All-Access with Bruce Arians: Win over Jets ‘was a very nice film to watch’

TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians meets the media the day after every game, often times explaining injury situations as well as anything else he may have seen the day before.

Here in this space, with help from the Cardinals’ media relations staff, we’ll highlight some of the most notable quotes from his session, which on Tuesday followed his team’s 28-3 home win over the New York Jets.

He started with an opening statement

“Well, it was a very nice film to watch. A very good effort by everybody. I thought our focus was one of the best we’ve had in all three phases. Offensively, very pleased that we were able to run the football as well as we did against a really good front. The interior three guys did a heck of a job, because they throw a lot of stuff at them up the middle. Defensively, I thought, again, the front defensive line was outstanding, penetrating and stopping the run and letting the linebackers play free. The third down defense was much better. A lot of good individual—really good individual performances also.”

On who stood out individually

“I thought Chandler (Jones) had a heck of a ball game defensively. Deone (Bucannon). Obviously, D.J. Swearinger. The guys that stood out. Patrick (Peterson) was very good, other than the penalty. Offensively, like I said, those three guys inside. David (Johnson) had a heck of a ball game, and I might give him a game ball.”

On whether he’s decided to give David Johnson a game ball

“No.”

On Earl Watford’s athleticism

“Yeah, Earl’s very athletic. Evan (Mathis) was very athletic too, so it’s not much of a change there. But, Earl is very athletic, especially pulling.”

On the offense’s balance with 35 rush attempts and 35 pass attempts last night

“Yeah, that’s what you’re always striving for. At the end of the year, you like to add them up. If it’s 3,000 plays, it’s 1,500, so it’s always 50-50. It doesn’t always fall that way. Sometimes at the end of the game, you catch up with runs because you’re trying to kill clock. If you’re behind, you’re obviously throwing it. For the first three quarters, you’d love to stay balanced.”

On whether this is how the offense will have to play for the rest of the season

“It’s the way we want to play. It’s always been the way we wanted to play. Run the football and play-action and take whatever’s there. But, we really haven’t changed our philosophy at all.”

On whether last night’s game helped define the team’s identity

“Yeah. I think we’re finding out a lot about ourselves each week.”

On whether D.J. Swearinger has progressed a lot since last season and the reasons for his increased playing time

“Consistency. Very, very well prepared and consistency on the practice field. He’s been really consistent all year.”

On feeling comfortable with calling drives that have 10 or more plays

“Oh, heck yeah. That’s the easy way to do it. You’d still like to get a chunk. It’s hard to go without a 20-yard gain, to go 80 yards, so very pleased when you can twice without a big chunk.”

On Jaron Brown’s injury

“It looks like it’s going to be day-to-day, so it’s not as serious as we thought. Whether or not he has to wear a brace or whatever, we’ll have to wait and see.”

On whether as a play-caller he’s always been malleable to what the defense shows or whether he had to learn this skill

“It’s always been ‘scratch where it itches,’ you know?”

On what’s changed for the team the last two weeks as it’s now playing like he expected it to this entire season

“It’s better focus. Better focus for 60 minutes. We’ve played very, very well in the first game, for spurts, but there was always that busted coverage that gave up a touchdown or something that there was a mental error here or there that messed it up. Last night, offensively, we overcame a couple of those. A botched snap, an offside penalty; a formation penalty, but we were able to overcome it. Didn’t let it bite us like it has in the first few games.”

On why the focus has been better the last two weeks

“Just because where we’re at.”

On how meaningful the game was for James Bettcher after having previously coached for Jets Head Coach Todd Bowles when Bowles was in Arizona

“Yeah, I guess you’d have to ask him. You always get jacked up a little bit more when it’s that close of a relationship on the other side.”

On whether he anticipates Mike Iupati to return for this week’s game

“I hope so.”

On why the defensive package with Alex Okafor, Chandler Jones, Calais Campbell and Markus Golden gives opposing teams trouble

“There’s so much speed. There’s much more speed. Guards aren’t used to playing against edge rushers and it gives them problems. Plus, you’re twisting, stuff happens so much faster. Guys that are chasing the quarterback can loop a little bit further and are faster players.”

On whether those specific defensive players had to learn how to play that package and when they’re talking on the field

“Yeah, and they’re talking about what they’re going to do stunt-wise.”

On whether he prefers a strong running game in order to manage Carson Palmer’s reps throughout the season

“No, because practice-wise, we still have the exact same number of reps that we’re going to take every week, whether it be run period, pass period. Those never change. Depending on the game, how many times we throw it – there could still be games where we throw it 50 times.”

On how he would grade Robert Nkemdiche’s play last night

“A ‘C.’ He did his job.”

On whether Nkemdiche’s problems are a technique issue

“He’s over-aggressive. Play technique and just do your job. You don’t have to be Superman just because you’re a first-round pick. You don’t have to go out there and get all crazy and get out of your gap. Just do your job.”

On the gap control discipline the Arizona defense showed last night

“One of the best we’ve played, yes. It really was.”

On how John Wetzel played last night

“He had a heck of a ball game. Really solid.”

On whether he’d like to get Andre Ellington more carries even though David Johnson is playing extremely well

“Yeah, it’s a thing where you’ve still got to try and monitor the number of carries that David’s getting, because I love having Andre out there.”

On Palmer getting stronger and better as the game progressed

“Yeah, the rest, it helped him. He very seldom practices on Wednesday anyway, as far as a lot of throwing reps, but the rest obviously helped him.”

On whether it bothers a lot of the players who have been here all three years he’s been the head coach to have never beaten Seattle at home

“Yeah. It was the first thing that Pat brought up in the locker room.”

On whether he talks to the team about that

“No, it doesn’t matter if it’s on the road or at home, we’ve got to beat them. If we’re going to win the division, we’ve got to beat them.”

On how Tyrann Mathieu looked last night

“I thought he looked better. I think he’s getting a little more accustomed to coverage. He still has a tendency to look back at the quarterback. That’s why he gets interceptions, but it hurts him sometimes in man-to-man.”

On whether he is satisfied with Arizona’s downfield blocking

“Yeah, you don’t have the running game that you have without receivers blocking. Those three touchdown runs, our receivers blocked their tails off. Larry (Fitzgerald) got two guys on the long run and Michael Floyd blocked a linebacker on the two short-yardage ones inside the five.”

On how concerned he is right now with Michael Floyd

“Not at all. I thought he played a really good game.”

On whether Floyd’s touchdown reception will help his confidence

“You would think so. It helps. You designed it for him and he came up with it, so you think it would help.”

On how he feels about using tablets on the sidelines

“I haven’t had any problem. We haven’t had any issues. Our guys like them. I think some stadiums there are some problems with them, from what I’m hearing.”

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