Some things I hope, some I wonder about and some I just know about the Arizona Cardinals after Week 4

I hope … 

Eno Benjamin doesn’t have to be the kicker anymore. I’m sure I’m not alone.

With Matt Prater nursing a sore hip, Benjamin kicked off three times in Sunday’s win over Carolina and had a tackle on one of the kicks. After the Cardinals’ final touchdown, a 2-point conversion was attempted to give Prater’s hip more rest.

Prater was limited in practice last week, and Benjamin got some kicks in after practice Friday when he was told to stand by and be ready.

A soccer player until his sophomore year in high school when he decided to focus on football, Benjamin said the genesis of him being the emergency kicker occurred mostly in training camp.

“During camp and other instances, I’d say, ‘Coach, can I kick today?’ I would jokingly say that. They gave me a few shots.”

Then, during training camp this past summer, he had a competition with guard Will Hernandez.

Monday, Benjamin said, “He may have an opportunity, we may have to go back to the drawing board and work out a little bit more of a competition.”

However, when coach Kliff Kingsbury was asked if the battle between the duo was close, he paused and said, “Not that close.”

When asked if he was nervous with Benjamin kicking, Kingsbury said, “It was about 50/50. The first one he kicked and made the tackle so that was impressive. I just appreciated Matt pushing through. He didn’t feel great all week and just kind of rested until the game. He made a couple big kicks that we needed when we were struggling offensively and kicked off really well.”

Benjamin’s tackle came on his first kickoff despite what he was told by special-teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers.

“Coach Rodgers was saying to be a safety, to just sit back,” Benjamin said. “But then I was just slowly going down field and saw a void open up. I was like I gotta take it. And it just ended up working out. It got me going a little bit.

“The only thing that was going through my mind was get the returner down. I think the defense was a little bit more fired up than me. They came on the field, they were ready to go. Markus Golden was hugging me and jumping along with me, which kind of got me going as well.”

When Kingsbury was asked if he realized Benjamin had made the tackle, he said, “No, I heard him. They said, ‘They’re not blocking the kicker!’ That’s how I knew it was him.”

Benjamin was also asked if he believed the rest of the coverage team had more urgency with him kicking. He smiled and said, “I would hope so.”

Defensive end Zach Allen said he was confused on the sideline. “I didn’t know until like the second or third time he kicked off that he was our kicker,” Allen said. “I kept thinking Prater usually kicks these in the end zone. Why is he kicking it to the 20? But it worked.”

As for the reaction on social media, Benjamin said, “I think there was a lot of good and bad — not bad I should say — but there was a lot of people making fun of the whole thing. And just the fact that I was able to get the tackle, I think a lot of people were actually pumped up about it.”

Benjamin said he talked with Prater after the game: “He was telling me great job. And he was actually apologizing to me, for making me or giving me the opportunity to go out there. But I was actually thanking him. I had a lot of fun.”

It’s believed the fun might be over.

The Cardinals had tryouts with four kickers Monday and one was signed to the practice squad Tuesday to be ready if Prater is still having issues late in the week.

Working out were Matt Ammendola, who was added to the practice squad, Rodrigo Blankenship, Jose Borregales and Jonathan Garibay.

I wonder who will be cut when players return from the injured list.

Three players were designated for return Monday for the Cardinals: Cornerback Antonio Hamilton from reserve/non-football injury and wide receiver Antoine Wesley and quarterback Colt McCoy from reserve/injured. Guard Cody Ford and safety Charles Washington remain on reserve/injured.

The three designated for return can begin practicing for 21 days. The team can activate them at any time during that three-week window.

Kingsbury was glad this day has finally arrived. He said, “It’s good with the wideouts being banged up. To get ‘Tweezy’ (Wesley) back would be really good, and then Colt; he’s played at a high level when he had his opportunity, so that’ll make us all feel better. Hamilton was playing as good as any DB we had and so we’ll have to get him back up to speed, in football shape and all those things, but it definitely is nice to have those guys back and give us some depth at positions we need it at.”

As for whether any or all might be activated for Sunday’s game against the Eagles, Kingsbury said, “I hope. They haven’t done football activity in a while. We’re going to be smart, but I hope that those guys can give us something possibly.”

Kingsbury said Ford will be out “another couple of weeks. He’s doing good, but I think a couple of weeks to maybe get in shape, then get him back out there and progress him.”

Of course, someone has to go off the roster for every player that is activated.

One obvious casualty will be quarterback Trace McSorley, who was signed off the practice squad when McCoy was placed on reserve. He would likely be signed to the practice squad once he clears waivers with Jarrett Guarantano released from the practice squad. The Guarantano release then happened Tuesday when Ammendola was signed to the practice squad.

It was thought the return of Wesley could cost Andy Isabella a roster spot, but the latter move occurred Tuesday when the Cardinals signed center Billy Price off the Raiders’ practice squad. It’s possible A.J. Green could be placed on reserve/injured depending on the status of his knee injury if Wesley is activated.

The addition of Price gives the Cardinals 10 offensive linemen on the 53-man roster. Left guard Justin Pugh (elbow) and center Rodney Hudson (knee) have been limited in practice. When Kingsbury was asked Monday whether Pugh left Sunday’s game because he aggravated the elbow or if it was something new, he answered, “I’d say a little of both.”

Lecitus Smith is the backup center, whom the Cardinals say they like, so they might not want to risk putting him on waivers to get him on the practice squad.

Meanwhile, there’s not a lot of depth in the secondary, so the activation of Hamilton could result in a linebacker being cut or, depending on the seriousness of linebacker Nick Vigil’s hamstring injury, he could be a candidate for reserve/injured.

Asked about tough choices to be made, Kingsbury said, “There are some guys who’ve done a nice job when they had to step up. You hate to have to make some tough decisions, but that’s part of the business and that’s the time of year it is.”

I know … 

That defensive end Zach Allen continues to be one of the team’s best defensive players.

Kingsbury said Allen’s progress has “been great. He’s a guy that just has gotten bigger, stronger, faster and has really worked at it. He stuck around here (in the offseason) and trained with (strength and conditioning coach) Buddy (Morris) and been here. He’s one of those guys that doesn’t really take an offseason, but really just stays here and works. I think (defensive line) Coach (Matt) Burke has been really good for him. His style of coaching and technique really fits Zach’s game and he’s a very cerebral player.

“You saw on that third-and-1, he slides down late and is able to stop them early on the quarterback sneak and being able to get the tells of the o-lineman. He’s really come into his own and J.J. (Watt) being here has helped. To be able to learn from that guy in how he plays and the intensity that he practices and works out with has definitely helped him.”

Allen had three passes defensed Sunday and said, “That was definitely part of the game plan to try and affect the game however we can. The ball comes out quick; that’s kind of the way they go, so you might not get there but if you can get your hands up it can affect the throws and it was definitely good to have that in our back pocket.”

I hope … 

The trend continues for rookie tight end Trey McBride playing more snaps.

McBride was inactive in Week 1, but has seen his snaps on offense go from one to five to 32 in the last three games. That total of 38 is more combined than three other rookies that have been active.

Linebacker Cameron Thomas has 17, center Lecitus Smith eight and cornerback Christian Matthew one. The snaps for Smith and Matthew came late in Week 1 against Kansas City when the outcome was decided.

Sunday, McBride had three receptions for 24 yards with a long of 11. His 7-yard reception in the fourth quarter was one play before Kyler Murray’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Marquise Brown.

Said Kingsbury of McBride, “He’s gotten better and better. We just challenged him to be focused, locked in each and every day, and take advantage of the reps he did get. He’s done that and so he earned those reps.”

Fellow tight end Zach Ertz recently said, “You can tell the strides he’s making. On the practice field, you can tell things are starting to slow down for him. He’s just got to continue to work, just like we all do. Where he’s at right now, he’s not going to be in three weeks and if he is, it’s a poor reflection of him and I know that’s not the case. He’s going to be a good player. He’s going to help us. Everyone wants instant success in this league for rookies and that’s just not the case sometimes.”

I wonder …

How much better Marquise Brown will be when DeAndre Hopkins returns in Week 7.

Brown had his best game in average per reception against the Panthers with six catches for 88 yards (14.7) and a 23-yard touchdown. He also had a 21-yard reception in the game to give him five of 20 yards or more this season.

For the season, he has 30 catches on 45 targets for 339 yards (11.3 average) and two touchdowns.

Kingsbury said of the Murray-Brown connection, “They’re getting more and more on the same page. I think there’s going to be some growing pains, which you’ve seen at times, but they definitely have a good rapport and have connected on some big plays. That fade late off the run play was a big-time throw and catch.”

Noting Brown’s football IQ, he said, “He’s done a great job picking it up. To play at the high level he’s played for us in such a short time, I think says it all. I’ve said it all along: He loves to play. He doesn’t want to come off. When we were down big early in that first game and he’s out there running routes still trying to make plays; you appreciate that. He definitely has a good feel for the game, and he’ll just continue to get better.”

Murray said, “I don’t think you can put a price tag on playing with somebody in the past or having that relationship off the field. There’s this connection. We see things the same way. People underestimate his intelligence for the game, his smarts because of his size, and his speed, and they just want to label him the speed guy. But he’s a really smart football player.”

“It’s very comfortable,” Brown said of working with Murray again. “I know what he likes out there and he knows what I like. I trust him with everything to put us in the best position.”

I know … 

The job the defense did on Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey has been somewhat overlooked.

McCaffrey has burned a lot of teams in his career, including the Cardinals, but he was mostly held in check Sunday.

He rushed for 27 yards on eight carries in the game and had only two runs in the second half for five yards. On Carolina’s first offensive possession, he was stopped on fourth-and-1 by linebackers Zaven Collins and Markus Golden.

While he had nine receptions for 81 yards, 47, including a 13-yard touchdown on the Panthers’ fourth-quarter scoring drive, came with the Cardinals leading 26-10.

Prior to those two plays, he had seven receptions for 34 yards. Add that to his rushing totals and he had 15 touches for 61 yards (4.1 average). Even with those two plays, the total touches were 17 for 108 (6.4 average).

After his two early second-half runs, the Panthers never ran again and had 19 consecutive pass plays.

Said Allen, “He was definitely the focus of the game plan. You can say what you will about him; I think he’s a top-three back in the NFL. Turn on the tape and you can see he can really do it all; not just a speed guy who can run in between the tackles, everything like that. We just had guys flying to the ball, pursued, were gap sound. Everyone did their job.”

Don’t hesitate to comment or ask questions on Twitter @hbalzer721 or email me: howard@gophnx.com