Budda Baker effect: Arizona Cardinals players need to be 'all in' to save season
During last week’s episode on HBO’s and NFL Films’ “Hard Knocks — In Season with the Arizona Cardinals,” All-Pro safety Budda Baker laid it on the line, not only by playing against the Rams despite a painful high ankle sprain, but by what he said in one particular scene.
“All my chips are in,” Baker told the team before its must-win game, challenging his teammates to join him. “I’m in.”
The Cardinals faced another must-win game Monday night in Mexico City, but when things started to go south in the second half against the 49ers, Baker wasn’t afraid to speak his mind again. During a postgame interview with Channel 12 Sports, he said he didn’t think his teammates fought all the way to the end of their 38-10 loss.
“No, I don’t,” Baker said. “… At the end of the day, we’re all grown men. Women lie, men lie, that film never lies so whatever the film says is what it is.”
For the first time this season, coach Kliff Kingsbury could agree that his team didn’t give a full effort over the full course of a 60-minute game. As painful as the Cardinals’ 4-7 record is, the fact that he had to acknowledge some of his players taking shortcuts and making “business decisions” had to feel worse.
“Yeah, I think there were moments when you watch the tape that – we know when we sign up in this league, you’re a professional and you play to the end,” Kingsbury said Tuesday. “That’s the standard of this organization and this team and nobody displays it more than Budda Baker.
“You couldn’t tell if the score was 38-10 in our favor or 38-10 down or 0-0, he’s going to be going the same speed and making every play he can. He’s definitely the expert to speak on it and that’s something we’ve got to be better at moving forward.”
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One thing an NFL team cannot let linger is any sign from any of its players of throwing in the towel. If it happens, which appeared to be the case late against the 49ers, it must be nipped in the bud before it starts to spread and only get worse.
Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph was asked about Baker's comments.
"I think after games, you know, sometimes coaches and players are really emotional. After the game I was emotional, I was confused on how it got so bad. So quickly, you know, because we had a good plan and guys were locked in. And it's never been that bad," Joseph said Thursday. "It became a run over late. And that was bizarre for me. So I was emotional also. So if I interviewed after the game, if I would have been the same kind of tone."
If players are letting their guard down with the playoffs now basically out of reach, Kingsbury is in danger of losing the locker room — and possibly even his job.
So, did he follow Baker’s honesty and scold the team for the way they finished Monday night’s game?
“They know,” Kingsbury said. “Yeah, they know.”
He better be right, or it will become obvious in the Cardinals’ play when they meet the Chargers on Sunday at State Farm Stadium. With a bye looming the following week, Kingsbury and his staff must find a way to galvanize the group and keep them locked in and willing to fight to the end.
“We have a great group of guys and we have since I’ve been here, so they’ll be focused,” Kingsbury vowed. “We’re professionals and we understand it’s our job to show up each day, try to be better and put a better product out there. That will be the focus again this week.”
Nobody is naming any names, and no one has said exactly how many players might have mailed it in on Monday night. Quarterback Kyler Murray, who is expected to start Sunday’s game in Glendale after missing the past two weeks with a nagging hamstring issue, doesn’t think there’s a problem brewing behind the scenes.
He said he and his teammates won’t back down over these final six games of the regular season.
“The good thing about this locker room is you can tell there’s no give up, there’s no loss as far as mentality when it comes to the fight,” he said. “Man, these guys are motivated every week. Obviously, there’s frustration with the results and stuff like that, but all you can ask for is these guys to show up, work hard and believe.
“This season’s not over. There are opportunities still ahead of us and it starts this weekend against a good Chargers team.”
There’s not much left to play for other than pride, respect and future job security. But that’s more than enough motivation to finish the job. As for losing confidence in themselves, Murray doesn’t think that’s an issue, either.
“That’s kind of on the individual,” he said. “I’m not losing confidence. Never will. This season hasn’t gone the way we’ve wanted it to so far, but again, it’s not over and that’s got to be our focus.”
Is he surprised the team is 4-7 and only 1-4 in NFC West games despite being viewed by some industry sources as a potential playoff team in the preseason?
“I think nobody really thought it was going to go this way, but everything happens for a reason and like I said, one game at a time,” Murray said. “The thing’s still alive. I’m not looking too far ahead, but like I said, it’s still alive.”
Report Card: Did the Arizona Cardinals do anything well in loss to San Francisco 49ers?
Kingsbury said he doesn’t feel the need to kick his team in the pants. They know what they need to do.
“These guys want to win, and they want to play better,” he said Wednesday. “They want to make sure by the end of this thing we can look ourselves in the mirror and say we reached our full potential. We all feel like our best football’s out in front of us.”
Quick outs
—Joseph was asked about the sudden firing of offensive line coach Sean Kugler over the weekend and its effect on the team. "Here we go again," Joseph said. "It's been a long year. And, you know, obviously, those things you don't want to happen, and they happen, and we have to move forward with it. But Coach (Kingsbury) did a good job of just addressing those things moving forward, you know, just explain to the team what's going on, so we can move past it and play football. But obviously it's the real world ... coaches are people and things happen."
—LB Dennis Gardeck left the Cardinals locker room with a cooked turkey in hand, and other players had their name plates that were above their lockers at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City Monday to take home as souvenirs. Gardeck said Thanksgiving is a day for him to reflect on his five seasons in the NFL and celebrate his support system.
"Nobody gets to where they're at without a lot of support and a lot of help. Just being grateful and thankful for everything that it took," Gardeck said.
The Republic's Jose M. Romero contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Budda Baker effect: Arizona Cardinals players need to be "all in"
