Tag: Arizona Cardinals

Perplexing season of Cardinals running back David Johnson raises questions

by Bob Young
  • Slug: Sports-Cardinals David Johnson, about 870 words.
  • Photo attached.

By Jacob Rosenfarb
Cronkite News

TEMPE – The perplexing season of Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson took another turn Sunday when the former All-Pro back failed to record a single touch in the Cardinals 36-26 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Acting as the team’s backup running back behind newly acquired Kenyan Drake, Johnson was not on the field for 60 of the team’s 69 offensive snaps, marking the fifth straight game in which Johnson, who signed a three-year, $39 million contract earlier this year, was either inactive or saw limited action.

Sunday marked the first time in Johnson’s career that he played in a game without registering a single rushing attempt or pass reception. And what was possibly Johnson’s least productive performance as a pro came in the wake of what Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury called Johnson’s best week of practice this season.

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Arizona Cardinals rookie quarterback Josh Rosen is learning quickly on the job

by Bob Young

By HARLEY YEAROUT
Cronkite News

TEMPE – Rookie quarterback Josh Rosen found himself in familiar territory Sunday as he and the Arizona Cardinals faced a 15-10 deficit with 2:16 remaining in the game against the San Francisco 49ers.

It was a mirror image of his first NFL action, when Rosen entered a game against the Chicago Bears in the third week of the season trailing 16-14 with 4:31 to play.

In that game, Rosen was intercepted on his first drive and failed to get the Cardinals into the end zone on their following possession as Arizona fell short against the Bears.

One week after that disappointment, the Cardinals trailed Seattle 17-10 in the fourth quarter when Rosen rallied them to a 17-17 tie. He then drove the Cardinals’ offense 49 yards into position to take the lead, only to have kicker Phil Dawson miss a potential game-winning 45-yard field goal. The Seahawks ended up winning when Sebastian Janikowski converted a 52-yard field goal on the final play of the game.

On Sunday, Rosen finished the job.

With the first-year quarterback taking command of the huddle, Arizona drove 73 yards to score as Rosen delivered a touchdown strike to fellow rookie Christian Kirk that put the Cardinals ahead with 34 seconds to play.

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Cardinals have eye on quarterbacks in upcoming NFL draft

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-Cardinals draft, 728 words
  • Photos available (thumbnails, captions below)

By MATT FAYE
Cronkite News

TEMPE — Cardinals coach Bruce Arians has groomed his fair share of talented young quarterbacks.

He was the quarterbacks coach in Indianapolis when the Colts drafted Peyton Manning first overall in 1998. Arians was in Pittsburgh when the Steelers selected Ben Roethlisberger in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft.

Now, Arians may get to play mentor again. He and General Manager Steve Keim spoke to the media at the Cardinals training facility in Tempe on Tuesday ahead of next week’s NFL Draft, and neither were shy about emphasizing the importance of maintaining options at quarterback. Veteran Carson Palmer announced in February that he’ll return this season, but his plans beyond that remain uncertain.

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The Coyotes and captain Shane Doan put another Valley sports icon on ice

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-Fitzgerald bobblehead, 682 words
  • Photos available (thumbnails, captions below)

By ANNALIESE LEON
Cronkite News

GLENDALE — It didn’t take long for Josh Margulies, the Arizona Coyotes new vice-president of marketing, to realize how much of an icon Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is in the desert.

“Outside of John McCain, he may be the most famous person in Arizona,” Margulies said. “You turn on sports radio, they’re always talking about Larry Fitzgerald. You turn on the news on television, they’re talking about him. It’s hard to miss that with him.”

Margulies moved to the Valley of the Sun just six months ago from the Bay Area.

It also didn’t take Margulies, who moved to the Valley from the Bay Area six months ago very long to see an opportunity in Fitzgerald’s popularity with almost all Arizona sports fans.

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