Cards’ run game pivotal vs. Broncos
Johnson has rushed for 9 TDs in prime-time games
Justin Pugh just chuckled on Wednesday when he was asked if he had heard the “we’re going to kick their ass” comments a day earlier from Broncos linebacker Von Miller.
Yes, the Cardinals’ guard heard the sound bite. Everybody on the Cardinals heard it, too, in advance of Thursday night’s game against Miller and the Broncos.
But Pugh’s heard it before. It was just a year ago when he and the Giants visited the Broncos for a Week 6 game on “Sunday Night Football.” The Giants were 0-5 and Miller went on one of his rants, mocking winless New York and calling the Giants unflattering names.
“I find out on Friday I’m playing right tackle and I’ve got to go out there and block Von Miller,” recalled Pugh, who will try to play Thursday night with a broken left hand. “Well, we went out there and ran for 150 yards, won the game and Von Miller was saying the same stuff before. He was saying, ‘Oh, they’re the little Giants’ and all this stuff, and we went out there and we beat them. We beat them handily.
“So I’ve been in the same exact situation before, almost a year to the day. We’ve just got to go out there and we’ve got to prove it. We’ve got to do the same thing.”
Coaching staffs under fire
Thursday night’s prime time game at State Farm Stadium, which will be shown on both FOX (Channel 10) and the NFL Network, isn’t exactly must-see TV. But it could be very interesting to watch for another reason as both coaching staffs are under heavy fire.
A Broncos’ loss could spell the end of coach Vance Joseph’s short tenure in Denver. A Cardinals’ loss could trigger the firing of offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, who was jettisoned from the same position a year ago by the Broncos after 10 games.
This potential high-stakes game figures to hinge squarely on the running game.
The Broncos have the worst rush defense in the league, allowing 161.3 yards per game, including a whopping 573 yards the past two weeks alone in losses to the Jets and Rams. The Cardinals, meanwhile, rank last in the league in rushing, averaging just 64 yards a game, and their rush defense is second-toworst overall, allowing 151.2 yards per game.
Cardinals running back David Johnson is still searching for his first 100-yard rushing game of the season and you’d think he’d be licking his chops to go up against Denver’s run defense. The Broncos, after all, just became the first team since the NFL merger in 1970 to allow back-to-back, 200-yard rushers in the Jets’ Isaiah Crowell (219) and the Rams’ Todd Gurley (208).
Instead of exuding confidence over the thought of becoming the third straight running back to hit 200 or more yards against the Broncos, Johnson was curiously cautious about the idea.
“My biggest thing when I see that is probably there’s a little bit more pressure because of that reason,” he said Wednesday. “Me, I have to really focus in on every little thing, all details, and let the yards come. … I definitely have confidence in myself and my abilities, it’s always just the little things. It’s me missing a block or me missing a hole or someone being in the wrong spot. Just the little things that are hurting.”
How do Cardinals get Johnson going?
In nine previous prime time appearances, Johnson has been electrifying. He’s rushed for 763 yards and nine touchdowns to go along with 32 receptions for 273 yards and a touchdown. The Cardinals also have gone 7-1-1 in those games.
“We want to get the whole entire offense going, not just one guy, but everybody,” McCoy said. “We all know we can play better as an offense.”
One way to do that is by getting Johnson back to where he was during his AllPro season of 2016, when he led the league in yards from scrimmage and total touchdowns. Nothing would make him happier, he said, than finding that groove once again after a disappointing sixgame stretch to open the year. That’s been hard to do, however, when nearly 80 percent of his runs have been straight up the middle.
“It would be amazing to do that in front of so many people watching. We’re the only game playing,” Johnson said. “For me to come out and have a breakout game would be a good turnaround for the offense and everyone. Everyone’s looking at me because of the success I had in past years and I definitely want to take on that role. I want to do as much as I can to lift the offense and get everyone going.”
It might not matter, though, if the Cardinals can’t get their act together at stopping the run themselves. They were just run over by the Vikings this past Sunday, 27-17, when they allowed a season-high 195 rushing yards. Defensive coordinator Al Holcomb said other than five explosive plays, the run defense did its job. But it didn’t do its job because they gave up those five explosive plays that helped swing the game.
“I’ve sensed more of a sense of urgency form the defense the last two days,” Holcomb said, “because it’s getting to a point where we can’t live this way. We can’t live this way.”
Given the Cardinals’ disappointing record, coach Steve Wilks dismissed Miller’s comments and all bulletin-board material in general.
“If we need that to get us motivated to play a football game, being 1-5 right now, we’re in trouble. So I really don’t take a lot into what he said,” Wilks said Wednesday. “He’s very confident about his ability and his team but the great thing about this game is the outcome is determined on the field and we’ll see what happens come tomorrow.”
Injury update
Three players have been ruled out for the Cardinals – safety Tre Boston (ribs), left guard Mike Iupati (back) and backup guard Jeremy Vujnovich (hamstring). Rudy Ford will start in place of Boston and either John Weztel or Daniel Munyer will fill in for Iupati. Pugh and cornerback Jamar Taylor (back) are questionable.
Five players have been ruled out for the Broncos. They are cornerback Adam Jones (thigh), outside linebacker Shane Ray (ankle/wrist), tackle Jared Veldheer (knee), guard Ron Leary (Achilles), and safety Dymonte Thomas (chest).
Former Sun Devil activated by Broncos
Former Arizona State offensive lineman Sam Jones, who went to ThunderRidge High School in Highlands Ranch near Denver and was a sixth-round draft pick of his favorite team growing up, was activated by the Broncos on Wednesday. He's expected to make his NFL debut on Thursday, about 26 miles from where he played college football.