11-19-11: Arizona Cardinals Bird Droppings - "Cute" Shifts

Time for some links, including stuff on how big of an opportunity this is for Skelton, the continuing improvement of the Defense, and Horton calling one of the shifts that the 49ers offense uses to try drawing defenders offsides is a cute play.

Our friends on Niners Nation didn't take too kindly to that comment either if you check their blog out.

Getting Stingy Through The Air
Notebook: No TD passes allowed in three games; Skelton's disparate stats

Cardinals defense set to deal with shift by 49ers
Before each game, coaches meet separately with the referee to discuss any possible issues that might arise. On Sunday, Ken Whisenhunt likely will bring up the controversial shift the 49ers have employed this season. Two weeks ago, the 49ers were called for a false start when tight end Justin Peelle made a quick movement that referee Gene Steratore and crew decided was designed to draw the Redskins into a neutral-zone infraction.

Cardinals finally figuring out their own defense - ArizonaSports.com
The defense hasn't been completely dismal in defensive coordinator Ray Horton's first season, but small mistakes here and there helped add up to six consecutive losses. That, however, seems to be changing, with the Cardinals rolling off two straight wins, both of which the defense played a key role.

Cardinals can't just focus on one area of 49ers offense - ArizonaSports.com
Sunday's matchup against the San Francisco 49ers will probably be one of the Cardinals' toughest games this season. The Cardinals have momentum, rolling off two straight wins, but the team has to travel to San Francisco to take on the seventh-ranked offense and first-ranked defense of the 49ers.

Sunday could be an 'audition' for Skelton - ArizonaSports.com
This so-called quarterback controversy for the Arizona Cardinals won't go away. And while it's not as widespread as say, Team Edward vs. Team Jacob, the Kolb vs. Skelton argument has been an intriguing one in the Valley for the last three weeks.

Word From the Birds Blog - Friday before the Niners
I’ll be honest: I didn’t think the 49ers would do this. I didn’t think they could keep the same quarterback and win; I didn’t think they could bring in a brand-new coaching staff and win. I’m not sure just how they are, or how much it says about Jim Harbaugh (or what it says about Mike Singletary for that matter). In some ways, it mirrors the Cardinals when Ken Whisenhunt came aboard. Obviously, the Cards didn’t start 8-1 in Whiz’s first season, but Whisenhunt, like Harbaugh, took essentially the same players Denny Green had and won with them.

azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers - Evaluating quarterbacks
Granted, Twitter might not be the best way to gauge what fans are thinking. But I was fascinated by it during the Cardinals victory last week over the Eagles. Through three quarters, the overwhelming sentiment was that quarterback John Skelton was awful and that the Cardinals had to play Kevin Kolb as soon as he could stand without tipping over. By the end of the game, Skelton had become the future of the organization and Kolb represented another failed attempt by the Cardinals to address the position. There's a large expanse of gray area between those two extremes, however, and that's why Ken Whisenhunt might have a difficult decision to make when Kolb is healthy.

XTRA910 audio: NFC West Week 11 - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Mike Jurecki of XTRA Sports 910 AM wanted to know where the San Francisco 49ers might be vulnerable against the Arizona Cardinals. We discussed the possibilities, among other NFC West subjects, during our weekly conversation Friday.

Final Word: NFC West - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Skelton's opportunity. Arizona Cardinals quarterback John Skelton steps up in class when he faces the San Francisco 49ers' defense. The matchup figures to be a tough one from a protection standpoint, but the Cardinals have found ways to strike for big plays this season. They have seven pass plays of at least 40 yards this season, fourth-most in the league behind Detroit, Green Bay and Houston. The 49ers have given up seven such plays, tied for fourth-most in the league. That gives Arizona a puncher's chance against the 49ers. And if Skelton can somehow pull out a victory, his stock will rise considerably.

Cards Daily - D Gains Confidence Within Scheme
The Cardinals look to build on their recent defensive success when they face division rival San Francisco on Sunday.

Arizona Sports News:

Arizona Wildcats basketball suffers first loss of season to Mississippi State in 2K Sports Classic
Sean Miller thought the scoreboard was playing tricks on him. No matter how often the Arizona coach looked up it seemed as though his team was in the same situation against Mississippi State. "It was a four-point deficit for what seemed like 20 minutes. We just couldn't make that defensive or offensive play that would have gotten us into a tie or the lead," he said. "I credit Mississippi State for that." The Bulldogs closed the game on a 10-2 run and beat the 15th-ranked Wildcats 67-57 on Friday night to win the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer at Madison Square Garden.

ASU basketball drops second straight home game
Kendall Williams, benched after not scoring a field goal in a loss earlier this week, had 16 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to lead New Mexico to a 76-71 non-conference win over Arizona State on Friday night at Wells Fargo Arena.

NFL News:

NFC West Penalty Watch: Critical non-call - NFC West Blog - ESPN
New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin thought referee Tony Corrente and crew should have flagged San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis for holding in the final seconds of their game Sunday.

Rams one-up Seahawks on freak injuries - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Crazy injuries have been frequent occurrences around the NFC West as of late. This time, Rams tackle Rodger Saffold is the victim and it could cost him the season.

John Fox regrets interview about Tim Tebow | ProFootballTalk
Earlier this week, John Fox made some headlines for an interview he gave about Tim Tebow’s ability to run a traditional NFL offense.

Bengals Say A.J. Green Is Doubtful For Week 11 With Knee Injury - SBNation.com
A.J. Green is not expected to play for the Bengals in Week 11 due to a knee injury suffered last week against Pittsburgh.

Ray Lewis Injury: Ravens LB Expected To Be Out Week 11 Vs. Bengals - SBNation.com
Ray Lewis is expected to miss his first game in over four years this weekend as he recovers from a toe injury suffered last week.

Gabe Carimi's Injury Lands Him On Injured Reserve - SBNation.com
Chicago Bears offensive tackle Gabe Carimi was placed on injured reserve on Friday

Michael Vick's Injury Will Keep Him Out Week 11 Vs. Giants, According To Report - SBNation.com
Michael Vick suffered a couple of cracked ribs in Week 10 and that's expected to keep him out in Week 11 against the Giants.

Tarvaris Jackson Injury: Seahawks QB Could Need Surgery After Season - SBNation.com
Tarvaris Jackson has been bothered by a pectoral muscle injury that could require surgery after the season.

Matthew Stafford, D.J. Moore Fined After Lions-Bears Brawl - SBNation.com
Lions QB Matthew Stafford and Bears CB D.J. Moore were both fined after their part in a fight last Sunday during the Bears victory over the Lions.

Rex Ryan: Sanchez will be QB "as long as I am here" | ProFootballTalk
Rex Ryan is going to ride or die with Mark Sanchez.

Comparing Aaron Rodgers to the greats | ProFootballTalk
Aaron Rodgers is playing quarterback this season at a ridiculously high level.