Cox had a theory as to why the practice squad was constructed the way it is and it is because of the Patriots, whom they play this week.
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The Cardinals are perfectly positioned to be NFC powerhouses again and replicate last season’s 13-3 record, but it is Palmer and his ability to put last season’s nightmare finish behind him that will ultimately determine whether the confetti is falling on them at Super Bowl LI in Houston. “I’ve just got to go take advantage of it”.
So, too, is Tyrann Mathieu, the versatile defensive back who returns from his second ACL surgery in three years.
The Patriots need to lean on their impressive depth during Brady’s absence, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. A year ago, Carson Palmer averaged 8.7 yards per attempt – the most by any quarterback since Aaron Rodgers in 2011. Arizona added some toughness and experience with veteran Evan Mathis.
This time, the Patriots will be led by quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as the team hopes they can pull together a win. “A solid secondary group. Their outside linebackers rush quite a bit, so there is some coverage, but their outside linebackers are predominantly rushers, so a lot of times they’re bringing five people”, said Bill Belichick earlier this week.
In his place, the New England Patriots will see the regular season debut of backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
“We just, in the end, had to do what we felt was best for the team”, Belichick said.
“That is in fact where I started my career, but every game here is a big game”, he said. That was a weakness for Arizona as it ranked 20th in the National Football League with 36 sacks previous year.
This is a team with a complex offense and an array of talented skill players.
Gronkowski and wide receiver Julian Edelman are two of the best in the league at exploiting the seam, especially against aggressive pass rushes, and the Patriots will likely attempt to use battering ram LeGarrette Blount on early downs to keep Garoppolo out of unsafe down-and-distance situations – although one can never fully predict how Belichick and McDaniels will attempt to attack a defense.
“The mindset (has) got to be: I just got to make more (plays) than I give up”.
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Which team do you think will end up coming out on top in the opening edition of Sunday Night Football? Your teammates are always looking at you, so if you react in a bad way, they’re going to see that and they’ll react to that. Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and LeGarrette Blount are just as talented as the collection that Brady had alongside him in 2001.
