Kingsbury adjusts as Cardinals injuries mount
Arizona Cardinals’ defensive lineman J.J. Watt, the team’s most high-profile off-season acquisition, has been ruled out of Thursday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers and ESPN reported late Wednesday he may face seasonending shoulder surgery.
Watt injured his shoulder in Sunday’s game against his former team, the Houston Texans, but continued to play.
The team did not practice Wednesday, but Watt was ruled out for Thursday.
ESPN’s NFL Insider Adam Schefter said on Twitter Wednesday night the injury may require surgery and end Watt’s season.
“Cardinals’ DE J.J. Watt will undergo what is now likely to be season-ending shoulder surgery, sources tell ESPN. No date set yet for surgery. Watt hurt his shoulder in the second quarter Sunday and still managed to play the rest of the game with the injury,’’ he tweeted.
Kingsbury and Thursdays
Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury likes his team playing in Thursday Night Football games, even though he has yet to win one.
After being 0-2 on that day, Kingsbury told reporters he looks forward to playing the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night at home, the NFL’s only game on FOX and NFL Network kicking off at 5:20 p.m., because “your team is on a big stage.”
“The short rest/recovery part of the preparations is tough on players and staff, but I think it’s a great showcase game for the organization,” Kingsbury told reporters on Wednesday morning.
Maybe the third time will be a charm for Kingsbury, but he has multiple starting player injuries to adjust for the undefeated Cardinals’ (7-0) offensive and defensive lines. That includes offensive lineman Max Garcia, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (hamstring), and nose tackle Rashard Lawrence, and defensive end J.J. Watt ruled out because of his shoulder injury.
Watt was listed as out after Kingsbury talked to the media on Wednesday.
Garcia is their backup center who replaced their starter Rodney Hudson for the past two games after Hudson suffered a rib injury in the Cardinals’ Week 5 home win over the San Francisco 49ers. Garcia missed the practice on Monday and Tuesday because of an Achilles injury.
Hopkins, Lawrence and Watt have missed the past two practices as well, dealing with hamstring, calf and shoulder injuries, respectively.
“We’ll know more this afternoon, and then on game day, obviously we’ll assume those guys will be a game-day decision,” Kingsbury said Wednesday. “If Max won’t be able to go, Sean Harlow would be the center.”
Harlow, who’s played 53 snaps in five games this season, is listed as their second-string center and left guard and Garcia is their first-string center while Hudson is on the Reserve/Injured list.
Kingsbury said Hudson’s recovery has been slow. Harlow played some time at left guard when Justin Pugh was replaced because of his back injury during their Week 3 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“He’s played it before, and he’s got a bunch of reps in our system,” Kingsbury said about Harlow. “We’ll sit Rodney out some Wednesdays, or just limit him Wednesdays, and during those days Sean has gotten some good work. So, there’s a high level of confidence how he’ll be able to perform if he’s called upon.”
Similar to A.J. Green’s Week 3 statement about Hopkins, “He’ll be fine, Hop don’t miss games,” Kingsbury echoed that prediction about his All-Pro WR. He also addressed the backup plan for the center position as well.
“If it’s Hop and it’s a national TV game, I know he’ll try to be out there,” Kingsbury said. “He likes those bright lights and he usually plays pretty good. We’ll have a few guys who will be on deck: Justin Pugh has played center; Beach (right tackle Kelvin Beachum) has played center, so hopefully we don’t get to that point.”
“Mini-bye,” recovery break after Packers
The banged-up Cardinals will get a much needed respite after their climactic midpoint of the season against the Packers.
Arizona will have a four-day break from Friday through Sunday before they return to practice on Nov. 2 to prepare for their Week 9 road matchup against NFC West division rival San Francisco 49ers on Nov. 7.
That will be the Cardinals’ second four-day break since the NFL’s first-ever mandated a four-day break that began at the season’s start between Sept. 2-5.
“We try to view it as a positive,” Kingsbury said. “Rest and recovery and give them kind of a mini-bye, if you will. I think that’s how most people around the league view that. Particularly if you win, it turns into a pretty positive thing for most guys.”