ARIZONA CARDINALS

Cardinals get improved tackle play over course of season

Dec 21, 2012, 8:22 PM | Updated: 9:37 pm

Early in the season when the Arizona Cardinals started losing games, many fans and analysts pointed to the poor play by the offensive line.

The tackles, in particular, were playing poorly, with rookie Bobby Massie and D’Anthony Batiste failing to give the team’s quarterbacks ample time to throw the ball.

The Cardinals kept losing games — nine in a row, to be exact — but something rather unexpected happened along the way.

The tackles improved.

Though Massie has given up 13 sacks this season, according to ProFootballFocus.com, he has not allowed one in the last six weeks.

And while Batiste never really seemed to figure things out, his replacement, rookie Nate Potter, has. The former Boise State lineman has allowed four sacks in six games, but did not allow so much as a quarterback sack, hit or hurry Sunday against the Lions.

In short, it appears the Cardinals have something at two of the more important positions on the line. While the team has still allowed a league-leading 52 sacks on the season, the improvement is quite noticeable.

“There’s no question they’ve played better,” Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said Friday. “But we had a stretch there earlier in the year where we were giving up sacks like crazy.”

Whisenhunt reiterated that the tackles were not solely responsible for the team’s issues before, though he knows they certainly absorbed the brunt of the blame.

“You have to give them credit, they have played better, and that’s important,” Whisenhunt added. “I think that when you look at the season in its entirety for both Nate Potter and for Bobby Massie, it’s been painful at times having to grow through those things but you also feel good about where they’re going to be going forward because you think both of these guys can play.”

Massie, who was taken by the Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, was considered to be a good prospect coming out of college. A rocky beginning to his career had some question whether he’d make it, but he understood all along there would be some growing pains.

“You’ve got to learn from your failures, so I messed up and I had to make changes in the way I play and the way I prepare and it worked out for me,” Massie said.

Massie said there are still plenty of areas he can improve in, and at 23 it’s hard to believe he’s anything close to a finished product.

And as Whisenhunt said, his and Potter’s improvement does give hope that perhaps the Cardinals have this whole offensive tackle thing figured out.

At the end of the day, though, Massie said it’s important to finish this, his rookie season, playing well.

“It’s a job, you’ve got to compete, and we’re not the only people watching it,” he said. “Other people around the league are going to watch it, so you’ve got to make sure you put good tape out there.”

Presented By
Western Governors University

Arizona Cardinals

Monti Ossenfort looks on...

Vincent DeAngelis

PFF’s Spielberger grades Cardinals’ free agent class among worst in NFL

PFF's Brad Spielberger gave the Cardinals' free agent class a "C" grade in his latest rankings. It was the worst grade among all 32 teams.

8 hours ago

Jonah Williams pressure Sam Darnold...

Tyler Drake

Report: Free agent DL Jonah Williams visiting Arizona Cardinals this week

Defensive lineman Jonah Williams is visiting the Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings this week, according to Aaron Wilson.

17 hours ago

Casita seating at the Arizona Cardinals' State Farm Stadium...

Arizona Sports

Arizona Cardinals’ new suite options at State Farm Stadium include casitas

The Arizona Cardinals on Monday announced new luxury seating options for 2024, including custom casita suites at State Farm Stadium.

21 hours ago

Justin Fields...

Associated Press

Quarterback carousel: Bears trade Justin Fields to Steelers to clear way for top pick

The Chicago Bears traded quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night for draft compensation.

3 days ago

Kyler Murray...

Arizona Sports

Report: Cardinals QB Kyler Murray’s 2025 guarantees kick in

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray had nearly $30 million guaranteed for the 2025 season kick in by remaining on Arizona's roster by Saturday.

3 days ago

Paris Johnson Jr. celebrates with Kyler Murray...

Tyler Drake

Which side of the line will Cardinals’ Paris Johnson Jr. command in 2024?

Even before the Cardinals released D.J. Humphries, there was already talk of Paris Johnson Jr. making the switch from right to left.

3 days ago

Cardinals get improved tackle play over course of season