Cardinals confident in Drew Stanton if QB takes reins
GLENDALE, Ariz. - The locker room was hushed. Players were mum. Another big injury had muted another big triumph.
In the dark ages of Cardinals football, the scene would've been nauseating, depressing and almost typical: A beleaguered team signs its franchise quarterback to a big contract extension, only to watch him possibly blow out a knee in the very next game, leaving the field on a cart.
Except, this is clearly a new era of football in the Valley. And following the Cardinals' 31-14 victory over the Rams on Sunday, there wasn't a player in uniform who doesn't believe in Drew Stanton.
There isn't a player who believes the season is over, even if the worst-case scenario comes true for Carson Palmer.
"Drew is extremely well-prepared," teammate Larry Fitzgerald said. "It just seems like he hasn't had any luck. He went to New York, and they brought in Tim Tebow. He went to Indianapolis, and they drafted Andrew Luck. He came to Arizona, and we trade for Carson Palmer. Everywhere he's been, his opportunity has been doused. But we have total faith in Drew."
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When Stanton entered Sunday's game, there was 9:45 remaining. The Cardinals were losing 14-10 and had the ball on their own 11-yard line. The Rams defense was in control and doing everything you feared: stomping out Andre Ellington, overpowering the offensive line and bloodying Palmer on two different occasions.
"Carson is one of the toughest quarterbacks I've ever seen," Stanton said. "To see him on the ground not moving, I knew it was bad. I was like, 'OK, give me a football.' "
Stanton quickly warmed up. He took the field with a sense of authority. In the huddle, he reminded his teammates that there was "no reason we can't go down and score a touchdown."
He completed a pass to Rob Housler, followed by a beautiful strike to tight end John Carlson. On his fourth snap of the game, he broke free from pressure and lofted a 48-yard touchdown pass to John Brown.
The play energized fans and teammates alike, triggering a fourth-quarter torching that silenced the Rams. It reaffirmed Stanton's stout performances earlier in the season, when he beat the Giants on the road and trumped the 49ers at home. It also means Stanton has effectively produced both victories against the NFC West this season.
While his wife is pregnant and nearly two weeks overdue with their second child, Stanton was once again the master of on-time delivery.
"It is unfortunate when something like that happens," Stanton said. "But it's also in your job description to be ready to go in."
Next Man Up is almost a cliché in the NFL, and a battle cry in Arizona. Bruce Arians says he defines the mantra, a man whose NFL head coaching career began when Chuck Pagano became ill in Indianapolis, opening a door for Arians to show his stuff.
Stanton has been living this philosophy for years, even though his opportunities rarely arrived. When he joined the Cardinals, he hadn't taken a snap in a real NFL game since 2010. Somehow, he never let that affect his outlook or his zeal for preparation.
He thanks veteran Shaun Hill for "taking me under his wings for two years in Detroit and showing me the ropes." Stanton has often said there's an art to being a professional backup, an art he learned from Hill, a 13-year veteran who is now a backup with the Rams.
"I talked to him before the game and after the game," Stanton said. "I owe him a lot."
Cardinals' fans could eventually feel the same about Stanton, who might be required to finish what Palmer started. He has the arm, the brain and the poise to make it happen.
"We'll just continue to weather the storm, whatever it is," Stanton said.
Before he left the locker room, a member of the defense came by to pay his respect, to shake Stanton's hand. It was a powerful reminder that the Cardinals may have lost another key player, but their collective belief remains intact.
Bickley also writes for the Arizona Republic.
