Cardinals embracing challenge against Patriots
Sep 14, 2012, 9:21 PM | Updated: 10:34 pm
The Arizona Cardinals know that beating the Patriots on the road is a tall task for any team, but they are primed and ready for the challenge.
“When you’re going against an opponent that you don’t have a lot of information on from games this year and that you haven’t played in a while, there is always that uncertainty,” Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “But our guys have worked hard, they are prepared and that will hopefully allow us to play fast Sunday, and that’s what it’s going to take.”
In Week 1, the Cardinals won a hard fought game against their division rivals, the Seattle Seahawks.
“We are coming off a win last week that was big for us, we hung in there and found a way to win, Whisenhunt said. “Now the next challenge for us is to go on the road against a good team.”
Whisenhunt hopes that his team is mentally tough and will be able to handle the task at hand.
Defensive coordinator Ray Horton called the difficult matchup a “measuring stick game” for the Cardinals.
However, safety Kerry Rhodes doesn’t believe that is the case. He already feels that his team is one of the best in the league.
“This game just presents another challenge for us,” Rhodes said. “It’s just another chance for us and another opportunity for us to try to get better.”
Rhodes said the Patriots are tough to stop because “they have playmakers at every position.”
With an abundance of threats on offense, quarterback Tom Brady has a lot of options when he drops back to pass.
Defensive End Calais Campbell thinks that the key to the defense’s success is getting pressure on and hitting Brady.
“Tom Brady gets rid of the ball really fast, he is a great quarterback, Campbell said. “In order to beat him, that’s what you have to do.”
Last week, Brady was only sacked one time in a 34-13 blowout win against the Tennessee Titans.
