He pointed out that Arians was the last coach hired in 2013.

Back when Bruce Arians announced his retirement Greg Little Jersey , Arizona Cardinals President Michael Bidwill said he would be in no rush to find a new coach.

But while the Cardinals have followed their methodical, and quite secretive, process, the pool of potential candidates has dwindled.

Two, according to multiple reports, are taking other head coaching jobs – Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur with the New York Giants and New England Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia with the Detroit Lions. Another, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak, publicly declined a second interview with Arizona.

”The timing for my family was not appropriate for me to pursue this potential opportunity,” he said in a statement this week Will Grier Jersey , ”but I am very excited with the decision to remain with the Pittsburgh Steelers.”

That leaves six of the nine initially interviewed by Bidwill and general manager Steve Keim: Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores, Cardinals defensive coordinator James Boettcher and Atlanta Falcons special teams coach Keith Armstrong.

Bidwill wants second interviews with the finalists and wants the candidates to come to Arizona to see the team’s training facility and stadium.

But Schwartz, DeFilippo and Flores can’t talk again until next week because their teams are still in the playoffs.

Armstrong was to have a second interview in Arizona on Friday. Falcons head coach Dan Quinn confirmed Armstrong’s second interview, initially reported by NFL Network.

”He is terrifically qualified to lead a team,” Quinn said at his season-ending news conference on Thursday. ”And I’ve thought this for a long time.”

Wilks also had a second interview in Arizona on Friday, the Arizona Republic reported. He was interviewed Thursday for the vacant head coaching job in Tennessee.

Recruiting a new coach in Arizona is made more difficult by the fact the Cardinals have no established quarterback following the retirement of Carson Palmer. There’s also uncertainty about the return of wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and the impact the coaching choice will have on the star receiver’s decision. The rest of the Cardinals’ receiving corps is thin.

Whoever takes the job will join an NFC West where the other three teams are set at quarterback – Jared Goff in Los Angeles Christian Miller Jersey , Russell Wilson in Seattle and, now, Jimmy Garoppolo in San Francisco.

The Cardinals do have a strong returning defense and will have one of the NFL’s best running backs in David Johnson, who will be back from a broken wrist, an injury that occurred in the 2017 opener and sidelined him the rest of the season.

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AP Sports Writer Charles Odum in Atlanta contributed to this report.

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After two games filled flaring tempers and alleged beanballs, the Giants and Marlins finally learned to play nice together in their season series finale.

Just the way San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy expected – or at least hoped.

Brandon Belt had three hits, Gorkys Hernandez added a two-run single during a five-run sixth inning and the Giants beat the Marlins 6-5 on Wednesday.

”I didn’t think it would continue,” Bochy said. ”You’re going to have games like that and tempers are going to flare. Boys will be boys, as they say Jordan Scarlett Jersey , but it’s back to baseball.”

In comparison to the games Monday and Tuesday when both teams were chippy, Wednesday’s game was tame.

There were more errors than hit batters and the only damage was self-inflicted when Giants leadoff hitter Alen Hanson fouled a ball off his left knee in the first inning.

What fireworks there were came primarily in the sixth when San Francisco chased Miami starter Jose Urena (2-9).

Kelby Tomlinson walked and took second on Joe Panik’s single. After Brandon Belt doubled in Tomlinson, Pablo Sandoval was intentionally walked and Nick Hundley struck out.

Panik scored the go-ahead run when Mac Williamson hit a sharp grounder to third baseman Miguel Rojas with one out. Rojas made a diving stop but second baseman Starlin Castro had to stretch for the throw and was unable to make the relay to first.

Hernandez capped the inning with a two-run single after a 14-pitch at-bat against Urena.

”He really grinded out that at-bat,” Bochy said. ”Just came through with a huge hit there and gave us a cushion.”

Derek Holland (5-7) had seven strikeouts and allowed three runs over six innings in his first start against the Marlins since 2011. He walked two and left after giving up back-to-back hits opening the seventh.

”(Catcher Nick Hundley) and I did a great job establishing what we needed to, getting ahead of hitters,” Holland said. ”I know the line says I gave up three runs but at the end of the day these guys did a good job of keeping the momentum on our side.”

The Giants’ left-hander said he changed his stance on the mound, shifting from one side of the rubber to other.

”Just wanted to do something different, that’s all,” Holland said.

The Marlins scored twice in the ninth off Sam Dyson. Reyes Moronta struck out JB Shuck for his first career save.

Castro drove in a pair of runs and Brian Anderson had three hits for Miami David Montgomery Jersey , extending his on-base streak to a career-high 18 games.

The Marlins hit into three double plays, including when Urena was doubled up at first after mistakenly heading for third on Castro’s fly ball to center with no outs in the third.

”I’ve never seen a guy be the leadoff hitter and then lose count of the outs,” Miami manager Don Mattingly said. ”He was hustling though. We had some other chances too.”

QUOTABLE

”That’s cute. I remember my first 14-pitch at-bat.” – Belt, who set a major league record with a 21-pitch at-bat against the Angels on April 22, talking about Hernandez’s long at-bat in the sixth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: Outfielder Garrett Cooper (wrist) was sent to Triple-A New Orleans to begin a rehab assignment.

Giants: Hanson had to be helped off the field and was diagnosed with a knee contusion after undergoing X-rays. … Buster Posey was given the day off. … RHP Jeff Samardzija (shoulder tightness) makes his second rehab start with Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday.

UP NEXT

Marlins: Following a day off Thursday, Miami heads to Colorado to begin a three-game series. LHP Wei-Yin Chen (2-3, 5.91 ERA) pitches the opener seeking his second win against the Rockies this season.

Giants: LHP Madison Bumgarner (0-2, 4.67) faces San Diego on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series. Bumgarner has lost four straight to the Padres.

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