Timing right in many ways for Cardinals back Drake
Kliff Kingsbury likes running back Kenyan Drake’s timing. He likes his quick twitch and his ability to evade defenders in open space.
And his timing was good in many ways Sunday, as Drake propelled the Cardinals to a 38-24 win over the Browns in Arizona. With two games left on his rookie deal, a four-touchdown game is good timing for Drake as he heads into the free agency.
“I would say that’s a pretty good game for the timing of it,” coach Kingsbury said Monday. “He’s been waiting to show what he can do and be kind of the focus point of an offense for probably seven years, since Alabama, now. That was nice to see him have a breakout game, if you will.”
Kingsbury had Drake on his radar since the running back was at Alabama. He didn’t need to do any convincing to get General Manager Steve Keim on board. And once again, the timing was right.
“Steve (Keim) was fired up about it,” Kingsbury said. “I’m not sure what would’ve happened had Chase (Edmonds) not gotten hurt at that point. We liked what Chase was doing. We obviously liked David (Johnson). We thought we had two really good backs, but Chase got hurt. Kenyan was out there, and we felt like he was a phenomenal fit.”
Johnson did return one kick Sunday for 24 yards, with Pharoh Cooper returning the other three. Kingsbury said after the game that they would rewatch the film to decide on that moving forward. Edmonds was only on the field for special teams, logging two tackles.
There hasn’t been a balanced rotation between the three as far as number of offensive snaps, but those varied levels of involvement seems fine by Kingsbury.
“I don’t know if it’s been more difficult. I just don’t want to force it,” Kingsbury said. “I think that’s the biggest thing. You don’t want to just put plays in there to put plays in there. Week to week, it could vary.”
Getting any player in a rhythm is a focus for Kingsbury, and with that, it can scale back play time for others. But he’s shown he’s not afraid to work with a new cast. Drake is perhaps the most prominent example of that, but tight end Dan Arnold is the latest. Arnold, who arrived in Phoenix the first week of December, made himself known first with his his hands and later with his name.
“I think it was the very first day he was on the scout team and going up and just ‘Mossing’ people, and everybody’s kind of ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing,’ and we didn’t even know his name,” Kingsbury said on Arnold, eventually chuckling. “Not too long thereafter, we put him in offensively, and he’s picked it up quickly.”
While Arnold is on the lighter side for a tight end, at 6-6, 220, and while Kingsbury says there is some flexibility in the offense, the coach still likes Arnold at tight end, including in blocking. Plus, the Cardinals liked how he matched up out wide.
“We did. We felt like, obviously, (there was) a height advantage, and being able to give him a chance in the corner of the end zone was kind of a last-resort throw there,” Kingsbury said. “But it was us-or-nobodytype throw, and Kyler made a great throw. He obviously made a great catch.”
Reddick, Vallejo day to day
Linebackers Haason Reddick (groin) and Tanner Vallejo (ribs) both left Sunday’s game with injuries. Kingsbury did not have an update on their injury status after the game, and on Monday said they’re still working through both players.
“We’ll see,” he said. “It’s kind of day-to-day at this point on both guys. We’re going to see how they feel Wednesday and take it from there.”
Reddick, in particular, was expected to have an expanded role on the defense, shifting back to outside linebacker.
Suggs reportedly picked up by Chiefs
According to reports, linebacker Terrell Suggs, released by the Cardinals on Friday, is headed to a team with playoff hopes. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network first reported that Suggs had been claimed off wires by the Chiefs.
The 17-year veteran spent the first 16 years of his career in Baltimore, and there were reports that he was angling to head back there and that he would not report otherwise.
Four teams put in claims for Suggs: New Orleans, San Francisco, Seattle and Kansas City. Even at 10-4, the Chiefs have the worst record of that group. The claim does help the Cardinals as far as salary cap, as they are now off the hook for part of his contract.