All-Access with Bruce Arians: Boone close to returning to O-line

TEMPE, Ariz. – Head coach Bruce Arians, now in his fifth year with the Arizona Cardinals, meets the media several times leading up to gameday.

Here, in this space, with help from the Cardinals’ media relations staff, we’ll highlight many of the key topics and personnel conversations he has with reporters following practice.

Opening statement:

“All right, out for the game: D.J. Humphries and Robert Nkemdiche. Everybody else will be game-time decisions. I thought we had an excellent week of preparation. Obviously, going outside for the first time in possible weather conditions and everything else, 10 o’clock (kickoff), they’re all excuses. We got to play the game wherever it’s at, and we’re ready to roll.”

How close will Alex Boone be to possibly playing?

“Should be close. Could be close.”

Are you confident with again going with Will Holden or would you even consider Earl Watford there at left guard?

“Yeah, Earl’s up to speed right away.”

How tough is it for an offensive lineman to play with a chest or tricep injury?

“You’re out there playing one arm basically. You’re limited as far as once they put that harness on you, the range of motion, how far back you can go and the things you can do, so you might be able to go get somebody and your arm, it won’t go, so it’s really difficult.”

Your defense got one takeaway last week and came close to a few others. How badly do you need to force some turnovers this week?

“They come in bunches and we need bunches. We’ve been close too many times now, and we need one of those games where they bounce our way.”

You talked about needing to stick with the run game more, what goes into your thought process when you do decide to go away from it?

“So much of it is success in the passing game. When I see Carson (Palmer) in a rhythm and then you try to mix and match it and it might be one-to-three, run-to-pass, when he’s in that really good rhythm. Other times, say, ‘hey, we need to pound it once or twice, try to get into a very manageable third down.’ It’s a fine line in-between as you’re calling plays.”

What are your thoughts on Philadelphia fans?

“Some of the best. Passion. They bring passion.”

When you were hired by Temple so many years ago, did you think you’d still be coaching at this time?

“I would hope so if I wasn’t dead. That job damn near killed me. But, I still have some of the best relationships ever, from ’83-’88, with those guys and heard from a ton of them in the past week.”

You mentioned weather conditions; do you pay attention to the forecast?

“Oh yeah. You got to get guys—if it looks like rain, you’ll do a wet-ball drill and things like that with the quarterbacks and centers.”

Offensive pass interference penalties are up in the league. Do you tell your players anything different?

“Yeah. We have a scouting report every Friday on the crew that’s officiating our ballgame and the types of penalties, where do they happen. I think OPI was a point of emphasis in the offseason and we’ll see if it continues.”

Did you catch the Diamondbacks game the other night?

“Part of it. I was really, really happy. It was awesome. My granddaughter was a part of it. She’s an intern down there and got a lot of pictures and it was fantastic.”

What does she do for the Diamondbacks?

“She’s doing their social media?”

Does she help you out with yours?

“No, no, no. Her mom and dad do that for me.”

How good has long snapper Aaron Brewer been for you? We haven’t heard his name a lot.

“That’s a great thing. It’s kind of like Mike Leach. You never knew him until he was doing charity work and helping somebody in the community, and that’s what Brewers has been doing, so let’s knock on wood it continues.”

Did Deone Bucannon come out of last week’s game OK?

“Yeah, Buc came out good. He’s had a great week of practice. You see him start to knock that rust off and recognize quicker and adjust.”

What do you think about Peyton Manning getting a statue in Indianapolis?

“I’ve been texting back-and-forth with him. Wish I could be there because it is a really special moment and to have that little small part of it was really special.”

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