Johnson back sooner than first expected?

Keim: Quicker recovery possible

Initially, the Cardinals assumed running back David Johnson might not be able to return from a season-opening wrist injury until possibly Christmas.

Imagine how the team would feel if Johnson is able to play again shortly after Halloween.

By NFL rules, the soonest Johnson can return is Nov. 9 vs. Seattle.

General Manager Steve Keim said Monday that he wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if the third-year pro recovers faster than expected following surgery to repair a dislocation and ligament damage in his left wrist, which is now in a cast.

During his weekly radio appearance with Arizona Sports 98.7-FM, Keim said he visited with Johnson recently and that he thinks Johnson might be back a lot sooner than the two to three months it was originally thought he would be sidelined.

“My conversation with David was you can’t listen to what everybody says about the length of time you’re going to miss because nobody can forecast that, especially when you’re a genetic freak like him,” Keim said.

“We all heal differently, and I wouldn’t be surprised if David heals faster than most when it comes to that injury.”

Moving on up

Sunday’s 16-13 overtime victory over the Colts marked the 42nd win for Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians, tying him with the late Don Coryell for second place on the franchise all-time win list. Ken Whisenhunt has the most wins by a Cardinals coach with 49.

Asked what it means to be ranked so high in such a short amount of time considering the Cardinals are actually the oldest franchise in the NFL, Arians offered a great one-liner.

“It was a bad team for a long time,” he said.

“No, to be even mentioned with Coach Coryell, that’s mind-boggling to me. He was one of my great idols watching that team play.”

Arians’ coaching style is similar to how Coryell liked to call plays, specifically when it comes to the passing game and taking a half dozen or so shots deep down the field.

“I hope so,” Arians said. “It would be great to be compared (to him).”

The sack master

With two sacks of Jacoby Brissett in Sunday’s game, Cardinals outside linebacker Chandler Jones now has 261⁄2 dating to the start of the 2015 season and is tied with Denver’s Von Miller for the second-highest total in the league during that span.

Oakland’s Khalil Mack has the most with 27.

Sunday’s performance leaves Jones with multiple sacks in a game 14 times in his career, including four times as a member of the Cardinals. Dating back to his second NFL season in 2013, only Houston’s J.J. Watt (16) has more multisack games than Jones.

“Oh, he was outstanding,” Arians said of Jones, who now has at least one sack in 11 of the 18 games he has played for Arizona since his trade from New England. “He was relentless in his pass rush.”

Asked where he rates Jones among the game’s best pass rushers, Arians said: “He’s one of them. He’s one of the top five, I would say.”

Injury update

It’s still too early to tell, but Arians said there’s a good chance that tight end Jermaine Gresham (ribs) and left guard Mike Iupati (triceps) could be able to return to the starting lineup for Monday night’s home opener against the Cowboys.

The news probably won’t be so good this week for wide receiver John Brown (quadriceps) and left tackle D.J. Humphries (MCL sprain), Arians said.

“It doesn’t look hopeful,” Arians said of Brown. “It would have to be miraculous.”

As for Humphries, Arians said: “He’s better, but not anywhere near playing yet. That injury, though, you can make great strides in two or three days.”