Player diary: Jeff Blake
Kent Somers
Arizona Republic
A first-person take on training camp from the Cardinals defensive end, a 12-year veteran who is takes over the starting job after being signed as a free agent:
"Everybody wanted to criticize us before we even got started; then, they came to realize we're a better offense than most of the teams that are out there. We have a great opportunity to make something special happen this year, and we're really starting to believe that as a team.
These guys have something to prove this year. They are playing with chips on their shoulders and it's good for the team.
It's all about unity and believing in one another. That's something we have that nobody can take away from us. Y'all can try to take away everything we got but nobody can take that away from us.
I still believe in them (his receivers). People are still going to have doubts. I told them don't worry about it. Just go out and make plays and eventually you'll shut them up.
It takes time for stuff like that (timing on deep passes) to happen. Teams know I'm a quarterback who throws it, so they are going to be looking out for it. It's not like we're going to catch people by surprise.
It opens up the rest of our game so much. It makes it so much easier for the receivers to work the underneath stuff. Once you get a groove, you just keeping hitting it and hitting it and hitting it."
Kent Somers
Arizona Republic
A first-person take on training camp from the Cardinals defensive end, a 12-year veteran who is takes over the starting job after being signed as a free agent:
"Everybody wanted to criticize us before we even got started; then, they came to realize we're a better offense than most of the teams that are out there. We have a great opportunity to make something special happen this year, and we're really starting to believe that as a team.
These guys have something to prove this year. They are playing with chips on their shoulders and it's good for the team.
It's all about unity and believing in one another. That's something we have that nobody can take away from us. Y'all can try to take away everything we got but nobody can take that away from us.
I still believe in them (his receivers). People are still going to have doubts. I told them don't worry about it. Just go out and make plays and eventually you'll shut them up.
It takes time for stuff like that (timing on deep passes) to happen. Teams know I'm a quarterback who throws it, so they are going to be looking out for it. It's not like we're going to catch people by surprise.
It opens up the rest of our game so much. It makes it so much easier for the receivers to work the underneath stuff. Once you get a groove, you just keeping hitting it and hitting it and hitting it."
