No More Letdowns For Patrick Peterson

Notes: Cornerback "right where I need to be," Arnold impresses at tight end

Dec 19, 2019 at 04:41 PM

Darren Urban

azcardinals.com

Cornerback Patrick Peterson tells someone to be quiet during the Cardinals' win over the Browns last weekend.

On the games in which Patrick Peterson wears a microphone, he acknowledged he doesn't remember what he says.

"I'm out there, pure emotions, pure fire, just me being the guy I am," Peterson said, adding, "that's the one thing I do look forward to (seeing the footage): What the heck was I talking about? What was going through my head when I was saying that?"

It was pretty clear what Peterson was saying when he was captured, post-interception against the Browns, grasping defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and telling him, “I will not (expletive) let you down again.”

Joseph wouldn't say what the comment meant to him, but "it means a lot for our defense."

"When your best players are playing their best ball, you have a chance to win games," Joseph said. "Obviously, that was Pat's best game of the year. We can see it coming back."

Peterson, who asked to be matched with Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., admitted he was amped up for the matchup.

"I definitely felt like myself Sunday," Peterson said.

There were other reasons Peterson looked like his eight-time Pro Bowl self. On an emotional level, Peterson knows criticism about his play has grown.

"I hear the chatter," he said.

So it was more than just playing Beckham?

"No doubt about it," Peterson added. "Like I said, I hear the chatter."

Tangibly, Peterson said the missing six weeks in his season – leaving after the preseason with his NFL suspension – cost him some subtle changes all defenses go through in-season, a process he has just now caught up on. Peterson has improved on how Joseph wants him to play certain techniques and leverages in the context of the defense, which he said has helped.

"Playing corner in this league and matching the very best players in this league is tough not to see fastballs for a month-and-a-half," Joseph said.

Peterson said he knows he had a different intensity level against the Browns and "I plan on keeping that."

"I think I'm right where I need to be right now," Peterson added.

ARNOLD FINDS A HOME (IN THE BACK CORNER OF THE END ZONE)

The first day new tight end Dan Arnold arrived at practice, he caught the eye of coach Kliff Kingsbury, among others.

"He was on the scout team and going up and just 'Mossing' people, and everybody's kind of 'oohing' and 'aahing,' and we didn't even know his name," Kingsbury said, using the Randy Moss-esque verb to describe the 6-foot-6 Arnold high-pointing catches.

Arnold was targeted just once against the Browns Sunday, but it was a big deal, as he leaped for a touchdown catch in the back corner of the end zone near the end of the first half – a play that had been inserted into the red zone package after Arnold had made his presence known over the week-and-a-half he had been on the team.

"That first practice I was like, 'OK, I had a pretty good day,' " Arnold said. "When you've got jump balls they kind of throw up to you and say, 'Here, let's see what you've got,' it is kind of fun."

Kingsbury said Arnold has a chance to develop as a tight end in the Cards' system, and Arnold said the offense is similar to what he played at Wisconsin-Platteville. Arnold also gives the Cardinals a big red-zone threat to add potentially next season to current rookie-on-IR wide receiver Hakeem Butler.

"My dad had texted me after the Saints had cut me and we knew the Cardinals had picked me up," Arnold said. "He just said, 'This is your chance to make another first impression.' "

PUGH STILL SITTING OUT

Guard Justin Pugh (back) was the only Cardinal to miss practice Thursday. Linebacker Jordan Hicks (calf), wide receiver Christian Kirk (ankle) and defensive lineman Caraun Reid (knee) were limited.

For the Seahawks, tackle Duane Brown (biceps/knee), defensive end Jadevon Clowney (core), safety Quandre Diggs (ankle), linebacker Bobby Wagner (ankle), cornerback Shaquill Griffin (hamstring), defensive tackle Al Woods (ankle) and linebacker Mychal Kendricks (hamstring) didn't practice. Tight end Luke Willson (hamstring), center Joey Hunt (fibula), guard Mike Iupati (neck/ankle) and wide receiver Tyler Lockett (non-injury related) were limited.