Down 21-0 what did most of the Cardinals Nation do? *click*
For the benefit of those that jumped ship to more entertaining ventures you missed a 50-yard touchdown to Jerheme Urban and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie blocking a Viking field goal attempt that was returned by Roderick Hood for a 68-yard touchdown. Otherwise, you didn't miss much except the Cardinals' secondary making Trevaris Jackson look like a fantasy football stud and the Vikings defense harrying Kurt Warner regularly. Oh, there was a Matt Leinart sighting at the end of the game.
Some random thoughts after the jump.
Mistakes, turnovers, poor execution: Warner tossed an early interception, the Cardinals' Special Teams gave up an 82-yard punt return, and Anquan Boldin was stripped of the ball, all leading to the momentum the Vikings built as they took a 21-0 lead into the second quarter.
Defense Lacking Overall: The Cardinals couldn't mount consistent pressure on Tarvaris Jackson (11/17, 163 yards, 4 TD) and couldn't stop Adrian Peterson (165 yards on 28 carries). When the Cardinals would stack against the run Jackson would connect on a pass despite the tight man-to-man coverage.
An Order of JJ Arrington Please? The RotB favourite had 23 yards on two carries before the score got out of hand. JJ was also impressive on the receiving end for seven receptions, catching balls in space where his speed and shiftiness earned extra yardage (48 yards total).
Vikings Razed the Dome: Sure were a lot of purple jerseys in the stands today giving the Vikings a pseudo-home field advantage. The Vikings came to play and truly dominated the Cardinals on all fronts. The Falcons and Giants will have their hands full in the next two weeks but I like the Vikings' chances of keeping the #3 seed.
They Aren't Who We Think They Were? Today was effectively a playoff game for playoff seeding that the Cardinals utterly failed. The Cardinals will really need to suck it up and prove to themselves that they are capable of being competitive in the playoffs. The Patriots await them in icy Massachesetts needing to win to keep their playoff chances alive; the playoff atmosphere will be intense. Will the Cardinals team we think they are show up?
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How are you feeling right now, RotB members? Not worried? A little worried? Really worried? Talking draft scenarios on the Rams' site?