Kent Somers, Greg Moore break down Cardinals shutout against Giants
Cardinals coach Bruce Arians, players react to win over Giants.
Arizona Cardinals' James Bettcher (defensive coordinator) and Harold Goodwin (offensive coordinator) address the media at practice on Thursday.
azcentral sports' Kent Somers discusses the latest on the Cardinals after the team's practice on Thursday.
azcentral sports' Mark Faller and Dan Bickley discuss the intrigue surrounding the Cardinals' final two games of the season.
azcentral sports' Bob McManaman breaks down the Cardinals' road loss to the Redskins on Sunday.
Richard Morin and Bob McManaman talk Cardinals football following practice on Wednesday.
azcentral sports' Jay Dieffenbach and Kent Somers wrap up the Cardinals' win over the Titans in our Shot Clock video.
azcentral sports' Kent Somers Bob McManaman have the latest on the Cardinals after their win over the Titans.
azcentral sports' Kent Somers and Dan Bickley break down the Cardinals' victory over the Titans on Sunday. Johanna Huckeba/azcentral sports
Kent and Bob discuss injuries, matchups and the Cardinals' record under a closed University of Phoenix Stadium roof Kent Somers/azcentral sports
azcentral sports' Kent Somers and Bob McManaman break down the action from Arizona Cardinals headquarters on Thursday. By Rob Schumacher/azcentral sports
Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin and defensive coordinator James Bettcher discuss their game against the Titans on Sunday.
azcentral sports' Kent Somers and Bob McManaman report on the Arizona Cardinals from the team's practice facility on Monday.
Somers and McManaman discuss how the Cardinals will cope without Adrian Peterson Kent Somers/azcentral sports
Johnson: It feels like a brotherhood Thomas Hawthorne/azcentral sports
Cardinals quarterbacks Carson Palmer, Blaine Gabbert and Drew Stanton discuss coach Bruce Arians, the Arians Family Foundation, Palmer's injury and their facial hair at an Arians Family Foundation in Scottsdale on Friday.
Cardinals coach Bruce Arians discusses his pessimism about Cardinals players returning from injured reserve this season at an Arians Family Foundation event in Scottsdale on Friday.
Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians and his wife, Christine, discuss the success and future of the Arians Family Foundation at Sonata's in Scottsdale on Friday.
Kent Somers of azcentral sports talks about the great year Arizona Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones is having. Somers spoke with defensive coordinator James Bettcher after practice in Tempe, Thurs, November 30, 2017. Tom Tingle/azcentral.com
Cardinals insider Kent Somers breaks down the Cardinals' status as they look for a second win in a row.
Somers, Moore break down Cardinals win over Giants
Arians, players react to Cardinals first shutout win since 1992
James Bettcher praises Cardinals fans
Cardinals report: Kent Somers on Thursday's practice
Shot Clock: High drama, big questions for Cards
Bob McManaman recaps Cardinals' loss to Washington
Morin and McManaman on Cardinals' health status
Shot Clock: Cards' 2018 starter is ... not Gabbert
Cardinals report: Moving forward after Titans game
Dan Bickley, Kent Somers recap Cardinals' ugly win
Kent Somers, Bob McManaman preview Cardinals vs. Titans
Arizona Cardinals report: Thursday's practice
Cardinals coordinators discuss game vs. Titans
Cardinals report: Bruce Arians' candor, injury updates
Kent Somers and Bob McManaman preview the Cardinals vs. Rams
David Johnson talks injury and supporting team organizations
Cardinals QBs dish on Bruce Arians, Palmer's injury, mustaches
Arians pessimistic about Cardinals returning from IR
Bruce, Christine Arians discuss success of Arians Family Foundation
Cardinals LB Chandler Jones having stellar season
Kent Somers on Cardinals' injury issues
The Cardinals are growing accustomed to receiver Larry Fitzgerald reaching career milestones on a weekly basis. On Sunday, coach Bruce Arians joined the party.
The 23-0 victory over the Giants was Arians’ 49th as Cardinals coach, tying Ken Whisenhunt for the most victories by a head coach in franchise history.
Whisenhunt coached the Cardinals for six seasons, and Arians is in his fifth year.
“I can’t take any of the credit,” Arians said. “It’s all the players and the coaches. Our coaches have done an unbelievable job with all these young kids and all these injuries, of giving them the game plan to win with.”
Arians hasn’t committed to returning for a sixth season and said earlier this week he had not thought about Sunday’s game being the last one he coached at University of Phoenix Stadium.
On Sunday, he used a question about Fitzgerald’s future to reiterate his feelings on the matter.
Asked if Fitzgerald’s performance on Sunday (9 receptions, 119 yards and a touchdown) was a good way to go out if it was his last home game, Arians replied:
“You’re going to have to ask him. I don’t think into all that ‘last home game’ stuff. But, yes.”
He’s a giver
Fitzgerald completed the first pass of his career, a 21-yarder to receiver Jaron Brown. But the completion had bigger implications, according to Fitzgerald.
It helped Brown achieve a $500,000 incentive in his contract.
“I love Jaron, and he had two catches today,” Fitzgerald said. “And I made him an extra $500,000, so I’m happy for him and his family. Merry Christmas, Jaron!”
Fitzgerald was asked if knows all of his teammates’ contract extensions.
“Absolutely, absolutely," he said. "You know that I’m an information gatherer.”
Brown’s two receptions give him 30 for the season, so that is possibly the incentive he hit.
MOORE: Larry Fitzgerald shows he still has 'too much in the tank'
Nkemdiche’s unexpected gift
Not to be forgotten in the Cardinals’ first shutout in a quarter century on Sunday was the 21-yard fumble recovery and return for a touchdown by second-year defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche. He did it was his mother in the stands, visiting all the way from Nigeria.
“We need to get her here more often,” Arians said. “It was great for him to get that touchdown for her here at the game.”
It’s been a strange journey thus far for the former first-round pick out of Ole Miss. His first two NFL seasons have been wrought with unfulfilled expectations and nagging injuries. But for as talented as he is as a pass rusher, who would have ever believed he’d score a touchdown before registering his first NFL sack?
“That’s wild. No, I didn’t think that at all,” he said. “That’s one of the games where I rushed better, though. You keep the course, you keep the vision that you’re on and you just keep working hard and keep going forward, then great things will come in the future, so I’m excited.”
Nkemdiche played some running back in high school, and he looked like one as he made his way to the end zone before getting mobbed by his teammates.
“They used to call me ‘Bus.’ They used to call me 'The Refrigerator,’ ” Nkemdiche said. “I’m used to it. That’s what I do. I saw the hole.”
Bethea makes it two
Cardinals safety Antoine Bethea is in his 12th NFL season, and he’s one of just seven active safeties in the league with at least 20 career interceptions. During Arizona’s win over the Giants, though, he did something he’s never done before.
He had two interceptions, picking off Eli Manning twice. And he actually was close to making a third interception.
“I was close, man. I had my fingers crossed,” Bethea said. “I was wishing and hoping, but it feels good."
Bethea’s two picks give him five on the season, another first.
“That’s the most I’ve ever had in a season, so it feels good,” Bethea said. “You know, Merry Christmas.”
Smoke detected
Receiver John “Smoke” Brown played on Sunday for the first time since mid-November and caught a touchdown pass for the first time since mid-October.
“It felt good to just to be out there, period,” Brown said.
Brown didn’t do his customary dance after his touchdown in the third quarter because he had plans for later in the game.
“I told B.A. (Arians) I was going to score again and then I was going to do it,” he said.
CARDINALS REPORT CARD: Defense wins the day
CARDINALS STAR WATCH: Larry Fitzgerald lifts Stanton, Arizona to win
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