Patrick Peterson: P2 effect sets in during his return for Arizona Cardinals

It was a defensive feast for the Arizona Cardinals with cornerback Patrick Peterson taking the field on Sunday for his first game of the season.

The Cardinals picked up their third straight win against the Giants in a rainy 27-21 victory.

They also recorded their first interception of the season, courtesy of linebacker Jordan Hicks, but Peterson said the P2 effect contributed to the defense’s success this week.

“I think the P2 effect set in,” Peterson told reports in New York after the game.

Great team win 👏 pic.twitter.com/64ezgUJZAz

— Arizona Cardinals ⋈ (@AZCardinals) October 20, 2019

Peterson told reporters that he wasn’t emotional as he took the field again but putting on the pads was long over do.

“I don’t know if it was the fresh legs that I had or if I was just ready to get out there on the field with my guys, not emotional, but definitely very excited to put that game uniform back on,” Peterson said.

Peterson tallied seven solo tackles in his return. He also tallied one of the Cardinals eight sacks on a strip sack of Giants quarterback Daniel Jones in the fourth quarter.

Patrick Peterson was a man on a mission 😤 @P2 pic.twitter.com/9OFKYWvC3e

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) October 20, 2019

With Peterson back for the Cardinals, it opened up new defensive possibilities for the defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.

“You can imagine when you have a guy like that, you kind of take away one part of the field. It’s huge for a defensive play caller,” head coach Kliff Kingsbury told 98.7 FM Arizona Sports Station’s Paul Calvisi after the game. “I thought Vance’s plan was incredible. They played their tails off and he just gives you that confidence.”

Peterson said he wouldn’t say that Joseph tailored the defensive plan around his return but agreed that being back put the defense in a good spot.

“Vance did a great job and the defensive coaching staff did a great job of putting me in a position to help this team and help makes plays down the stretch,” Peterson said.

From a player standpoint, linebacker Chandler Jones, who had four of the Cardinals sacks, agreed that having a veteran being able to lock down the field was a big blow to the Giants’ offense.

“If you have a player that’s shutting down the whole field, the quarterback looks at the one side of the field and he doesn’t have a read on the other side. He has to hold the ball, and it gives us time to get back there,” Jones told Calvisi after the game.

With nine games left to go and the New Orleans Saints on deck for next week, Peterson said he thinks this Cardinals team can be competitive as they continue to do their jobs on both sides of the ball.

“If we’re able to do our job week in and week out, playing very competitive every single down, the sky’s going to be the limit,” Peterson said.

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