Sunday is very likely to be a battle of backup quarterbacks, with Kirk Cousins starting for the Washington Redskins and a bold TBD starting for the Arizona Cardinals.
With injuries to Carson Palmer in Week 1 and to Drew Stanton on Sunday, Arizona might be forced to go with fourth-round pick Logan Thomas, who would be making his first NFL start. Though that might sound like an advantage for the Redskins, they haven’t been able to finish games. This might be the one they can finally close because of the injuries that have decimated Arizona’s front line.
Cardinals reporter Josh Weinfuss and Redskins reporter John Keim discuss Sunday’s game.
Weinfuss: Despite all the hoopla surrounding Cousins taking over for Robert Griffin III, the Redskins have the fifth-best passing offense in the league. Is that a product of Cousins or the scheme? And how different is the offense with Cousins leading it?
Keim: It’s a result of a few factors and it’s not just Cousins, who has been inconsistent -- as you would expect given his experience. The offense had two terrific weeks in a row against Jacksonville and Philadelphia, which has helped their ranking. They were bad against New York and really had two huge plays against Seattle. So it’s not like the passing game is good every game. But what they do have is a pretty good scheme coupled with playmakers, notably DeSean Jackson. The offense stalled in the second half of the Philly game, but Cousins hit Jackson for an 80-yard score. They were doing nothing against the Seahawks until Cousins connected with Jackson for a 60-yard touchdown -- and then a 57-yarder to open the second half. In the first half against the Eagles and versus the Jaguars, they were able to move more consistently. Cousins obviously does not have the same athleticism as Griffin, so he knows he must get rid of the ball faster and make quicker reads. Sometimes he’ll throw the ball too soon because of it, or look off his primary target too early. He will make some throws I’m not sure Griffin would attempt, in part because the latter doesn’t always need to take a chance, knowing he could extend a play and find a better option. But sometimes for Cousins those decisive throws result in negative plays -- he has a tendency to turn the ball over.
What do you think happens at the quarterback position this week -- if Thomas has to start, what are your expectations for him? How does this change what they do offensively? (In other words: Can they still get the ball to Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd?)
Weinfuss: If I could predict what is going to happen this week at quarterback, I’d start playing the stock market as a full-time job. At this point, I think Arizona will try to get Palmer as ready as he can be and make a game-time decision. But the nature of his nerve injury is so fickle that it could flare up at any point. Backup Stanton was in rough shape after the game Sunday. He wore sunglasses in the locker room and looked to have trouble putting on his tie, so the only way he can play this weekend is if he goes through the concussion protocol and is symptom-free. He threw in Wednesday’s practice even though he still hasn’t finished the protocol. My best guess is Thomas will start. He is taking all the reps with the first team this week, and the game plan will be built around him. If, in fact, he does go, I don’t think Bruce Arians will open up a lot of the playbook for him. He had one really good preseason game and one really bad one. Getting a quarter and a half with the first team in live game action helped Thomas understand what Sundays in the NFL are really like, so expect a lot of short plays. Arians will tailor the playbook to what Thomas likes, knows and can do. There will be some running plays called to take advantage of Thomas’ athleticism and a few deep throws because he has a strong arm, but expect the offense to be bland and basic because it would still be the kid’s first NFL start.
With 14 sacks this season, where is most of Washington’s pressure coming from? Arizona’s offensive line will likely be protecting a rookie quarterback, so will the defense be licking its chops?
Keim: Well, 10 of those sacks occurred against Jacksonville, so it’s a little misleading. They have not applied consistent pressure, but outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan is tied for the NFL lead with six sacks. He will work on the left side. Defensive end Jason Hatcher moves inside in their big nickel and fast nickel packages, and he is strong with quick hands. He makes a difference (when healthy). Outside linebacker Brian Orakpo has only half a sack and must generate more big plays. They will blitz occasionally, the inside linebackers and the safeties. The problem has been the four-man rush isn’t getting home enough in part because the back seven aren’t providing enough resistance in coverage. So, yes, I think they would look forward to facing a quarterback whom they might cause to hesitate enough to create better sack opportunities. The defense has not made any game-changing plays.
How have the Cardinals withstood the injuries defensively -- and what is the impact of losing Calais Campbell?
Weinfuss: No one really knows how the Cardinals are still holding up with all the injuries defensively. The past two -- Matt Shaughnessy and Campbell -- might have been the biggest blows because of how thin the defense was already. Remember, Arizona came into the regular season already depleted, so the front office built up the defense’s depth by adding Tommy Kelly and Thomas Keiser late in the preseason. Then, by drafting Kareem Martin and Ed Stinson, the Cards added two defensive-linemen-of-the-future who will have to play now. Campbell might have been the worst individual to lose on defense because he’s so unique. At 6-foot-8, he was difficult to throw over or around and even tougher for offensive linemen to block. His length helped him bring down quarterbacks nine times last season, but his athleticism made him a force against the run. Without him, Arizona doesn’t have a pillar on the defensive line.
Washington doesn’t look like a 1-4 team statistically. Is that misleading, or is the record a better indication of the product on the field?
Keim: Well, they have now lost 17 of their past 21 games, so I’d say those stats are misleading. I think they are a little more talented than their record, but they just haven’t played well enough in all three areas to win games. Their special teams have been dreadful and cost them two losses, thanks to blocked punts and kickoffs returned for scores. The defense gives up big plays thanks to a variety of reasons: breakdowns, young players, veterans who don’t cover well. But at times they play well; it’s just hard for them to do it consistently. The offense typically turns it over too much. They also have young quarterbacks, whether it’s Cousins or Griffin, still learning. And, overall, they just haven’t played so-called winning football. It’s a tough mix for a team trying to build confidence and learn how to win.
We all know the Cardinals love to blitz. What makes them so good at it?
Weinfuss: I think it’s a combination of a few things, but namely it’s because of defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. He puts the Cardinals in a variety of different looks and has done a very good job of disguising schemes and confusing offenses. It also helps when you have linemen up front such as Kelly, Campbell (not this week) and Dan Williams who can push the interior. Arizona has improved its gap control, which allows for the linebackers to shoot them right to the quarterback. Beside Bowles dialing up blitzes at a very high rate, one major key to Arizona being successful on the blitz is its secondary. With cornerbacks such as Patrick Peterson and Antonio Cromartie holding its coverage, it forces quarterbacks to hold on to the ball for a little longer while they try to find a receiver, giving the defense more time to get there.
