PODCAST: Previewing Arizona Cardinals vs Carolina Panthers

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals have quite the opportunity ahead of them.

Week 2 will see Jonathan Gannon's ball team host the Carolina Panthers at State Farm Stadium as favorites. A win would propel the Cardinals to 2-0, something they haven't done since 2021.

Can the Cardinals bring home a victory? Or will a feisty Panthers team have other ideas?

We previewed the matchup on the latest episode of the Cardinals On SI podcast:

PREVIEW: Panthers at Cardinals

Gannon met with reporters earlier this week to also preview the matchup:

Opening Statement:

“Okay, on the injury front (S) Joey Blount is going to go to IR. He’ll be done for the year, and then we’re battling a couple nicks and bruises, but we’ll kind of evaluate as the week goes here. Obviously, the home opener versus Carolina (for) Week 2, so we’re obviously onto them right now. I don’t live in the past, but if you look back at that game last year, we did not play our brand of ball so that was talked about and they’re a good football team coming here. They’ve got some premium players and they’re hard to defend so we got our work cut out for us. (We’re) going to need to do a good job all week.”

On if Blount’s injury is a concussion:

“A neck.”

On losing Blount for the season:

“Yeah, (he’s) a captain too. It’s tough that it’s part of the game, but it never gets easy. Some guys are going to have to step up and assume his role, but I feel good about it. He wore a lot of hats on game day, so we’re going to have to figure that out, but guys are ready to assume the role, step in and play well.”

On what he’s seen from watching film on Carolina and his overall evaluation:

“Offensively, their quarterback’s a good player and he can beat you with his arm and his legs. They’ve got a couple good skill guys, and their O-line is really good. Really good. They play to their numbers; there’s no doubt about that. (Panthers G) Robert Hunt’s one of the best in the world, in my opinion. (Panthers RB Chuba) Hubbard’s a good back. He’s tough to tackle. They drafted the kid from Arizona. We liked him a lot. He is a big guy, good route runner, contested catches, and it starts with the quarterback. He can dice you up and if you don’t rush him the right way he makes you pay with his legs. He’s got really good escape mobility and can beat you with his arm and his legs, so that’s a big-time challenge for us. Defensively, they’ve got some new guys over there. Obviously, a premier corner who I have a high opinion of, a premier defensive tackle who did not play versus us last year. He’s back train wrecking the game. They’ve got some rushers. They signed the kid from LA that he’s running the show in the middle there. (He) is a really good player. They signed a safety that’s a good player from Vegas, and they’ve got a good scheme. We’ve got our work cut out for us. It’s the NFL, Week 2. “

On facing mobile quarterbacks in the NFL:

“Talking about (Saints QB) Spencer (Rattler) and obviously now Week 2, we’re playing a guy that can beat you with his legs. It does seem like it’s a little more prevalent now than back in the day (of) pure pocket passers, but it does make it hard to defend. You have to have different tools, and we’ve got to be very aware of how he moves, and you’ve got to have vision on them. It’s a tough challenge for us, no doubt.”

On what motivated him to talk about last season’s loss to Carolina to the players:

“We didn’t stop the run, and we lost the takeaway battle and got beat. If you don’t do that you’re going to lose. It was very clear to our guys why we lost that game and just revisit it because they got a lot of players. Hubbard went for 152 (yards) versus us last year. You’re not going to win.”

On if he feels the need to have a mobile quarterback on his team:

“I don’t know. Yeah.”

On Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan:

“I thought his tape was really good, and he showed it Week 1 too.”

On how much he can take from the loss to Carolina last season and apply it to the upcoming game:

“They’ve got different players, but same coaching staff. Schematically, they did some good things, I thought. You turn over every stone, so a little bit. We’re not living in that, but obviously the Jacksonville game we looked at pretty good and it’s still Week 2, so there’s going to be some un-scouted things (on) both sides. The other thing too, I told our guys is that there’s some things that we have to do a lot better in all three phases, in a hurry, so I’ve got my eye on that too. They know those things that they’re aware of and what we have to do a better job of going from Week 1 to Week 2, regardless of your opponent, just to play better football to give us a better chance to win. We have to correct those things on the practice field these next three days.”

On CB Max Melton:

“He played really well at the point of attack. He was really good. I thought his eyes were good most of the day. Technique was pretty good most of the day. He made a bunch of plays for us and showed some resilience. He had the one ball caught on him in the first drive in the third quarter, and then kind of shut his guy down rest of the day. I thought he played well.”

On what it can do for the defense if the two outside starting cornerbacks continue to perform well:

“Well, if they’re making more plays than not, that’s typically good for you. They’re going to get challenged in different calls that we’re playing, but I think you need high level play from everybody out there. Specifically, those two guys. Hopefully, they can deny the ball when they need to and take away the first look. That gives the rush a tick of time to get to it.”

On how much of a jump a team can take from Week 1 to Week 2:

“Hopefully, a big one. Hope is not a good plan though. We need to. You’re playing a new opponent. It’s still early in the year, so you’ve got all that going on, but I think we need to take a jump this week on all three phases: individuals, coaches, everybody. We have to do a better job. The rust is kind of off now. Let’s get going.”

On if there is more of an emphasis on accountability after a win versus a loss:

“The process is the process. We show the good, the bad, the ugly after wins and losses. We kind of just stick to that.”

On who will move into Blount’s role:

“We’ve got a couple guys that can do it that we feel good about. There’s no doubt that his roles on game day are going to have to be absorbed by multiple people.”

On S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson and his expectations for him this season:

“(To) kind of play how he played. I do think he’s a ball guy. I do think he can turn the ball over, so just waiting to see that when he gets some opportunities. He was in the right spots, he played fast, he played violent, he tackled well and covered well. I thought he had a good game.”

On his evaluation of LB Baron Browning now versus when he first arrived last season:

“I think he’s a better football player. He understands the defense better. He’s a smart guy, so I’m not saying he didn’t understand, but just the know-knowing everything that’s going on and what we’re looking for from him. And now being able to deploy him in some different spots because he is comfortable with his first job. He’s kind of a chess piece that we can use. If we need to.”