The Arizona Cardinals had a shocking upset over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1.
This was fueled by No. 3 pick Jeremiyah Love’s impressive debut with the team. Coming off an ankle injury, Love looked the part of a first-round pick with 50 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown, playing in less than half of the offensive snaps.
According to Bo Brack of PHNX Sports, the talented rookie shared a positive, but bold, update on his health going into a pivotal Week 2 matchup with the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
It’ll be “all gas, no brakes” for Love against Seattle.
What Did the Arizona Cardinals Running Back Say?
Love had a solid debut despite coming off an ankle sprain that may have limited his mobility. He may be able to top it this week, sharing a positive health update.
“I didn’t feel limited by my ankle… just got to be mindful of where my body is,” Love said. “Heading into this next week, it’s all gas, no brakes. If I’m on the field, I’m going. Whether my ankle is going to fall off, I’m on the field I got to do my job.”
Love looks to have a bright future as a key part of the Cardinals offense. However, Arizona needs to use extra caution when handling their blue-chip rookie. Ankle injuries can flare up at any time. The team needs to be mindful of this and continue to monitor Love’s health.
“All gas, no brakes” is exactly where you want your star rookie to be, but not at the cost of his health. If Love reinjures his ankle, it could be devastating to a surprising Cardinals team looking to play spoiler in the NFC with nothing to lose.
Tyler Allgeier, who drew 59% of offensive snaps last week, would likely be the bell-cow running back in the event of a Love setback.
Can They Play Spoiler?
The Cardinals will draw as tough a matchup as any in Week 2, going up against the Seahawks. With or without quarterback Sam Darnold, this is still a nightmare matchup for Arizona.
The Seahawks defense may have lost a few of its championship pieces. However, they still looked incredibly sharp in a rematch against the New England Patriots. New England quarterback Drake Maye threw three interceptions in a 13-10 loss that saw Darnold leave early.
With Drew Lock given a week to prepare against this Cardinals defense, it will be hard for the Cardinals to upset their NFC West rivals. However, as this team showed against the Chargers, they are more resilient than last year’s team.
Coach Mike LaFleur seems to have the team firing on all cylinders in his first regular-season game at the helm. Pretty impressive considering many pundits had Arizona finishing close to or at the bottom of the league. Quite frankly, the Cardinals have nothing to lose this season, and they’re showing it early on.
While it’s a small sample size, this team just looks different than it did under former coach Jonathan Gannon. Can Love become a key part of this team as they play spoiler? The Cardinals sure hope so heading into their Week 2 matchup.
Cardinals’ Jeremiyah Love Shares Bold Update on Health Entering Week 2