Simon Says: ‘It’s going to be a fun matchup’ against Seattle

TEMPE, Ariz. – His teammates weren’t buying it.

“Don’t lie, don’t lie,” they shouted as Arizona Cardinals cornerback Tharold Simon conducted an interview at his locker on Wednesday.

“It’s like any other week,” he said, trying hard not to crack a smile. “I mean, it’s different, but I’m not going to make it bigger than what it’s supposed to be, though.”

It is big because 1) it’s Seattle week and 2) for three seasons Simon wore the Seahawks’ college navy, action green and wolf gray — enemy colors around these parts.

“Those my brothers. We all had a connection,” he said of his time in Seattle, which selected him in the fifth-round (138th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft. “Some of them still hit me up, text me, call me just to check up on me (to) see how I’m doing and things like that, but other than that…worry about them after the game.”

Dressed now in Cardinal red, Simon did admit to looking forward to one aspect of the Sunday Night Football matchup: being on the field once again lined up opposite Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin.

“He talks a lot of smack and we used to go back-and-forth at it when I was in Seattle,” Simon said.

Baldwin is the Seahawks’ leading receiver which likely means “Pat(rick Peterson) is following him,” according to Simon.

Still, Seattle is loaded at the receiver position. Simon named Jermaine Kearse, Tyler Lockett and Paul Richardson.

“They all talented receivers, so I’m looking forward to really getting my hands on any one of them that come to my side or facing anyone. It’s going to be a fun matchup,” Simon said. “I know they’re going to have it out for me, too, especially the coaches, too. When I’m out there, I know they’re going to try to attack me and stuff like that, but I’m prepared and ready for that, though.”

A few weeks ago, Simon may not have gotten the chance to defend one of his former teammates. He was still learning the Cardinals’ playbook.

Claimed off waivers on Sept. 14, Simon has spent much of his time on special teams. That changed last week against the New York Jets. Simon recorded four tackles, tied with D.J. Swearinger for the third-most on the team. He played 43 percent of the defensive snaps. Those 23 reps dwarfed the five combined — three at Buffalo and two against Los Angeles — he had received through his first four games with the Cardinals.

“I’m getting there,” he said, referring to his comfort level with the defense. “I just really have to get comfortable just getting out there playing football again. I can get out there and run on special teams and stuff like that, but it’s different than getting out there and seeing a lot of different things going on. I mean, just you yourself, just getting your feet together, your technique and everything down pat when you go there, but I think I’m more comfortable. I know the defense. It’s just me, personally, going out there and just doing my job.”

Simon found it hard to do his job in Seattle. Injuries limited him to 11 games, including one start, in his three seasons. Simon did play in all three of the Seahawks’ postseason games in 2014, registering a pass defensed against New England in the Super Bowl.

“He’s a really good player. I doubt at all that he’s been a factor (with the Cardinals),” Seattle head coach Pete Carroll told reporters on a conference call. “He’s a really good cover guy. He’s really big and fast and competitive. We just had a roster situation. We just had to make a move, but unfortunately, we’re playing against him. I think he’s a really good player.”

The Cardinals liked Simon’s size as well. At 6-foot-3, he’s the team’s tallest player in the secondary.

The Cardinals also liked, especially this week, his knowledge of the Seahawks, both offensively and defensively.

“They came up to me a few times today, just asking questions of what do they try to do out of this (formation). I think it’s going to help them out a lot,” Simon said.

“I can get out there and basically on defense kind of call out some of the stuff they run. I’m not going to say everything, but I can call out some of the stuff they run. They can ask me so many questions. I can give (answers) to them and (Seattle) can come out there and run something totally different, which I don’t think they will but anything can happen in a football game.”

Here is what Simon, and the Cardinals, are hoping happens in Sunday’s game: that he, once again, is on the winning side of the matchup.

Seattle has won its last three trips to University of Phoenix Stadium.

“We got that chip on our shoulder. It showed out there today in practice the way we were flying around the ball, the way we were communicating,” he said. “We can’t let them win over here.”

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