DC Vance Joseph annoyed by Cardinals allowing explosive games

TEMPE, Arizona – Eliminate, for example, 70 yards from Christian McCaffrey's Panthers running backs and the Cardinals would have allowed 3.3 yards per run instead of 5.2 last Sunday.

Obviously, a touchdown would also have been excluded.

Maybe Arizona wins.

Things are easier when they come in singles and doubles, and that's why Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is upset. He thinks Arizona has the body and the talent to be a strong defensive team, even without two starting half-cornerers, but the prospect of losing 38-20 against an effective quarterback last week does not look good.

On the one hand, the Cardinals can correct some explosive games that hurt them in weeks 1 and 3. On the other hand, a strong defensive performance during week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens is at this point. spectacular day.

"It's ok football from time to time. This is the big game you can not give up, "said Joseph as Arizona prepared to face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. "Good teams do not give up 76 yards and do not pass (52 yards) before the half. This is where we have to improve.

"The two explosives last week is unacceptable on my part and on the part of the players."

Joseph said the defense had "taken three steps back" after doing everything, but that she had defended Ravens' quarterback throw, Lamar Jackson, in the fourth quarter of a defeat. tight of the second week.

Before and after this game on the road, big games hurt the Cardinals in home games against the Lions and Panthers.

Last week, broken cover on receiver D.J. Moore gave Carolina a 14-10 lead and substitute quarterback Kyle Allen with 49 seconds left in the first period. A 76-yard touchdown by McCaffrey turned a 21-20 lead for the Panthers into an eight-point lead with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter.

"You can play 55 good football games and give up two and everyone is fed up," said Joseph. "I'm upset because of these two pieces."

S & D pressing Reddick

While linebacker Haason Reddick led the Cardinals with two defensive passes and added 10 tackles last week, Arizona coaches were slow to hint that he had completely caught up after missing almost all of the training camp due to a knee procedure.

Yet last week was the first in which he played such a large majority of shots at the linebacker alongside defensive quarterback Jordan Hicks, a sign that Reddick is at least physically able to take on a bigger role.

"It's a work in progress and he understands that," said Wednesday the Arizona head coach, Kliff Kingsbury. "We continue to learn our system – when you run out of time, you will need some time to catch up. His athleticism appears from week to week, and he continues to work hard and improve every week. "

Indeed, Reddick's athleticism became apparent, especially as the Cardinals watched Hicks and even his protections strive to conceal the facts of man-to-man coverage.

The most intriguing game of the first round selection of 2017 was a decisive pass thanks to its closing speed against McCaffrey, who settled in the apartment near the bench.

"He's better. is better, "said Joseph de Reddick. "He played a few plays last week. Everything was not perfect, but he is obviously productive because he is talented.

"He has to be on the field because, speaking of tight ends and runners on the ground, he is a guy with the physical qualities to cover this type of athletes."

Humphries not worried the contractual year

5th year pro D.J. Humphries faces a free situation after the 2019 season with a lot to prove.

He did not play in his rookie season after being dubbed "Knee Deep" by then coach Bruce Arians. The following year, he burst onto the scene, playing 13 games and passing a tackle right.

But in the last two years, his injuries have limited him to 15 games.

Humphries said Thursday that he was not worried about playing in a contract year and felt he had taken the necessary steps to assert that he was playing at his best.

"It's one of those pills I swallowed a long time ago," he said. "I thought thinking about it would do nothing for you. You can think all day at a salary, it's not yet Friday.

"Friday will come when he comes. It's inevitable. If you work all week as you are supposed to do, Friday is inevitable. "

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