The 11 best moments from ‘All or Nothing’

We learned plenty about the Arizona Cardinals from watching All or Nothing, the eight-episode docuseries that followed them throughout the 2015 season. Not only did the show give us a lot of insight on the inner workings of an NFL team and provide us with our new favorite motivational quotes, but we also gained a better understanding of the players, coaches and front office folks.

The Cardinals were as entertaining on the show as they were throughout the season on their way to a 13-3 record. This is a team that clearly had fun together, and the series was filled with compelling moments, from big to small and from humorous to poignant.

Here are a few that stood out above the rest.

Who ya gonna call?

When the Cardinals had back-to-back East Coast games on the schedule, they opted to spend the week in between at the allegedly haunted Greenbriar resort in West Virginia to avoid the hassle of consecutive cross-country trips. That turned out to be an adventure for the Cardinals.

“Half the fucking guys were scared shitless,” head coach Bruce Arians told Ben Roethlisberger prior to Arizona’s Week 6 matchup against the Steelers.

A Cardinals strong safety who shall remain nameless (because Arians didn’t say who it was) claimed to have seen a little girl named Carol in his room.

“It scared the shit out of all the rest of them,” Arians said, laughing.

If they make another Ghostbusters sequel, we know where it should be set.

Two wins isn’t enough to impress Arians

The Cardinals got off to a strong start last season with decisive wins over the New Orleans Saints and the Chicago Bears, but the last thing Arians wanted to see on the practice field was a team that was comfortable with being 2-0.

Or, in Arians-speak: “We ain’t done shit yet.”

While observing practice, general manager Steve Keim and team president Michael Bidwill chuckled over the head coach’s assessment of the team — and then fell silent as realization set in for both of them.

After a perfectly timed beat, Bidwill admitted “It’s true.”

Arians’ reputation for colorful language precedes him

Arians is an artist, and his medium is profanity. There are so many exquisite, NSFW quotes from Arians — the natural way MFer rolls off his tongue is pure sonic poetry — on this series that it would be nearly impossible to count them, let alone highlight them all. There was one notable moment, though, when Arians refrained from swearing, and the officials took notice.

“We were expecting a lot of profanity from you and didn’t get it,” an official told Arians following the Cardinals’ win over the San Francisco 49ers. “We were kind of disappointed.”

Good news: they can watch All or Nothing and get the full effing Bruce Arians experience.

Bruce Arians and Tyrann Mathieu are basically the same person

Arians and Tyrann Mathieu have a relationship that’s built on mutual admiration and respect. You can see how meaningful their bond is late in the season when Arians becomes emotional while discussing Mathieu’s ACL tear.

When the Cardinals drafted Mathieu following his troubled college career, Arians made a point of connecting with Mathieu about the fact that Arians had been kicked out of high school. That common ground helped them build trust.

Their relationship is also solidified by one other thing these two have in common.

Sure, they are the Browns, but ...

“If I hear a motherfucker talking about a bye week this week, there’ll be some serious repercussions,” Arians admonished his team as they prepared to take on the Cleveland Browns in Week 8.

To be fair to anyone who might have seen the Browns game as an additional bye, it was the Browns, and the Cardinals won handily, beating Cleveland 34-20 on the road before heading into their actual bye week. Arians’ strongly worded message about the need to always be prepared to compete and not looking past any opponent may have contributed to that victory.

Carson Palmer is slow and he knows it

Before the Steelers game, a few of the Cardinals defenders talked, almost reverently, about the quickest quarterback they’ve ever seen on the field.

They were talking about Steelers QB Mike Vick, a veteran their own quarterback would never be mistaken for.

Against the Browns, Carson Palmer — then 35 years old — ran in what initially appeared to be a touchdown. It wasn’t pretty, to say the least. He lumbered toward the end zone, falling forward to try to score, almost losing the ball in the process.

Palmer showed plenty of self-awareness after scoring — and an even better Chandler Bing impression.

“Could I be any slower?” he asked teammate Chris Johnson. “Could I be any slower?”

Probably not, but hey, a touchdown is a touchdown. Except, unfortunately, Palmer was also ruled down at the 1-yard line, so it wasn’t even a touchdown. Poor Palmer.

Palmer may not be as self-aware about his basketball skills

Palmer may not be fast, but he still thinks he’s got what it takes on the basketball court. He’s actually extremely confident about his skills. He may even be excessively confident.

Tight end Darren Fells, who played basketball in college and professionally overseas before joining the NFL, was not buying it.

“Here’s the thing — I’ve got a jumper like nobody on this team,” Palmer said. “I don’t miss.”

Tight end Jermaine Gresham not only disagreed — he insulted Palmer.

“Man, I’ll bet you (Matt) Barkley’s a better basketball player than you,” Gresham said, and Palmer did not take it well.

“I’m not going to talk to you,” Palmer said as he walked away. “I’m done.”

Palmer said he thinks Patrick Peterson could have game, but Larry Fitzgerald? The consensus was no.

“He’s a really good athlete who’s not good at basketball,” Palmer explained.

Fitzgerald disagrees.

Here’s hoping Red Bryant’s family saved him some leftovers

After Frostee Rucker went down with an injury, the Cardinals needed some help on the defensive line, and they called veteran defensive tackle Red Bryant.

Keim was asked if he really wanted to have Bryant come in on Thanksgiving Day.

“That’ll determine if he really wants to play football,” Keim responded.

Bryant clearly did. He signed with Arizona on Thanksgiving Day, opting to miss celebrating the holiday with his family in Texas to seize this opportunity with the Cardinals.

But Bryant wasn’t just willing to meet with the Cardinals on a holiday. When he got the call, he was in the middle of the woods in Texas with just the clothes on his back. The Cardinals promised him some team gear when he arrived just so Bryant would have something to wear.

Needless to say, the Cardinals were sufficiently convinced that Bryant wanted to play football.

Some Cardinals coaches might be psychic

James Bettcher, Arizona’s defensive coordinator, was not happy with his unit’s effort in practice during the week leading up to the final game of the season against the Seattle Seahawks.

Mental errors plagued the defense throughout practice. “Sickening period. Pathetic,” Bettcher said to Rucker as they walked off the practice field together. “We’re going to get beat by 30.”

They certainly did, falling to the Seahawks 36-6.

Earlier in the week, Arians had warned the team about listening to “too much of that noise” about how good the team was. When discussing the loss with his wife, Christine, Arians made a prescient comment about what happens when a team gets too comfortable.

“When an NFL player doesn’t have something to play for other than just a game, and somebody else does,” Arians said, “you’re going to get beat every time.”

The Cardinals’ coaching staff’s preternatural ability to predict the future wasn’t limited to anticipating losses. Running backs coach Stump Mitchell very nearly predicted David Johnson’s production.

"There ain’t no reason for you not to come away with at least 150 yards,” Mitchell told Johnson. “Rushing and receiving, you’ve got to have over 150.”

Johnson averaged 131 rushing and receiving yards through the rest of the season. So close.

Man’s best friend

Reilly, Cardinals president Michael Bidwill’s rescue dog, stole our hearts right off the bat.

She was a rescued pit bull mix, adopted by Bidwill’s family a day before she was set to be euthanized, and despite battling through lymphoma and then kidney failure, Reilly had three and a half happy years with the Bidwills. She passed away late in the season.

Reilly was beloved by the entire Cardinals organization -- even John Brown, who was initially afraid of her, but grew to love her.

Watching Bidwill discuss the loss of his best friend was wrenching. The only bad thing about loving a pet is knowing you’ll outlive them, and Bidwell’s grief resonates with anyone who has loved and lost a dog.

“I miss her,” Bidwill said, fighting tears. “It’s been a week, and — great dog.”

She was a great dog. Rest in peace, Reilly.

Christine Arians is a huge Bruce Arians fan

Watching Christine Arians take in the Cardinals’ narrow victory over the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs is an experience in and of itself. That game was a roller coaster, and Christine goes through the entire gamut of emotion.

At one point, Christine’s neighbor in the suite asks how she manages to do this week in and week out.

“Good question,” Christine deadpans.

“That’s why I say when he does ever finally retires, I don’t know if I ever want to go to another game,” she elaborated.

Christine’s stress during Green Bay’s dramatic Hail Mary to tie the game and send it into overtime was evident.

“Oh, my God! Don’t let him get it,” she yells while the ball is in the air. After the completion, she simply looks stunned.

It wasn’t over, though. In overtime, Carson Palmer escaped from relentless pressure to get the ball to Larry Fitzgerald, who went 75 yards, giving the Cardinals first and goal on the 4-yard line.

“Call the right play, Brucie,” Christine says, looking anxious. “One perfect play.”

The perfect play was a pitch to Fitzgerald, who nearly walked into the end zone, sealing the win. Christine reacted accordingly.

The Arians’ affection for each other was evident throughout the season, but never more so than it was while watching Christine experience this win.

This series is an illuminating look at the inner workings of an NFL team, from their week-to-week preparation, to what it actually takes to succeed in this league. It’s filled with humor and emotion and insight, and we can’t wait for the next season.