THE Arizona Cardinals are one of 16 teams, exactly half the league, who played the first 10 of the season each week. They are also one of 14 teams with a winning record, including eight in the NFC. Seven teams will qualify for the playoffs in each conference.
The collective bargaining agreement requires players to take Thursday through Sunday off, but it also creates a “bonus” practice day when teams meet again on Monday. After head coach Jonathan Gannon’s press conference the day after Sunday’s win over the Jets, there is no further media availability during the week.
Gannon said Monday, “Honestly, everyone has a little different schedule. We worked today and then they’ll have this week off, but a lot of our guys will be here lifting, rehabbing and racing. It’s time for a little break, but we don’t want to stray too far from the routine.
“Everyone is a little different. Coaches kind of work on different things (for) whatever different phases they need. I like the plan and we need to improve a lot this week.
One player who will work hard is Baron Browning, who played 18 snaps against the Jets (31%) just six days after being acquired in a trade with the Broncos.
“He’s going to have a tough week here,” Gannon said. “He knows he’s going to study.”
It’s often said that the bye can be a big week for self-recognition and while there will be some of that, Gannon noted, “You know how we do it.” We kind of do a self-research every week, so no, but yeah, we’ll look into things. We will look into everything.
“I’m going to work on a few things that I want to study and look into and take some time off, but (I’ll be) ready to come back here on Monday.”
Tight end Trey McBride is looking forward to being back and watching Colorado State take on Wyoming on Friday, the first time he will appear in a game since joining the NFL in 2022.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun to see my school, I’m so excited for it,” McBride said. “I’m not excited about the snow and frost when I get back, but I’m looking forward to going to see my family and enjoying a few days off.”
Meanwhile, Gannon had a succinct message for his team: “You can take a little break, but don’t take your mind off the game. Round 11 on Monday.”
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This article was originally published on Cards Wire: How are the Cardinals handling the bye week?
