The Arizona Cardinals have lost 11 of their last 12 games, including six in a row. They’ve gone from constant last-second heartbreak to falling into multi-score holes and allowing 40-plus points in four games during their current skid.
Just as Arizona’s season has unfolded, so has its defense. The Cardinals currently have the worst Pro Football Focus tackle grade in the NFL, as the third year of Jonathan Gannon’s rebuild comes to a close.
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Gannon isn’t quick to speak out on many topics during his press conferences, but he had plenty to say about the league’s rules regarding tackling in practice when asked about it on Wednesday.
“The way the rules are set up, it’s hard to get better as a tackle in the NFL,” Gannon said.
Teams are only allowed 14 padded practices, per the 2020 NFL collective bargaining agreement, but 11 of them must take place during the first 11 weeks of the season. as reported by ESPN.
During the off-season, contact is prohibited. This includes OTAs and minicamps.
“It’s one of the best skills of any defensive player,” Gannon said of tackling. “There is no drill you can do that can mimic a game. It’s not. The environment is too chaotic to drill it.
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“So there’s a lot of ways to try to do it, but you just have to keep emphasizing the fundamentals, the details. We obviously try to use language that keeps things simple in their heads, but I still think you have to tackle it better. But it’s difficult.”
A reporter chimed in, asking if Gannon would like to see the rules changed.
“The rules are the rules,” he said.
The reporter went on to suggest that Gannon might push for them to be changed.
“Yeah, I’m not going to push for anything. I’m just following the rules,” he said.
But before another question could be asked, Gannon sprinkled in other thoughts.
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“It would be like, ‘Hey, Scottie Scheffler, it’s your offseason, don’t clash,’” Gannon said.
“You know what I mean? But like I said, it’s set up like that, it’s good. But to improve a skill, you have to practice the skill. You practice the skill. … You can increase the tempo, you can adapt the way you do it, but to practice a skill, you have to practice it. And so it’s a conundrum I think all defensive guys face, and there’s a risk-reward to trying to practice it with the way you set things up. But you absolutely have to be a good defensive tackle to play good defense.”
No NFL player has forced more missed tackles on the ground this season than Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson. He made defenders miss 70 times in 14 games, according to PFF.
Robinson should be licking his chops as he’s about to face the Cardinals’ shaken and injury-riddled defense that was just gashed by the Houston Texans.
“Yeah, he’s special,” Gannon said of Robinson on Wednesday.
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“You watch games, and it seems like this is a highlight. … He’s one of the best. I don’t compare players, but this one would be one of the best we’ll face in the run and pass game.”
Arizona committed to strengthening its run defense this past offseason. The Cardinals drafted defensive tackle Walter Nolen III with the 16th overall pick. They signed veterans Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell to bolster the interior, and they brought in Josh Sweat, who was coming off a breakthrough Super Bowl performance with the Philadelphia Eagles.
They also drafted defensive end Jordan Burch in the third round and had defensive tackle Darius Robinson, who they selected 27th overall in 2024, ready to embark on a healthier Year 2.
But the injury bug has returned for some of those players as well as others on a defense that has fallen far short of expectations in a competitive NFC West that features three conference contenders. Constant turnover in the unit and disconnected play have in part led to Arizona ranking slightly worse against the run this season (21st with 124.5 rushing yards allowed per game) than last season (20th with 126.4 rushing yards allowed per game).
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Then there are the offensive issues that have plagued the Cardinals, both in their defense on the ground and through the air.
They were most visible when Arizona tried to limit opposing running plays. After all, the Cardinals are giving up the fifth-most yards after contact per rushing attempt (3.31) in the NFL this season, according to Next Gen Stats.
Gannon said the league’s tackling rules come up every year among head coaches and defensive coaches.
“A lot of people think you can’t practice it, (and that) you’re better off acquiring people who can tackle because you’re not going to help them at all,” Gannon said. “It’s also a thought process.
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“To each his own. But it’s a challenge.”
