The Arizona Cardinals are one day from breaking camp and heading back down the hill into the heat of the Phoenix desert. Quarterback Kevin Kolb is looking forward to getting settled in his new home and says the heat won't bother him at all. At least he won't be dodging skunks on his Segway as he reported happened in Flagstaff this week.
Kolb has specific goals for Saturday's third preseason game against the San Diego Chargers. He wants to work on the two-minute drill in live game situation, he wants to get the chance to lead the team in the first possession after half time and he wants to learn the game-day routines so he can be comfortable and focused for the September 11, Week 1 opener against Carolina.
"I don't even know how to get out there," Kolb said about his new home field, "I have to look it up on my phone."
Directions to the new office aside, the big focus for Kolb is cleaning up the little mistakes that lead to several dead-ball penalties during the Green Bay game, "Obviously, it starts with me. Three or four of those were on me, absolutely 100 percent."
What you get in Kevin Kolb is a detail oriented guy and a self described perfectionist. That gives you all kinds of things including pregame butterflies.
"I take the game pretty serious. I spend a lot of time on it. I think part of being a quarterback is being a perfectionist, you want things to go right. Not to say that I get nervous, but I get 'amped up' and ready to go for practice, preseason, regular season -- whatever it is I get a few butterflies."
Kolb says he hopes to play into the third quarter of the game on Saturday. Coach Ken Whisenhunt was willing to say that would "probably" be the case but he wouldn't say for sure what anyone's playing time would be.
Other training camp notes:
- Ken Whisenhunt talked extensively about how different this training camp is compared to a normal year. He's had to remind himself that every team is going through a similar process and while it's been a fun camp, he wouldn't want to do it this way again.
- The Cardinals brought in veteran punter Dave Zastudil to to provide some competition for that job. Whisenhunt admitted that the punting game last year was one of many areas that needs to improve. Ben Graham will need to keep one eye over his shoulder for the next few weeks.
- QB John Skelton (ankle) and TE Stephen Spach (calf) are both making progress with their injury rehab. Whisenhunt said their availability for Saturday's game would depend on how they do this week.
- Whisenhunt was pleased to have Adrian Wilson back on the field for the first time on Tuesday. Even though he's limited in what he can do right now, it's a good opportunity for him to "get his eyes right" as defenders like to say. It will be important for the coaching and medical staff to make sure Wilson doesn't rush his return and push himself too hard, too fast.
- The Cardinals will try and reach an injury settlement with Max Hall instead of putting him in the Injured Reserve list. If he was on the IR he couldn't come back this season. This way there's a chance the Cardinals could resign him at some point down the road if they should need a third quarterback familiar with the system.