Read a portion of the Arizona Cardinals conference calls:
Cardinals Coach Ken Whisenhunt Being Ben Roethlisberger's first coordinator, did you keep a tight grip on him?He was thrust into the starting role after Tommy Maddox was hurt in that second game. A lot of that was making sure he was ready. He had a long way to go from where he came from to being such a great player in the NFL. When you are a young player, you had to realize that we were trying to do things with him that we were doing with Tommy. That's tough. I probably would have with a young player but he grew up quick. He made a lot of plays that year. He was a really good player for us.What does he do so well?He sees the field very well. He has a great feel for what defenses are trying to do. I don't think there's anybody better when the play breaks down. He knows how to extend it, find the open man and make the throw. You just see him do it time and time again. He's a guy that can stand in the pocket, read the defense and make a great throw. If it's covered, and the play does break down, it's kind of like a double-whammy. He can move and make a play that way. He's a tough guy to defend. He's a tough guy to bring down. He's a very good player, and he makes a lot of plays.How have Deshea Townsend and Ray Horton done so far coaching this season?Ray is doing a good job. We are trying to get everybody on the same page, defensively, with what we're doing. That's something that takes a little bit of time. He brings a mentality that we are trying to get established with our defense. We've seen flashes of it at times this year but we have work to do on being consistent. When you watch the Steelers, and you see how well coached they are on defense, how they play, you look to what we are trying to attain. We are trying to get to that level with our guys, and being on the same page. We are doing a good job of getting established. It's good to have Deshea. He's a young coach. I think he brings a different perspective, from a guy that's just played in the league, and also playing on that defense. He does a good job helping our young cornerbacks and the secondary, giving input on how this defense works. We are in the early stages of growing as a defense. I see a lot of good things from Ray and Deshea. I am very excited about having them on our staff.With so many players, coaches who have come through here, scouts, video directors, is there more emotion out there for this game than a normal game?I think maybe it is probably different levels. Some of us have been here for quite a while and I think you are always emotional when you are playing a team that you have such strong memories with and I am sure for Deshea Townsend and Ray Horton is means more because they were just with the team last year, well Deshea obviously two years ago, but I think there will always be an element of that when you play a team that means so much to you professionally as well as the relationships that you built and I think it speaks a lot about Pittsburgh and the how they do things and that we have so many of those guys here. I think it translates, whether you are a video director as you said, or a player or a coach, it puts you in position to be successful because it is a good organization and we are very grateful that we have the quality of people that we have here working for us.
Wide Receiver Larry Fitzgerald
Have you seen any differences in the way Ike Taylor plays?Years ago, when I played against Ike in the Super Bowl, he was an elite cornerback then. He is still elite and one of the best in the business. There's a reason why he was re-signed and paid so well this offseason. He's a fantastic player. Any time you play against a guy of his caliber, you relish the opportunity. You know the type of matchup he's going to give you. He's going to be physical. He never backs down. He tackles you when you catch the ball. He's a complete football player, and it's going to be a real challenge for me.Can you talk about Ike doing well against top receivers?Every time you turn on the tape, you see Ike following the other team's best receiver. I don't think that will be any different from what he's done and what he's accustomed to doing. He does well every single week that he plays. I just hope I can go out and compete, and do well.What has it been like getting used to Kevin Kolb?Kevin is a lot different from what we've had in the past. Kurt Warner was quick. He'd get the ball in your hands faster. Kevin, coming from the West Coast system, he has taken bigger shots down the field. That plays into my hands. I like having the ball down the field, and being able to have it at its highest point, and being able to attack it. We've connected a couple of times, not as many as we'd like to because our record is 1-4. But the more experience we get, there will be more opportunities, and the better off we'll be.
Do you follow other wide receivers, and do you have any thoughts on Mike Wallace?I follow everybody. I watch everything. Mike Wallace is an unbelievable talent. What he is able to do week-in-and-week-out, everybody knows what his skill set is, and he is still finding a way to get it done. You really have to tip your hat to Hines Ward too. This is a guy who is used to catching 100 balls, 90 balls, consistent touchdowns, but he is a guy who has allowed the young guys to flourish. That's just professional on his part, and it is really a joy to watch that unit. Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, those guys are special players on that team, and then you add Heath Miller to the bunch. They are an unstoppable crew over there.
