Five things Seahawks fans need to know about this week’s opponent, the Arizona Cardinals
Each NFL season, you’ve got teams who tend to fly under the radar. For example, you’ve got the Tennessee Titans who flew under the radar for most, if not the entire 2018 NFL season and are a contender for a playoff spot in the AFC.
Then you have the Arizona Cardinals, a team who didn’t even register on most radars. However, the beginning of the end is near as the Seattle Seahawks take on the Arizona Cardinals in the season finale on Sunday. So what are five things you need to know about the Arizona Cardinals?
Cardinals may be looking for a new coach, again
You may have forgotten that Bruce Arians is no longer the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals after retiring this past season. Well, his replacement may be on his way out and it’s not for retirement either.
Steve Wilks is in his first season and things have not gone so well for the 3-12 Cardinals. He’s had to deal with a rookie quarterback, a struggling defense and a team that is in desperate need of transition. On Sunday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Cardinals may be ready to jettison from Wilks.
If you’re looking to fire a coach who was dealt a bad hand his first season, maybe you should get rid of the general manager who put him in that spot to begin with.
Larry Fitzgerald shenanigans
He’s in the last season or two of his stellar career and will be headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and even maybe the broadcast booth. However, Larry Fitzgerald’s season has been about him having fun with some sideline reporters.
First he had a playful tackle on his former teammate and NFL Network analyst Kurt Warner. Kurt, wasn’t too happy about it.
Then you had this past Sunday where Fitzgerald gave FOX’s Pam Oliver smelling salts, because it is the holiday season I’m guessing.
Sam Rosen and Brady Quinn will be doing Sunday’s contest in Seattle so I’m guessing there won’t be any funny shenanigans from Fitzgerald.
Josh Rosen, the future
When he was drafted in the spring of 2018, he was the clear replacement for Carson Palmer. So how has Josh Rosen done in his first season with the Cardinals?
When compared to the rest of the top rookie signal callers, Rosen ranks in the middle of the pack with just over 2,100 yards through the air. In his first go vs. the Seahawks, Rosen threw one touchdown pass and had 180 yards. He also had what some might consider a welcome to the NFL moment with Bobby Wagner from the Seahawks
Asked if he’d help up Rosen this coming Sunday, Wagner offered a hint as to his decision.
A Christmas present for the defense
Former Washington Redskins defensive back D.J. Swearinger sounded off on his unhappiness with the organization, and blasted his coaches. For that he was given an early Christmas present; he was released early Monday afternoon. The Cardinals, ranking 24th against the pass in the league and first for waiver claims, grabbed him.
Swearinger was signed early Tuesday and has already learned one lesson that he’s talking with him from D.C. to Arizona: Keep your mouth shut.
“(I) understand it wasn’t my role to call out the defensive coaches even though we had a relationship,” Swearinger told reporters Wednesday. “Me and the coaches, we had a good relationship. You know, I’ll keep my mouth shut next time and just keep (my head down) and play football and do what I need to do on the field and let my past do the talking.”
A loss and they make history…. the bad kind
If the Arizona Cardinals lose this Sunday in Seattle, they will have clinched the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft with the worst record in the league at 3-13. It has been a while since the Arizona Cardinals had the top pick in a draft. You have to go all the way back to 1958 when the Chicago Cardinals had the top pick.
Sixty-one years ago the Cardinals selected Rice QB King Hill with first selection. Hill only lasted three seasons as a Cardinal before being shipped to Philadelphia where he spent a majority of time as punter.