The Sports Xchange

TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals practiced their no-huddle offensive package on Monday, which wasn’t all that unusual. They did that at least once a week during the regular season a year ago.

What will be unusual is if they actually use the no-huddle in non-two-minute situation during a game. They didn’t do that much, if at all, in Bruce Arians’ previous two seasons as head coach.

But Arians wants to use the package this year as a way to change tempo at any point in games.

“We know our offense well enough now, if we want to go uptempo, we can,” Arians said.

The Cardinals didn’t use it much the previous two seasons because the players didn’t know the offense well enough, Arians said. It also didn’t help that their top two quarterbacks, Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton, missed time with injuries in 2015.

Palmer isn’t participating in 11-on-11 sessions as he returns from a knee injury, but Arians said Palmer is comfortable running the no-huddle now.

“We can play real fast right now,” Arians said. “This is the first time we’ve practiced it (this year) against a defense.”

Palmer wasn’t available for comment on Monday, but there aren’t many quarterbacks who don’t like the no-huddle. Receivers love it, too.

“I love it,” receiver John Brown said. “We can catch defenses trying to switch (players) in and out. We can get a few penalties on them, or catch them and hit them over the top.

“Hopefully, we can come out at the beginning of the game and go two-minute and wear a defense out.”