Bruce Arians part of CBS announcing crew for Cardinals-Chiefs
Nov 7, 2018, 10:57 AM | Updated: 10:57 am
Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians looks at a replay during the first half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Former Cardinals coach Bruce Arians will be on the call as color analyst when Arizona faces the Kansas City Chiefs on the road Sunday, according to Awful Announcing.
The first-year CBS announcer will be joined in the booth for the Week 10 matchup at Arrowhead Stadium by former Kansas City quarterback Trent Green and play-by-play man Greg Gumbel.
Arians led the Cardinals from 2013-17, winning the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year honor in 2014. Over his five years as coach, the Cardinals went 49-30-1 with two playoff appearances, including a 2015 NFL Championship Game loss to the Carolina Panthers.
From Arians’ perspective, there are plenty of Cardinals-related storylines to comment upon when he adds analysis about his former team.
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On the TD Fantasy Podcast in September, Arians criticized how now-fired Arizona offensive coordinator Mike McCoy was improperly utilizing running back David Johnson.
“I just don’t like the use of David Johnson in this offense,” Arians said, answering a question about rookie quarterback Josh Rosen after the Cardinals’ Week 3 loss to the Chicago Bears.
“David Johnson, people didn’t realize, he opened up stuff for Larry Fitzgerald because he was used in the slot opposite, or we always put him in position to be opposite of Larry and pick your poison. I got to see David Johnson being used properly for Josh Rosen to even be effective.”
Coming off a bye, the Cardinals could lend more evidence that promoted offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich has a more successful plan to help Johnson dig himself out of a sluggish first half of 2018.
Leftwich, after all, was convinced by Arians to join him as a coaching intern in 2016. The former NFL quarterback was promoted to quarterbacks coach last season and was one of a few holdovers on Arizona first-year coach Steve Wilks’ staff.
“B.A.’s just the reason I’m here,” Leftwich said in October. “I’m glad he got me into this thing because I love every minute of it right now.”
Arians also could lend insight into the Cardinals’ interest in Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is off on a blistering pace with 2,901 yards, 29 touchdowns and just seven interceptions through nine weeks of play.
The 8-1 Chiefs put their faith in the second-year quarterback Mahomes this offseason by trading veteran quarterback Alex Smith.
Arizona was interested in drafting the Texas Tech product in the 2017 draft, and Arians told the Los Angeles Times in September that “he was our guy.” Kansas City traded its 2018 first-round pick, the 27th overall pick in 2017 and its 2017 third-round choice to acquire the Buffalo Bills’ 10th overall draft slot and select Mahomes, who came off the board before Arizona drafted linebacker Haason Reddick 13th.
