Cardinals Cover 2

Ep. 800 - No one will say it publicly, but how can it not be just another game? Not when the former head coach is on the other sideline, calling plays trying to beat a handful of the same players he once went to battle with. It should be interesting on Sunday with Kliff Kingsbury back at State Farm Stadium. Craig Grialou and Zach Gershman look ahead to the matchup against the Washington Commanders; a matchup in which the Cardinals will not have tight end Trey McBride or defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga. How does that change things? The good news: both safety Budda Baker and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. will be available after landing on the injury report this week. Also, they head into enemy territory and speak with Zach Selby. He covers the Commanders for commanders.com.

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Ep. 799 - Kliff is back. So, too, is Jayden Daniels. And don’t forget about Zach Ertz. Sure, there are a handful of others, be it coaches and players with connections to the Cardinals who will be back at State Farm Stadium on Sunday, but it’s Kliff Kingsbury’s return that is grabbing most, if not all, of the headlines. Craig Grialou and Paul Calvisi discuss what it’s going to be like with Kliff in the building and Kyler Murray on the opposite sideline. Big deal or not a big deal? Also, the latest on Justin Jones, Kelvin Beachum and Jackson Barton; and is that Marvin Harrison Jr. and Budda Baker on the injury report? Good thing it’s early in the week. Plus, everything in the run game and the pass game is correctable.

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Ep. 798 - Not sure you could’ve asked for much more out of the defense. They pitched a shutout in the second half. The offense, however, couldn’t take advantage. No run game. No downfield passing game. No sustained drives. It’s left everyone with the opposite feeling compared to this time a week ago. Craig Grialou and Dani Sureck discuss all that happened - and what didn’t happen - in Sunday’s 20-13 loss to the Detroit Lions. And though there is no Paul Calvisi - as we like to say, he’s on assignment the day after the game - the Angry Bird Award is still handed out. Both Craig and Dani agree Mack Wilson Sr. is worthy of the recognition for the plays he made and that one play he did but it didn’t count.

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Ep. 797 - Despite the loss last week, the Detroit Lions are a good football team. Very good in the eyes of head coach Jonathan Gannon, who several times mentioned the test his team faces in Week 3. Craig Grialou and Zach Gershman give their thoughts on Sunday’s matchup, which is the second of three straight games at State Farm Stadium for the Cardinals. The guys discuss the availability of right tackle Kelvin Beachum and how the offensive line needs to slow down the league’s top sack artist in Aidan Hutchinson. They then get the thoughts of Matt Dery as the show heads into enemy territory. Dery is the host of the Locked On Lions podcast. Finally, stay listening for Zach’s predictions. He gives three.

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Ep. 796 - A 41-point performance that sees the quarterback record a perfect passer rating, the running back top 100 rushing yards and the wide receiver score his first two career touchdowns, yeah, that is going to overshadow pretty much anything else that happened. That said, Craig Grialou and Dani Sureck give the defense its flowers. Specifically, they highlight Budda Baker and Dennis Gardeck, two of the longest-tenured Cardinals on that side of the ball. Baker led the team in tackles, flying all over the field. Gardeck set career highs in both sacks and tackles for loss. Also, there are conversations about the tight end position, offensive lineman Kelvin Beachum, defensive lineman L.J. Collier and girls flag football.

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Ep. 795 - What’s not to like about a 41-10 win at home against the Los Angeles Rams? That’s right, nothing. In fact, there was almost too much to like - ok, that’s a lie. It is always good to beat the Rams and to beat Sean McVay, something the Cardinals had never done at State Farm Stadium. So, where to begin? Craig Grialou and Paul Calvisi discuss Kyler Murray’s near perfect afternoon; the spectacular performance of Marvin Harrison Jr.; James Conner and a solid rushing attack. Plus, the guys agree. They may be most pleased with the defense, shutting down Matthew Stafford and company. That was big. Dennis Gardeck was big, and his efforts earned him Paul’s weekly Angry Bird Award.

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Ep. 794 - Run the ball. Stop the run. Each week that seems to be the goal of offenses and defenses, respectively. And the same holds true this week when the Cardinals host the Los Angeles Rams in the home opener at State Farm Stadium. Will the Cardinals be able to run the ball as effectively as the Detroit Lions did the week before against the Rams, and especially as well as the Lions did in overtime? Will the Cardinals be able to stop the run and more specifically, stop Kyren Williams, who had so much success against the Cardinals last season? Craig Grialou and Zach Gershman do their best to predict what will happen on Sunday. Plus, they talk with Jourdan Rodrigue. She covers the Rams for The Athletic.

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Ep. 793 - The head coach. The offensive coordinator. The quarterback. Yep, that’s everyone. Three targets are just not enough for your No. 1 wide receiver. Craig Grialou and Dani Sureck discuss what a lot of people have been discussing since Sunday, Marvin Harrison Jr.’s involvement in the offense, and specifically the passing offense. Now, to be fair, passing yards were down league wide in Week 1. But that’s not expected to be a season-long trend. Also, Craig and Dani have the latest on Jonah Williams and how the Cardinals go about replacing their starting right tackle for the foreseeable future plus Mack Wilson Sr. had a solid debut in a Cardinals uniform. He and Kyzir White played well together against the Buffalo Bills.

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Ep. 792 - On the road with a chance to win. That’s where the Cardinals found themselves, twice, in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, both times ended without the touchdown that was needed to pull off the upset. Craig Grialou and Paul Calvisi discuss the 34-28 loss at the Buffalo Bills. They go over the fast start by the offense - scores on each of the first three possessions - to why the offense may have cooled in the second half. Plus, despite the defense’s best efforts, Josh Allen was just too good, both with his arm and his legs. Speaking of legs, how about the legs on DeeJay Dallas on the 96-yard kickoff return. For his efforts, and the historical significance, he’s Paul’s Angry Bird award winner for Week 1.

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Ep. 791 - The wait is just about over, Bird Gang. What everyone has been waiting to see becomes reality in two days. Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. take the field for the first time in a regular season game on Sunday in Buffalo. Everyone excited? Absolutely. And it’s not just the quarterback and wide receiver that are the reasons many people are excited for Week 1. Sure, there’s some unknown - maybe even a lot unknown - but that’s nearly every team in September. Craig Grialou and Zach Gershman look ahead to the matchup; what they’re paying attention to; go over the injury report; and head into enemy territory. Katherine Fitzgerald, who covers the Bills for The Buffalo News, joins the show.

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