Arians less critical of Cardinals’ play day after Indy
Arizona head coach after reviewing game film: Palmer ‘played a whole lot better than I thought he did’
TEMPE — After viewing video of Arizona’s 16-13 overtime win at Indianapolis, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians was a lot less critical of his team’s play, particularly Carson Palmer’s performance.
“He played a whole lot better than I thought he did,” Arians said, “a whole lot better.”
Palmer completed 19 of 36 passes for 332 yards and Arizona’s lone touchdown with one particularly ugly interception.
“Really the only poor play that Carson had,” Arians said Monday.
The offense slogged along through three quarters and Arizona trailed 13-3 after Adam Vinatieri’s 29-yard field goal with 11:29 to play.
The Cardinals’ comeback started on their next possession, with the team facing third-and-20 from their 18-yard line. Somehow, Palmer hit Jaron Brown with a 22-yard pass to the 40.
“One for the ages,” Arians said.
Brown said Monday “it’s not how you usually want to do it but Carson made a great throw. I was lucky to come down with that one.”
A roughing-the-passer penalty added 15 more yards.
The next play was a 45yard touchdown pass to J.J. Nelson, who caught five passes for 120 yards.
The Cardinals won it after Tyrann Mathieu intercepted Jacoby Brissett’s pass on the first play of overtime. Phil Dawson, who missed what would have been the game winner from 42 yards at the end of regulation, made a 30-yarder to give Arizona the shaky victory.
“Mental errors, execution,” Brown said of the offense’s struggles. “It comes down to making plays.”
Arians said Palmer was under pressure too much and laid the blame on the offensive line. By omission, he singled out the right side for criticism.
He said left tackle John Wetzel, filling in for the injured D.J. Humphries, “had a good game.” Left guard Alex Boone, playing in place of injured Mike Iupati, “had a solid game,” the coach said, and center A.Q. Shipley “had a real good game.”
That leaves right guard Evan Boehm and right tackle Jared Veldheer. Switched from the left side this season, Veldheer had trouble all afternoon with the Colts’ pass rush.
“It’s not easy,” Arians said of the switch, “but he’s had enough work at it now to use the proper technique. He’s got to trust his technique.”
Chris Johnson, just resigned after being released in the final roster cuts, was the most effective Arizona running back, gaining 44 yards on 11 carries.
“I liked what I saw in Chris,” Arians said. “He’s more than ready to go.”
But the coach wouldn’t commit to moving Johnson to the top of the depth chart for next Monday night’s home opener against Dallas. Johnson said that didn’t concern him.
“I just went out there and controlled what I could control and made the most of my opportunities,” he said. “That’s all I can do. Everything else is out of my control.”
Of the four game balls awarded by the coach, Nelson was the only offensive player to get one. The others went to Mathieu, inside linebacker Karlos Dansby and inside linebacker Chandler Jones.
Dansby, who calls the defensive signals, had a team-high 10 tackles. Jones had seven tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits and a forced fumble.
Arians was optimistic that Iupati (triceps) and tight end Jermaine Gresham (ribs) would be back for the Cowboys.
Humphries, out with a sprained knee, is “not anywhere near playing yet,” Arians said, but “with that injury, you could make great strides in two or three days.”
He was pessimistic about the chances of wide receiver John Brown (quadriceps) being able to play.
“It doesn’t look hopeful,” Arians said. “It would have to be miraculous.”
With the victory, Arians moved into a tie with Don Coryell for most wins by a coach in franchise history at 42 (Ken Whisenhunt leads with 49). Arians’ reaction? “It was a bad team for a long time,” he said.
NOTES
The Cardinals are tied with Washington for most second-most overtime wins in NFL history (25). Denver has 28 . ... Palmer became the franchise leader with his 23rd 300-yard passing performance. He had been tied with Hall of Famer Kurt Warner with 22.
CLEMSON, S.C. — No. 2 Clemson made it through its difficult start unblemished and now the defending Atlantic Coast Conference and national champs look poised for another title run.
Not that the Tigers are all that interested in talking much about it.
Clemson co-offense coordinator Tony Elliott said the team is focused on next week, not the next three months.
“I don’t expect that to change. It’s the quality of the young men that we have, the character we have, the fundamentals of our program that everything’s earned,” Elliott said Monday. “That we earn everything every day.”
And that means not looking past the next opponent, which for the Tigers (3-0, 1-0 ACC) is Boston College (1-2, 0-1) at home Saturday.
Elliott said his offense had so many questions entering the season with seven new starters, including quarterback Kelly Bryant who was taking over for two-time Heisman Trophy finalist Deshaun Watson, that coaches were eager to see them in action. They knew they would get answers against top-15 opponents in Auburn and Louisville.
Clemson’s defense was dominant with 11 sacks in defeating Auburn 14-6. Then this past week, Bryant led a dynamic offense and outplayed Heisman winner Lamar Jackson in the Tigers’ 47-21 dismantling of the Cardinals.
“These guys like each other,” coach Dabo Swinney said. “They’re hungry. They pull for each other and practice the right way. We have the type of depth you dream of as a coach.”
Clemson’s depth might not get tested much the next couple of months, but a lot of players are expected to get playing time. The Tigers will be favored to win — many by sizeable margins — the rest of their regular season games. The biggest challenges should be at No. 13 Virginia Tech in two weeks and No. 12 Florida State at Death Valley on Nov. 11.
Clemson has won its past four against the Hokies, including a 42-35 win in last year’s ACC title game.