LaRod Stephens-Howling is starting to feel the love, but he wants an even bigger share. After his first career 100-yard game in the Cardinals' 21-14 loss at Minnesota last Sunday, Stephens-Howling knows what he can do as a focal point of the Arizona offense. And he shakes off the notion that at 5-foot-7, he can't do more of it.
"I’m so tired of that assumption,” Stephens-Howling told Craig Morgan of Fox Sports Arizona. “I have to hear it every time. I just want to be a running back. I don’t know what else to say about that."
As Morgan notes, though, Stephens-Howling has kick return responsibilities that sometimes lead coach Ken Whisenhunt to look in the direction of William Powell, who had 70 yards in Week 6.
"Going forward, we’ve got to rotate those guys,” Whisenhunt told Morgan, also including Alfonso Smith as a contributor. "I don’t think we’re going into a game thinking LaRod is going to get all the carries."
Special teams boost coming: The Cardinals should get a boost to their special teams, as LB Reggie Walker (concussion) and FB Anthony Sherman (knee) are expected to play this week, writes Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com.
“We’ve got a couple of young guys in there (lately) that sometimes get it and sometimes don’t,” Patrick Peterson told Urban. “But at the end of the day we have to keep working those guys up.”
On the big stage: Arizona is ready for its moment in the spotlight. Even if it has to share it with rival San Francisco. With the Monday Night Football audience at full attention, the Cardinals are relishing the opportunity.
“The build-up is pretty high and you have some pretty good announcers,” LB O’Brien Schofield told Josh Weinfuss of AZCardinals.com. “Everyone’s excited to see the main game, the nation’s watching. It’s one of those things a lot of teams gear up for and take pride (in) because you want to look good when you’re in front of all the NFL teams.”
Cardinals miss out on Chris Williams: Despite ample need up front, Arizona did not land free agent offensive lineman Chris Williams, and Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic has some intriguing theories. Williams, who was released by Philadelphia, was signed by the St. Louis Rams. The Cardinals' battered offensive line remains as it was.
For more news and analysis from Cardinals blogger Jon Gold, follow @CBSSportsNFLARI on Twitter.
