Peterson: Cardinals got message from Wilks playing boos at end of practice
Sep 20, 2018, 2:42 PM | Updated: 9:39 pm
Arizona Cardinals coach Steve Wilks speaks during a news conference following the team's preseason NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
(AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
The last time the Arizona Cardinals played at home, they were booed off the field at halftime down 21-0 to the Washington Redskins in Week 1 and heard more of them throughout the loss.
Veterans like wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Patrick Peterson said after the game they didn’t blame the fans, noting the team’s poor performance was not worthy of the expectations fans hold for the Cardinals.
Head coach Steve Wilks made sure his team didn’t forget about that moment when he played the sound of boos at practice heading into a Week 3 showdown against the Chicago Bears on Sunday at State Farm Stadium.
Patrick Peterson told me Wilks ended practice today huddling up with crowd noise – the sound of booing. The last time they walked off the field at home that’s what they heard, and they never want to hear that again. ‘We are determined’ #CHIvsAZ
— Lisa Matthews (@LisaMatthewsAZ) September 19, 2018
“Me, I honestly knew something was up, because I was like, ‘that noise sound familiar,'” Peterson said Thursday. “Normally, when you hear crowd noise, it’s always cheering and hooping and hollering. On this particular day, it was the last sounds when we left State Farm Stadium.
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“We definitely don’t want to give our fans that type of outcome again because as a home team, especially playing your first Week 1 game at home and getting booed [at halftime], that’s an embarrassment on our behalf so we want to make sure that we don’t give the fans that reaction again.”
According to the defensive back, Wilks didn’t say much on the boos.
“It was almost like a subliminal message,” Peterson said. “Guys got the message without coach really saying [anything].”
Fitzgerald said Thursday the team is doing everything they can to make sure there won’t be a repeat of boos on Sunday.
“Last time we were at home you heard some things that no home team would ever want to hear so we want to just make sure we change the narrative and give them something they can be proud of,” he said.
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