Dealing Cards: Peterson lifts teammates, Williams lifts defense

TEMPE, Ariz. – Twice, immediately after the game and then again in the locker room on Monday, running back Adrian Peterson deflected the attention. He chose instead to credit his teammates, specifically “those guys up front,” talking about the offensive line, wide receivers and tight ends — all of whom helped make his Arizona Cardinals debut a success.

Peterson, who had 134 rushing yards and two touchdowns, believes he played no larger of a role than anyone else in Sunday’s 38-33 win over Tampa Bay.

“Honestly, I just felt like I was just kind of contributing and doing my part,” he said.

Hardly. Peterson’s impact was immediate and sparked the entire team.

“It was real fun to watch him up close and personal,” dollar linebacker Deone Bucannon said.

Peterson spurred an offense that had scored 20+ points just once in the first five games. And it took less than a half for the Cardinals to exceed their season high in points (23) when they took a 24-0 lead with more than five minutes remaining in the second quarter.

“It was refreshing to see some movement and see some big plays,” defensive lineman Frostee Rucker said. “Our offense is capable of a lot of big plays. They got playmakers all across the board and just to see them, all their hard work pay off and A.P. coming in and doing a fantastic job and re-energizing that whole unit, it’s great.”

Only five days after being acquired from New Orleans, Peterson played 48 of the Cardinals’ 65 offensive snaps.

“Body feels good. I feel really good. Not banged up,” he said. “Got my squats in today. Did some cardio; I didn’t like how I felt the first half. But, ultimately, I came out well. A couple of bruises, but outside of that, I’m fresh.”

Peterson received a crash course on the Cardinals’ playbook in the days leading up to the game. Still, he felt prepared. And the Cardinals felt comfortable enough to keep feeding him the football. Peterson had 26 of the team’s season-high 35 carries.

“I think the game kind of flowed that way once we got the running game going and so, OK, hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it type situations,” he said.

Peterson certainly enjoyed the moment. And while he won’t make it about him, Peterson did take great satisfaction in helping bring back some of that joy that perhaps had been missing from his new teammates.

“I was able to kind of glance over at the sidelines at times and see guys fired up and just watching the tape today, looking at the sidelines and the guys were really wired up. That’s all part of it,” he said. “That’s the type of impact that I want to make on my teammates and the fans and it’s just, for me, I’m just happy to have that opportunity.”

And what about the standing ovation Peterson received after his first carry in a Cardinals uniform?

“That was a first,” he said, quickly adding, “Maybe, 2012, when I came back after the ACL injury but that was pretty special.”

Competition at CB

Though a change isn’t imminent, head coach Bruce Arians did acknowledge Monday that cornerback Tramon Williams showed enough to compete for Justin Bethel’s job.

Pressed into duty when Patrick Peterson exited the game with a quadriceps injury — it was a precautionary move more than anything — Williams excelled with an interception and pass breakup in 30 snaps.

“That’s what I came here to do. I came here to play,” he said.

Prior to Sunday, in the last three games, Williams twice dressed but did not play and was inactive against San Francisco.

“A guy who’s used to playing, man, it’s one of the most difficult things,” he said. “But, you got to maintain (being a) professional and just come to work every day and continue to prepare like you’re going to play, and that’s what I had to do because if anybody went down, I’m going to be the next guy up. So, I have to come prepare like I’m going to be a starter.”

Deone Bucannon a leading tackler

Perhaps lost in the Peterson excitement and defensive letdown in the second half was the fact that Bucannon, in only his third game back, led the Cardinals in tackles. He finished with eight, playing all 70 snaps on defense.

Bucannon, remember, is four months removed from ankle surgery.

“I’m feeling a lot better. Every day I’m getting stronger and better,” he said. “(The trainers) told me it’s going to take a bit to get me all the way back to where I’m usually feeling good. At the same time, these people we have here are state-of-the-art. They’re getting me back right and I’m feeling a lot better. Each and every day, it’s feeling better, it’s getting better. The swelling is going down. It’s getting a lot stronger and I’m starting to trust it, so I’m looking forward to it. Each and every game I just want to get better and I want to do the things that I’m capable of doing.”

Better with age

Looking at the long list of contributors to Sunday’s win, one thing stands out: They’re all old.

The eight oldest Cardinals that played combined for some big numbers: kicker Phil Dawson (42), receiver Larry Fitzgerald (34) and Peterson (32) accounted for 26 of the 38 points, while Williams (34) and safety Antoine Bethea (32) had interceptions.

“All those guys, even though they’re old, they can still play,” said punter Andy Lee, who at 35 punted twice for 93 yards, including one downed at the one-yard line. “I think that’s just what it shows: you can be old and you can still play. There’s something, maybe, to be said about young versus old in the NFL — I mean there’s definitely some statistics that show that — but I think the guys we have are definitely still, obviously, able to play and play at a high level. It’s exciting to see so many old guys doing well and playing good football.”

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