CB Denzel Ward (11.2.23)
Is it strange not knowing who the quarterback is going to be in this game?
“I don’t think it’s too strange. That’s the NFL. I think we just got to come prepared and execute our assignment and our jobs and we should be good.”
How challenging is it to prepare for two guys who haven’t taken a single snap this season? I mean, obviously, Kyler (Murray), there’s tape on him, but he hadn’t played this year, so even with him, you don’t know what he’s getting.
“Yeah, I think we’re kind of familiar with Kyler and what he’s capable of and the type of player that he is out there. Yeah, definitely a little bit more difficult watching the other guy, but like I said, just got to come prepared and study their receivers and see what they like to do, and I think we’ll be good.”
AWalk (Anthony Walker Jr.) talked yesterday about needing to shore up the run defense. What do you think needs to happen there?
“For the run defense? Yeah, I think we all just got to execute our job, just attack our points and continue to play physical and get guys down. Everybody stay in their gaps and make tackles. We can’t miss tackles, and that kind of hurt us a little bit, but just got to execute that.”
If you guys don’t have Greg (Newsome II), how much of a woe is that to your secondary?
“Yeah. Greg’s a great player, so it’ll definitely hurt if we don’t have him. But guys are going to step up–whether that’s Cam (Mitchell) or Mike Ford, and they’re definitely more than capable of going out there, making plays and locking their man down. And so it’s just next guy up, if that’s the case. And I think we’ll still be good.”
How diificult is it to play that nickel spot and how well has Greg played it this year?
“Yeah, it’s difficult, but Greg, he’s been playing great. He’s been playing well and locking his man down and making plays out there, but like I said, those guys behind him are prepared to step up and take his place if need be.”
Cam’s been out there a little bit so far, what’s he showing you since he’s been here?
“Yeah, he’s made plays out there as well. Almost had a pick six. Got to find a way to bring that ball in. But Cam, he’s been playing well out there, doing his job, communicating out there on the field. And like I said, if Greg’s not there, then I’m sure he’ll be more than capable of taking his place and filling his role in.”
How important is it for you guys to look beyond Arizona’s 1-7 record?
“Yeah, it’s the NFL, so there’s not a bad team in the NFL. So we can’t take anybody lightly. We got to go in and do our job, like I said, and execute and take care of our business. So regardless of record, it’s whoever wins that day.”
What have you seen so far from James Conner?
“Is he playing?”
How do you think this defense is playing overall, at least you guys in the secondary that have been playing and how do you put Sunday’s game behind you?
“I think we’ve been playing well, but we’re not there yet. There’s still things that we got to fix and get better at, but I mean, we’re just trying to get better week in and week out and just find those things, watch the tape, see we got to get better at. We could have done a lot better job on that – starting fast to begin with in that last game and then finishing on that last drive against Seattle. So like I said, there’s things that we got to work on, but I think we’ll get there.”
What’s Jim (Schwartz) like in the meeting room, going through that, we hear so much about his fiery personality and always trying to get the most out of you guys and pushing your buttons and things like that. What’s it been like this week coming off a tough loss, working through those corrections?
“Yeah, we had an intense meeting coming after that loss to Seattle, which is expected. I mean, he expects a lot out of us as well as ourselves. So we got to go out there and be who we are and execute and do our job and make plays out there. So just can’t get complacent and just got to continue to work.”
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