Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks to decide No. 2 cornerback on Saturday
Sep 28, 2018, 1:52 PM | Updated: 2:10 pm
Arizona Cardinals defensive back Bene' Benwikere, left, breaks up a pass intended for Chicago Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson, right, during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Entering the fourth game of the season, Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks still has some decisions to make regarding his secondary.
With Pro Bowler Patrick Peterson as the leader at cornerback, Wilks has yet to decide who his go-to corner will be on the opposite side of the field. In light of recent performances, defensive back Bene Benwikere is now contesting Jamar Taylor for his role in the secondary.
Wilks said he will make his final decision regarding who will get the start on Saturday evening.
“Just from a standpoint of guys still competing, I thought they had a great week,” Wilks said. “I thought Bene (Benwikere) did some great things, JT (Jamar Taylor) probably had one of the best practices he’s had all week and Bene did some good things so I’m going to sit down and talk to the coaching staff and I’ll make that decision Saturday night.”
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Through the first three games of the season, Taylor has totaled 12 tackles to Benwikere’s six. Neither corner has intercepted a pass yet this year, but Benwikere assisted on a sack against Chicago last Sunday.
Neither of their stats jump off the page at this point in the season, but a three-game sample size isn’t enough to determine who deserves to rank higher on the depth chart. Taylor is well aware of the fact that his role is in question heading into this week’s matchup.
“It’s always competition every day with everybody,” Taylor said. “It’s the NFL, it’s a week-to-week business. So if you’re slacking and you’ve got someone behind you that’s pretty good, if you’re not a crazy high-paid guy, it’s always going to be a competition.”
Arizona has struggled to contain opposing offenses through three games, allowing 392.3 yards per contest against Washington, Los Angeles and Chicago. In addition to their questionable yardage allowed, Arizona ranks last in the NFL in total tackles with 138.
Something’s got to give for the Cardinals, who are set to face a middling Seahawks team that has lost several of their weapons on both sides of the ball over recent years. Wide receiver Doug Baldwin is set to return from a knee injury and will likely command the focus of Peterson, potentially leaving the tandem of Tyler Lockett and Brandon Marshall to Taylor and Benwikere.
