The best coaches find ways to win when they’re at a personnel disadvantage. That’s what Bowles has done in the first three weeks of the season, when he’s been forced to find solutions with a different cast than he fielded last year as a first-year Cardinal defensive play-caller. Both three-down linebackers were lost—Daryl Washington to a season-long drug suspension and Karlos Dansby in free agency to Cleveland. This summer, two more defensive playmakers disappeared—tackle and team leader Darnell Dockett to an ACL tear and pass rusher John Abraham to IR with a concussion.
So Bowles decided, particularly in nickel situations, to play safeties near the line, and to play safeties pretty much everywhere. It’s not unusual to see four safeties on the field for the Cardinals, and they have four good ones: starters Tony Jefferson and Tyrann Mathieu, and quasi-starters Deone Bucannon and Rashad Johnson. That’s how they’re listed on the depth chart, but on Sunday, Johnson was the starter at free safety and played all 64 snaps, and Bucannon, the rookie first-round pick, played a hybrid role that had him playing linebacker much of the game. Jefferson, a strong safety, also plays down in the box and had 52 snaps. Mathieu is still recovering from major knee surgery nine months ago and isn’t ready for a full role yet.
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