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Seeking Needed Win, Cardinals Pumped For Primetime Return

Team playing first 'Monday Night Football' game since 2022

Defensive lineman Dante Stills is one of many Cardinals who will play in his first NFL primetime game on Monday night.
Defensive lineman Dante Stills is one of many Cardinals who will play in his first NFL primetime game on Monday night.

The last time Dante Stills played in primetime it was Oct. 13, 2022, when his West Virginia Mountaineers took down the Baylor Bears, 43-40.

For the first time since, the Cardinals defensive lineman is preparing for a night game, this time against the Chargers on Monday. But a night game in the NFL is a totally different beast compared to a Thursday night game in Waco.

"I have a routine kind of set in my head of what I want to do, but I won't know until it really happens," Stills said. "It's my first one, so I'm going to ask some of the older guys and see what they do."

It's a feeling that many Cardinals share. Of the 53 players on the Cardinals active roster, 20 of them could potentially make their primetime debut on "Monday Night Football."

"I'm excited," Stills said. "I remember watching these games as a kid in high school and college. Spotlight is on you, so (we) got to go out there and handle business."

It's an important game for the Cardinals and can serve as a reintroduction to fans around the NFL. Monday's game will mark the Cardinals return to the league's longest-running spotlight for the first time since 2022. The last "MNF" game was against the Patriots, the infamous game wn which Kyler Murray tore his ACL three plays in.

Players like linebacker Krys Barnes and cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting shared that there's always a little more juice in the building for a primetime game.

But not all players feel that way. During his time with the Seahawks, DeeJay Dallas played in a few night games. He has grown used to playing at night, emphasizing "it's normal ball. Somebody is going to kick the ball and somebody's going to receive the ball."

The major difference when preparing for a night game is how one spends time during the day. Safety Budda Baker said there may be a meeting added to the list, but overall, each player handles night games differently.

Rookie offensive lineman Isaiah Adams said he plans on adding a nap into the schedule, while linebacker Zaven Collins said the toughest part is getting his meal schedule situated.

"You got to force yourself to eat," Collins said. "Because most time, whether you're nervous or whatever you want to call it, butterflies or something like that, people don't eat so you have to force yourself."

Dallas, on the other hand, prepares for the game with the same mindset he has on kickoffs.

"I thrive in chaos, so I have my routine be as chaotic as possible," Dallas said. "I thrive in chaos, and I create chaos on game day. I change it up week to week, hour to hour, minute to minute. "

It's a unique approach, especially given how quickly things can change in the NFL. The Cardinals experienced it against the Commanders, followed by a bounce back win over the 49ers, before taking a step back last weekend against the Packers.

"When (expletive) hit the fan in that game against Washington when we got whooped, (the 49ers game) was one where you had your back and against the wall and the only thing right is to get it off and fight," Murphy-Bunting said. "I think that's the same thing we're going into this week. We got whooped last week, and now, we just got to showcase again who we are."

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