While it might not be at the forefront of Gannon’s mind, wide receiver Michael Wilson is embracing these new emotions.
“This is my first time since 2018 playing meaningful games in November,” said Wilson, who went to Stanford. “I keep saying it’s a breath of fresh air. It’s exciting because when I was in college, 3-9 (record), I would love (and) dream of playing on a team that’s winning and has an opportunity to win a championship, win playoff games, and is playing really good football.”
It’s easy to get caught up in the hype. The fan in Wilson will sometimes glance at the standings, but as cliché as he said it may be, he centers himself by focusing on the task at hand. It revolves around not straying away from the process that has been instrumental in their first-place start.
“(It’s about) being present today,” Wilson said. “I think we did a great job individually. As a team, we did a good job from the offseason of putting ourselves in a position to be successful and that’s what we’ve been able to do through 10 games.”
On their first day back in the facility after the bye, Gannon made it a point to not focus on the Seahawks, rather look inward. They treated Monday’s bonus practice as a good-on-good competition. “It feels like the first day of camp, of OTAs,” Wilson said.
With the Cardinals red-hot as of late, the question was posed if the bye week came at a good time. Some players, like left tackle Paris Johnson Jr., wished the team could have ridden the momentum (a concept heavily debated in Tempe). Wilson said he and a few teammates felt “our bye couldn’t have come at a better time.”
Gannon, on the other hand, said the bye can serve as an advantage for the team. With a checklist in mind, he rattled off a few traits he’ll seek as the second half of the season begins.
“Attention to detail, focus, and enthusiasm,” Gannon said. “We’ve got to use the bonus day as a bonus day. Let’s pick up where we left off.”
