Last week we took our look at some power rankings around the league and where the Arizona Cardinals fall in the rankings. Last weeks' average ranking was 9th with a high of 6th and a low of 13th. Here's this weeks rankings from the same group:
5th - (6th) - Kurt Warner's MVP case gets stronger, but we'll find out just how legitimate the Cardinals are this week.
8th - (8th) - The fan in me wants to jump head-first into believing in Arizona this year, and there's plenty to like -- especially the way Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are lighting up DBs.
9th - (13th) - Every working day, Arizona's defensive coach Clancy Pendergast and the team's QB, Kurt Warner, smile and nod to each other and say, "How's it going?" A few days more than four years ago, Pendergast harassed and bedeviled Warner, first by blitzing and catching his blockers short-handed, then by faking the blitz and dropping back into coverage and wasting Kurt's max protection. It was a game-planning triumph and the score read, Cardinals 17, Warnered-quarterbacked Giants 14. Giants coach Tom Coughlin had seen enough and Warner was benched for a rookie named Eli Manning. Next year Warner was the starting QB for the Cards. He lost to the Giants, 42-19, and those were the last two times he was involved in a Giants-Cardinals game, a loser for both sides. This time, though, I like him. An upset, yeah! Why not?
6th - (8th) - They can prove all of the doubters wrong by beating the Giants this week. If they do, they just might end up as the NFC's second seed.
Cold Hard Football Facts - Jeremy Gottieb
6th - (7th) - Last week: The Arizona aerial circus touched down in Seattle, and Kurt Warner posted another huge day (32 of 44, 395 yards, 98.2 passer rating) to secure a 26-20 win.
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Wideouts Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald each exceeded 150 yards receiving against the Seahawks, combining to catch 23 passes for 337 yards.
Week 12 matchup: vs. N.Y. Giants. The Cardinals rank No. 2 in passing offense (305.8 YPG), while the Giants rank No. 2 against the pass (174.8 YPG).
9th - (9th) - Will Kurt Warner have a little somethin'-somethin' for the coach who discarded him, Tom Coughlin, on Sunday?
7th - (11th) - An upset victory over Giants could deliver NFC West title to Arizona.
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Most of the rankings had the Cardinals jumping ahead of either the Redskins, Patriots or both. Vic Carucci still has the highest opinion with a 5th place ranking while (as of now) Yahoo Sports has the lowest ranking at 9th. I'm waiting on Sports Illustrated rankings to be posted and that could drop the lowest ranking because Dr. Z was the lowest last week at 13th. His ranking should be very interesting because he had the Pats, Eagles, Skins, Falcons and Ravens (all lost or tied) ahead of the Cardinals last week. Dr. Z's rankings are in and he tied with Yahoo sports for the lowest ranking at 9th. The average rank right now is about 7th (6.83). Dr. Z's 7th place ranking doesn't change the overall average but it does move the exact number above 7th (7.14 to be exact). Sound about right? Where would you rank them? How high should they jump if they get a win this weekend?