DRC makes return to the Valley
Sep 19, 2012, 6:49 PM | Updated: 8:18 pm
After a 20-18 upset at New England, the Arizona Cardinals return home to face the Philadelphia Eagles and welcome back their former star Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie this Sunday.
Rodgers-Cromartie was the key piece in the trade that brought quarterback Kevin Kolb to the Cardinals last offseason. Adding to an Eagles defense that already had two Pro Bowl cornerbacks, DRC was relegated to third string. He ended the season with zero interceptions while playing behind Asante Samuel and Nnamdi Asomugha.
“I think the difficult part was he was the third string cornerback,” Eagles head coach Andy Reid said Wednesday during a conference call. “We asked him to play as a nickel last year and that was all new for him. He attacked it the best he could and learn it and everything else.”
After a disappointing season, the Eagles traded Samuel to the Atlanta Falcons, opening the window Rodgers-Cromartie to become a starter.
“The way he handled [last year] was phenomenal and his attitude was phenomenal. My hat’s off to the kid for that alone,” said Reid. “Now given the opportunity to play he’s done a nice job playing as a starter.”
DRC proved he belonged in the starting lineup with two interceptions in the Eagles Week 1 game against the Cleveland Browns. This week he looks to help contain Larry Fitzgerald, who torched the Eagles secondary with seven catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns in the Cardinals’ 21-17 win last season.
