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| Wednesday, October 25 Associated Press | |||
| TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Cardinals turned up the volume
and the enthusiasm Wednesday in their first practice under interim
head coach Dave McGinnis.
"I saw a lot of guys having fun today," cornerback Corey
Chavous said. "I think coach McGinnis has an infectious enthusiasm
about him that really allows us to go out and play with a sense of
liberty. It felt good out there today."
McGinnis, promoted from defensive coordinator after Vince Tobin
was fired Monday, has vowed to instill some passion in a team that
is coming off a listless 48-7 loss to Dallas on Sunday.
With coaches and players hollering, and McGinnis keeping things
loose with his sense of humor, the spirited practice was a marked
contrast to those under the mild-mannered and quiet Tobin.
"I thought it was a very emotional practice," McGinnis said.
"It sounded like there was some football going on out there. What
I liked was the attention to detail. I also liked that when it
wasn't done right, we did it and we did it again, because you have
to have it done right."
Now McGinnis, who approaches the job like a fire-and-brimstone
preacher, will try to keep the upbeat attitude going when the
Cardinals, 2-5 and outscored 81-21 in their last two games, play
host to New Orleans on Sunday.
"It's easy to do it for one day," McGinnis said. "It's
important what we do tomorrow. It's vital what we do on Friday.
It's important when we start to let that emotion swell on Saturday,
and it's critical, like oxygen, what we do on Sunday."
McGinnis met with the offense before practice to show his
support and offer encouragement to a unit that hasn't scored a
first-quarter touchdown in 24 consecutive regular-season games.
McGinnis wants to get away from conservative play-calling.
"I want us to attack," McGinnis said. "That's what we have to
do."
The new coach could get some immediate help for his beleaguered
defensive line. Defensive end Andre Wadsworth, who hasn't played
all season while recovering from knee surgery, said this was by far
the most he's practiced since training camp of last year. He was
upgraded from doubtful to questionable for Sunday's game.
"He pushed himself quite a bit," McGinnis said. "He was
working to try to get a little bit more done."
Wadsworth said he'll know more about his status on Thursday.
"We'll see," he said. "It felt weak. My timing and tempo was
off. There was no timing or tempo at all."
The Cardinals seemed to like McGinnis' approach.
"He just gives it to you like it is. That's him. That's what
he's going to bring," quarterback Jake Plummer said. "He's a
little more involved, talking a little more out on the field."
McGinnis said practices are bound to be louder because that's
his personality.
"We're going to put passionate football on the field," he
said. "I want everybody to be real, be themselves. This is a game
that has to be fun to play. It's a hard way to make a living, but
it's fun to play. I told these guys `I don't want you to press, I
want you to play. I don't want you to tighten up, I want you to
listen up and let's go.' "
| ALSO SEE
Cards fire Tobin; McGinnis takes over as interim | ||