Cardinals Cover 2

Ep. 1046 - For three seasons Nick Rallis and Drew Petzing worked together as the coordinators for then-head coach Jonathan Gannon. The two were also on the same staff in Minnesota a few years back. In other words, they are very familiar with one another. Whether or not that gives one an advantage over the other this week when the Cardinals host the Detroit Lions won’t be known until late Sunday afternoon. Craig Grialou and Zach Gershman discuss what Rallis’ defense will face in the Petzing-coached, Jared Goff-, Jahmyr Gibbs-, Amon-Ra St. Brown-led Lions offense. Plus, they are joined by Matt Dery from the Locked On Lions Podcast to further break down the Week 5 matchup.

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Ep. 1045 - Run first. Multiple tight ends. Connect on explosive plays. That is what the Arizona Cardinals would like to be as an offense. Are they there yet? Of course not. The season is only four games old. Craig Grialou and J.P. Shadrick - before he calls his first girls high school flag football game - evaluate where the offense is after a quarter of the season. On the topic of the offense, Craig and J.P. discuss the injury to Paris Johnson Jr., the addition of Jedrick Wills Jr., Isaiah Adams ruled out for this week, what to expect from Jeremiyah Love moving forward, and why Trey McBride is likely to have a big game against the Detroit Lions.

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Ep. 1044 - One drive or one play doesn’t define a game, but that’s certainly what it felt like happened at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Craig Grialou and Dani Sureck - after throwing colleague Zach Gershman under the bus for his pregame attempt at forecasting the weather - discuss the Cardinals’ inability to convert on first-and-goal that ultimately was the deciding factor in a 36-24 defeat to the New York Giants. Craig and Dani also get into how the game started, how Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier were used, the injury to Paris Johnson Jr., Josh Sweat’s impact, Dewey Wingard’s absence, the penalty on Dante Stills, and Trey McBride’s interaction with an official in which Dani had a front-row seat.

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Ep. 1043 - For the second straight week, and third time to begin the season, the Cardinals hit the road. They play at the New York Giants on Sunday. Craig Grialou and Zach Gershman preview the Week 4 matchup, focusing on the run game, especially if the weather is bad. (FYI, rain is forecasted but not until later in the afternoon/early evening.) Craig and Zach also discuss the need for explosive plays - part of Zach’s 3x3 - but no need for pre-snap penalties. Plus, John Schmeelk, Giants pre- and postgame radio host, joins the show to talk about the Jameis Winston experience, the difficulty tackling Cam Skattebo and what the loss of Brian Burns means for their defense.

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Ep. 1042 - After a brief discussion about the start of the baseball playoffs, Craig Grialou and Jesus Quinonez dive into the news of the day. And it’s not so much news as it is appreciation. Appreciation for Trey McBride and the tight end position. Through three games, it’s clear how important McBride and the tight ends are to what Mike LaFleur wants to do offensively. And the tight ends might be the key to helping unlock the lack of explosive plays in the passing game. Also, Craig and Jesus talk Josh Sweat, the dilemma facing the defense when it comes to pressuring opposing quarterbacks and begin to preview Sunday’s matchup against Jameis Winston, Cam Skattebo and the Giants front seven.

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Ep. 1041 - At the start, the Cardinals couldn’t get out of their own way. By the finish, the Cardinals couldn’t get off the field. In-between, there was enough, especially offensively, to feel encouraged about moving forward. Craig Grialou and Dani Sureck break down what happened and what didn’t happen in the 36-30 loss at San Francisco on Sunday. Penalties hurt early. The lack of explosive plays is becoming an issue. Yet, Jeremiyah Love looked like the Jeremiyah Love everyone saw in college, the run game showed improvement and Michael Wilson is making it clear he’s WR1. Also, Craig and Dani discuss the breaking news out of New York, the Giants added a new quarterback.

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Ep. 1040 - If they are not the two best, then they are certainly among the best at their position. Tight ends Trey McBride and George Kittle lead their respective teams into Week 3. Craig Grialou and Zach Gershman - Happy Birthday, Zach - preview the matchup at the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. After a check of the injury report, Craig and Zach are joined by Jennifer Lee Chan from NBC Sports Bay Area to talk McBride and Kittle plus Brock Purdy’s efficiency throwing the ball, Christian McCaffrey’s effectiveness with the ball in his hands, the injury to Nick Bosa, the pairing of Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw - part of Zach’s 3x3 - as well as the relationship between the two head coaches, Mike LaFleur and Kyle Shanahan.

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Ep. 1039 - So, everyone can agree the offense was not good on Sunday. And everyone also can agree that Marvin Harrison Jr. should be involved in the offense, which he was not against the Seattle Seahawks. But what everyone does not agree with is how much or how early should Harrison be involved each week. Craig Grialou and J.P. Shadrick discuss the ongoing narrative surrounding the Cardinals’ wide receiver, how head coach Mike LaFleur and quarterback Jacoby Brissett reacted to what’s been said about MHJ, and what awaits all of them this week at San Francisco. Plus, the latest on cornerback Will Johnson and who is most likely to fill his role.

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Ep. 1038 - Well, it was competitive until it wasn’t. So, what happened? Great question. Craig Grialou and Dani Sureck do their best to try and explain how well the Cardinals played in the first half compared to how well the Cardinals didn’t play in the second half. And it was all three phases; offense, defense and special teams each came up short in the home opener against the Seattle Seahawks, 31-7. Also, Craig and Dani have the conversation that many are having post-Sunday: what’s up with Marvin Harrison Jr.? Is it the opposing defense, is it the offensive scheme, or is it on the player? Harrison has just one catch through two games.

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Ep. 1037 - The Cardinals are one day closer to their home opener against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Zach Gershman and Darren Urban preview the matchup between these two division rivals, discussing Jeremiyah Love’s impressive NFL debut, the offensive line competition at right guard, and how the Cardinals can handle Seattle’s elite defense. Plus, Darren and Zach go behind enemy lines with Seahawks beat reporter Andrew Destin of The Athletic to discuss Drew Lock stepping in at quarterback, the impact of Jaxson Smith-Njigba, Jadarian Price’s role, and the mindset of a Seattle team looking to defend its title. The guys also identify the keys to stopping JSN, avoiding turnovers, and ending Seattle’s nine-game winning streak over Arizona.

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