Bickley: Carson Beck is ready to shoot his shot against the Rams

In a career that spans 4,291 successful 3-pointers, Stephen Curry ranks the “Golden Dagger” at the top of his personal favorites. 

The shot clinched a gold medal for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics. It was his fourth 3-pointer in the final three minutes, a dizzying conclusion that left the basketball world breathless. It was clutch and audacious, prompting a French commentator to call Curry “le diable” (the devil). McDonald’s social media account in France jokingly posted the restaurant might have to remove its popular curry dipping sauce from their menus in Paris. 

Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur was so impressed that he showed his team the “Golden Dagger” during training camp as a rallying cry, and the message couldn’t have been more obvious: 

“I care a ton, right?” Beck told Valley media this week. “You want to go out there, you want to do good (and) you want to play your best. But when you think too much about that and you fear failure or you fear not having the result that you want, that’s when the emotions get in the way. I think just being comfortable with not knowing the outcome, and then ultimately going and shooting your shot, is how you handle your emotions.” 

It’s great advice for a young quarterback entering his NFL debut: You miss all of the shots you don’t shoot. 

Beck said he’s feeling confident about his upcoming start against the Rams. He is about to turn 25 and enters the league with great experience. At this point, there should be no panic or immaturity in his game. 

But football is the greatest lie detector on the planet. The sport quickly identifies and destroys the frauds and the liars, the tentative and the fearful. We will know very quickly how Beck is processing his momentous debut. 

Eleven days ago, Beck was leading the scout team in Arizona and working on mental reps. On Sunday, he will be the target of a Rams defense that features two generational pass rushers. His top three wide receivers have combined for eight catches and zero touchdowns. The circumstances couldn’t be more callous for a rookie debut.  

But just like honey badgers, franchise quarterbacks don’t care. They have the command, the control and the innate ability to get things done. They have the “It” factor, which is both unmistakable and irreplaceable at the position. No matter how damaged the Cardinals might be, we will know very early on if Beck is that kind of special. 

Savor the final hours of anticipation. Beck is Arizona’s lottery ticket, and the ping pong balls are finally bouncing in the Valley. At kickoff, it will be 100-plus days since we’ve seen Beck play football, a day when hope finally hands off to reality. 

Here’s hoping Beck is our Brock Purdy, and that our wobbly, wayward franchise finally gets a much-needed reprieve. 

Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7.

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