ARIZONA CARDINALS

Help wanted: Cards GM Keim actively seeking wide receivers

Nov 20, 2017, 8:25 AM | Updated: 4:53 pm

Houston Texans defenders celebrate defensive back Eddie Pleasant's interception over Arizona Cardin...

Houston Texans defenders celebrate defensive back Eddie Pleasant's interception over Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Brittan Golden (10) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, in Houston. Houston won 31-21. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

LISTEN: Steve Keim, Cardinals General Manager

For the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday’s 31-21 loss to the Houston Texans had a lot of recurring themes.

The Cardinals struggled to run the football, gaining only 48 yards on 18 attempts.

Their defense had a tough time getting off the field on third downs; Houston converted 8-of-15 to keep drives moving.

And again, receivers not named Larry Fitzgerald had a really hard time catching the football. John Brown, Jaron Brown, J.J. Nelson and Brittan Golden saw a total of 13 throws come their way. Those targets yielded only five catches for 54 yards. There were several drops and errors when they were thrown to.

The issue led head coach Bruce Arians to vent his frustration Sunday.

“We’ll be looking at some different receivers next week,” he said.

Now, it’s up to general manager Steve Keim to find some options that can help Arizona’s struggling receiving corps with six games left in the season.

“We’ve been looking at wide receivers in a lot of different scenarios,” Keim told Doug & Wolf Monday on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station. “Whether it’s guys on practice squads that we could potentially poach or guys that are off the street.

“Either way, we have to try to do the best we can to put some players on the field that are going to make the plays when given an opportunity.”

In the fourth quarter Sunday, the Cardinals faced a 2nd-and-6 from their own 30-yard line. Gabbert threw a perfect sideline pass to J.J. Nelson that would have gained 15 yards, but instead, it bounced off the receiver’s chest, bringing up a third down. On third down, Gabbert connected with John Brown, but the receiver cut his route from the slot short of the line to gain, which brought up a 4th-and-1.

Arians decided to go for it, even though the Cardinals only trailed by three and there was over six minutes remaining. Adrian Peterson’s run lost a yard and Arizona turned it over on downs. Houston scored on the next play to ice the game.

Keim pointed to a group of new players — Gabbert, safety Budda Baker and tight end Ricky Seals-Jones — playing well, but also wondered why receivers that have been relied on in the past haven’t delivered with any regularity in 2017.

“We have some other receivers that have done a lot of things for us in the past, and for one reason or another, those guys aren’t stepping up and answering the bell,” Keim said. “That’s what’s disappointing to me and we’ll continue to try and put the best players out there that we can.”

The Cardinals return home to host the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Presented By
Western Governors University

Comments

Comment guidelines: No name-calling, personal attacks, profanity, or insults. Please keep the conversation civil and help us moderate comments by reporting abuse.
comments powered by Disqus

Arizona Cardinals

Desmond Ridder runs the rock against Houston...

Tyler Drake

Desmond Ridder eager to remind fellow Cardinals QB Clayton Tune about college wins

Cardinals quarterback Desmond Ridder may not know Kyler Murray just yet, but he and Clayton Tune go way back.

1 day ago

LSU's Malik Nabers, a top NFL Draft prospect...

Kevin Zimmerman

NFL Draft: Malik Nabers to visit Arizona Cardinals after LSU pro day, per report

Top NFL Draft receiver prospect Malik Nabers will reportedly visit with the Arizona Cardinals after the LSU Tigers' pro day.

2 days ago

Desmond Ridder looks to pass...

Tyler Drake

QB1 or not, Desmond Ridder keeping starter mentality with Cardinals

New Cardinals QB Desmond Ridder is focused on using the good and the bad from his first two seasons rather than listening to outside chatter.

2 days ago

Jonathan Gannon and Kyler Murray look on...

Tyler Drake

Cardinals’ Jonathan Gannon: Kyler Murray’s ‘best football is ahead of him’

Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon believes Kyler Murray will continue taking the necessary steps forward with a full offseason of work.

2 days ago

Kyler Murray chats with Jonathan Gannon...

Arizona Sports

Arizona Cardinals will face ‘really good’ AFC opponent for joint preseason practices

The Arizona Cardinals expect to hold joint practices in the preseason against a really good AFC opponent, in the words of Jonathan Gannon.

3 days ago

Patriots and Cardinals kick off return in 2020...

Associated Press

NFL owners approve new kickoff rules for 2024

NFL kickoff rules will take on a hybrid approach similar to the XFL. League owners approved the new measures Tuesday.

3 days ago

Help wanted: Cards GM Keim actively seeking wide receivers