Arizona
Austin Ekeler presents ‘tough out’ for Arizona Cardinals defense
TEMPE — There was no scarcity of legit operating backs the Arizona Cardinals have had the tall process of going through in 2022.
A fast refresher for these at house:
– Josh Jacobs (Week 2)
– Christian McCaffrey x2 (Weeks 4 and 11)
– Miles Sanders (Week 5)
– Kenneth Walker x2 (Weeks 6 and 9)
– Alvin Kamara (Week 7)
– Dalvin Prepare dinner (Week 8)
And it doesn’t get any simpler for defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and the protection in Week 12 when do-it-all operating again Austin Ekeler and the Los Angeles Chargers come to city on Sunday.
Pacing the workforce in carries (123), speeding yards (534), targets (83), catches (69) and touchdowns (11), there’s not a lot Ekeler isn’t concerned in relating to the L.A. offense.
“He’s a self-made man, he’s a Western Colorado man,” Joseph mentioned Thursday. “He’s an undersized man that most likely shouldn’t be on this league most likely, however he’s the main receiver … and the main rusher. … He’s carrying the soccer workforce. He takes checkdowns for 7-8 yards a crack and that’s enormous for an offense.
“As a runner, he’s slippery. He’s acquired a low middle of gravity, he breaks tackles, he has nice arms out of the backfield, he protects. He’s a soccer participant, and clearly if you watch him, he’s going to be a tricky out like most good backs are on this league. He’s positively their man proper now.”
Whereas quarterback Justin Herbert often will get Ekeler his justifiable share of targets on the common, he’s seen greater than regular in 2022 with beginning vast receivers Mike Williams and Keenan Allen coping with their respective accidents over the course of the season.
In comparison with the primary 11 video games in 2021, the RB noticed extra work on the bottom (135 carries) however much less targets (66) and catches (51) than this 12 months.
Herbert’s knack of getting Ekeler concerned within the passing recreation ought to proceed in Arizona, too, with Williams already dominated out for the competition attributable to an ankle harm.
And if it’s not Ekeler or the aforementioned Allen, who has 11 receptions for 171 yards over three video games, it’ll possible be Josh Palmer filling the void.
Seeing at the very least eight targets come his approach over the previous 4 matchups, Palmer has racked up 28 catches for 313 yards and two scores.
However for all of the discuss of the go catchers, the success actually begins behind the arm of Herbert, a participant Joseph has studied through the years.
“He’s a protracted athlete with an awesome arm. He could make each throw,” Joseph mentioned. “And what’s stunning with this man is he doesn’t see the stress. His eyes are down the sector. He’s making throws from totally different arm angles, he can scramble, he can run with the ball.
“He takes some (hits), which younger guys do. That’s acquired to cease, he received’t final a very long time doing that. He’s awkward when he slides. … He’s acquired nice poise, he’s acquired braveness, he’s enjoying good soccer. When he has time to make throws, he’s making throws.”
Emphasis on the “When.”
Herbert has put collectively a strong season to this point behind 2,730 yards and 16 touchdowns on 66.6% passing. That’s to not say it’s been a clear pocket for the sign caller to function in, tallying 17 sacks taken.
Per Professional Soccer Focus, Herbert has dropped again 123 occasions underneath stress, tied for fifth most within the league with the Houston Texans’ Davis Mills.
He’s additionally turned the ball over greater than he’d prefer to with seven interceptions on the season, tied for the fourth-highest mark within the league.
For the Cardinals protection to get the higher of Herbert and Co., all of it begins up entrance, most notably with J.J. Watt and Zach Allen. Over the previous 4 video games mixed, the duo has amassed 4.5 sacks, 5 tackles for loss and 14 QB hits.
With Byron Murphy Jr. out with a again harm, attending to the quarterback goes to be key given the lack of the workforce’s No. 1 cornerback.
Apart from them, it’s on the shoulders of Markus Golden, Myjai Sanders and Dennis Gardeck to assist set the tone on the skin, an space of the sector Arizona has lacked consistency in.
Golden remains to be searching for that breakout recreation in 2022, recording simply 1.5 sacks and 15 QB hits throughout 11 video games. Sanders has proven flashes however has no more than 21 defensive snaps and is coming off a single digit displaying (9 reps) this previous week. Gardeck nonetheless has that prime motor however has been held again a bit attributable to harm this season.
Search for cornerback Antonio Hamilton to make up for final week, too.
Whereas it wasn’t all on him, the cornerback didn’t do his workforce any favors on Monday evening, highlighted by him letting up on a touchdown-saving sort out of San Francisco tight finish George Kittle late within the matchup.
“Clearly on Monday evening, nobody was ok. I wasn’t ok, both,” Joseph mentioned. “They made some performs there however once more, go protection is each ends. It’s speeding and protection. We have now to get higher in each areas. And myself, serving to these guys make extra performs and get nearer in protection. It’s all of us.
“It all the time begins with me and strikes downhill, however I’ll determine it out to get extra stress and get nearer in protection.”
