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TEMPE, Ariz. -- Following the final play of Arizona’s 13-10 win over Tampa Bay on Sunday, it was easy to tell Cardinals coach Bruce Arians wasn’t quite basking in the delight of evening his record at 2-2.

He had called the simplest -- and most gratifying -- of plays for a coach: the kneel down. Except it wasn’t simple against the Bucs and coach Greg Schiano. Tampa Bay rushed the Cards’ first kneel down, knocking down Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer on the play. And the Bucs rushed again on the second kneel down, which ran out the clock.

Arians wasn’t happy. He barely shook hands with Schiano and had some words for a Tampa Bay assistant coach, according to a replay of the game.

“That’s their style,” Arians said Monday. “I have no comment on it.”

But some Bucs fans did.

One fan called into Schiano’s radio show Monday and told him the move was “bush league,” according to JoeBucsFan.com.

Schiano, as expected, responded, saying he leaves the decision to rush the kneel down up to his players. He also admitted it’s never worked in the NFL. And he wants people to stop complaining.

Here’s Schiano’s entire response, per JoeBucsFan.com:

“I can say it’s misunderstood. Maybe I’m misunderstood. Who knows? But there’s a couple of things that I can tell you. No. 1, it’s an organized play. It isn’t just a mayhem of diving.

“Has it worked here yet in the NFL? No. Has it worked before? Sure. It’s worked or I wouldn’t do it. You know, we’ve caused several balls to be put on the ground in the past in doing this. And there’s a technique, a series of techniques that are involved.

“But most importantly, you know, I want everybody to know, our players, I ask our players, ‘If we don’t want to do this, we don’t do it.’ I mean, that’s where I am. I’m not going to force guys. Because is there always a risk involved? Sure. I mean there’s always a risk involved when you’re hitting other people. And I’m talking about a risk for our players.

“But, you know, when your players believe it can give you an opportunity, now why do they believe? Because they’ve seen the video. They’ve seen the ball on the ground in a situation that that shouldn’t happen. So I think that they understand if done correctly, there’s a good opportunity. …

“When it’s a one-score opportunity, and especially a field goal opportunity and there’s time left to do it, that’s part of our beliefs. And guys can disagree with it, call it, you know, there’s no bush league to it. You know it’s coming. And if anybody saw it, Gerald McCoy was shaking his head telling [Arizona], ‘We’re coming.’ So I mean, you know what, run the play. If there’s time on the clock, run the play. I’d like people to quit complaining, and that’s what we’re going to do, and get ready for it.”

Schiano said he won’t force his players to do it, but he’s not forcing them to stop, either. Arians is a veteran of this league. Schiano, well, is not. There are unwritten rules that are followed. This is another example of Schiano trying to bring a college gimmick to the NFL, and like mostly everything else, it doesn’t look like it’s working.

A weekly examination of the Cardinals' ESPN.com Power Ranking:

Preseason: 26 | Last Week: 22 | ESPN.com Power Ranking since 2002

So maybe Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians was on to something when he said it doesn’t matter how his team wins, as long as it wins. The Cardinals pulled off a fourth-quarter comeback in Tampa Bay to cap a 13-10 win in an ugly game. But style points don’t count in the NFL, and the win helped Arizona move up three places in this week’s ESPN.com Power Rankings. Last week in Sarasota, Fla., offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin talked about the offense showing flashes, but that’s all it’s done. But during those flashes, the Cardinals have displayed how powerful Arians’ new offense can be, which is not a secret around the NFL. The Cardinals moved the ball with ease on two drives in the third quarter, but they were derailed by Carson Palmer interceptions. This team has the pieces, it’s just a matter of the players figuring out how to make them work. Arians said Monday he has never seen a team take so long to figure out his offense, which he labeled as “putrid.” If “putrid” means a win, it can only go up from here.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona coach Bruce Arians didn’t need his notepad to evaluate the Cardinals’ offensive performance in their 13-10 win over Tampa Bay. In fact, he needed just one word: “Putrid.”

Here are a few notes from his Monday news conference:

• Arians said linebacker Daryl Washington will start immediately, most likely alongside Karlos Dansby.
• The defense played one of its best games this season, Arians said, especially the run stop.
• Adding to his “putrid” description of the offense, Arians said its troubles are starting to get repetitive.
• Arians hasn’t seen a team take this long to pick up his offense before.
• Dan Williams is expected to rejoin the team Tuesday night.
• Arians said Nate Potter looked “OK” at right guard taking over for an injured Daryn Colledge. The second-year player’s athleticism helped him.
• Arians also alluded to getting rookie linebacker Kevin Minter back this week.
• Arians didn’t have an update on the injured players who left Sunday’s game but said they were all minor.

A review of four hot issues from the Arizona Cardinals' 13-10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Offense needs work: Arizona''s offense struggled to move the ball last season, and it seems to be carrying over into the Bruce Arians era. The offense seems to get stuck in the mud and spin its tires for most of the game until it gets a light nudge from the defense or one of its receivers. And, as much as the Cardinals have talked about fixing the problems, the same things keep happening. Arizona didn’t convert a third down in the first half and was 1-for-10 overall. Six of their 10 third downs, including the one conversion, were for 10 yards or less. The Cardinals managed just 87 yards of total offense in the first half, and they were lucky to win. Since 2001, the Cards are 20-47 when totaling less than 100 yards in either half, according to ESPN Stats & Information. There could be a simple fix, but it’s a matter of finding out exactly what’s wrong.

Run D showed up: No wonder the defensive line wanted to know how many rushing yards it allowed right after the game. The Cardinals held Bucs running back Doug Martin to 45 yards on 27 carries, his lowest total of the season and the lowest of his career when he has 27 or more carries. Martin is averaging 137 yards per game in the four contests in which he has 27 carries or more. According Mark Dalton, Arizona’s vice president of media relations, with information from the Elias Sports Bureau, Martin is the eighth player to have 45 or fewer yards on 25 or more carries since 1935.

Fitz needs to be fed: As Carson Palmer attempted each pass during the first half, none of which were intended for Larry Fitzgerald, the shock spread. Fitzgerald wasn’t targeted once in the first two quarters for the first time since Week 16 of 2010 against the Dallas Cowboys, when the Cardinals also squeezed out a win, 27-26, according to ESPN Stats & Information. As soon as Fitzgerald was worked into the game plan Sunday, Arizona moved the ball with ease because it put the Bucs on alert.

Injuries hurt defense: If the Cardinals weren’t decimated on defense already after New Orleans on Sept. 22, they might not want to go into the training room Monday. Arizona lost three more players to injuries, all at key positions. Linebacker Vic So'oto left the game with a possible concussion. Defensive tackle Darnell Dockett left with a groin injury, as did linebacker Jasper Brinkley. This is on top of the rash of injuries suffered two weekends ago and the loss of Dan Williams for the game. So’oto’s injury could be more serious than the others, but Dockett and Brinkley have until Wednesday to rest, otherwise it’s another run through the waiver wire.

TAMPA, Fla. -- It wasn’t Arizona running back Rashard Mendenhall’s fumble, dropped carry or bobbled pass that Cardinals coach Bruce Arians was unhappy about. Arians was not pleased with Mendenhall’s decision to try to run out of bounds with 1:43 left in the fourth quarter. Fortunately for the Cardinals, Mendenhall fumbled the ball out, allowing the clock to keep running and forcing Tampa Bay to call a timeout.

“Rashard had a very tough day and he can’t play that way,” Arians said. “He can’t run out of bounds. He’s a veteran. And to run out of bounds at the end of the game was ridiculous. That was probably the worst mistake he made all day.”

On the Cardinals’ second play of the game, Mendenhall missed an easy swing pass from quarterback Carson Palmer in the flat. Then on the team’s next drive, he dropped a ball but was ruled down. And on the very next play, Mendenhall fumbled and Tampa Bay recovered.

“It’s unlike him. He’s not a fumbler,” Arians said. “We need to practice him a little bit harder. I think we’ve been too easy on him in practice because of his injuries and we need to hone him up more because he’s not game ready.”

Moch produces in debut: He only saw the field for 25 plays, but recently promoted Dontay Moch made the most of them. Moch had a critical sack on third-and-10 with just under 3 minutes left that forced the Bucs to punt and allowed the Cardinals to hit a game-winning field goal.

“I saw it open up, I was rushing in and I kept baiting him the whole day, just showing the speed, just showing the speed and eventually it opened for me and I just took it,” Moch said. “I tried to get the safety but [mostly wanted] just to get the defense out.”

Arians talked all week about Moch’s speed and said after the game the linebacker proved himself.

“I had him on the table for two sacks going into the game,” Arians said, “and I knew he would show up.”

Arians finds success in Tampa: At least this time, the Cardinals won in Raymond James Stadium. Arians is used to leaving Tampa Bay a victor. He’s won his past three appearances in the home of the Bucs, culminating with Sunday’s 13-10 win as coach of the Cards.

His two previous wins in Tampa came as offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers, once during the regular season in 2010 and another in Super Bowl XLIII in 2008 -- against the Cardinals.

“Wouldn’t have any other ending at Raymond James Stadium,” Arians said. “Kind of used to those kind [of endings]. Haven’t been on the losing end yet, for a while, at this place.”

TAMPA, Fla. -- If the Arizona Cardinals could fast-forward their games to about the middle of the fourth quarter, their offense would look like the well-oiled unit it was touted to be.

It’s those first three quarters that are catching them.

Something was off from Arizona’s first play Sunday at Tampa Bay. Carson Palmer was sacked when Gerald McCoy was given a clear path to the quarterback. A play later, Rashard Mendenhall dropped a pass that’s usually a gimme. And on the Cardinals' next drive Mendenhall dropped a carry and fumbled the ball away.

The offense's woes picked up where they left off in New Orleans and continued until the Cardinals’ defense willed this team to victory, 13-10, late in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Before then, however, the defense was simply keeping the offense above water.

Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald wasn’t targeted once in the first half, which ended with Arizona totaling just 87 yards of offense, three first downs and an 0-for-6 on third down. The Cardinals punted on six of their seven possessions in the first half. Mendenhall’s fumble was on the other possession.

“That was some ugly ball … that was bad ball in the first half all around,” said Fitzgerald, who was visibly frustrated, hanging his head after some plays. “Our defense kept fighting for us, kept the game manageable for us. We’re so thankful those guys played their tail off.”

Fitzgerald said he didn’t demand the ball at halftime or draw plays in the sand that could get him open. But when the Cardinals took possession for the first time in the second half, Fitzgerald was Palmer’s first target for a 9-yard pass. Then Palmer hit Michael Floyd for 14 yards and Fitzgerald again for 21. Arians began moving Fitzgerald around, and it helped the All-Pro get open. The offense was finally showing those flashes that offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin talked about last week.

But even then, the Cardinals’ offense figured out ways to stall. They began the third quarter with two impressive drives, both of which were curtailed after Palmer threw interceptions from the Tampa Bay 15- and 33-yard lines, respectively.

Palmer said part of the offense's struggles come from playing only four games together.

“You got a new system, a lot of new players in new spots,” Palmer said. “There is not a lot of continuity really anywhere.”

Yet Arians appears to accept the offense’s flaws as long as the Cardinals win. But would Patrick Peterson have been able to intercept a veteran quarterback twice, as he did against Bucs rookie Mike Glennon? Or would a seasoned signal-caller have been able to stretch a lead during the second and third quarters? They’re questions to ponder with Carolina’s Cam Newton coming to town.

That is why they play 60 minutes, Arians said, and as long as the Cardinals hang around long enough to win, he’s OK with some bumps in the road.

“Just win the fourth quarter and we’ll be all right,” Arians said.

“I thought the fourth quarter was some of the best football we’ve played all year. It was just a matter of doing it. It was there to be done.”

TAMPA, Fla. -- It’s a kicker's dream to hit a game-winning field goal in their home town.

The only part of Jay Feely's 27-yard field goal to give the Arizona Cardinals a 13-10 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that wasn’t out of a story book was that the kick didn’t happen as time expired. He lined up with 1 minute, 29 seconds left in a game that was as ugly as it was humid.

So it was fitting for the Tampa native who didn’t break a sweat in the first half to score the majority of the Cards’ points Sunday at Raymond James Stadium, including the final three.

“It was pretty cool,” said Feely, who finished with seven point in total.

Feely had a kicker’s hunch all week that the game would come down to his foot. That thought just lingered as he bounced around the Tampa area, visiting friends and family.

He visited Jesuit High School, his alma mater, where his father, Thomas, coaches. Then he spoke to the football team at Berkeley Prep, where his former coach, Dominick Ciao, coaches. And finally, on Friday, he attended the Plant High School football game because its coach, Robert Weiner, was Feely’s best man.

“Got to see everybody here in Tampa,” Feely said. “Had dinner with my family and my brothers and my dad and mom. It was pretty special to cap it with a game winner.”

Feely, who had played at Raymond James a few times before Sunday, had never attempted such a crucial kick in that stadium before. But there weren’t any extra nerves nagging at him when he lined up for the 27-yarder, which turned into the 10th game-winning kick of his career. It was short and easy, and cleared the goal posts as such. But he nailed a 42-yard field goal with 11:16 left in the fourth that put the Cardinals on the board for the first time Sunday, and that kick came with a little added weight.

“Obviously, that meant a lot to give us the opportunity [to kick the game winner]. I wasn’t very nervous at all,” Feely said. “It was little bit different in the second half but we found a way to win and that’s what good teams. When they don’t play well, somebody makes a play and finds a way to win. [Going home] 2-2 is a lot different than 1-3.”

TAMPA, Fla. -- Observed in the locker room after the Arizona Cardinals’ 13-10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Pure exhaustion: One of the first things heard upon entering the Cardinals’ locker room was quarterback Carson Palmer asking a teammate if he was tired. Palmer then explained how exhausted he was. “It was a dogfight,” Palmer said during his news conference.

Stopping the run: The defensive line was extra curious about how many yards it allowed on the ground and began asking anyone who walked by. The answer was 80, the second most Arizona has allowed all season.

Waiting patiently: Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald wasn’t targeted once in the first half, but he’s not the type of person to say anything about it. At halftime, he didn’t voice his displeasure with not being involved, nor did he suggest ways to make that happen. “I’m not a complainer,” Fitzgerald said.

D-Wash on the mind: Sunday was the Cardinals’ last game without linebacker Daryl Washington, who will be reinstated Monday after a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. And the Cards let everyone know how excited they were to have him back. Both head coach Bruce Arians and cornerback Patrick Peterson referenced Washington and how the defense will change with when he returns.

TAMPA, Fla. -- A few thoughts on the Arizona Cardinals’ 13-10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

What it means: The Cardinals are starting to look like they're in real trouble offensively. Before the fourth quarter Sunday, they went without a touchdown for six consecutive quarters because of an inability to finish deep inside opponents' territory. But there are larger issues, such as the play calling. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald wasn’t targeted once in the first half. When he finally was, the offense started moving, only to stall out thanks to two interceptions by quarterback Carson Palmer. The inability to convert on third down continued, which prevented Arizona from sustaining drives. The Cards had the ball for just 10 minutes, 23 seconds in the first half.


Stock watch: No one player on the Cardinals’ defense played well enough to warrant being singled out, and too many played poorly. Patrick Peterson saved the day for Arizona with an interception late in the fourth that allowed the Cards to tie the game, then eventually go ahead for good. The defense kept the Cards in the game despite the circumstances. They not only came in without four starters but also lost Darnell Dockett and Jasper Brinkley during the game to groin injuries.

Picked off: Two of the Cardinals’ best opportunities to score were derailed by interceptions by Palmer. And both display his continued penchant for throwing short or wide. The first was with the Cards lined up at the Bucs' 15, Palmer was a few feet short of an open Michael Floyd. On the second, Palmer went a tad wide to Fitzgerald and was picked off by Darrelle Revis. Two passes that could’ve been completed had Palmer’s accuracy been a little tighter.

Mental mishaps: Maybe the Cardinals were still stuck in vacation mode, but some of their on-the-field decisions Sunday raised a few eyebrows. Palmer was flagged for an intentional grounding because he threw a pass into the feet of an offensive lineman instead of holding it during a sack. And Dockett’s taunting and horse-collar penalties helped the Bucs’ field position.

What's next: The Cardinals return home after a 1-1 road trip to host the Carolina Panthers at 1 p.m. MT Sunday at University of Phoenix Stadium.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Cardinals safety Rashad Johnson was not cleared by team doctors to play in Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay, according to a tweet by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

About 90 minutes before kickoff, Johnson was listed among the Cardinals’ inactives.

Johnson will miss the game a week after losing the tip of his left middle finger just before halftime against New Orleans. All week, Arizona coach Bruce Arians said the decision on whether Johnson would play would be left up to Johnson, with pain tolerance emerging as the top deciding factor. However, he still needed to be cleared by doctors.

The fact that he wasn’t cleared did not come as a major surprise.

While he had the finger stitched up and the possibility of infection had decreased, he was still a week removed from losing a body part. Throughout the week, Johnson said the pain had improved, rating it a 6.5 out of 10 on Thursday and then a 4 out of 10 on Friday. However, he couldn’t find a cast to fit properly. Team doctors outfitted him Friday with a cast to cover his hand that resembled a boxing glove, but Johnson and Arians said it wasn’t effective.

The next step was to cast him with his hand in a fist, but apparently that wasn’t the solution either.

As much as Johnson wanted to play -- and as much as Arians wanted his leadership and needed him on special teams -- sitting him out this game was the right decision. One wrong hit and that finger could be damaged more. Johnson's replacement in the starting lineup is most likely to be rookie Tyrann Mathieu, which is not a bad option.

Let the finger heal, avoid any infections or setbacks and suit up Johnson for next week against Carolina at home.

SARASOTA, Fla. -- For 5 minutes, 41 seconds last Sunday, the Arizona Cardinals’ offense looked unbeatable.

Yes, that good.

It was methodical and precise, giving quarterback Carson Palmer enough time to target five different receivers and march the Cardinals 80 yards for a touchdown.

For 5 minutes, 41 seconds, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome went silent, watching a drive unfold that was expected under first-year Arizona coach Bruce Arians. But for the next 54:19, the Cardinals looked like a different team, stuck in neutral while their tires spun in the mud.

The flash of offense showed this team has what it takes to execute, to drive, to score. But it showed the Cardinals need to figure out a way to do it consistently. They'll hope to see improvement on Sunday at Tampa Bay.

“When you go in and you score really fast you feel like the points are just going to keep coming and when they don’t, it can be very frustrating,” Palmer said. “You got to do everything you can to not let that frustrate you. You got to continue to [play] whatever position you’re playing, to go through your reads, go through your mechanics to play and not think about, ‘Well we could’ve done this or should’ve done this or didn’t take advantage of this opportunity.

“You can’t dwell on the past or think about the past. You got to keep thinking about the next play or the next drive.”

But when the Cardinals started fast in that stadium against that team, the memories came flooding back. But no one on this overhauled roster expected a repeat of 2010, when Tim Hightower ripped a 70-yard touchdown from scrimmage on the first play of divisional game. The Cardinals lost 45-14.

“We didn’t carry our water,” wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald said. “[But] you’re definitely encouraged. You give Coach Arians an ability to script a first series and it’s pretty tough to deal with him. He’s a mastermind in terms of that.”

There’s not one thing to work on. It’s a combination of dropped passes, missed assignments, bad routes, poor mechanics, missed blocks. And it’s not just one player, Palmer said. It’s a team-wide effort.

But it’s an all-or-nothing situation. There’s no in between scenario for the Cardinals, offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin said. If the offense marches to the red zone and doesn’t score, it won’t sit well with Goodwin. It’s either Arizona scores points or it doesn't, he added.

Consistency is easy to talk about, Goodwin discussed this week. But it’s another animal to tame in reality.

Goodwin saw what everyone at home and inside the dome saw: An offense that can score when it wants to. He saw it again early in the fourth when Palmer put together a string of passes to Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd before throwing an interception.

Despite the turnover, the offense regained some form it briefly exhibited in the first quarter, but last Sunday’s game produced a motto of sorts for this offense:

“Start fast, finish strong, don’t let up,” Goodwin said. “I think throughout the first three regular-season games, you’ve seen our offense -- when it’s clicking, it’s clicking but when it’s off, it’s off.

“You got to make sure it’s on point this week.”

SARASOTA, Fla. – The past week has been unchartered waters for the Arizona Cardinals’ coaching staff. And it’s not because their hotel in Sarasota is on a waterway.

After losing two starting outside linebackers and one backup Sunday in New Orleans, Arizona has spent the week restocking its roster, reshuffling its defensive game plan and simplifying its playbook. But an overhaul wasn’t needed.

Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles said the Cardinals will stay in a 3-4 as their primary defense, despite the lack of experienced linebackers to properly execute his scheme. But throughout the game, the Cardinals will continue to go to a 4-3, Bowles added.

“It’s just a matter of having the right people outside doing the right things at the right time,” Bowles said. “Some of the guys are inside guys. They can’t play outside. It’s a good mix.”

This week, Bowles will mix up the defenses more often than in the first three games, while Arizona coach Bruce Arians just hopes his playbook can accommodate the new styles at outside linebacker.

But for this week at least, Arizona won’t try to move their inside linebackers – Karlos Dansby and Jasper Brinkley – outside. The Cards added Vic So’oto and promoted Dontay Moch and Kenny Demens from the practice squad to fill in at outside linebacker.

John Abraham entered the league as a 3-4 linebacker with the New York Jets, Bowles said, so he’s expected to see more time on the edge this game. Matt Shaughnessy has been an outside rusher before, most recently with the Oakland Raiders, so he’ll also provide some relief for Arizona.

Next week, however, may be a different story when Daryl Washington returns from a four-game suspension. He gives the Cardinals another option, with the possibility of Brinkley or Dansby moving outside.

It’s a challenge Dansby welcomes.

“The future’s bright,” Dansby joked. “I know I’m up for the challenge. I had done it before, so if that’s my role that’s what I’ll have to play. I’m able to do it. It ain’t like it’s new to me, so I’d be cool.”

But Dansby, who was wondering who’ll move over, hasn’t been asked yet.

“It’s such a different transition to play outside backer versus inside backer,” Arians said. “I like the four guys we have right now. It’s not the end of the world.”

Arians would know. Last year, as the interim coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Arians watched two running backs go down on the same play. Not just in the same game, but on the same play. So three linebackers in one game? No problem for Arians.

But he didn’t try to rally the troops with the story of last season. No one wants to hear that, he said.

“You’ve got to be able to adjust in this league,” Arians said. “It’s going to throw you curveballs all the time. You got to be able to hit the curveball.”

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians isn’t big on excuses, but he did offer a possible explanation for part of the Cardinals’ recent offensive woes.

Leading into the games against the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saint, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald barely practiced, if at all. To fill his void, the Cardinals rearranged their receivers, lining up Michael Floyd, Andre Roberts, Jaron Brown and then Kerry Taylor at positions they might not normally have played had Fitzgerald been healthy.

And on practice went, with Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer working with that foursome, learning their tendencies and movements from various routes -- only to have Fitzgerald play both Sundays. It wasn’t a conducive situation to a relatively new offense learning how to flow.

But this week could be different. Fitzgerald’s hamstring has apparently healed, and he practiced all week.

“We lost him on Wednesday (Sept. 11),” Arians said on national radio this week. “And then he played in the game. Well, in the meantime we shuffled guys around in case he wasn’t going to play. Carson saw those guys in those positions, and then Larry comes back and plays and everybody’s in a different spot. The same thing happened last week.

“He wasn’t able to practice until Friday (before New Orleans). You never know [if he is going] to make it. And then he was healthy Friday. We got everybody back in the other spots where they belonged and he got one day of practice. I think that’s an excuse, but it does have some validity. When you look at the tape, a little hesitation is all it takes for a quarterback.”

Fitzgerald had 33 yards in the Cardinals’ win against the Lions, a game that saw Taylor emerge as an unexpected contributor. He was promoted from the practice squad a day before the game, and finished with 40 yards on three catches.

Despite not practicing until Friday before the Saints game, Fitzgerald had 64 yards on five receptions in a 31-7 loss.

Offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin said it shouldn’t matter who is lined up, but it does.

“It’s tough when you’re not sure if you’re No. 1 guy is going to be able to play,” Palmer said. “And you don’t practice and you’re thinking you might play and you’re not sure, and you get to Sunday and everything’s great and you get to play and you lose out on those reps.

“It gets a little muddied I guess, when you lose your guy and all of a sudden he’s there on Sunday.”

Palmer won’t have to worry this week. Despite being listed as probable, Fitzgerald practiced all week.

SARASOTA, Fla. -- The Dontay Moch that Arizona defensive coordinator Todd Bowles knows on the Cardinals practice squad has been flying by the first-team offensive line.

Bowles hasn’t had time to pay attention to Moch’s underwhelming two-year stay in Cincinnati. He remembers Moch coming out of the University of Nevada as an undersized pass-rusher who made up for whatever he lacked with sheer speed. He ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash at the 2011 NFL scouting combine and hasn’t slowed down.

“He’s fast. He came in fast,” Bowles said. “I remember him coming out he had a lot of production in college and he can get on the edge. He’s a tough kid. I haven’t seen much film on him from Cincinnati. It’s been about two years. I can only go by what I’ve seen in practice.”

Whatever Moch has been doing behind closed doors, it’s been enough to convince the Cardinals coaching staff he would be the best fit to replace Lorenzo Alexander as a starting outside linebacker against Tampa Bay on Sunday. Moch's two seasons as a Bengal was limited by injuries and off-field issues. According to an article in the Dayton Daily News, he missed his rookie season with a foot injury and migraines. Then in 2012, he was suspended the first four games of the season for violating the NFL’s drug policy, according to that same story.

Arizona coach Bruce Arians said he talked to his counterpart in Cincinnati, Marvin Lewis, who didn’t want to lose Moch. As has been a common refrain this week in the Tampa area, football is a business, and Moch gets it.

“It’s tough but at the same time you got to understand it and come ready and be prepared,” he said. “I got the opportunity to come home to my hometown and do something that I as blessed to do with my life and just have to go out there and prove it now.”

And proving himself, he has.

Moch’s long arms and speed were the reasons why Arians wanted him and they’ve been the reasons why he’s been able to make a mark in Arizona. He’s stayed in his playbook since moving back, with the goal to eventually not think when he’s on the field.

“Just react and play,” Moch said. “So far, so good. Just going to go out there and make no errors.

“I’ve been at the SAM and doing my typical rush things and just go to be a factor and really not think and just play.”

For a team that’s been lacking a speed rush, Moch might have found himself in the right place at the right time. The Cardinals have just five sacks this season, due largely in part to a lack of a speedy outside rush.

If Moch can use his speed to get off the edge, the inside can open up for the likes of Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell.

And Arians is looking forward to seeing that happen.

“We had a lot of high grades on him,” Arians said. “I think he’s going to bring a speed asset to us, increase our team speed. I’m anxious to see him play. In practice he’s been tough to block. He’s earned this right.”

Moch has been frustrated with how the past couple of years have unfolded. But he’s turned it into motivation, working harder and longer to see the field.

He knows what his strengths are and he’s been playing to those because, above all else, they’ll help him see the field.

“I’m a predator out there,” he said. “I’m not no prey. And that’s for sure.”

If Moch can stay healthy and clean in Arizona, he could find a home in his hometown. Moch grew up in Chandler and attended Hamilton High School, so returning to the Cardinals was an easy choice when they signed him to the practice squad on Sept. 2.

“It was great,” Moch said. “Hometown, you can’t get any better than that. You kill both things with one stone -- I get to be home with family and at the same time do my job.

“Can't get no better than that.”

SARASOTA, Fla. – Arizona Cardinals tight end D.C. Jefferson has read about the displeasure with Greg Schiano's coaching style from afar, and he knows exactly what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going through.

Jefferson played for Schiano for three years at Rutgers.

“I’m not surprised that the guys wouldn’t be able to handle it, not being acclimated to that kind of coaching,” Jefferson said. “Not from Coach Schiano but from themselves.”

Jefferson said Schiano is a stickler for the details, well above and beyond what NFL players are accustomed to.

Well, "stickler" might be an understatement. And if a player isn’t focused on doing things Schiano’s way, Jefferson said it won’t be pretty.

“It’s a detail-oriented team in every aspect, every single detail matters, and a lot of guys ain’t used to that,” Jefferson said. “A lot of guys are used to being real loose and free.

“There’s a lot of little stuff that Coach Schiano focused a lot of emphasis on. It’ll be a little tough for some guys from different college[s] who didn’t have that kind of coaching.”

After practice at Rutgers, it wasn't a surprise if Schiano called for cross-field sprints. It was grueling but it helped Jefferson develop. A few months into his NFL career Jefferson has noticed he’s better prepared for the NFL than some of his teammates, thanks to Schiano.

“It has made me a lot better person as far as on the field and off the field,” Jefferson said.

This weekend in Tampa will be a homecoming and a reunion for Jefferson. He grew up an hour from Raymond James Stadium in Winter Haven, Fla., and he’ll be lining up across from the man who recruited him to the Northeast.

“I’ll be comfortable with seeing him,” Jefferson said. “It’s Coach Schiano. I have a strong relationship with him. I’m excited.”