Drew Petzing, Jeff Rodgers, and Nick Rallis Press Conference – 09.16.25 | AZ Cardinals

Drew Petzing, Jeff Rodgers, and Nick Rallis Press Conference – 09.16.25 | AZ Cardinals

When it comes to the run game, how could you maybe take that next step this week against the Mets? In a lot of ways, I think we need to stay the course. I think we need to continue to work on the details of the blocks, the aiming points, the ball handling, carrying out our fakes, all the things that I think make our run game dynamic. And you know, when you we get a limited sample size, at times things can get skewed, but I do like the way that people are doing things. I like the attitude we’re playing with and I think some of those will start to pop. How do you assess how the run blocking has been so far, especially compared to how good it was last year? Again, it’s going to be an outcomebased evaluation at times publicly. I think in the building, we’re looking more at where are some of those things that maybe we can get a tick better at. Whether it’s the aiming point, the scheme, the way I call it, or when it comes up. There’s always little nuances, but again, explosive plays come and go in bunches at times. When you hit them, all of a sudden, your numbers look really good. Uh, I think the efficiency was better from week one to week two and still need to see that progress continue. You guys often use a lot of play action. You didn’t use a ton of it on Sunday. Is did or did not. Sorry. Sorry. Did you say did or did not use it? Use a ton by by your standards like the average or something. Um, in terms of the rate, is that due to the lack of, you know, the lack of ability to establish the run game? Does that play into the lack of play action? No, not necessarily. I think a little bit of it might be just how the game came up. You know, we had seven drives, one of which is a two-minute drive. You’re not going to use a lot of play action in two-minute. And then your other drive is a four-minute drive. You know, typically you’re handing the ball off there and then maybe taking a third down to try to convert. So, it might have just been the flow of the game more than anything. AJ was saying yesterday about how the touchdown to Mike Wilson might not have been the first read and but that was really besides the touchdown that was negated in the first quarter. That was really the only target that he had. What can be done to make sure that the ball was maybe spread out a little bit more to the likes of Mike Wilson and to Zay Jones, Greg Dorsch, those receivers? I’ll be honest, it’s not something I worry a ton about. I think the great part about all three of the guys you just mentioned is I know they’re going to be ready when their number called. Example, 9 seconds left in a half. Critical situation, you know, hoping to get points without a timeout. Mike ran a great route. It was unbelievable throw by Kyler. So, I know that when those guys numbers are called, they’re going to go produce. I also know that guys like Marv and Trey and James also need to touch the ball a lot for us to be effective. So, you know, we put a little bit of weight into it, but the real thing is, hey, are you still playing at a high level? Are you where you need to be? And when the when the number’s called, can you make the play? And I love where those guys are at from that standpoint. on the play before that touchdown, Kyler checked down to Trey Benson. Is that kind of what you guys have been talking about for all offseason and kind of take that easy or take the easy pass, take the check down instead of trying to force a big play? It’s a balance certainly. You know, you don’t want him to turn down shots down the field that may be there, but in that situation, we had a timeout. You know, third and four, the completion allowed us to stay on the field and take that shot in the end zone. So, it was it was a great decision by him to evaluate down the field. It wasn’t there. They played a really soft zone, find the check down, move the chains, and give us the chance to go get seven there before the half. That was awesome. North of Tea, what was supposed to happen on that on that play in terms of like the the the the checkown or the touchdown? The check down like what what what was the initial read on that play? Yeah, I mean, so you had a m multiple down the field reads depending on the coverages they played. You saw some guys breaking out, couple guys going to the back of the end zone. So Kyler did a great job of kind of seeing everything sink from the defensive point of view and feeling that space underneath allowed us to complete that ball, get it down to what, the 12 yardd line. You know, if you’re at the 20 yardd line or the 23 yard line, that’s a very different situation there with 9 seconds left before the half. It seemed like both on that drive, Kyler was taking what was available, but you talked about the touchdown reading stuff pre- snap, a couple plays where we read stuff post snap. How do you kind of think his processing was in this game in terms of making um the correct decisions when he needs to? Really? Well, and I told him this. I I thought he played unbelievable game of football, maybe minus one or two plays that I’m sure he’d like to have back. You’re always going to walk out of a game and feel that way. Uh, but I honestly felt that way about the first game and I thought it was even better in week two. So, really excited about where he’s at. How how has his decision making progressed maybe from um, you know, maybe this time last year? I think he’s more confident getting through things at times. Um, you know, early in a in a offense or when you’re starting to run plays, you’re kind of being deliberate about all right, I know my eyes go there. I know I see this. I know this is for this coverage. I think as you start to get more nuanced, he can skip some of those when he knows the look maybe isn’t, hey, we called this for this, but I got a different coverage. I know I can get quicker through the progression and so it maybe not even looks like he’s progressing at times but he’s getting later in the read and making some big plays for us in the passing game or pulling the ball down cuz it’s not open knowing he can get out of the pocket and extend some plays which I think in the first two games has been really good for us. How would you evaluate Isaiah Adams two games in? I I think he’s doing a really nice job. A tough matchup here in week two. Uh you know Brown is arguably one of the best D tackles in the game. I thought he competed at a really high level. I thought you saw the effort and violence throughout the game. So was really pleased with that. with where the the running game and I know you’re saying there’s nuance to it, but kind of as important as it’s been for you the last couple years, when it’s not clicking as efficiently as you want, how much is that impacting the rest of what you’re doing? It’s a good question. I I it can be different by game depending on what the plan is and how much we’re emphasizing the action game and the keeper game and things like that. But I I do feel like we pass, protect, and throw the ball well enough that if someone is able to take away the run, we can easily win the game throwing it. That may be drop back, that may be move in the pocket, it may not be. Uh so it’s not something that I overly stress about. You know, we always want to be dynamic in both phases, but if one seems to be a little bit tough on a given day, I always feel the ability to pivot and win with the other one. JG said yesterday that uh you know, this offense is best at its best when Marv is getting his touches, but at the same time, you can’t force the ball to him. Like how does how do those two things work together? I mean, if you need to get the ball to him, but you also can’t force the ball to him at how does that work? Those seem like counter two ideas. I always say a lot of that’s going to be on me for play calling and trying to make sure he’s early in the progression. But if they’re going to take him away, I think Kyler’s done a great job of moving on and getting the ball to other players and making sure, as we talked about earlier, that those players are where they need to be and ready for those opportunities when they present themselves. Because at the end of the day, if you’re going to take a guy away or really overemphasize that on your end, yeah, we still want to make sure that we do things to move him around the formation to make him difficult to defend, but we’re also as the play is called, not going to just once the play is snapped, just throw the ball to him at all costs. I think that creates some issues and always want to stay away from those type of things. There was uh one very random play with Mark or I was curious about where Kyler ends up uh scrambling for two yards to his left. Looks like he’s trying to get Marv on like a a post dig type route. Do you remember the play I’m talking about? There’s a safety to his side of the field. Second quarter. Um I remember the big scramble, but that’s the one. I remember him point he pointed once. I think it was more at James than Yeah, I think it was I I remember him pointing when he was getting out of the pocket. I think it was more at James than Marv, but I I could be thinking of the wrong play. It’s kind when Kyler tried targeting Marvin in the in the end zone for the touchdown. I I know it was a good play by the defensive back, but you kind of want your wide receiver to also be a little bit more physical there potentially. In what ways is that the instinct of a player to try to high point it versus just letting it try to come to them, if that makes sense? It, as you said, it’s it’s a balance depending on where the ball is, where the defender is. You know, you always talk about their opportunities for late hands or or leaning late to the ball to create separation kind of like he did on the go ball in the Saints game on the deep one. You know, that certainly called for the late hands fade away from the guy. There are other times where it’s more of a jump ball where you do want to be physical and lean in and go up and get the ball and those it’s a field thing and I think sometimes you’re going to get it right and sometimes you’re not. Uh but it’s something I trust Marv to get right far more than he gets it wrong. So we’re going to keep putting him in that position. You you talked a lot in the offseason about adding sauce to the offense and we have seen the the rates of those motions and stuff go up. Has that had the impact that you wanted it to have? I I think so. I I’d have to ask the two defensive coordinators we played to get a full answer of that. But um you know as we watch like seeing guys kind of you know what we would call bust coverages or not sure on some of the adjustments and and getting in different places. Sometimes we’re able to take advantage of it. Sometimes hey okay that that’s how they reacted. They screwed up. Maybe it didn’t help us as in quite the way we wanted. But I think overall we’re definitely getting what we want out of those kind of nuances of the offense. What would you say to your brother after the game? Uh kind of just let things simmer down. I know how I felt a year ago. So you kind of get hey great to see you. Love you. Good luck the rest of the way. Stay healthy. and then give it maybe a week or two and we’ll probably talk again in a little bit more detail. Thanks. Appreciate it, guys. Thanks a lot. When you have that onside kick situation and it plays out that way, I mean, do you just like tip your cap to the other team? Is there a part of you that’s like, “Okay, shouldn’t quite been that way.” Or is it, you know, bad luck? Like how do you kind of look at that? No. Well, I don’t I don’t consider it luck. Um it was a good kick by Sam. Uh Martin, they had a same situation the week before. He kicked it the other way with the other foot. Um you know, all those kinds of kicks and stuff you prepare for like the amount of things you go back and look as a coach, the amount of things you tell your players that never come up, right? Like um you go through all the on-site kicks that whoever’s on their roster. So you in the hand team meeting last week, we pulled their rookie kickers three onside kicks that we had from Florida State. You know, you go to the combine, did somebody kick there? Sam Martin when he was in Detroit, when he was in Buffalo, like what are some of the onside kicks that that you have uh kind of in their background and and you see the style of kick, you see the alignment that the coach has has kicked. Um so they lined up the exact same way they did the week before. They just kicked it the other way and um we could have played it better. How do you think those who filled in for Joey Blunt uh performed on Sunday? Uh I’d say solid. There was uh a number of guys that filled different roles that Joey did. Uh Smi was the one that’s obviously most identifiable because he’s he was in at gunner, but um you know, Denzel played the spot Joey played um they played decent. You know, Joey’s an experienced player who’s been in our system for a couple years. It’s never going to quite be the same as guys that are doing it for the first time, but uh I thought overall uh the guys played decent in those roles. The uh the 49ers change kickers and and obviously like you’ve been through it before with injuries like last year with Matt getting hurt. Um but when you’re making a change because it just didn’t What’s that like for for a coach and how do you kind of maneuver through that when you’re doing it because obviously the guy just wasn’t doing the job? Yeah. Well, you know, the special position is unique in that there’s one guy on your team who functions in that role, and there’s been a history in the league where sometimes another guy might come in and fill in, whether it’s injury or performance or whatever, but it’s unfortunate that that worked out uh the way it did for the player uh and the organization. But um you know, the guy that they signed has a good history of being an accurate kicker. It goes back to a little bit like I was talking about the hands team. So Eddie Pinuro’s in Carolina last year, you know, so we see him on tape last week and how’s he doing stuff and you go back and say, okay, you’re preparing for a new kicker. Well, what else has he’s done where he’s been? He was with the Jets. Brent Boyer’s the special coach for the Niners now. He was with the Jets. They ran a option fake field goal a couple years ago um when they were together. Thomas Mored’s their new punter. He was with the Jets, okay? He threw an out route on a fake punt. Um, you know, going that way. And Weeks is a new special, their whole battery is new this year and their their coaching staff is is new when it comes to special stuff. But again, like the research that goes into those things. Um, they have several new core guys. you go back and look at Gford when he was in Dallas or when he was in Tennessee or um you know they’re they run what I call flash and go where they kind of simulate a hands um deal and and try to rush like you research a lot of stuff and as you’re researching this stuff sometimes as a coach if you don’t have that familiarity with a player that you have coached you’re still going to go back and look at those things so you just try and get up to speed as as quick as you can um and hopefully it goes well if you’re in that situation Carolina took a delay play a game on a punt formation where you guys put most of your defensive players out there. I think Voodoo’s out there, Will’s out there, and you had Greg Dorch back to return maybe the only specialist. Is that decision made on look or feel or field position as far as you guys not wanting to maybe get caught on a fake? It depends um on who you’re playing, what their history is. Carolina when they had Johnny Hecker a year ago through two passes. Um they’ve done multiple formation things. They did multiple formation things against us a year ago in our game. Um there the the goal of the return team 100% of the time is to get the ball back to the offense. And generally speaking, when you have 300lb defensive tackles, they’re going to be able to stop a run better than a running back would be in a three technique at the line of scrimmage. Uh the same thing goes for your coverage guys in the outside. So, we rep our defense day group as well as our punt return group. Um, you don’t know what they’re going to line up in ever, right? Like they can line up in just about anything. Um, if you feel like like that ball’s at the plus 40, I think, or somewhere like in plus territory, there’s not a great chance at a return there. So, you can go after it. You can play conservatively and just make sure you get the ball secured. Um, so that’s what we chose to do once they took a delay of game. We chose to put our punt return team on the field because we thought that was the best chance to have a su successful play uh for the next one. The uh the play in the Steelers game, how when you see something like that, do you then go drill it in more with your I’m talking about the the Seahawks touchdown. Um do you then go drill it in more with your guys or is that something you’ve already talked about so many times that you don’t even have to go back to it? anytime we can educate our players on something that happens in an NFL game, a high school game. Um, we put in a trick play a couple years ago, um, that literally showed off a YouTube in the meeting and it was a high school in New York City and the guys look like all of us out there playing, right? Like it was it was bad ball, but um, it was a good educational piece for our players and they had some fun with it. Um, in that case, yes, I feel like if that would have happened in a game, I would hope our guys would would know what their responsibilities are. It’s something that, um, you know, we let the ball hit the ground against New Orleans on a kickoff and it skirts out the back. Well, in the meeting, I I felt compelled to remind the guys like that is a live ball. We need to chase the ball uh to make sure it doesn’t spin back because I’ve been a part of it. Um, you know, the rule’s different now than it was a couple years ago. A couple years ago, it lands in the end zone in the air, dead play. Um, it was not that way when I was in Chicago, you know, and and the ball hit the end zone in Soldierfield and spun back into the field of play when we were playing Denver in 2015. I think Omar Balden was the returner, Arizona State guy. Um, but we’re we’re certainly going to show the tape this week. Remind everybody because it’s the coverage team, it’s the return team. It’s the it’s your it’s your offense andor defense, right? Like say that play happens most of the time if you guys watch if there’s a touchback, there’s a lot of defensive players that go sprinting on the field, right? Like they want to get that burst of energy and make sure I mean I think that’s what happened in the Super Bowl in San Francisco a couple years ago. guy was kind of warming up and and he got hurt. But, um, there’s times where that ball is live and you have people coming onto the field. You got to coach those guys, too, because it would have been a shame for Seattle to have recovered that, but been called for too many guys on the field if their guys wouldn’t have played that right. So, um, we try to educate as many players as we can, use as many examples as we can find. Any big trends you’re seeing just with the updated rules on the kickoff? Yeah, a lot more returns. I mean, it’s I I don’t crunch numbers myself, but I read 77 or 78%, which I I don’t think it’ll be that by the end of the year. Um, I do think it’ll it’ll fall a little bit, but um, you know, I thought double plus and so that would have been north of 65 and it’s it’s there. And as teams get comfortable with the kickoff like they’re keeping the ball in play and if you get burned on a couple, maybe you don’t keep the ball in play as much. But, um, yeah, it’s it’s there’s a lot more action out there. You ever seen backtoback returns for touchdowns like happened in that Miami game? Yes. Yep. I mean, it’s it’s something I it’s something we talk about and we coach. And what I would tell you is going back and look at it, um, on Miami’s kickoff coverage team, there were seven guys on that play who just participated in the punt return on the play before. Now, New England has the same thing going on. They got a handful of guys, but um it it used to happen way more than what it does now. I I should say it used to happen way more than what it did a year ago, two years ago, because you just bang the touchback, right? I mean, like if you had a kicker that put in the end zone, you put in the end zone. Um now you got to think about that, you know? I mean, maybe that would be a consideration for a ball that you want to hit a touchback on because there was just a team’s play and now you’re in coverage and all the guys that are out there, most of which uh were just part of the team that scored and everybody’s running and celebrating is exhilarating and um you know, you’re you’re hoping for a TV timeout probably with the way you guys started the other day. That has to be what you’re hoping this defense can be. I mean, I I I’m sure you would have liked to see it the whole game, but that’s what you’re hoping it could turn out to be. Yeah, I mean, I’d love to play like that for four quarters every single week. Um, you know, that that the beginning of the game was just guys came play um and they executed at a high level. you know, they turned some opportunities into big opportunities by capitalizing on the football and, you know, that goes into the the takeaways and that helps you win games. So, I was happy with how they came out. How tough was it seeing just three corners go down and how did you feel like the team navigated? Um, yeah, I don’t want to see anyone ever go down. Um, but I think, you know, there’s a lot of layers to what transpired after that that I think we did a good job of. Um, number one is the guys that stepped in and played. Being a backup is hard in the NFL because you have to get so much of your preparation through other means than actually getting those reps at times. Now, I think JG does a phenomenal job of making sure that everyone gets reps within our system. Um, but you have to do that much more in terms of in the classroom vis visualization walking through and I thought those guys that came in did a phenomenal job. Um, competed competed their butts off. Um, and then the position coaches was really good um, in terms of how we had to adjust, start to prep some other guys for different roles. Um, had to change completely the groups that we were playing out of. So, you know, the coaches did a really good job. Um, and the players were definitely ready to ready to go. So, it was some good stuff and I think, you know, we showed some resilience there with, you know, didn’t matter the situation, we got to go finish the game. Obviously worked hard to build a lot of depth at quarterback. I’m curious kind of where you see Elijah Jones’s game right now because obviously he’s behind has been behind a number of players like where he is in his development and how much did he lose because he wasn’t able to play last year. Yeah, I mean I think you know even if he would have played there’s always things that you know each guy has to do to get better. You know I actually had a conversation with him the other day um before we had of a lot of injuries in that room and you know I actually just applauded the way he’s been working. I think he’s been practicing really well. Um, improving his game, taking care of not just his scheme and technical buckets, but his physical um, his psychological, his health, like everything that goes into being a player in maximizing yourself as a player. To me, he’s pouring into it right now. And, you know, I told him it’s it’s a matter of time for your numbers called on. And I appreciate the way you’ve been working because it’s going to pay off. So, you know, he’s got to just trust that the work he’s put in, you know, it’s going to it’s going to come to fruition for him. And so, you know, I want him to just keep working and when his numbers called, I want him to go execute. If you need to play Krelll, Burke, and Elijah, at least in the short term, and then whoever else you guys add, does that change how you call this defense, how you scheme, and do you have to give them any more support because of their inexperience? No, I mean, I I talked about it. I think um Sunday night with the coaches um you never want the injuries to happen, but I’m I’m actually really excited for some guys to step up into the spotlight because number one, the work they’ve put in and the players that they are because I know they can go out there and help us win. Um and I’m excited for the coaches because they’ve poured a lot into those guys, too. So, um, no, I don’t think we need to change anything. The the other thing down the stretch, I mean, you guys obviously early in the game were much more aggressive and then sat back. Why do you think the fourman rushes were not as effective um down the stretch? Yeah, I mean, I think that’s a handful of things. I didn’t love at times how I was calling it. Um, you know, if you just sit in the fourman rush too much that they’re not stressed about other things that could happen. Um, so you got to be able to put that stress on quarterback and the center’s brain. Um, and then you know it’s it’s with all that tempo like it it’ll it’ll tire you out. You play a 50 plays of two minute that’s that’s a hard that’s a hard go. So, I think like if you looked at, you know, your efficiency of your rush, if you’re playing normal ball, um, you know, and you’re just playing those passing situations, it’s a little bit different than if it’s a entire half of two-minute ball. As taxing as that can be, does it add to how impressive it is that Kas at his age is making those plays that deep in the game? Yeah, I you know, KAS and honestly the whole front. Um I felt like there was a wave at the end where the the rush kind of stepped on the gas. Um so yes, it’s it was impressive from Kas. I just I like the way that those guys played for 60 minutes and and finished it. Um Dvin has only played 40% of the snaps or something. What’s gone into that decision? Yeah, I mean that’s, you know, we want all our guys fresh. Um, he’s definitely a guy that can help us win in every which way, you know, in the run game, pass rush, all that. So, we’re going to get him on the field as much as we feel like is best for his uh performance and his health. There’s uh there’s a lot of guys that have been talked about all offseason about seeing him. It feels like Baron Browning has been under the radar a little bit, but he looks like he’s been really effective early. um kind of how would you see how he’s his start of his season and has he making has he taken as big of a jump as it looks like from when he first arrived here? Yeah, I definitely think you know I in my mind I have the totality of all training camp and practices um not just the two games of what the whole world can see. He’s definitely taken a jump and I think in the first two weeks it’s shown. I know that he’s honestly he’s not satisfied by any bit by his performance. He he thinks there’s a lot more in the tank and I agree like he’s going to continue to go out there and make plays for us. Um so he is an impact player for us, no doubt and I think he’s shown that through two weeks and I think he’s going to continue to. JJ said that the issue on the fourth and 16 completion was that the the front and the back end weren’t coordinated. What does that mean for the front and the back end to be coordinated? Um you know I think there’s just there’s certain technique things. Um there’s certain coaching points that we could have done better um in both those areas. You know, I think there’s it it does it wasn’t necessarily like, you know, the corner was thinking this and that messed up this end per se, but rushing coverage always go together. And so, you know, we let the quarterback step up, which wasn’t a good thing. Um we could have done some things better on the back end. You know, obviously love to have gotten off there. Um but we’ll learn from it and get better from it. Kyle Shanahan, obviously, you know, he his ideas have spread so much around the league over the last seven or eight years. What are the things that he still does and that that offense still does that make them um still difficult even though their ideas may may be in 32 offense? No one no one can do it like Kyle. Um he is he’s special. Just it’s it’s layered. Um he as a play caller I think he’s doesn’t give you much. Um the way that he can dress things up every week. Um marries his run and pass game with how he’s going to formation you and motion you and the actions he’s going to give you. um his pass game knows how to attack coverage over here. And if you don’t give it to him, this is attacking your other coverage over here. So, he’s going to know how he’s going to know your rules. He’s going to know how to beat your rules. He’s going to know how to marry his concepts on one side to the other. Um he always has quarterbacks that know how to read defenses and go through those progressions. Um and then the run game’s elite. um from how they can ID things at center to how they tag the receivers into the run game to their front side combinations to how they marry their, you know, kick plays and gap schemes to their wide zone. It all looks the same for a front. So, it’s not just about with g them game plan in fronts or the box, but it also goes into the technique of the interior between the tackles and how do they exploit those techniques. So, um, there’s a reason that a lot of people want to take from this system because it’s so complimentary and it’s difficult to prepare for. J gets that strip sack and of course pass rushers get all the credit for getting after the quarterback, but then a series later he’s taking down a wide receiver for TFL. Does he get enough credit or what what does he do as far as being more of a complete outside linebacker that you’re able to kind of move him around and what does he bring to the defense? starting the run game. Um he’s he’s you know arms not this times two um and violent. And so to me when you can collapse edges like that and you got guys choking blocks out up front, it just it reduces space in the run game. Um and so I love outside linebackers that are going to collapse an edge and and he loves to do it. you know, he’ll get mad at me if he didn’t get all of the the run plays that he needed in a practice where he can go bang his head. I’m like, “Man, you’ve been doing this for like a, you know, a decade. Like, come on, you’re good.” He’d be like, “Nah, I need it. I need that.” So, he loves it. Like, he he lives for it. And then when it’s time to go get the passer to me, like, no one can bend like him, but then have the compliment to go to power. Um, and then he’s really good to me at capitalizing when he gets to the quarterback of attacking the ball. Um, and there’s a couple techniques that go into that. So, yeah, I mean, he’s to me it’s a complete player, not just a one-dimensional outside backer. So, yeah, good player.

Offensive Coordinator Drew Petzing, Special Teams Coordinator Jeff Rodgers and Defensive Coordinator Nick Rallis address the media midweek following Week 2 against the Panthers

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