Ep. 948 - A familiar face returned to the practice field on Wednesday. Running back Trey Benson was designated to return from the injured reserve list. Craig Grialou and Dani Sureck discuss how Benson looked in his first on-field work since late September and what a Benson return may mean for the offense as well as the rest of the running back room. (BTW, Benson was not the only familiar face back: punter Matt Haack was signed to the active roster and Trent Sherfield was added to the practice squad.) Also, Craig and Dani ask what Michael Wilson does for an encore, explain how effective Walter Nolen III has been - in a short amount of time, and appreciate BJ Ojulari’s season debut.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ep. 947 - On the 17th day of November, Paul Calvisi does a deep dive on the No. 17. That led to a discussion between him and Craig Grialou about Sunday’s 41-22 loss in which the Cardinals committed a franchise-record 17 penalties. Whether it was the penalties or the turnovers - there were three of them - the Cardinals did themselves no favors in losing to the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium. For the second straight week, the Cardinals fell behind early, and they did their best to play catch up the rest of the game. Jacoby Brissett, Michael Wilson, who earned Paul’s weekly Angry Bird Award, and Trey McBride each had great individual numbers, but the only numbers that mattered were on the scoreboard.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ep. 946 - Twelve times they’ve played against each other. Sunday will be No. 13 between Budda Baker and George Kittle. It’s one of the many storylines here in Week 11, when the San Francisco 49ers visit State Farm Stadium. Craig Grialou and Zach Gershman look ahead to the game, one the Cardinals would love to win for many reasons: help move past what happened in Seattle, split the season series with the 49ers, pick up their first division victory, and then - and maybe most importantly - teams always want to protect home field. The Cardinals have not played at home in almost a full calendar month. Plus, Craig and Zach talk with Matt Maiocco, who covers the 49ers for NBC Sports Bay Area. He joins the show to discuss a returning Brock Purdy among other Niners topics.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ep. 945 - First it was Zay Jones. Then Simi Fehoko. And now Marvin Harrison Jr. All three will miss this week’s game. (By the way, Jones will miss the rest of the season, while Fehoko is sidelined for at least four games.) So, it’s next man up in the wide receiver room. Craig Grialou and Dani Sureck discuss who’s in line to start and who’s in line to see more playing time. Receiver, though, is not the only position room dealing with injuries. The Cardinals held a walk-through rather than practice on Wednesday because of how banged up the team is after the loss at Seattle. Injuries, though, present opportunity. Also, Craig and Dani talk about the play of Darius Robinson, Zaven Collins and what the defense can expect from a Kyle Shanahan-coached offense on Sunday.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ep. 944 - After the loss on Sunday, head coach Jonathan Gannon made it clear. “At the end of the day, nothing good from that game, and it falls on me,” he told reporters. Very little went right for the Cardinals. They fell behind early - 35-0 just six minutes into the second quarter - and just could not dig themselves out of the hole. Craig Grialou and Paul Calvisi look back at the 44-22 loss, focusing a lot on the line of scrimmage; the offensive line struggled to protect Jacoby Brisssett and the defensive line found it difficult to slow down Sam Darnold and company. The guys do find a couple of positives: 1) the play of Trey McBride and 2) the bounce back of Emari Demercado, who earned this week’s Angry Bird Award.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ep. 943 - First, playing in Seattle is always difficult. Second, there may be no NFC team playing better than the Seahawks. So, yeah, it’s going to be a tough test on Sunday, which became much tougher with the Friday news that three defensive starters - Mack Wilson Sr., Max Melton and Will Johnson - will not play because of injury. Craig Grialou and Zach Gershman, the award-winning Zach Gershman by the way - don’t worry it’s explained during the show - discuss how the Cardinals may handle the absence of Mack, Max and Will. Later, Craig and Zach head into enemy territory. They are joined by John Boyle, senior reporter for Seahawks-dot-com, to further break down the second matchup of the season between the two teams.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ep. 942 - Breaking news on a Wednesday: The Arizona Cardinals placed starting quarterback Kyler Murry on injured reserve. Having already missed three games, Murray will now miss four more, at least four more as he deals with a foot issue. Craig Grialou and Zach Gershman discuss what the move means for Murray - he needs to get healthy, according to head coach Jonathan Gannon - as well as what the decision now means for Jacoby Brissett, who has operated the offense very well as the starter over the past three games. Also, Craig and Zach highlight the 2025 Draft Class, beginning with first-round pick Walter Nolen III, for their roles in the win over the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ep. 941 - There may be no better place for Kyler Murray to make his return than AT&T Stadium, where he has never lost in eight games as a starting quarterback; and that covers high school, college, and the NFL. If Murray does start - head coach Jonathan Gannon said they’re preparing for just that - against the Dallas Cowboys on ‘Monday Night Football,’ then that may be just the shot in the arm the Cardinals need to begin to dig themselves out of their 2-5 hole. Murray’s return might not be the only return. Craig Grialou and Zach Gershman discuss the possibility of both Garrett Williams and Walter Nolen III playing this week. Also, Kyle Youmans, TV host/reporter for dallascowboys-dot-com, joins the show to further preview the matchup.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ep. 940 - Coming off the bye week, yes, changes have been made. Minor changes. Some tweaks. Nothing major or dramatically different. That’s what we’ve heard from coaches and players leading into the game at the Dallas Cowboys. And that’s about all we’ve heard. No specifics. That’s OK, because Craig Grialou and Dani Sureck did get into specifics; ideas that they have that may help the team dig itself out of a 2-5 hole. For example, a more efficient run game (which has been a season-long topic). And then Craig and Dani discuss what a soon-to-be returning Garrett Williams may mean for the defense. Following that discussion, stay tuned to hear what Dani and the Sureck Family are dressing up as for Halloween.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ep. 939 - So, this Sunday is National Tight Ends Day. And because the Arizona Cardinals don’t play on Sunday - more on that in a moment - Trey McBride doesn’t get to celebrate the day. Not to worry, Bird Gang. Craig Grialou and Zach Gershman do their best to celebrate both the player and the person. McBride is among the best tight ends in the league, something he’s shown over the past season-and-a-half. As the saying goes, the sky’s the limit for McBride. Also, Craig and Zach discuss where McBride and the Cardinals are heading into the bye week; what history might tell us about teams that start 2-5; and then detail Wednesday’s news about Larry Fitzgerald moving on to the next phase of Hall of Fame voting for the 2026 class.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.