9-13-10: Arizona Cardinals Bird Droppings

That was an ugly win, but I'll take it. I am on record saying that I thought we deserved to lose that game after how poorly everyone played for most of the game. But, a win is still a win. At least it wasn't like the Bears-Lions game where Calvin Johnson was ROBBED of a Touchdown (I was rooting for the Bears in that game, but I think the Lions were robbed)... And congratulations to Matt Leinart for leading the Houston Texans to their first win in a long time against the Colts. His cheering on the sidelines allowed Arian Foster to gash the Colts defense.

I bet that some people on ESPN and NFL Network are picking the Seahawks to win the division now too after that beatdown they laid down on the 49ers...

Also, I'm going to start including links about some other games that were on Sunday, and I'll also include some from tonights games in tomorrows post. Now, lets get to the links (And there is a crapload of them).

Arizona Cardinals escape St. Louis Rams, look shaky
It looked more like an escape than a victory, and if they were wise, the Cardinals did all they could to depart to Midwest as quickly as possible Sunday night.

Marred By Turnovers And Penalties, Cards Barely Beat Rams 17-13 - SB Nation Arizona
Derek Anderson upstaged Sam Bradford’s NFL debut as he threw the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter to give Arizona a 17-13 win over St. Louis at Edward Jones Dome.

Rapid Reaction: Cardinals 17, Rams 13 - NFC West Blog - ESPN
What It Means: The Arizona Cardinals are going to have to grind, grind, grind as long as Derek Anderson is their quarterback. Anderson makes some plays, especially when he has time, but his inaccuracy will test the Cardinals' patience. It's a huge adjustment from Kurt Warner. St. Louis Rams rookie Sam Bradford, meanwhile, looked at times Sunday like the second-best quarterback in the division -- and he only figures to get better. Bradford threw three picks, including one on fourth down as the Rams tried to rally in the final minutes, but he gives the Rams hope and that will help them stay in games this season. The Rams' defense fed off that hope, creating turnovers and keeping St. Louis in position to win. Adrian Wilson made a spectacular play on one of the Bradford interceptions. The second came on a fourth-down play when Bradford had to take a chance. The third was on a Hail Mary to end the game. Bradford's performance was better than his stats.

Grinding Out A Win
Derek Anderson chuckled, recounting what turned out to be his game-winning touchdown drive Sunday. "I needed that more than people know," the Cardinals’ quarterback said with a weary grin. So did the Cards.

Cardinals vs. Rams - Recap - September 12, 2010 - NFL - Football - SI.com
The Sam Bradford era began with promise. Then Larry Fitzgerald went and spoiled it.

The Good And The Bad From Week 1 - Desert Dirt - SB Nation Arizona
There was some good stuff and some bad (really bad) stuff from the Arizona Cardinals' Week 1 victory over the St. Louis Rams.

Beanie, Watson inactive
RB Beanie Wells (knee) is indeed inactive today. No surprise. Slightly a surprise is NT Gabe Watson, who is the odd man out on the defensive line — and it means rookie Dan Williams has moved ahead of Watson on the depth chart behind starter Bryan Robinson. WR Andre Roberts is also sitting, so fellow rookie WR Max Komar was the choice to be active and probably return punts. The rest of the men sitting out today

Darnell Dockett may have invited a Twitter fine | ProFootballTalk.com
The league fined Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco $25,000 for posting a message on Twitter during a 2010 preseason game. Now, Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett could be facing a fine of his own. At approximately 3:55 p.m. ET, roughly 20 minutes before kickoff of the Cardinals' regular-season opener against the Rams, Dockett posted one word on Twitter: "Amen!!!!!!!!!!"

Too Close For Comfort: Growing Pains For Derek Anderson - Desert Dirt - SB Nation Arizona
I don't think anyone expected Derek Anderson to come out against St. Louis and be the reincarnation of Kurt Warner. The peripheral stats looked good: 297 yards, a touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald.

Wrap-up: Seahawks 31, 49ers 6 - NFC West Blog - ESPN
What it means: The NFC West appears more wide open than anticipated. Yes, it's only one game, but this outcome served notice on a few fronts, whereas a convincing San Francisco 49ers victory would have affirmed suspicions. The Seattle Seahawks weren't exactly prolific on offense, particularly early. But the Seahawks appeared better coached and better quarterbacked than the 49ers and that was significant (even though Alex Smith did not play poorly for the most part).

NFC West threatening to be turned upside down | ProFootballTalk.com
The 49ers were almost universally picked as NFC West champions this year, but they are having a rough start to their division schedule.

Arizona Cardinals, Derek Anderson earn a hard-fought reprieve
At the start of his postgame news conference, Ken Whisenhunt suddenly lost his voice. He paused to regain his composure. He gulped some water. "Excuse me," he said. "I've been yelling at those guys too much." Surely, you know the feeling.

Ken Whisenhunt confident Arizona Cardinals will improve
Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt met with the media this morning in the wake of his team's 17-13 victory on Sunday over the St. Louis Rams and, among other things, said the team did not appear to suffer any setbacks in terms of injuries and that he's confident the club will play much better on Sunday in Atlanta.

NFL Videos: Oh no! He Lett it go
Clifton Ryan pulls a Leon Lett as he tries to return a fumble for a touchdown but is stripped as he enters the endzone resulting in a touchback.

NFL Videos: Cardinals vs. Rams highlights
QB Sam Bradford throws his first NFL touchdown but the Rams lose 17-13 to the visiting Cardinals.

(Sorry, I can't find a video with just the highlights and the radio calls)

The 49ers' awful Sunday lasted late into the evening | ProFootballTalk.com
You don't want to overreact to Week One.

Cardinals-Rams one-liners | ProFootballTalk.com
Cardinals WR Steve Breaston had 132 receiving yards, but his best play came when he forced Rams DL Clifton Ryan to fumble away a chance to score after QB Derek Anderson put the ball on the ground.

KTAR.com - Cardinals offense looks to get better for Week 2
Fumbleitis. It may not be a condition that is diagnosed by a doctor, but after the Arizona Cardinals offense put the ball on the ground seven times Sunday, they'll be looking for a cure to the condition.

KTAR.com - Burns: Not the prettiest but it was a win on the road
But as of Sunday night, only three teams scored Week 1 wins on the road. The Cardinals were one of the three.

KTAR.com - E: Is it too late to hit rewind?
Is it too late to rewind back to the night of January 10th and just start over?

KTAR.com - Doug: Notes from the Cardinals Week 1 win over the Rams
This game is exactly what I've been saying all off-season. This is not a good team but this division is so bad they'll win it anyway.

KTAR.com - Cardinals' Whisenhunt praises defense after win over Rams
The Arizona Cardinals defense rescued the offense on the road Sunday against the St. Louis Rams.

Arizona Cardinals vs. St. Louis Rams: Play of the game
On first down, Cardinals quarterback Derek Anderson was hit in the pocket and fumbled. Rams lineman Clifton Ryan scooped up the ball and rumbled toward the end zone. Yet a hustling Steve Breaston stripped the ball just as Ryan neared the goal line, and the Cardinals' Lyle Sendlein recovered in the end zone for a touchback.

Mailbag: Was Leinart treated unfairly? - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
A couple of last-minute NFL roster moves – quarterback Matt Leinart’s release and cornerback Darrelle Revis’ return – dominated the thoughts of many readers:

Big test for Alex Smith in second half - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The San Francisco 49ers have tried to diminish their reliance on quarterback Alex Smith by surrounding him with better talent.

Sam Bradford living up to expectations - NFC West Blog - ESPN
St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford has overcome a dropped pass that could have gone for a big gain. He has played through a couple big hits and an acrobatic interception by Arizona Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson.

Arizona Cardinals Defeat St.Louis Rams 17-13 Spoiling Sam Bradford's Debut | Bleacher Report
This game wasn't pretty. In fact, it was downright scary but in the end the Arizona Cardinals defeat the St. Louis Rams 17-13 in St.Louis Sunday afternoon.

Agent: Kurt Warner said no to potential NFL return even after Cardinals' QB troubles - The Huddle: Football News from the NFL - USATODAY.com
The agent for former NFL QB Kurt Warner said he gauged his client's interest in a potential return to the Arizona Cardinals after the team benched Matt Leinart during the preseason.

Lots of questions remain after so-so debuts by new NFL QBs - USATODAY.com
Nine quarterbacks opened the NFL season Sunday facing questions with new teams, strategies or responsibilities, and a third of them responded successfully. All cases require further review.

Steve Breaston carries Cardinals to victory | ProFootballTalk.com
Derek Anderson threw the ball to Larry Fitzgerald 15 times on Sunday. Fitz caught three passes.

Sam Bradford and an NFC West in transition - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The two-time defending NFC West champion Arizona Cardinals scrapped their way to a 17-13 victory over a St. Louis Rams team with a rookie quarterback and six victories in its previous 48 games.

Steve Breaston: A Forgotten Hero - Desert Dirt - SB Nation Arizona
There are times when I forget Steve Breaston is a member of the Arizona Cardinals.

St. Louis Rams' Sam Bradford impress Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have defeated the Rams eight consecutive times, but eight also is a troubling number for Arizona because it's worn by Rams rookie quarterback Sam Bradford.

Wilson Cramps Rams' Style
As soon as Adrian Wilson came down with the ball – his second interception Sunday, this one to clinch the Cardinals’ 17-13 win against the Rams – he stayed down.

Cardinals postgame press conference

Breaston's Special Play
As Steve Breaston walked off the field Sunday, Darnell Dockett caught up to his teammate and grabbed him by the shoulders.

Rams aftermath
Didn’t we just talk about going and getting a win in St. Louis, regardless? So that’s what the Cards did.

Arizona’s Steve Breaston has career day as Cardinals beat St. Louis for eighth straight time - Phoenix arizona cardinals | Examiner.com
Arizona's Steve Breaston caught seven passes for a career-high 132 yards in Sunday's game against the St. Louis Rams. That's impressive because with the Cardinals' offense stalling and Pro Bowl receiver Larry Fitzgerald held in check most of the game, someone needed to step up and it was Breaston.

In the Red Zone with Ken Whisenhunt - STL Review
Coach Whisenhunt reviews the Cardinals win against the Rams with Doug and Wolf on Sports 620 KTAR

Cardinals postgame after 17-13 win over St. Louis

Arizona Cardinals: Musings About the Win and Week One in the NFL | Bleacher Report
Well week one is over and after watching the Arizona Cardinals among others here are some of the things I have to comment on.

What Must The Arizona Cardinals Learn From Their Week One Win at St. Louis. | Bleacher Report
Rejoice Card's fans. Chalk one up in the W Column, The Arizona Cardinals are now 1-0-0 following their 17-13 defeat of the St Louis Rams.

Cardinals V. Rams: 10 Things We Learned | Bleacher Report
Boy this left a bad taste in everyone's mouth didn't it?

azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers - KentSomers - Sunday night thoughts
Last season, the NFL started to provide a new statistic in game summaries: targets. In more words, how many times did a quarterback throw to a receiver?

NFC West QB rankings through Week 1 - NFC West Blog - ESPN
NFC West quarterback situations have been in flux to an unusual degree since last season.

Personnel report: Cardinals spread field - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The Arizona Cardinals' rumored conversion to a conventional running team following Kurt Warner's retirement remains just that: a rumor.

azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers - KentSomers - Cardinal nominees for HoF
There are a number of players and coaches with Cardinals connections among the preliminary 113 nominees for the Hall of Fame. The entire list will be whittled to 25 semifinalists, then 17 finalists. Seven can be chosen, including two Seniors candidates.

49ers take turns throwing each other under the bus - Shutdown Corner - NFL  - Yahoo! Sports
Looking at the quote sheets from San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Singletary and quarterback Alex Smith after their team's 31-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks was an interesting exercise in blame-shifting. There's no question that Smith did not play well in this game -- his performance was even worse than his stat line (26 of 45 for 225 yards, no touchdowns and two picks), but after the game, Smith had more issues with receiver Michael Crabtree and his own coaching staff.

Lions vs. Bears - Recap - September 12, 2010 - NFL - Football - SI.com
Calvin Johnson was celebrating what he thought was the go-ahead touchdown catch, a leaping grab in the end zone that would give the Detroit Lions their first road win in three years.

QB Kolb forced out after one half with concussion - NFL - SI.com
Kevin Kolb's head slammed into the turf, his eyes closed for several seconds and he was slow to get up and walk to the sideline.

Colts vs. Texans - Recap - September 12, 2010 - NFL - Football - SI.com
It took a record day by an undrafted running back for the Houston Texans to end years of frustration against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts . Arian Foster , who spent most of last season on the practice squad, ran for a team record 231 yards and scored three touchdowns to carry the Texans to a 34-24 victory over the defending AFC champion Colts on Sunday.

49ers vs. Seahawks - Recap - September 12, 2010 - NFL - Football - SI.com
Pete Carroll flapped his arms, imploring his new home fans to get into the game. At one point, Seattle's new coach was yanked off the field by an official after wandering too far out on the field following an enthusiastic celebration.

Packers vs. Eagles - Recap - September 12, 2010 - NFL - Football - SI.com
Michael Vick is all the way back - daring runs, dynamic throws and a bittersweet defeat to show for it.

Falcons vs. Steelers - Recap - September 12, 2010 - NFL - Football - SI.com
For one game, Ben Roethlisberger 's suspension didn't matter. Not with the Pittsburgh Steelers returning to their decades-long cornerstones for winning, defense and the running game.

Panthers vs. Giants - Recap - September 12, 2010 - NFL - Football - SI.com
Once they got cozy in their new digs, the New York Giants weren't about to let Carolina spoil their homecoming.

Power rankings revisited: Week 1 - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Four of the seven highest-ranked teams in the most recent ESPN.com NFL Power Rankings lost their regular-season openers.

The Designed Rush, Week 1: Why Changing The Reception Rule Is Our Next Football Move - SBNation.com
In his first installment of The Designed Rush this season, Mike Tunison addresses the reception rule (and how we can help change it), The Ocho/T.O. disappearing act, FOX's new floating energy orbs and much more.