The NFL preseason is in full swing, and both professional and collegiate football are well on their way to make an appearance inside your living rooms on the big screen.
From Jameis Winston earning a day off for his Giants teammates, to Johnny Wilson lighting up the Eagles’ offense, to Jared Verse doing, well, Jared Verse things with the Rams, there’s plenty to talk about in the FSU universe as Seminoles shine at the next level.
Arizona Cardinals cornerback Jammie Robinson led Florida State with 99 tackles in his final season, adding five tackles for loss, a sack, an interception, five pass breakups, and a fumble recovery. Now, the All-American and fifth-round selection is making an impact in Arizona after being claimed off waivers by the Cardinals last season.
In Arizona's 20-17 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs this past Saturday, Robinson led the team in tackles with seven, and four solo. Cornerback Denzel Burke had four solo tackles, while inside linebacker Cody Simon had three solo tackles in the matchup.
His 35% increase in production in just one preseason game is evidence of the type of player he can be when healthy. For a Cardinals defense looking to create more takeaways and get off the field on third down, Robinson’s early performance could be a sign of a bigger role to come as the regular season approaches.
While pressure on the quarterback wasn’t overwhelming by NFL standards, defensive lineman L.J. Collier recorded the team’s lone sack of the night. Mack Wilson Sr., Darius Robinson, rookie Jordan Burch, and linebacker Benton Whitley each found ways to collapse the pocket or disrupt passing lanes, forcing the Chiefs’ quarterbacks to get the ball out quicker than they wanted. Those little wins don’t always show up on the stat sheet but can shift momentum in a game.
“I thought they did a good job. We’ll always have things to clean up, but I thought for the most part, there were a couple of runs that popped early off the top of my head," Cardinals head coach Johnathan Gannon said of the overall defensive performance. "But then it seemed like that got shored up."
The effort was there, and the corrections are fixable. For a preseason opener, that’s a promising starting point. If Robinson can maintain his level of play and the pass rush continues to find ways to affect quarterbacks, Arizona’s defense could carry real momentum into the regular season.
Robinson is doing everything in his power to make the team.
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