Looks like Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon knows what he's doing
If in five years we all think of Jonathan Gannon as one of the NFL’s top tacticians, we’ll be able to say we saw the first evidence of it Friday night in the Arizona Cardinals’ 18-17 win over the Denver Broncos at State Farm Stadium.
“We had some things that we executed down the stretch there that was the difference between winning and losing games,” Gannon said.
It started with about 1:42 left in the fourth quarter. The score was tied 10-10 and Denver was driving.
Arizona called a timeout, giving Gannon an opportunity to remind players and coaches of the plan for a 2-minute drill in a close game: Try to get a stop; but otherwise, let the opponent score to give the offense enough time to respond.
He’s been harping on it since OTAs.
“Coach Gannon said last night in the team meeting,” quarterback David Blough said. “We’ve trained situational football, in our meetings, in our practices, in the jog-throughs. You train for situational football.
“In the situation that came up, you let ’em score. It’s best for the team. It’s the only way you get a chance to go down and score … it’s special.”
So when Antonio Hamilton got flagged for pass interference, giving Denver the ball on the Arizona 5-yard line, the Cardinals let Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin walk in on the next play.
Blough took over at the 25 with 1:30 left and executed a 10-play, 75-yard game-winning touchdown drive that ended with a tough 2-point conversion.
Running back Emari Demercado “was met pretty close to the 1-yard line,” Blough said.
It came with another opportunity.
“We’ve been working that, our offensive line getting behind and pushing that pile,” Blough said. “It’s really fun when that happens. … The opportunity that you have as a quarterback to walk in that huddle and say, ‘Let’s get in the end zone. Let’s win this thing.’ It’s pretty cool.”
Gannon had no doubt about going for 2. He had no doubt about any of the late-game strategy. He knows what he wants to do out there. It’s just a matter of getting a chance to do it.
Anyway, you don’t play to tie.
“I’m happy for the guys,” Gannon said. “They’re all juiced up … it might be a preseason game, but any game that you play, you play to win.”
If the Cardinals start winning a lot, especially in close games, we’ll all be able to say we saw evidence of it in Gannon’s first preseason game.
It looks like the guy is a tactician.
Reach Moore at gmoore@azcentral.com or 602-444-2236. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @SayingMoore.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cardinals' Gannon shows he knows what he's doing in win over Broncos
