 TDs, and zero turnovers. Plus, he passed Joe Montana on the career passing yards list. So he gets a shoutout.
LOSERS-
Cardinals Special Teams (excluding Butler)- I know what you're thinking, but no, Drew Butler wasn't bad today. 6 punts, averaging about 47 a kick, and dropping 3 inside the 20... that's a good day for a punter. But the rest of the guys need to step up their game. Canady- you have one job. Please snap better. Catman.... please make extra points. Kick returners, oh wait.....we didn't return a single kick today. Which means I could literally do their job. Watch me, I can take a knee with the best of them. Punt returns? John Brown returned one for seven yards before going out of bounds. Which puts our game total at- 6 punts, 7 yards. *yawn*
Brandon Williams- He did not have a bad game. He made solid tackles, and he didn't seem to have any lapses in coverage. But he didn't have a Marcus Cooper night, so he just might see his snap count drop a teensy bit. Sorry.
John Brown- Something's just up with him. He only had 3 targets on the night, finishing with one catch for 14 yards. One might wonder if he is falling down the depth chart, as Fitz, DJ, Floyd, and Fells all were targeted more this game.
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Well that's my thoughts on the game, let me know yours. Who'd I miss? Who deserves a shout-out for their game today? Sound off!