ARIZONA CARDINALS

Dealing Cards: Arians holds court after final practice of the week

Sep 30, 2016, 4:07 PM | Updated: Oct 1, 2016, 5:47 pm

Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians makes a call against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the ...

Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians makes a call against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

TEMPE, Ariz. — On Friday, the Cardinals wrapped up their week of practice in preparation for Sunday’s tilt with the Los Angeles Rams.

According to head coach Bruce Arians, it was a good week and the team is ready to go.

“Obviously it’s a big game, a division game,” he said Friday. “They’re in first place, coming into our house. It doesn’t really get any better than that.”

Yes, by way of a tiebreaker from beating the Seahawks in Week 2, the Rams come to Glendale leading the NFC West with a 2-1 record.

With that in mind — and the fact that Friday was very quiet around the facility — this edition of “Dealing Cards” will be a collection of Arians comments and quotes, with thoughts on it all.

But first, the injury report

The official report can be found here, but things are looking good for the Cardinals heading into the game. The only players who have been ruled out for Sunday are defensive lineman Frostee Rucker (knee) and punter Drew Butler (left calf). Cornerback Justin Bethel, safety Tyvon Branch and linebacker Kareem Martin are “questionable,” but everyone else appears to be available to play.

Mathis back in the lineup

On Thursday guard Evan Mathis, who missed last week’s game against Buffalo with turf toe, said he had been progressing every day but was not ready to declare himself ready to play Sunday. On Friday, it appears that the declaration has been made, as Mathis participated in a full practice.

Looks like he’s going to play, and because of that, Arians was asked how tough the veteran is.

“How tough is he,” he pondered. “Pretty damn tough. Two weeks of the three he sucked it up and got out there and wants to be with his teammates.”

Assuming Mathis does in fact play, his return should be a boost for an offensive line that struggled in last week’s 33-18 loss.

“It’s a lot easier for D.J. (Humphries) because he’s a good communicator,” Arians said, noting it will be less of a challenge anyway with this game being at home. “Earl (Watford) hung in there pretty good last week, got beat on a twist or two, but might have happened to Evan too in that noise.”

Nkemdiche looked good

If someone wanted to believe first-round pick Robert Nkemdiche has not been making much progress over the last couple of weeks, defensive coordinator James Bettcher’s comment about him on Thursday, with the tone, might have helped.

“Yeah, I think Robert is continuing to progress,” he said. “He’s got to continue to do the little things right.”

If you wanted to read into the brief response being more telling than the words Bettcher said, that would be understandable. On Friday, however, Arians gave a more glowing review of the rookie.

“He had a great week, great week of practice,” the head coach said. “Probably his best week of practice. Ankle looked good and had a really strong week of practice.”

As for whether or not it will be enough to ensure Nkemdiche is active on game day, Arians said, “we’ll see.”

Handling things

Throughout the Cardinals’ disappointing start, Arians has maintained a positive attitude with regards to his approach. He’s consistently talked about how the team’s problems are easily correctable, and it’s all a matter of the players doing what they are capable of.

It’s about correcting issues in a positive manner.

“You can get pissed off, throw chairs and all that stuff,” Arians said. “It doesn’t do any good because there’s no corrections, there’s no teaching involved. It’s got to be a positive way of, ‘Here’s a mistake, here’s how you correct it. If you do this, you’ll fix it.’

“Whether it’s your preparation, your play, technique, fundamentally, whatever it is. So you have to have a positive approach with the player to teach him something, to fix it.”

That approach, Arians said, is one he has always had.

“I just don’t say it real nice most times,” he quipped.

Roy Green’s moment 

At halftime Sunday, former Cardinals great Roy Green will be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor. Arians said Green — who ranks second on the Cardinals’ all-time list with 69 touchdowns and is in the top five for receptions, receiving touchdowns, total receiving yardage and most combined rushing/receiving/return yards — would fit nicely on his team now.

“Oh heck yeah man, he’ll fit in any offense,” he said. “‘Jet Stream’ is as good as it gets.”

What made Green so special, Arians said, was his versatility. He began is career with the Cardinals in 1979 as a cornerback before being moved to receiver a couple years into his career.

“He had that outside speed but he could play in the slot — he could do a lot of things,” Arians said. “He was tough as nails. I don’t know too many young players today that are like him, that had everything. Smart, tough, he had all the things you’re looking for in a football player.”

Remembering Arnold Palmer

An avid golfer, Arians had a chance to spend some time with golfing legend Arnold Palmer last year when the team was staying at The Greenbrier in Virginia.

So needless to say, Palmer’s passing on Sunday hit him pretty hard.

“It was a very rough moment,” Arians said. “I had met Mr. Palmer, been in his home in Latrobe when I was with the Steelers. At the Greenbrier, having dinner with he and Jack and Lee and Gary Player, it’s a bucket-list thing for me.

“We sat down and had a drink for about 30 minutes. Had a great conversation. He is sorely missed.”

Arians was asked who paid for the evening, and he said “Mr. Jim Justice,” he owns The Greenbrier.

“He pays all the bills,” Arians joked.

The coach was then asked if he drank an Arnold Palmer, which is iced tea and lemonade, that night, and he said he did not.

“I’ve had a few, but I think they call them John Dalys now,” he said.

The John Daily is the same drink, only with vodka, too.

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Dealing Cards: Arians holds court after final practice of the week