Notes from the Nest: Aug. 12, 2014
Aug 13, 2014, 12:56 AM | Updated: 12:57 am
GLENDALE, Ariz. — A sparse crowd was on hand to watch the Arizona Cardinals practice Tuesday. If anything, it was probably just another sign of how this time of year can kind of drag — for everyone. The Cards were in shorts Tuesday, meaning there was hitting involved, but it was not exactly a full-contact session.
Of Note
– Jonathan Cooper (toe), Kevin Minter (pectoral), Nate Potter (back), Max Starks (ankle) and Anthony Steen (neck) did not practice for a second straight day; Michael Floyd (groin), Ted Ginn, Jr. (knee) and Lyle Sendlein remain out, while John Abraham (personal) has yet to report. Cooper was, however, sans walking boot.
– It didn’t appear to be the offense’s best day. Rashad Johnson and Deone Bucannon each picked off a pass, and overall the Cardinals struggled to move the ball on a consistent basis.
– Jay Feely, who will handle the kicking duties Saturday in Minnesota, converted seven of his eight field goal attempts, including two from 50 yards out. His lone miss came from 43 yards.
– Ryan Lindley once again got all of the third team reps at quarterback. It will be he, not Logan Thomas, who will play Saturday in Minnesota.
– Receiver Dan Buckner had himself quite a day. The former UA Wildcat had at least one touchdown catch. Another one he seemed to bobble some before trapping it against his helmet, and a final reception may have had him out of bounds just shy of the goal line. Regardless, it was easily one of his best practices of camp.
– Tight end John Carlson caught a touchdown pass from Carson Palmer during red zone work. He was wide open — like, nobody was near him.
– Running back-fullback-something back Robert Hughes scored a touchdown on a run during 11-on-11 red zone work. He basically went into the end zone untouched by the first team defense.
Stat of the Day
Jay Feely’s 127 points last season was the second-best single-season total in franchise history, trailing only the 140 points Neil Rackers racked up in 2005.
Quotes of the Day
“Until practice is over. You get ejected from the game, so you get ejected from practice. We practice like it’s a game every day. You play by the rules. You play the game. (If) you lose your temper and punch a guy in the game, you get ejected.” – Coach Bruce Arians on kicking Darnell Dockett and Bradley Sowell out of the previous day’s practice after they scuffled
“There’s always room for improvement. We’re not satisfied with anything we did because we haven’t arrived yet.” – Defensive lineman Frostee Rucker on if the run defense could be even better in 2014 than it was in 2013, when it was the best in the NFL
“You’ve just got to come out and compete every day. It’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon. Camp’s long and you’ve got to stack them. We talk about stacking practices as a team, and you’ve got to stack them as an individual. I had a good day today, but that means I’ve got to come out and have another good one tomorrow.” – Buckner on what was a good day of practice Tuesday
