Whenever an opposing offense gets into the red zone, linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. and Kyzir White are typically the two defenders barking out directions ahead of the critical downs.
When the Patriots had the ball on the Cardinals four-yard line during the third quarter Sunday, a potential touchdown threatening to make close a game that shouldn't have been, Wilson wasn't in the huddle.
Back up to earlier in the game, when on the fourth play, Wilson was hit on a blitz pickup by Patriots running back Antonio Gibson. The Cardinals linebacker immediately went down, got up, wobbled, and fell back down. He suffered a concussion and was ruled out of the game.
"I was heartbroken for him because Mack has been talking about this game since he signed here," White said of his teammate, who previously played for the Patriots. "I felt for him, and we just wanted to rally behind him and come out with the win."
The Cardinals did that, returning to the win column with a 30-17 victory. Wilson's injury was only the beginning of adversity. On the following play, linebacker Jesse Luketa went down with a thigh injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the game.
When the Cardinals came out for the third quarter, their "bend-but-don't-break defense" had another challenge. With the Patriots driving down the field on their first possession of the half, Gibson was stuffed on a third-and-1 play from the Arizona 4. The next play, Rhamondre Stevenson was tackled for no gain, forcing the turnover on downs.
Linebacker Krys Barnes, who was filling in for Wilson, was part of the stop on both plays.
"I'm just glad to be able to get in there because, to be honest, I've always wanted to be down there on the goal-line and have it on my shoulders," Barnes said. "For all of us to be on the same page and go out there and fly around, I love balling with my boys, so at the end of the day that's all that matters to me."
Barnes credited his unit for assisting on the tackles. Defensive lineman Naquan Jones got in on the third-down stop, and White joined in to force the turnover.
After the stop, White knew the Cardinals had the Patriots right where they wanted them. "I feel like that's deflating for an offense to get down there and you don't score and get stopped on fourth-and-short," he said.
With confidence oozing, the next possession featured a Sean Murphy-Bunting interception. "It's about getting the ball back to our offense, and as much as we can do that, then I know we'll be in great position," the cornerback said.
Through three quarters, the Cardinals defense held the Patriots to three points. It's a testament to players like Barnes, outside linebacker Baron Browning, and defensive lineman Darius Robinson for stepping up on Sunday. For the first time in his career, Robinson picked up a sack while Browning notched his first of the season.
The Cardinals will be waiting to hear the severity of Wilson and Luketa's injuries. But if their stand during the quarter indicated anything, they're ready for the challenge.
"We're trying to make sure we don't let our brothers down," Barnes said. "It's hard to see Jesse go down and to see Mack go down, or anybody in that sense. But I know that we have the guys in this locker room on offense, defense, and special teams, to where whoever is up next and it's time to go, we're ready for it."
