CARDINALS REGROUP
Cards WR, 2 others remain on Reserve/COVID-19 list
When Kliff Kingsbury sat down to watch the film of the Cardinals’ 20-17 loss to the Patriots, it didn’t feel much different than watching it in real time. The missed opportunities were still there, and there weren’t any earth-shattering revelations a day later.
“I don’t think so,” the Cardinals head coach said Monday. “Obviously, we had some opportunities there throughout the game to win the game and didn’t get it done. Kind of saw it like I did (Sunday).”
What will be different moving forward is what players the Arizona Cardinals have to work with. The team will be using this week to see when a few players will be able to return.
Kingsbury said Monday that he is hopeful that three players — wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, safety Deionte Thompson and wide receiver Trent Sherfield — will be back for this Sunday’s home game against the Rams. All three were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list last week.
“Talking with (Head Athletic Trainer) Tom Reed, we’re hopeful that all three guys will be available for Sunday, but that remains to be seen,” he said. “(Fitzgerald) is doing well, I know that. So, we’re going to go through those protocols, and hopefully we have those guys for the game this weekend.”
While Fitzgerald is most wellknown of the three, Kingsbury said the team missed Sherfield on special teams coverage in particular.
“He is a big part of that, there’s no question,” Kingsbury said. “We’ve got to make those plays when we have opportunity regardless of
who’s out there. But he takes a lot of pride in that, we take a lot of pride in that unit and he’s been really solid for us.”
New England was able to capitalize on the short field a few times in a game that was otherwise well handled by the Cardinals defense.
Kingsbury said that he is “hopeful” that rookie defensive lineman Rashard Lawrence will be back soon, and that fellow rookie Leki Fotu will be back soon as well. Kingsbury also intimated that Jordan Phillips could return, which was always the hope, but with no set timeline.
“You’d like to get Jordan (Phillips) going, obviously, as the season goes on and he heals up,” he said. “But I was proud of the unit that played yesterday, and I thought Dom (Domata Peko Sr.) came in and gave us a good boost, played hard. We just got to continue to build there with some of those young guys when they get back.”
Simmons hit
With less than a minute left in the game, rookie linebacker Isaiah Simmons was called for unnecessary roughness penalty on 3rd and 13. Kingsbury said Monday he had not had any clarification on the call, where quarterback Cam Newton was still in bounds.
“Not yet, but I saw it as you did,” he said.
“It’s close. We understand in this league that they’re going to protect the quarterbacks. That’s a big running quarterback, and it was a close play.”
Extra point
The Cardinals released Evan Baylis on Monday.
tight end