Attitude adjustment leads Cardinals’ defense to better performance.
INDIANAPOLIS – The Colts scored a touchdown on their first possession against the Cardinals on Sunday, gaining 53 yards and converting on all four third-down situations. They were nearly shut down after that, however, scoring just two field goals and gaining 213 yards.
What was the difference for the Cardinals?
“Our attitude,” said defensive end Frostee Rucker. “We were out there searching for things to come to us instead of just going to get them. In the second half, we just hunkered down and took the plays and made them count.”
Outside linebacker Chandler Jones had four tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in the second half. Safety Tyrann Mathieu intercepted a pass in overtime. Safety Budda Baker made a good tackle on third down. Cornerback Justin Bethel broke up a pass on third down.
“It’s the NFL,” Mathieu said. “A lot of the time we need to weather the storm. Different phases that a team is going to have to compensate for other phases of the team. So just try to weather the storm defensively.”
It was offensive
The Cardinals offense worked only occasionally on Sunday, and there is much work to be done before the next game, Monday night against the Cowboys.
Five starters missed Sunday’s game because of injuries: running back David Johnson (wrist), tight end Jermaine Gresham (ribs), left tackle D.J. Humphries (knee), left guard Mike Iupati (triceps) and receiver John Brown (quadriceps).
With so many changes, quarterback Carson Palmer wasn’t surprised there were rough moments on Sunday.
“We were short on a couple of personnel groups,” he said. “We had to change some stuff at the last minute when we realized Jermaine wasn’t going to play, and we weren’t sure about Troy (Niklas).”
Niklas, who suffered a hip injury last week, played. So did tight end Ifeanyi Momah. But often the two tight ends in the game were Niklas and Will Holden, a rookie tackle. That group gave the Cardinals more blocking power.
“He (Holden) has probably never done that in his life,” Palmer said. “So there were some just very difficult situations we were in.”
Coach Bruce Arians admitted he wondered on the sideline what it was going to take to start moving the ball.
“It was times that were like, ‘When are we going to get this thing going?’ ” he said. “And it would be second and 15 again. We had a couple long runs called back.”
Team effort
Mathieu apparently wasn’t the only one who made a good play on his interception in overtime. Outside linebacker Karlos Dansby said he felt the ball hit his hands before Mathieu stole it. And according to a source close to Rucker, Rucker hit quarterback Jacoby Brissett when he threw it.
Asked how it felt to see Mathieu get the interception, Rucker said, “It felt a lot better hitting the quarterback to let it happen.”
A rough outing
The Colts called timeout before Cardinals kicker Phil Dawson’s first attempt at a game-winning field goal in regulation went through the uprights.
Dawson’s second attempt went wide right, and the game went into overtime.
Dawson thought a defender ran into him on the play, but no flag was thrown.
“I don’t flop,” Dawson said, “and I don’t remember thinking, ‘Go down.’ The referee told me he thought my motion was complete. I said, ‘It obviously wasn’t since I’m on the ground.’ But they’re not going to throw a flag with the game on the line, so you just have to regroup and go for it again.”