11-1-11: Arizona Cardinals Bird Droppings - Kolb Hurting

Time for some links, and right now the big news is that Kolb is hurting with a turf toe injury that makes it very difficult for him to get any zip on his passes right now. Looks like all of the Skelton lovers around here could get their wish for a game if Kolb can't heal up in time.

Arizona Cardinals News:

Arizona Cardinals QB Kevin Kolb 'day to day' with toe injury
Kevin Kolb is wearing a protective boot on his right foot after suffering a turf toe injury during Sunday's 30-27 loss to the Ravens, and the Cardinals quarterback pronounced himself "day to day" for next week's game against the visiting St. Louis Rams. If the injury doesn't improve or Kolb finds the injury too painful to practice this week, the Cardinals could turn to John Skelton, who is listed No. 2 on the depth chart. Rich Bartel is the No. 3 quarterback.

Arizona Cardinals working to decrease total of sacks allowed
Kevin Kolb is probably lucky he's only in a walking boot and not a body cast. The Cardinals quarterback has been hit so many times this season, he should be in traction. Fortunately for him, his most pressing pain is a bad case of Turf toe, which he suffered during Arizona's 30-27 loss Sunday in Baltimore. It's bad enough for the Cardinals, losers of six consecutive games, but it could be a lot worse for Kolb. He's been sacked 24 times already this season, the second most in the NFL behind Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger (25). Kolb has thrown as many interceptions as he has touchdowns, eight, and the sacks are piling up faster than the losses and the disappointment. So what does the Cardinals' offensive line have to say about all this?

Overcoming Offensive Issues
Kolb's injured toe just one factor for unit that could have change

Word From the Birds Blog - On sellouts and the fans’ discontent
The Cardinals have sold out 58 games in a row at University of Phoenix Stadium — in fact, every game they have ever played there, preseason and postseason included. But with the way the season has gone in 2011 (and the way 2010 went), along with the visit from a fellow 1-6 team in the St. Louis Rams Sunday, the question has built up for a while: Will the streak continue Sunday? Coach Ken Whisenhunt, not surprisingly, is hoping it does.

Beanie Wells shows toughness in playing through pain - ArizonaSports.com
Arizona Cardinals running back Beanie Wells has often been criticized for his lack of toughness and durability, but Sunday those critics were silenced. Against the Ravens, Wells played through a knee injury that he suffered the week before against Pittsburgh. When the running back suffered the injury many thought he might be lost for the season. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt believes Wells showed perseverance in playing on Sunday, but knows the tailback isn't in the clear yet.

A.J. Jefferson struggles, tweets about it - ArizonaSports.com
To say Cardinals cornerback A.J. Jefferson had a rough day Sunday would be an understatement. The 23-year-old was routinely burned in the second half by Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin, and appeared to be benched late in the game. Afterwards Jefferson, who has taken to Twitter before to vent after games, did so once again.

Changes coming to the Cardinals' O-line? - ArizonaSports.com
Kevin Kolb was sacked six times Sunday in Baltimore, a ridiculously high number that should give any coach pause before sending the same group out the next week. At his weekly press conference Monday, Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said change might be in order. "I think that when you're 1-6 you've got to look at anything," the coach said. "It's hard to make a whole-sale change on the line."

Kevin Kolb suffered turf toe injury Sunday vs. Ravens - ArizonaSports.com
It was only a matter of time before Kevin Kolb came up hobbling. The quarterback has been sacked 24 times -- second most in the NFL -- and has been hit on countless other plays. Sunday, in Baltimore, Kolb suffered what head coach Ken Whisenhunt described as a "turf toe" injury in the first quarter, and played with it the rest of the game. He was sacked six times in total.

Hubris is becoming Ken Whisenhunt's downfall - ArizonaSports.com
The word "hubris" is defined as "an excess of ambition, pride etc, ultimately causing the transgressor's ruin." We've seen it lead to the demise of one excellent coach in the Valley, and I fear we're watching it happen again today. Indeed, Ken Whisenhunt appears to be going down the same road already traveled by Mike D'Antoni, one that leads a once highly-regarded coach out of town simply because he was too stubborn to do what was best for the team and, ultimately, him.

Time to give Kevin Kolb a week off? - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Kevin Kolb has struggled this season. Now, he's dealing with a turf-toe injury that could threaten his availability against St. Louis in Week 9. The team expects to know more later Monday or Tuesday, coach Ken Whisenhunt told reporters during his day-after-game news conference. Should the Cardinals turn to backup John Skelton for the short term if Kolb is significantly less than 100 percent, even if doctors clear him to play?

Word From the Birds Blog - Kolb’s turf toe and other day after notes
As usual, there is only so much injury info available Monday morning. Coach Ken Whisenhunt reiterated quarterback Kevin Kolb has turf toe, and while it is black and blue and swollen, what that means to Kolb’s availability for practice and/or the game is yet to be determined. He did play the whole game with it yesterday, so that’s been proven. Fullback Anthony Sherman (ankle) and tight end Rob Housler (groin) remain as the other question marks coming out of the game. Tight end Todd Heap (hamstring) was "close" but Whisenhunt — while hopeful Heap can play against the Rams — certainly wasn’t saying it was going to happen for sure. As for safety Kerry Rhodes (foot surgery), he remains out indefinitely. It still sounds like it’ll be another couple of games.

azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers - Monday morning update
Coach Ken Whisenhunt knows many fans are unhappy. "You guys let me know," he said. "Look, I understand. That's part of this business. We are not performing the way we expect to perform. We're not performing the way our fans expect us to perform. But let me tell you this, it's not because our guys aren't working and they aren't trying. When we walked off the field yesterday, our guys were crushed." Whisenhunt said he hasn't heard criticism when he's been in public, such as pumping gas. "Actually the other way. Hearing more positive things. I know there is a group that's very dissatisfied but I still get a lot of positive comments as well." QB Kevin Kolb has a turf toe injury. The team will know more about his condition later today or tomorrow. He suffered the injury on the first play and never came out. But he is experiencing some swelling and it's black and blue.

Silver linings: Cardinals at Ravens - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The facts: The Arizona Cardinals fell to 1-6 following a 30-27 road defeat to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8.

NFC West Stock Watch - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Falling: Russ Grimm, Arizona Cardinals assistant head coach/offensive line. Grimm's Hall of Fame pedigree and long-established reputation as a top offensive line coach have largely buffered him from criticism. That should change given where the Cardinals' line stands five seasons into Grimm's tenure with Arizona. Grimm hasn't been able to turn a top-five draft choice, Levi Brown, into even an average starting NFL tackle. Quarterback Kevin Kolb, though largely to blame for holding the ball too long, nonetheless needs better protection than the Cardinals' line has afforded him.

Where NFC West teams rank: Week 8 - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Arizona Cardinals (lost at Baltimore): moved up four spots to No. 24 in yards allowed per pass attempt.

Where NFC West first-round picks stand - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Patrick Peterson, CB, Arizona Cardinals (5th overall): Peterson has started all seven games. He has one interception and has not yet upgraded the Cardinals' pass defense. Peterson has had problems with penalties, but he generally wasn't the one in coverage when Arizona appeared helpless against Anquan Boldin last week or, for one play, Mike Wallace the previous week. Peterson has dramatically upgraded the Cardinals' punt-return game. His touchdown was the difference in the team's victory against Carolina in the opener. He scored again as the Cardinals nearly upset Baltimore. It's fair to say the Cardinals might be winless without him.

Whisenhunt should not be fired anytime soon - ArizonaSports.com
As the Cardinals continue to lose, the number of fans calling for head coach Ken Whisenhunt to be fired will surely grow. If you already consider yourself on the "fire Whisenhunt" bandwagon, you might want to get comfortable. Arizona Sports 620's Doug Franz and Ron Wolfley share the opinion that Whisenhunt won't be going anywhere else soon.

Could the Cardinals find O-line help in the 2012 draft? - ArizonaSports.com
Clearly this season has not gone as planned for the Arizona Cardinals. The team stands at 1-6 with the 21st ranked offense and 29th ranked defense. Obviously there are plenty of holes to fill, and some could make the argument that almost every position needs an upgrade, but one glaring weakness the Cards possess is the offensive line. This season the line has allowed 24 sacks, second most in the NFL. Not to be pessimistic or anything, but the Cardinals are well on their way to earning a top five pick for the second consecutive year.

Cardinals not going to make changes just for the sake of it - ArizonaSports.com
Don't expect any major changes to the Cardinals depth chart in the coming weeks ahead in the season.

Dockett: Only Cardinals are beating themselves - ArizonaSports.com
Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Darnell Dockett believes his team is competing at a high level and has faith they will turn things around. "At the end of the day we have a lot of football left," Dockett said. "We win one or two in a row and this whole thing will turn around but right now we're just scratching for that second win." The Cardinals are coming off a game in which they blew a 21-point lead and lost to the Baltimore Ravens 30-27. It was their fourth loss by four points or less this season.

2011 Week 8: NFC West game changers - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The Arizona Cardinals hoped young pass-rushers Sam Acho and O'Brien Schofield would develop as the 2011 season progressed. That appears to be happening during a season when player development has become a more realistic goal than overall team success. Acho and Schofield have combined for three sacks and two forced fumbles over the Cardinals' past two games.

QBR ranks: Alex Smith keeps winning - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Kevin Kolb, Cardinals (13.0 QBR, 68.2 NFL rating): Kolb completed 10 of 21 passes for 153 yards with one touchdown, one interception, six sacks and one fumble, which the Cardinals recovered. The Cardinals scored two touchdowns on offense, both after taking over deep in Ravens territory (once at the 2, another time at the 25). They managed only a field goal after Kolb's 66-yard completion to Larry Fitzgerald. Kolb ranks last in the NFL, by far, in expected points lost to sacks. Kolb scored minus-6.5 points in that category Sunday, the fourth-worst performance in that category for a quarterback this season (Kolb was minus-6.9 at Seattle in Week 3). Kolb emerged from the Baltimore game with a turf-toe injury.

Cards Daily - Kolb Dinged, Team Continues to Fight
In the midst of a six game slide and an injury to QB Kevin Kolb, the Cardinals will continue to work hard to earn their second win of the season.

In the Red Zone with Ken Whisenhunt - BAL Review
Coach joined the Doug and Wolf Show on Arizona Sports 620 to review the loss against the Ravens.

Arizona Sports News:

Arizona Diamondbacks complete slew of transactions
The Diamondbacks made several transactions Monday, according to General Manager Kevin Towers. Arizona exercised the mutual options on catcher Henry Blanco and infielder Willie Bloomquist, and declined the options on left-handed pitcher Zach Duke and infielder Aaron Hill. The following players elected free agency: right-handed pitcher Jason Marquis and infielders John McDonald, Xavier Nady and Lyle Overbay. The D-backs 40-man roster is currently at 33 players.

Arizona Diamondbacks extend contracts of several coaches
The Diamondbacks rewarded their widely lauded coaching staff with contract extensions, adding an extra year to each member of manager Kirk Gibson's staff.

NFL News:

Week Eight Monday 10-pack | ProFootballTalk
It’s the midpoint of the season, sort of. Eight weeks are in the books, but only eight teams have played eight games. For the other 24, the season won’t hit the turn until next week. And while we’re starting to get a feel for the good teams and the bad teams and the in-between teams, the any-given-Sunday vibe remains alive and well — and the fortunes of teams can change quickly, for good or bad. Until we crown a champion, we can dabble only in a series of snapshots as to where teams are right now. Here are 10 of them, plenty of which may fade to black by the time January rolls around.

NFL Power Rankings: How they voted - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Alex Smith and the San Francisco 49ers outrank Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in ESPN's NFL Power Rankings entering Week 9. Yeah, we saw that coming back in Week 1. The 49ers were 26th then. The Patriots were first. Not now.

NFL Power Rankings Week 9: Packers, 49ers And Steelers Lead The League - SBNation.com
SB Nation's power rankings have the undefeated Packers as the league's beat team, as usual, while the 6-1 49ers make a move into the top 3.

2011 Rams Week 8: Five observations - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Five things I noticed while watching the St. Louis Rams during their 31-21 victory over the New Orleans Saints in Week 8:

Silver linings: Seahawks vs. Bengals - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The facts: The Seattle Seahawks fell to 2-5 with a 34-12 home defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Rams pull off NFL first in last 30 years - NFC West Blog - ESPN
A few notes from Elias Sports Bureau on the St. Louis Rams' 31-21 upset victory over the New Orleans Saints:

Chris Johnson Remains Titans' Starter, But Javon Ringer Will Continue To See Action - SBNation.com
Chris Johnson received a vote of confidence Monday from Mike Munchak, as the Titans head coach confirmed that Johnson will remain the team's starting running back despite being outperformed by his backup Javon Ringer the previous day against the Colts. But even if there's not an official change of roles, Ringer will continue to see action as the game dictates.

Tim Tebow Expected To Remain Starter For Denver Broncos - SBNation.com
Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow is expected to remain the team's starter in next week's game against the Oakland Raiders, according to the Denver Post. Broncos head coach John Fox didn't commit to a starter after Tebow's 18-of-39 performance in a 45-10 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday so speculation began that the Broncos quarterback train could move onto to backup Brady Quinn.

Tashard Choice Lands With Washington Redskins - SBNation.com
The Dallas Cowboys waived RB Tashard Choice last weekend and he was picked up off the waiver wire by the Washington Redskins. Every player released after the NFL trade deadline hits waiver wire which means every team has a chance to claim the player, which the Redskins did, and Washington now takes over Choice's contract which runs through the 2011 season.

Video: Refs in Philly make worst on-field ruling of season - Shutdown Corner - NFL Blog - Yahoo! Sports
It would be safe to assume that the worst thing on the field during the Philadelphia Eagles 34-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys was Rob Ryan's once-vaunted defense. Yet Gene Steratore's officiating crew gave the Cowboys defense a run for its money on a botched call midway through the third quarter of Sunday night's game.

A Detroit Lion On Tim Tebow: 'That's Your Quarterback? Seriously?' - From Our Editors - SBNation.com
A week ago Tim Tebow was on top of the world. Then came Sunday against the Lions, when he was sacked seven times, threw a pick six, fumbled three times, and the Broncos got blown out by 35 points at home. And from Michael Silver at Yahoo! Sports, here's a Lions player after Sunday.

Julian Edelman Charged With Indecent Assault And Battery On Woman - SBNation.com
Patriots WR Julian Edelman was allegedly involved in an incident at a nightclub on Tuesday morning that will result in him getting charged with indecent assault and battery on a woman.

ANIMATED: Philip Rivers Fumble Costs Chargers Shot At Win In Regulation - SBNation.com
A Philip Rivers fumble cost the Chargers a chance at a last-second, game-winning field goal attempt against the Chiefs on Monday Night Football. Killing clock with the score tied 20-20, Rivers fumbled the snap and it was recovered by Kansas City on their own 16 yard line.