The Arizona Cardinals have been on a tear this year, going undefeated in the NFL. J.J. Watt has been watching their games and he’s not happy with what he sees from them so far.
J.J. Watt is a defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals, and he has been playing well this season. In an interview with ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Watt explained why they are undefeated so far in 2021.
The Arizona Cardinals are the only club in the NFL still unbeaten midway through October. The Cardinals are 6-0 and the buzz of the town, thanks to Kyler Murray’s spectacular quarterback performance and a defense that includes J.J. Watt and Budda Baker.
Arizona is the genuine deal, which is saying a lot given that head coach Kliff Kingsbury is just in his third season as a head coach in the NFL.
The season is still early, and anything can happen, but the Cardinals seem to be NFC contenders.
Watt pulled back the curtain following their most recent victory over the Cleveland Browns, despite their stellar performance on the field.
Arizona’s dominance on the field is as much a cerebral game as it is a physical one.
The Arizona Cardinals faced a COVID-19 outbreak, which threw their game strategy into disarray.
Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury works out at the Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center during the offseason | Christian Petersen/Getty Images
On paper, the Cardinals’ victory against the Browns seemed to be a foregone conclusion. They traveled to Cleveland and defeated the Browns 37-14. Murray threw for 229 yards and four touchdowns on 20 of 30 passing attempts. Six sacks, five tackles for loss, and an interception were recorded by the defense.
Although the game looked to be a total thrashing of Cleveland, Arizona had a lot going on behind the scenes in the lead-up to the game.
Kingsbury had a positive COVID-19 test two days before the game, preventing him from being on the sideline or with the squad. However, that news was the apex of an already dreadful week in that respect. Multiple players were eventually sidelined by positive tests, including linebacker Chandler Jones, who had already been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list earlier in the week.
Kingsbury, Jones, quarterback coach Cam Turner, and defensive lineman Zach Allen all knew they wouldn’t be able to travel to Cleveland going into the weekend. Defensive lineman Corey Peters was also ruled out of the game on Sunday afternoon due to a failed drug test.
With their unbeaten record on the line, the Cardinals found a way to react fast.
Not only is Kingsbury the head coach at Arizona, but he also calls the offensive plays. Arizona had to adjust fast after losing many important players and coaches.
In Kingsbury’s place, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph was named head coach, which was a wise decision since Joseph has NFL head coaching experience. The Cardinals also “promoted” assistant wide receivers coach Spencer Whipple to call the passing plays, which is an important component of the system.
In the end, the Cardinals played a tough Browns squad on the road and won handily. Given all they had to deal with, that result may surprise some. Watt seemed to be everything but after the game.
“It’s all business, it’s what we do.” We are well aware of the job at hand. Watt told Tom Pelissero, “We know how to achieve a job and we go out there and execute it.” “No excuses, no nonsense.” We just find a way to triumph.”
Arizona’s skill combined with a winning mentality will be difficult to overcome.
The Arizona Cardinals’ JJ Watt #99 looks on from the sidelines during their game against the Minnesota Vikings at State Farm Stadium | Norm Hall/Getty Images
Coaches with a lot of experience will tell you that you can’t teach effort. In football circles, there’s an old adage that says what counts isn’t the size of the dog in the fight, but the magnitude of the battle in the dog. These are all clichés you’ll hear during early morning practices on high school football fields throughout the nation, but that doesn’t mean they don’t hold true in the big-money world of the NFL.
Watt has always been regarded as a team leader and a “try-hard” person, but what distinguishes him as a potential Hall of Famer is that he’s found a way to combine his skill with his heart. Even at the top levels of football, that kind of mentality is uncommon, but it’s what distinguishes the generational players, and it’s obviously rubbing off on the Cardinals.
Before signing with the Arizona Cardinals this summer, Watt was the long-time face of the Houston Texans. Despite playing for a number of bad clubs, he was a superstar with the Texans. It wasn’t his skill, though, that made him such a popular favorite. Of course, it helped, but what made him unique for Houston was that he approached every play and encounter with a winning mindset. It didn’t matter what the score was or how chaotic things were around him. Every day, he showed up to play. With the Cardinals, he’s obviously in a different environment, but his mentality is beginning to pay off now that he’s surrounded by so much quality.
When asked how it felt to be a member of an unbeaten team, he replied, “It’s why I’m here, to win football games.” “With these people, I’m having a lot of fun.” We have a fantastic connection and a wonderful sense of togetherness. We’re having a great time, but the greatest thing is that I know it’ll be ‘flip the page and get back to work’ when we return to work this week. And it’s for this reason why we’re doing what we’re doing.”
Even in the NFL, attitude is everything.
ESPN and Pro Football Reference provided the statistics.
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