The Arizona Cardinals defense has been a bit of an enigma this season. At times they look like one of the better, most athletic units in the league, but at other times they look like a team that would struggle against a middle of the road college football team. Inconsistent is the best way to describe a unit that's allowed 10 points combined in the first half of the past two games and 41 points combined in the second half of the same games. The one thing they have done consistently is give up big plays. The defense ranks in the bottom 10 in both running and passing plays allowed over 40 yards and they've allowed at least one 40 yard touchdown in four consecutive games (and 5 of 7 this season). Just for the record, the Rams have had a play of at least 40 yards in six consecutive games (seven total). So how can the Cardinals keep the Rams from breaking big plays?

Sound Tackling: Ken Whisenhunt said that poor tackling (combined with turnovers) were the primary reasons that the Cardinals lost on Sunday. Missed tackles led to long touchdowns for Steve Smith and DeAngelo Williams and it cost the Cardinals one last chance at a comeback late in the fourth quarter. Whisenhunt mentioned
that much of this weeks practice would be devoted to reinforcing the proper technique when passing. With quick playmakers like Donnie Avery and power runners like Steven Jackson the Cardinals have to make sure that they hit and wrap up this week. There's also no reason to let up on a play until the whistle blows. Very few players break out of gang tackles against relentless defenders.

Stay Deep: Memo to Antrel Rolle: "STAY DEEP! We don't need you in run support or to make a tackle on a 7 yard slant route. We need you to break up a pass 50 yards down field. There's no reason to bite on play fakes or double moves. Your job is to play deep, deep center field and react when the ball is in the air. You've got the closing speed to track down a pass once a QB releases the ball. Trust your physical abilities and stop thinking. Master the art of breaking up the deep pass and then we can talk about becoming a complete safety." Ok, maybe it's not that simple but there has to be a way to ensure that the Rams don't throw 60 yard bombs all game long. Antrel Rolle was moved to free safety because most thought it better suited his skill set but so far his play on the field hasn't reflected that assumption. Rolle needs to get up to speed at free safety fairly quickly because the big plays are crippling an otherwise strong unit.

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Agree/Disagree? Is shutting down the big play the worst problem with this defense? How confident are you with Rolle at free safety or is the problem not that simple?

Looking at the final numbers, the Arizona Cardinals defense got simply abused by the Carolina Panthers. They allowed a 100 rusher, a 100 yard receiver and allowed the opposing quarterback to complete 71.4% of his passes en route to 122.3 QB rating. The Cardinal defense also allowed the Panthers to convert 58% of their third downs, so what happened to a defense that was ranked in the top half of the league going into the game? Your guess is as good as mine, but whatever happened or went wrong took place during half time because the defense was impressive in the first half. As soon as the Carolina offense took the field in the third quarter, it was a completely different story though. Here's a tale of two halves: 

In the first half the defense was able limit the Carolina offense to just three points through pressuring the quarterback and sound tackling. The Panthers converted just two of six third downs and Jake Delhomme was 13 of 18 for 92 yards (5.1 ypa). DeAngelo Williams still had a decent first half (40 yards on 8 carries) but overall the rushing stats were acceptable (13 carries for 40 yards). The defense was able to put some pressure on Jake Delhomme and Karlos Dansby was able to strip the ball on a nice blitz right up the middle. The only time the Panthers were able to move the ball was during the second quarter when they went 72 yards on 14 plays on a drive that ended in there only points of the half. That drive was highlighted by the Panthers lining up in their version of the 'wildcat' offense that Miami has made popular this season. Williams picked up most of this rushing yards (33 of 40) during that drive on four attempts when taking the direct snap. One thing that greatly helped out the defense was that the Panther offense had poor starting field position for much of the first half (their own 18).

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The Arizona Cardinals learned an important lesson on Sunday. You can't make stupid, critical mistakes and expect to beat a good team on the road. A botched extra point, a red zone turnover and a failed fake field were enough to send the Cardinals to a four point loss. When you add in the complete lack of a running game and embarrassing tackling by the defense it's surprising that this was even a four point game. In the end, one team made the plays that they had to make to win a ball game and the Cardinals weren't that team.

The Good

Kurt Warner: When all else fails, we still know that Kurt Warner can drop back and sling the ball all over the field. He completed over 71% of his 49 pass attempts for 381 yards and two touchdowns. His big mistake of the day was an interception it the red zone that bounced off the outstretched hands of J.J. Arrington. 

Wide Receivers: In case anyone was wondering if there would be enough balls to go around once Anquan Boldin returned to the lineup, at least for this week, the answer was a resounding yes. Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston and Q combined for 25 receptions for 269 yards and both of Boldin's touchdowns. With these guys healthy and Warner throwing the rock, the Cardinals can move the ball and score on any team in this league.

First Half Defense: The Panthers finished the game with 27 points and 351 yards of total offense but that doesn't tell the whole story. They held the Panther offense to three points and 142 yards on six drives in the first half. Their lone sack, and subsequent forced fumble, came in the second quarter and set the offense up at the Carolina five yard line. At halftime the defense was looking spectacular and poised for a great game.

The Bad

Running Game: It's almost impossible to think that the Cardinals' offense rolled up 23 points and 425 yards of total offense without any support from the running game. Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower combined for just 20 yards on 13 carries and the ground stats would have looked even more pathetic had it not been for Boldin's 30 yard reverse. Hightower failed to convert a 3rd-and-1 for the first time this season (after 12 successful) and Edge lost another fumble.

Second Half Defense: As good as the defense was in the first half, they were twice as bad in the second half. The Panthers scored on their first four drives (24 points) and killed the final six minutes of the fourth quarter on their fifth drive. One of the biggest differences in the second half was horribly poor tackling and a near non-existent pass rush. The missed tackles led to big plays for Steve Smith and a 100 yard rushing game for DeAngelo Williams.

The Ugly

Fake Field Goal: I rarely question Ken Whisenhunt for fear of having my "Whiz Kid" status rejected but I'll make an exception today. I understand trying to surprise a defense but expecting to convert a 4th-and15 on a fake field is laughable, especially when you consider that your only receiving target is a tight end who specializing in blocking. At that point, just take your three points and a ten point lead into halftime.

While the Arizona Cardinals 2nd ranked passing attack against the Carolina Panthers 2nd ranked pass defense will get most of the headlines this week, I've got to start this week's game previews by talking about the Cardinals defense. The defense has had their ups (pass rush and run D) and downs (big plays) this season and they'll be tested this week by a balanced but very dangerous group of weapons. The Panthers rushing offense isn't necessarily prolific (114 ypg, 15th in NFL) but they do have two guys who can carry the rock and be very productive. The passing offense doesn't get much pub (210 ypg, 16th in NFL), but that doesn't mean that they should be overlooked by any means. They're very good at breaking off big gains (21 pass plays of 20+ yards) and Jake Delhomme is the kind of QB who rarely beats himself. Here's a look at some selected Panthers who will play a big role on Sunday:

Can Take Over the Game

Running Back Duo: The duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart isn't overly flashy but they are good compliments to each other and pretty productive. They're
not your typical 'thunder and lightening' duo b/c they both have some power and speed to their games. Williams is a bit smaller and quicker while Stewart has a bit more size and power but they both possess the ability to run over or around defenders. Williams gets slightly more carries (103 to 88) but they both average 4.0 yards per. One interesting aspect of their seasons to date is that, at least for the most part, they either both have good games or both have bad games. Together they've averaged 137 yards per game in five Panthers' victories and just 40.5 yards per game in two Panthers' losses.

Steve Smith: Smith started the season suspended by the team for two games but since he's been back he's gotten better each week. He's had at least six receptions the past four games and has averaged 106 yards per game over that stretch. A couple of things that jumped out at me while looking at his stats so far this year, of his 28 receptions, 14 of them have come in the 2nd quarter this season. He also hasn't caught a pass inside the red zone this year and he's not a huge factor on third downs either where he's only caught 6 passes (vs. 22 on first and second down). Overall, we all know that Smith is a dangerous receiver but he does seem to have a niche area where he's more valuable.

Keep an Eye On

Muhsin Muhammad: Muhammad's been up and down this season with game highs of 8 for 147 and game lows of three for 25, but in total he's having a solid season. He's on pace for 73 receptions for just over 1,000 yards, which would be his best season since 2004 (his last season in Carolina). Muhammad uses his size, instead of speed like Smith, to create mismatches. He's consistent enough to have his receptions spread evenly over first, second and third downs, but oddly enough he's not much of a red zone factor either with three receptions and zero touchdowns. Muhammad isn't the knockout blow that Steve Smith is but he's the body shots that can wear down a defense.

Jake Delhomme: Delhomme's stats are overly impressive but he's consistent quarterback who rarely puts the defense behind the eight ball. His stat line of 59.1% completion percentage, 7.55 ypa, seven TDs, 5 picks and an 84.0 QB rating isn't great but he gets the job done and the offense does depend on him moving the ball. In Panthers' victories he completes over 60% of his passes and has thrown all seven TDs versus just two interceptions. He's also much better at home where he's completed over 63% of his passes, thrown six TDs, two picks and has a QB rating over 100. Delhomme isn't a guy who's going to single-handily win games very often but if he plays within himself he's good enough to take pressure off the running game and defense.

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Thoughts? Who worries you the most?

Unless you left the country this weekend, you probably heard about CBS Sports releasing their annual top 50 players in the NFL. Ultimately these kind of lists don't mean a single thing and are basically compiled to incite conversation (mission accomplished). If you haven't looked over the list, take a look and give me your thoughts. For what  it's worth here are the Cardinals players who made the list and my beefs with some of the guys who made it and some of the guys who didn't.

31. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals gave him a new contract in March because he's their go-to guy. He teams with Anquan Boldin to form one of the top receiving duos.

Just missed: Adrian Wilson, S, Arizona Cardinals

Now, there's only guy I can make a legitimate case for who should be on this list , Anquan Boldin. I'd have a much bigger case if there were more receivers on the list but there were only nine: Moss (4th), Owens (13th), Steve Smith (21st), Wayne (22nd), Andre Johnson (26th), Ocho Cinco (28th), Fitz (31st), Braylon Edwards (34th) and Wes Welker (48th). Of the guys on that list, I'd personally put Boldin ahead of Welker considering that Q has three seasons that were as good as or better than Welker's sole standout season. I guess that's what happens when you play for a media darling like the Patriots versus playing in the desert.

Other head scratchers:

Quarterback: Is Carson Palmer really the 8th best player in the entire league and 3rd best quarterback? Before you answer consider this:

QB1 - 61 games, 64.1 completion %, a combined QB rating of 90.1 and per game numbers of 244 yards, 1.71 TDs and1.03 INTs

QB2 - 93 games, 65.1 completion %, a combined QB rating of 93.2 and per game numbers of 258 yards, 1.63 TDs and 1.07 INTs

In case anyone is wondering QB1 is Palmer and QB2 is Kurt Warner. Now I'm not in any manner trying to say that Warner deserves to be on this list or that he's a better quarterback than Palmer, but I am trying to say that Palmer is highly overrated if he's considered anywhere close to a top 10 player in the NFL.

Tight End: First I'll go ahead and state that this is possibly my favorite position (partly because that's where I played in school) so I always try and follow the better tight ends in the league. The tight ends who made the list were Gates (24th), Kellen Winslow (44th) and Tony G (46th), but the name that jumps out to me that is missing is Jason Witten. I'd personally take Witten over either Winlsow or Gonzalez because he's the not only an excellent receiver, but also a good blocker (which Winslow isn't) and he's still young (which Gonzalez isn't) at just 26 years old.

A couple of other things that rubbed me the wrong way:

• Where's Jason Taylor? Sure he's 33 years old and his best days are behind him, but to think that a guy that's averaged over 12.5 sacks the past eight seasons isn't even in the top 50 is ridiculous.
  
• Please don't show this list to Darnell Dockett. He likes to compare himself to Tommie Harris and Harris was ranked 36th.
  

So what do you guys think of the list? What tweaks would you make and who deserves to be on here that isn't and who would you boot off?