Last week we charted the Arizona Cardinals running game and I had planned to have cumulative totals for the running game this week, but since the running game was virtually non-existant we'll swith gears. I may still post the cumulative totals tomorrow, but for now I was more interested in when and where Warner was throwing the ball on Sunday. Warner's mistakes will (and should) overshadow the gaudy numbers that he was able to put up, but it's still pretty interesting to see where he went with the ball and the success of the receivers. Here is Warner's final line from Sunday's game:

Check out the complete breakdown after the jump.....

Continue reading this post »

Sunday's loss to the Redskins was a day of missed or blown opportunities for the Arizona Cardinals. Granted it's easy to look back at any number of plays that could have changed the outcome of a one score game, but for the sake of argument, here's the plays that stood out in my mind:

Play 1: 1st Quarter (3:56) - 4th and 1 at WAS 41

This was the Cardinals first drive of the game after watching the Skins drive down and put seven on the board in their first drive. The Cards decide to go for it and Warner pulls off a play action pass hitting Ben Patrick for what would seem to be a 41 yard touchdown. There's a flag though and it's on the Cardinals. A delay of game nullifies the touchdown and pushes the offense back five yards. Facing a fourth-and-six, they decide to punt and don't end up putting points on the board until there's just under three minutes to go in the half and down ten points. Kurt Warner was animated on the sidelines for several minutes. He and Whisenhunt both clearly stated yesterday that they were closely watching the play clock and that there was a second on the clock when the ball was snapped. Both said that they knew they had timeouts and were more than willing to burn one to avoid the penalty.

Play 2: 2nd Quarter (13:16) - 3rd and 6 at ARI 30

I didn't think much of this play at the time but after watching some of the game for a second time, I was surprised at how close this was to a huge play. The Redskins have the ball after Edgerrin James' fumble and seem to be playing pretty conservatively considering that they're already in field goal range. They run a short slant route and Campbell throws to Santana Moss. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie reaches around though to knock the ball away and Adrian Wilson, who's streaking towards the play, actually has the ball bounce off his right hand. It would have been an amazing reaction for him to catch the deflection but if he could have pulled it off, there was nothing between him and paydirt. In the end though the ball fell harmlessly to the ground and the Redskins kicked a field goal to pull out to a ten to nothing lead.

Check out the second half "what ifs" after the jump....

Continue reading this post »

The Arizona Cardinals offense took to the air early and often on Sunday and were in complete cruise control by the fourth quarter. Anytime you have a QB with a perfect game, two receivers with 100 yard games and multiple big plays (6 plays of 20 yards or more) you can't help but be pleased with the offensive production. Here's a position by position breakdown for those on the offensive side of the ball.

Quarterback: What else can you say about ole 'grey beard?' A perfect QB rating, 361 yards, three touchdowns and most importantly a second straight game without a turnover. Warner hasn't gone two consecutive starts without a turnover since weeks 2 and 3 in 2004 and his ability to stand in the pocket and deliver a perfect pass is amazing at times. His most impressive pass of the day was the third TD to Boldin when he threaded the needle between two defenders and placed the ball perfectly on Boldin's back shoulder. All in all, Warner could not have had a better game. Leinart even got in the game with his mop in hand and completed one of two passes for 15 yards. Grade: A+

Running Backs: After rushing for 108 total yards in week one, the Cardinals looked more like last years' group with just 81 yards on 31 carries (2.6 ypc). The Dolphins, for whatever reason, seemed intent on shutting down the running game and forcing the Cardinals to pass, but you'd still like see more production from the running game. Edge ended up with a hard fought 55 yards on 18 carries and Hightower chipped in 24 yards on 10 carries. Hightower scored his second rushing touchdown in as many games and continues to pick up the critical yards when they really need them. He also chipped in with a beautiful 20 yard screen but his day was dampened by a fumble. It was another workman-like day for the Cardinals backfield but they'll have to get better for this offense to be truly balanced. Grade: C

Wide Receivers: The duo of Boldin and Fitzgerald gave the Dolphins secondary fits all day long and to be honest, I didn't understand their game plan at all. It's possible that the Phins knew they couldn't contain the duo so they instead chose to all-out blitz and hope that they got to Warner. The result though wasn't pretty as Q and Fitz combined for almost 300 yards and both posted new career highs in terms of longest reception. Boldin followed up his impressive second half against the Niners by posting a new career high with three touchdowns. Fitzgerald had a great game as well and his biggest improvement this season seems to be his ability to run after the catch (although he may never live down getting caught from behind). With the Q and Fitz having such big games, there weren't too many scraps left on the table but Ben Patrick made his first appearance of the season with four receptions and Leonard Pope also checked in with a nice catch. Grade: A+

Offensive Line: The offensive line did a decent job of protecting KW, considering that Warner was sacked twice and hit several times. Miami's game plan seemed to center around blitzing Warner from multiple angles and at times they got through untouched, but overall they held thier own. The line did have problems opening up holes in the running game though and this team will not be successful against better opponents if they continue to average less than 3.0 per carry.  Hopefully as youngsters Levi Brown, Deuce Lutui and Lyle Sendlein continue to gel, they'll get better at opening holes and taking some pressure off the passing game. Grade: C+

Play Calling: After watching the game, my initial thought was that the play calling
was really good. They did, afterall, score 31 points right? After watching the game again though, one thing kept standing out and after looking at some stats it became even more clear. The Cardinals run too much on first down and I think opposing defenses are picking up on it. Consider this, they ran the ball 18 times on first down for 32 yards (1.77 avg) and they ran it 11 times on either second or third down for 52 yards (4.73 yards). I understand that the play calling was effected by the score but at some point the game plan needs to be adjusted. That's my only real complaint and even that is explained away when you consider that the Cardinals led by at least three scores for over half the game. Grade: B+

-------------------------------------------------

Overall, the offense was impressive to say the least and should give Washington plenty to worry about this week. There are some areas that need improvement but overall, I think they stuck to thier game plan while also exploiting Miami's flawed plan and weak secondary. Thoughts? Agree/Disagree? What would your grades have been?

Wow, any questions or concerns that the Arizona Cardinals had heading into Sunday's game with the Dolphins were answered by the end of the first quarter. They came out of the gates firing on all cylinders and by the time the final seconds ticked off the clock, the game wasn't even as close as the final 31-10 score. It's tough to imagine that the Arizona Cardinals are 2-0 (first time in 17 years) and not only do they lead the NFC West, they've also scored the most and allowed the fewest amount of points in the division.  You can talk about the quality of their opponents through two weeks but at this point, all they can do is play the teams that are on the schedule. The next two weeks should be much more difficult but for now all we can do is bask in the glory of two consecutive wins to open the season.

The Good: 

Passing Game - I wish there was a way to break this down and just talk about one guy but the fact is that the entire passing game was nothing short of amazing yesterday. Kurt Warner was unstoppable, completing 79% of his passes for 361 yards and posted a perfect QB rating. Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald were open all game long and ended up with almost 300 combined yards receiving (293). Yards after catch was their specialty and both had receptions of 75 yards or more. Ben Patrick, Leonard Pope and Tim Hightower all had impressive receptions and the offensive line did thier part allowing just two sacks and one of those led to first down after Warner was brought down by his facemask.

Defensive Dominance - Allowing just ten points is impressive enough but when you consider that the Phins only touchdown didn't come until there was just over two minutes left in the game, it's down right amazing. The Dolphins couldn't get anything going on the ground and it didn't help that they were down two touchdowns by the middle of the first quarter. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams combined for just 53 yards (2.4 ypc) and Pennington completed only 50% of his passes (career 65.3%). The Dolphins converted just 25% of their third downs and averaged just 4.1 yards per play. 

The Bad:

Penalties - It's tough to find something not to like in a 21 point win but the Cardinals did have eight penalties for 45 yards. Most of the penalties were minor infractions but they still need to play smarter football if they want to be successful against better teams. The penalties included a delay of game, illegal formation, illegal block above the waist, defensive off sides (twice), ineligible down field and defensive holding (twice).

The Ugly:

Neil Rackers - Rackers continues to test the patience of fans and the coaching staff. he started the game by booting the opening kickoff out of bounds and later in the game missed a 47 yard field goal (wide left). He was saved on the field goal by a Miami penalty but his inconsistencies keep surfacing. It's too early to start surfing the free agent wire for kickers but I'll feel awful nervous if Rackers has to line up for a meaningful kick with the game on the line.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

We'll dive much deeper into this impressive win today and tommorrow but for now doesn't it fill nice to be atop the division, looking down at the mess that is the rest of the NFC East. Thoughts for the game?

The Arizona Cardinals strolled into San Francisco and used brute force to get the first win of the season and even though the offense wasn't spectacular, they did what they had to do to win the game. It was a workman-like performance with no one player sticking out as the key to the offense but a good job of every player doing his part.

Quarterback: If you had told me going into the game that Warner would throw 30 passes but less than 200 yards, I'd have been awful worried about the outcome of the game. Efficient would be the best way to describe his game though, with 63.3% completion and a QB rating of 93. His yards per attempt (6.6) was a full yard and a half below his career average but the best stat of the for Kurt was zero turnovers and if he's not turning the ball over, this team will difficult to beat. The Niners seemed content with sitting back and trying to take away any kind of down the field passing game and Warner did a good job of taking what he was given. Grade: B

Running Backs: Edgerrin James is the epitome of a blue-collar back these days. He carried the load again yesterday and finished with his sixth 100 yard game as a Cardinal. His longest run was only 10 yards and his yards per carry wasn't great (3.8), but when the offense needed to grind out some yards and let the clock run, he was at his best. Together he and Hightower just kept pounding out the tough yards and putting the offense in manageable third down situations. Hightower only added 13 yards on 8 carries but his fourth down TD run in the third quarter was crucial. He also added 3 receptions for 21 yards. With the Niners defense focused on making the running game beat them, Edge and Hightower did enough to make them pay.  Grade: B

Wide Receivers: The receivers ended up playing less of role than we thought going into the game but we saw some promising things from each of the big three. Anquan Boldin was the leading receiving in both receptions and yards, but his biggest contribution was being Kurt's go-to receiver in the second half. The Cardinals finished the game with ten first downs via the pass and Boldin had six of them on his eight catches. Fitz didn't get many opportunities with only four passes thrown his way but he hauled in three of them, including a beautiful one yard TD on a perfectly thrown fade route. Steve Breaston had a really good game as the #3 receiver and is proving that he's better than Bryant Johnson already. His forty yard reception was the biggest play of the game and he had a crucial third down catch in the third quarter on the drive that the Cardinals took the lead. The tight end duo of Pope and Patrick were virtually non-existent. Grade: B+

Offensive Line: This is obviously the hardest unit to judge when watching a game and if anyone really broke down the play of the offensive line, please chime in with your observations. From what I could tell though watching the game at full speed, it was a mixed bag. I wasn't overly impressed with the group but they stepped up when they were really needed, after all it's nearly impossible to dominate the time of possession like they did without a good offensive line. The team as a whole only averaged 3.2 yards per carry (not counting Warner's four kneel downs), but they also only allowed one rush for negative yardage. While they weren't spectacular in the running game, I thought that they were good enough to give Edge and Hightower a chance to succeed. In the passing game, they struggled more than I thought they would giving up three sacks but overall they gave Warner enough time to get rid of the ball more times than not and at least one of the sacks could be a result him not wanting to force the ball. Grade: C+

Play Calling: Overall the play calling was more conservative than I would have imagined and I'm not sure if that was the gameplan going in or if Todd Haley just decided to take what the Niner defense was giving them. The first down play calls were pretty even with 15 rushes (not counting Warner's kneel) to 12 passes and my only real complaint is that the offense seemed to get even more conservative as the offense neared the end zone. Hopefully it was just some opening day jitters or it could have been the Niner defense forcing Warner to take check downs, but they'll have to improve in the red zone if they want to make a run at the West. Grade: B-

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overall not bad for the first game out of the gate and there were definitely some bright spots and areas that need to be improved. Thoughts? Agree/Disagree? How would you grade each unit?

• The biggest concern heading into this Sunday for the Arizona Cardinals has to be the injury situation, especially at the nose. Gabe Watson is already out, although he did practice for the first time this offseason, yesterday (on a limited basis). Alan Branch hasn't practiced this week at all and his status for the game isn't looking good. If he can't go on Sunday, Bryan Robinson will start and Kenny Iwebema will be the backup. That's not a great combination at nose tackle and if that's the case, I'd expect to see more four-man fronts than normal this week. Ben Patrick and Jerame Tuman are both listed on the injury report and both have been limited in practice recently. They should still play in the game but Pope will likely be the focal point of the tight end passing game.
  
• Kurt Warner's been working on ball security in an effort to cut down on his fumbling problem. Turnovers has always been a problem for the prolific veteran and while wearing gloves have helped cut down on fumbles, the coaching staff would like him to continue to improve on his fumbles and cut down on interceptions. Say what you want about the 37 year old vet but if he's putting up the same numbers without turning the ball over as much, it's a scary proposition for opposing teams. The coaching staff is also working with Darnell Dockett in a effort cut down on the useless penalties that he tends to collect. He's acknowledged that he needs to play 'smarter' but he also plays with a lot of aggression and emotion so it's a delicate balance.
• The Cardinals defense is facing some unfamiliar faces considering they're playing such a familiar opponent. No I'm not talking about Isaac Bruce, Bryant Johnson or Mike Martz, all of whom the Cardinals are very familiar with, but starting quarterback JT O'Sullivan is a different story. He's playing for his eighth team in just six seasons but he's in the same offense for the second consecutive season and will be making the first start of his NFL career. The Cardinals have seen Mike Martz turn no-name quarterbacks into NFL stars before and they'll be the first test for 29 year old JT O'Sullivan.
  
• Last but certainly not least, the Cardinals seem anxious to take the field and get the bitter taste of last season out of their mouth. Considering that they finished the season 8-8 but lost twice to the 5-11 Niners, who can blame them? With a new season and expectations at an all-time high, they need to get out of the gates quickly and they should have every opportunity against a team with a first time starter and a new offensive system. It's also worth remembering that these teams have swept each other each of the past four seasons so a win this Sunday could also be an indication of another win down the road.

Now that we've looked at eight key match-ups (Part I and II), I figured we could take a look at how our very own Arizona Cardinals perform against the Niners. Being that these two teams play twice a year, most of the players who have been with the Cardinals for any length of time have built up some historical stats against our bay city rivals. So here's how our beloved Cardinals have done:

Kurt Warner: Obviously some of Warner's stats will come of his games in St. Louis but we'll look his stats overall and then only the years in the desert. Overall Warner has played 10 games against the Niners and four of those have come with the Cardinals. Those four games amounted to a 3-1 record against them and he's averaged over 300 yards per game. As you might expect, Warner's numbers were better in St. Louis (although not by much at all) but his stats against the Niners are better than his career numbers overall.

Edgerrin James: Edge has only played the 49ers five times in this nine year career and four of those games (2-2 record) have come during his two seasons in Arizona. His stats aren't overly impressive but they're workmanlike, as you'd expect from James. He's averaged 87 yards a game during his two seasons with Arizona and his biggest yardage game was late in 2006 when he rushed 29 times for 105 yards. He's yet to have a 'breakout' game against San Francisco but with a more experienced offensive line and new sidekick, this could be the game that is happens.

Larry Fitzgerald: Fitz has played eight games against the Niners and as you might expect, he's been an absolute monster. He's averaged 96.8 yards per game (versus 75.7 for his entire career) despite have a down game in week one last year (3 rec for 20 yds). His eight games have amounted to four 100 yard games, five games with five or more receptions and six games with at least 14.5 yards per reception. 

Anquan Boldin: Boldin's been equally impressive in his nine games against the Niners with over 84 yards per game. San Fran seems to have found a way to contain him in the past two seasons though considering that he's only topped 70 yards once. During a four game stretch between 2003 and 2005, he averaged 9.25 receptions and 126 yards per games including over 100 yards in each game. With Kurt at the helm and considering that he's completely healthy and 'money-motivated' this year, he could get back to those numbers from 2003-2005 this Sunday.

Other Offensive Specialists: There are several other offensive skill position players who have very little stats against the Niners. Leonard Pope has totaled seven receptions for 74 yards in four games. Ben Patrick has played only one game against his Niners and he finished with two receptions for 19 yards and a touchdown. Steve Breaston has played two games against them but hasn't recorded a reception. He did average 21.6 yards per return on 10 kickoff returns and 4.1 yards per return on 7 punt returns.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

It may not mean much but if the past is any indication of what to expect this Sunday, it looks like the passing game should be able to put some points on the board and Edge will get plenty of work but will have to fight for every yard. Thoughts? Is it worth looking at the past or should we focus on the present?

With the roster finalized, it's time to figure out exactly where everyone fits into the mix. With the first game just six days away, here's how I see the offensive depth chart playing out:

QB - Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart, Brian S. Pierre

We all know the situation at quarterback. Warner's the guy but no one expects him to play all 16 games. Leinart will get on the field at some point.

RB - Edgerrin James, Tim Hightower, JJ Arrington

Edge is still the workhorse but Hightower will see his share of work, especially in short yardage situations and around the goal line. If Arrington continues to impress he'll warrant some carries as well.

FB - Tim Castille, Terrelle Smith

This is the first position that isn't clear yet. Whiz hasn't named a starter but I'd imagine that both would play in different situations.

WR - Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston, Jerheme Urban, Early Doucet, Sean Morey

The top two are set but the next three are all somewhat close and should see the field. Breaston will start the season as the #3, but given the injury status of both Fitzgerald and Boldin, Urban and Doucet will see playing time.

TE - Leonard Pope, Ben Patrick, Jerame Tuman

Pope won the job by default but when Patrick gets healthy, he could still push him for the job. Either way, they'll both see the field and are decent pass catching options. Tuman's a blocking specailist but could snag some goal line catches on play action passes.

RT - Levi Brown, Elton Brown, Brandon Keith/Elliot Vallejo

Elton Brown is the primary backup at almost every position on the line, but if Brown is already playing a guard position then either Keith or Vallejo would step into the spot.

RG - Deuce Lutui, Elton Brown, Brandon Keith

Lutui's on the hot seat but it's still his job for now. Brown was close to winning the job but he'll up on the field at some position. Keith's a promising rookie who's show the versatiilty to play multiple positions.

C - Lyle Sendlein, Al Johnson, Reggie Wells, Elton Brown

Sendlein stepped in when Johnson went down and he may not give the job back when AJ is back. Reggie Wells is the emergency center and primary backup until AJ returns but Brown is also taking snaps at center this week.

LG - Reggie Wells, Elton Brown, Brandon Keith

The top three are pretty much set in stone. The only wild card here would be if Elton Brown beats out Lutui, then Lutui would be the primary backup.

LT - Mike Gandy, Elton Brown, Brandon Keith

The top three are pretty much the same as left guard. Elliot Vallejo could also figure into the mix if multiple injuries occur.

Thoughts? Agree/Disagree? 

With the top three recievers accounted for, our community projections can now move onto another pass catching position, tight end. If you haven't made your projections for Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin or Steve Breaston, you still have time so click on each player and put your projections on record. 

Leonard Pope, third round pick in 2006, will be a restricted free agent after this season and he needs to have a career year. He had a better sophomore season in 2007 and he became a threat in the red zone where his 6'8 height is a major asset. In a league with so many great tight ends he'll need to improve his overall numbers though if he wants to step out of the shadows at his position. He's also got some internal pressure from Ben Patrick who was making a push for playing time before a high ankle sprain against the Chiefs. Pope's not a dynamic player and he won't run by many defenders but his size gives him at an advantage over anyone he's facing. Pope got stronger towards the end of 2007 before an ankle injury ended his season in week 14. He averaged nearly three receptions for 28 yards per game during his final five games and while that doesn't sound overly impressive it would project out to 45 receptions for 450 yards over the course of an entire season. Pope needs to continue improve every aspect of his game but there are signs that he's starting to put it all together. Here's a look at his career numbers:

The Cardinals need him as a consistent red zone threat and safety valve for either Warner or Leinart but if his game doesn't continue to grow he could be looking up at Ben Patrick sooner rather than later. Thoughts? Can Pope become a legitimate threat at  tight end and hold off Ben Patrick? You know the drill: Projections in the subject line and explanation in the body of your comment. Here's my take:

16 games, 40 Rec, 420 yards (10.5 yards per), 7 TDs

Well the Arizona Cardinals players, coaches and staff have left Flagstaff meaning that another training camp is officially in our rear view mirror. This will ultimately go down as a training camp that was dominated by the Boldin's trade demands but for now we can't forget that many other things were accomplished and some questions still need to be answered.

Compliment to Edge: Edgerrin James hasn't been the elite back that the Cardinals thought they were getting when the signed him as a free agent but he hasn't had much help either. His first year in the desert he ran behind a horrible offensive line and he's never had a legitimate backup to give him a break and share the load. The Cardinals seem to have given him some help this year though with rookie Tim Hightower. At the very least Hightower should take over the short yardage and goal line carries and he could be on the fast track to a future starting role. Hightower's shown quick feet, good vision and an unexpected burst that that has caused quite the stir among coaches and fans alike.

Defensive Depth: We all know that the defense fell of a cliff last year after injuries to several key players robbed the unit of their explosive play makers. They didn't have the depth to be competitive last year but things have changed in 2008. The front seven looks to have solid players two deep at nearly every position. The offseason acquisitions of Travis LaBoy, Clark Haggans, Bryan Robinson and Matt Stewart have infused quality depth in to a front seven that desperately needed it. All four of them have starting experience in the this league and their mix of youth and veteran leadership could help vault this defense into the upper half of the league.

BJ's Replacement: Heading into the offseason we weren't quite sure who would replace Bryant Johnson as the third receiver and the options included as many as five names. By the first preseason game though, the competition was all but over. Steve Breaston followed up an impressive mini-camp with an equally, if not more impressive training camp and preseason. He brings the kind of speed and quickness to the wide receiver corps that they haven't had in a while. He looks like he's poised for a great sophomore season and provide a unique compliment to the Pro Bowl duo of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.

Where's the Tight Ends?: Before camp the tight end group looked deep, talented and poise for a breakout, but with camp over and the pre-season halfway over we've seen very little the group. Leonard Pope was recovering from an ankle injury and even though he hasn't missed any practices, he hasn't shown much in game time to convince anyone that he's truly 100%. Ben Patrick looked like he was ready to challenge Pope for the starting job but a high ankle sprain against the Chiefs will keep him out until at least the opener. They even had to sign a tight end of the streets after Troy Bienemann couldn't get healthy. Through two games the tight ends have combined for 3 receptions for 23 yards and that kind of production won't get the job done.

Are the Special Teams really special?: The Cardinals lost four games by less than a touchdown and in those games Neil Rackers missed 3 field goals, including losses to Baltimore, Washington, and San Francisco. When the season ended the Cardinals were 31st in the league in field goal percentage and one of only ten teams to miss an extra point. There was some thought that Rackers would have a better year in 2008 because he likes Dirk Johnson as his holder and he's finally recovered from a sports hernia that plagued him in 2007, but Rackers hasn't been terribly good in the preseason with a missed extra point and kickoff that ended up out of bounds. The Cardinals need Rackers to return to the kicker who made over 93% of his field goals (including 6 of 7 from over 50) in 2005.

Who's on the Nose?: We knew going in that Gabe Watson would probably miss most of camp and we thought that Alan Branch would come into camp and perform well enough to stake some claim to keeping the job permanently. Much to our surprise though free agent veteran Bryan Robinson opened camp as the starter at nose tackle and he's been good enough to keep Alan Branch running with the second string. Robinson is not exactly to type of player that the coaching staff would want as the center of the defense so him starting is more of a result of what Branch has not done than what Robinson has done. Hopefully Watson will be ready to go by the start of the regular season because if he isn't the center of the defense could end up being a weakness for opposing offenses to exploit. Branch also needs to step up and show the ability that made the Cardinals trade up to snag him just one year ago.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

What do you guys think? Did camp make your expectations higher or lower heading into September 7th? Who else exceeded or fell below your expectations?