All-Access with Bruce Arians: Still on the road after solid win
Oct 12, 2015, 2:41 PM | Updated: 2:56 pm
Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians watches against the Detroit Lions during an NFL football game in Detroit Monday, Oct. 12, 2015. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
In this space we will highlight some of what Arians had to say, and Monday he talked about his team following a 42-17 road win over the Detroit Lions.
This press conference was a bit different, though, as it was held at The Greenbrier, which is in West Virginia. The Cardinals are staying there this week in preparation for another road tilt, this one against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Arians began with an opening statement:
“The only real injury news, Kenny Demens definitely has an ACL and we’ll place him on I.R. Debating what roster moves we’ll make in the next 48 hours before practice. Waiting on MRIs on the other guys to come back and see how serious they are. Nothing really changed on the tape. Game balls (go to) Tony Jefferson, Deone Bucannon, Rashad Johnson, Chris Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald. I thought they played outstanding, especially Tony. Other than that, no news.”
On whether the team has agreed to terms with Dwight Freeney:
“No. There’s no agreements. We’re just waiting on seeing what we’re going to do.”
On whether the team will need help at outside linebacker because Alex Okafor is injured:
“Well, we’ll see. We still have to find out how long he’s going to be. We’ll see what other options are available and go from there.”
On how Tony Jefferson has played this year:
“He was very good in this one. He’s been playing run defense extremely well. He was really striking people well and caused two fumbles and had just a really good game stopping the run. He has been doing it for a while.”
On what sparked the 28-point second quarter after the team’s slow start:
“We just played better. The big thing we got going in the running game. The biggest thing was going back in the huddle. But, it was nothing extraordinary. We got a good run, got a penalty, made a couple plays and then we started protecting better. Early in the game, it was bad.”
On how the defense can keep the momentum going:
“Keep practicing and show up for work every day and good things will keep happening.”
On whether there is a key for a team to keep its rhythm and groove going from one game to the next:
“It’s easy. You just take the process and work every day. You don’t look ahead, you don’t look behind. You just take care of today’s business and you’ll play pretty consistently.”
On whether it’s a bit of a changeup to practice in West Virginia this week:
“No, because you’re in the same office. It’s got four walls. It was a lot easier traveling here last night than going all the way back to Phoenix, especially with all those guys that were hurt.”
On what he thinks of the facilities at the Greenbrier Resort:
“It’s outstanding. We knew, coming here, that it was going to be an outstanding facility and we could get our work done and it wouldn’t be any kind of distraction.”
On whether he noticed any other ways the team evolved in this game compared to the first four after he evaluated the film:
“Not really. I thought we played pretty steady, especially defensively. Offensively, I thought we took a step backwards early in the ball game, and we’re just letting our quarterback get hit too much. We’ve got to address that.”
On where the team will miss Alex Okafor’s presence the most:
“His pass rush. He’s been getting after the passer since he’s been healthy. That’s the one guy that can get there with the front four.”
On what stood out to him about Larry Fitzgerald’s play during yesterday’s game:
“He had four knockdowns and two touchdown blocks, huge in the running game. He sealed the edge twice for two long runs.”
On whether Fitzgerald sealed the edge for Andre Ellington’s 63-yard TD run:
“Yeah, that was one of them.”
On whether he’s seen Fitzgerald embrace run blocking more in recent times:
“He’s done it ever since we’ve been here. That’s one thing, playing the position he plays now, he’s asked to do a lot of it, but it also helps him get loose in the play-action passing game.”
On his thoughts regarding Cory Redding’s athleticism during Redding’s interception:
“I thought he was outstanding. He made a great catch and he went for the hurdle. He’s just got to work on his landing. His landing was bad.”
On whether Redding’s play takes Calais Campbell out of the spotlight for the Peyton Manning tackle:
“No. No. If you get tackled by Peyton, that’s bad.”
On what it will be like for him as he goes back to Pittsburgh this Sunday:
“No, I’ve been there as a visitor many times. It’s been a home field and a visiting field for me, so I’ve been in both of those locker rooms, so it’s no big deal.”
On how big of a loss it is for the team to lose Kenny Demens to injury:
“He and Chris Clemons both, on our special teams, are core players, so it’s going to be really hard to replace those two guys.”
On what it’s like to be back in West Virginia and Virginia area:
“Well, it’s been about 35 years since we drove down here from Blacksburg. We were actually going to go snow skiing for the first time ever and it rained, and we drove back to Blacksburg. It’s always great to be here, especially this time of year. I miss the leaves turning.”
On whether he’s had a chance to follow Virginia Tech football this season:
“Yeah, every Saturday. Every Saturday. They’re just like us. They’re good, bad and ugly, but I think the young quarterback is getting better and they’re going to continue to improve.”
On whether his trip to West Virginia 35 years ago occurred during college:
“Oh yeah, my first year as a GA.”
On whether he had a good time in West Virginia anyway:
“Oh yeah, I promise you.”
On whether he’s ever toured The Bunker at The Greenbrier:
“No.”
