Revenge of the Birds
The Arizona Cardinals face the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday. Seattle is currently leading the NFC West Division with a 6-2-0 record. The Cardinals are at a critical stage of the schedule where any losses make any playoff aspirations get that much further away. Sitting at 2-5-0 and dead last in the division, it could be too late already.
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Or maybe not. But it must begin with beating the Seahawks, who are a very good ballclub.
Last week’s contest against the Dallas Cowboys, the Cardinals got some valuable help with the first appearance of first-round draft pick Walter Nolen, who had a fine debut. The team also got the services of Garrett Williams back from injury, as the team became a bit healthier.
This week, the news is troubling as Arizona will need every capable body in their tool box to knock off the division leader, and on the road.
Word from the Cardinals now states that three players will not make the Seattle trip: S Max Melton, CB Will Johnson, and LB Mack Wilson. All three are not only starters on the defense, but key components.
Wilson had a tremendous game against Dallas. He tied for the most total tackles with seven, and was everywhere. He did drop a sure interception, but had great run support.
In the third quarter, Dallas receiver CeeDee Lamb caught a 10-yard pass with Wilson the only man left and a great open field tackle. On the very next play, it was Wilson who nailed RB Javonte Williams for no gain. He missed a tackle with 17 seconds before the final period began. Left the game with a rib injury.
Melton left the game in the second quarter and was replaced by rookie Denzel Burke who had played sparingly on defense all year but was used on special teams in punt and kickoff coverage. Burke responded well and was a critical defender in this game. In the third quarter, he made a great open-field tackle on WR KaVontae Turpin for a six-yard gain on a third-and-14. Who can forget when Burke poked that pass away from Lamb on that fourth-down play in the Red Zone that may have saved the game?
Melton is in concussion protocol, which takes nine days.
He saved a touchdown when Williams went up the middle for 19 yards as Burke got a hand on his foot to trip him up, or he would have scored. And as the game was winding down, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott heaved a pass as far as he could throw it into the waiting arms of Burke to seal the game.
Johnson is proving he is one of the league’s best young cornerbacks. But so far, he can’t remain healthy. Against Dallas, he was assigned the Cowboys’ other really good receiver in George Pickens, who had just one catch in the first half. Johnson is listed with back/hip injuries.
Burke will start in Melton’s spot while fellow rookie Cody Simon...
