ESPN’s Mark Schlereth: Mathieu was all over the field
Sep 18, 2015, 3:35 PM
New Orleans Saints fullback Austin Johnson (35) is knocked out of bounds by Arizona Cardinals free safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
While Carson Palmer was the story in Week 1’s 31-19 win, the play of Arizona Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu impressed ESPN NFL Insider Mark Schlereth.
The third-year player out of LSU had eight tackles and three pass deflections in last Sunday’s win over the New Orleans Saints.
“Mathieu was all over the field,” Schlereth said. “He is just a great football player.”
The 5’9″, 186-pound safety’s size problems stick out to Schlereth, but that doesn’t stop him from admiring his playmaking.
“He’s probably one of those guys, if you line him up against all of the safeties in the league, he doesn’t jump higher than anybody, he doesn’t run as fast as anybody,” Schlereth said. “He’d be one of the lesser impressive guys at that position.
“He’s a ball-hawking, football playing Jessie. He is all over the place. I love watching him play,” Schlereth said.
Speaking of mobility, while Palmer does not move like Mathieu, Schlereth was surprised by the way the quarterback operated against the Saints.
“How well he moved inside the pocket, but how well he moved outside the pocket [as well],” Schlereth said. “That shocked me a bit.”
Palmer was 19-for-32 with 307 yards and three touchdowns in the Week 1 win. He completed passes to eight different receivers.
“Carson kept some things alive and moved around. I thought be bought himself time and I thought he was accurate with the time he bought himself.”
