:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/5071116/136100136.jpg)
Time for some links, with today looking at the Pro Bowl roster.
Also, the fifth link has an interesting Quote from Fitz where he mentioned that Bengals receiver A.J. Green told him after last Saturday's game that Patrick Peterson was the best Corner he has gone up against all year long.
Arizona Cardinals News:Pro Bowl Trio Of Cards
Fitzgerald, Wilson headed to Hawaii again while Peterson earns rookie nod
Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald, KR Patrick Peterson, S Adrian Wilson named NFC Pro Bowlers
Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, kick returner Patrick Peterson and strong safety Adrian Wilson were selected to represent the NFC in the 2012 Pro Bowl. It is the sixth overall selection for Fitzgerald (fifth consecutive), fifth overall selection for Wilson (fourth consecutive) and first selection for the rookie Peterson.
Arizona Cardinals bad start may doom some players
The Cardinals' 1-6 start prompted suggestions from the masses about which players should be toe-tagged (contractually speaking) at season's end. The 6-2 record since has quieted the torch-and-pitchfork crowd. But with the off-season just five days away, let's take a look at some names that have come up over the past few months and how realistic it is that we might have seen the last of them in a Cardinals uniform.
NFC West Stock Watch - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Falling: John Skelton, Arizona Cardinals QB. Skelton started slowly again, and this time there wasn't enough time for the Cardinals to come back and win. The scoring passes Skelton threw came after his three interceptions and repeated inaccurate passes helped Cincinnati run out to a 23-0 lead. Skelton finished the game with a 6.3 score out of 100 in Total QBR, lowest among 32 starting quarterbacks in Week 16. Teams with lower QBR scores than their opponents are 1-47 (.021) over the past three weeks (the Bengals' Andy Dalton was at 70.9 in this game). Receiver Early Doucet was a candidate to represent the Cardinals in the "falling" category after missing a chance to make the tying reception against the Bengals, but he became a sympathetic figure, in my view, when Larry Fitzgerald's father criticized him.
azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers - Peterson wise beyond his years
I was looking for a cute anecdoteTuesday evening when I asked safety Adrian Wilson and receiver Larry Fitzgerald what advice they would give kick returner/cornerback Patrick Peterson, who is making his first Pro Bowl appearance. I was expecting to hear that Peterson should set aside some money to pay for the friends family who will accompany him to Honolulu. Or to make sure he doesn't give any veterans his room number so they wouldn't haze him by billing mai tai cocktails to his room. Instead, I received eerily the same answer from both Fitzgerald and Wilson, who were on conference calls at separate times. They talked about Peterson's maturity and how he handled his business in his rookie season.
The Cardinals need to do right by Kolb - ArizonaSports.com
The Arizona Cardinals have been eliminated from playoff contention, making Sunday's season finale against the Seattle Seahawks virtually meaningless. But it's not totally meaningless -- the Cards and 'Hawks are battling for 2nd place in the division and both are playing to even their records at 8-8 and avoid a losing season. But there is not nearly enough meaning in this game for the Cardinals to even consider playing quarterback Kevin Kolb.
Outside the huddle: Arizona Cardinals linebacker Sam Acho
Each week, The Republic spotlights a Cardinals player for a series of on-the-spot, off-beat questions.
NFC West Pro Bowl analysis - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Perfect sense: Larry Fitzgerald, Adrian Wilson, Andy Lee, David Akers, Justin Smith and Patrick Willis are past Pro Bowl selections enjoying strong seasons. Their selections made perfect sense. No St. Louis Rams made it. Steven Jackson was worthy of consideration, but the team's 2-13 record made his exclusion understandable.
Word From the Birds Blog - The curious case of John Skelton
If John Skelton only knew how to start faster. "If I could," the quarterback said last week, "I’d fix it." He doesn’t know, however. Neither do the coaches right now. (They tried some no-huddle early in Cincy. Didn’t work.) It’s so odd, not that Skelton plays better at the end of games but that there is such a discrepancy on how much better he plays. Is it inexperience, or a lack of a full offseason of reps (since he got little as a rookie in his non-lockout offseason), as coach Ken Whisenhunt suggests? Maybe. But it’s hard to tell why Skelton suddenly gets all Brady in the final 15 minutes (yes, he is compared to Tebow, but Skelton usually is passing the ball better than Tebow late) when he can be very John Navarre before then.
Cards Daily - Big Red Sending Three to Hawaii
Three deserving Cardinals were selected to play in the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl. Ken Whisenhunt, Patrick Peterson, Larry Fitzgerald and Adrian Wilson talk about the honor.
NFL News:
2011 NFC West game changers: Weeks 15-16 - NFC West Blog - ESPN
This chart combines plays for Weeks 15-16. Travel for "Monday Night Football" and a midweek trip to visit family during the holidays precluded publication of the list last week.
Where NFC West teams rank: Week 16 - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The charts reveal updated rankings across 10 categories. The 49ers' defense moved up three spots to No. 2 in Total QBR allowed. Teams with higher QBR scores than their opponents have gone 47-1 over the past three weeks.
2012 Pro Bowl Rosters Announced: Eli Manning, Philip Rivers Among Surprises - SBNation.com
Rosters for the 2012 Pro Bowl were announced on NFL Network Tuesday night.
Pro Bowl Snubs: Matthew Stafford, Aaron Hernandez Among Those Left Out - SBNation.com
The NFL released the 2012 Pro Bowl rosters on Tuesday night and as usual they missed plenty of deserving players.
2012 NFL Draft: Cost Of Andrew Luck And Which Teams Will Bid On Him - SBNation.com
Wheeling and dealing for Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck will be the highlight of the 2012 NFL Draft. Which teams will be looking to trade up for Luck and how much will they pay?
NFL Power Rankings Week 17: It's Packers, Saints And Then Everyone Else - SBNation.com
The Packers, Saints and 49ers continue to control the top of SB Nation's NFL power rankings while the Rams overtake the Colts as the worst team in the league.
NFL Power Rankings: How they voted - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Through the powers of Dan Orlovsky and Kellen Clemens, the St. Louis Rams have assumed the position as last-ranked team in ESPN's NFL Power Rankings through Week 16.
Jay Cutler, Matt Forte Officially Placed On Injured Reserve - SBNation.com
T'he Chicago Bears have decided to officially end the year for Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, who were both hurt earlier this year. Neither play will be cleared to play in Week 17 and with the Bears out of playoff contention the team has decided to place both players on injured reserve.
Jon Gruden Reportedly Wants To Coach In 2012; ESPN Says Otherwise - SBNation.com
ESPN's Monday Night Football announced Jon Gruden is back in the news after a Monday night report from the San Diego Union Tribune stated he wanted to return to coaching in 2012. The report even went as far as speculating on where Gruden could end up (St. Louis Rams) if/when he does get back into coaching. Gruden is currently under contract with ESPN, who issued a statement to Pro Football Talk regarding Gruden's future.
Drew Brees And The Top Passing Seasons Of All Time - From Our Editors - SBNation.com
With 2:56 to play in the New Orleans Saints' 45-16 win over the Atlanta Falcons, Saints quarterback Drew Brees connected with running back Darren Sproles for a nine-yard touchdown. The nine yards gave Brees 307 for the night and 5,087 for the season, breaking Hall of Famer Dan Marino's 27-year-old record of 5,084 yards from the 1984 season.
Steve Spagnuolo Bracing To Be Fired By Rams, According To Report - SBNation.com
Black Monday is nearly upon us as NFL head coaches begin stressing for their jobs. One of those coaches is Steve Spagnuolo, who is not expected to be retained by the Rams.
Ryan Torain Waived By Washington Redskins, According To Report - SBNation.com
One-time starter Ryan Torain is no longer in the Redsksins' plans after being cut on Tuesday.
Raheem Morris: 'I Will Never Fire Myself' - SBNation.com
Embattled Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris doesn't think he should be fired. A lot of people disagree with him.
Packers Sell Nearly 250,000 Shares Of Stock - SBNation.com
For only the fifth time, the publicly-owned Packers have made a stock offering and sold 250,000 shares of the franchise. They are expected to offer 30,000 more shares, as well.
Jason Taylor Expected To Retire From NFL After The Season - SBNation.com
Longtime Dolphins pass rusher Jason Taylor will retire from the league after Sunday's game against the Jets, according to a report.
On the 49ers without Braylon Edwards - NFC West Blog - ESPN
San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh confirmed veteran receiver Braylon Edwards' release during his KNBR radio show Tuesday, but he declined to discuss reasoning until first addressing the team. The bottom line: Edwards was not contributing much. Injuries were one factor. They might not have been the only factor, though it's unlikely Harbaugh will go into specifics if he thought Edwards did not fit.
NFL attempts to clarify the defenseless player rules | ProFootballTalk
After a personal foul penalty on Monday night led to a high-profile media tiff, the NFL has stepped in to attempt to clarify what, exactly, the term "defenseless player" means.
NFL.com news: Jennings, Raji among curious choices for Pro Bowl honors
I found myself having to get past the reality that several undeserving players were named to the AFC and NFC Pro Bowl rosters. As in, some of these players didn't deserve being anywhere near a Pro Bowl roster.
NFL.com news: Pro Bowl analysis: NFC roster full of good calls, omissions
The NFL announced its Pro Bowl rosters Tuesday night. Below, I share my thoughts on the players who made it and in a few instances some players who should be heading to Hawaii instead.
NFL.com news: Pro Bowl analysis: AFC roster full of good calls, omissions
The NFL announced its Pro Bowl rosters Tuesday night. Below, I share my thoughts on the players who made it and in a few instances some players who should be heading to Hawaii instead.
Despite not being on the ballot, Jason Pierre-Paul is Pro Bowl bound | ProFootballTalk
The Pro Bowl ballot included plenty of players. The name "Jason Pierre-Paul" wasn’t among them. Which means that, of the 33 percent of the voting based on the input of the fans, Pierre-Paul was at a major disadvantage. And yet he still made the NFC team, thanks to the votes from the players and coaches.
The Shutdown Corner Hidden Pro Bowlers – The Offense - Shutdown Corner - NFL Blog - Yahoo! Sports
Every Pro Bowl roster has its snubs, but we'd like to present this list more as the guys we think should be on there with the understanding that a ball of excellence at certain positions and the politics of popularity will have things going another way. Here is the full list of Pro Bowl starters for 2011. You'll see some of these names below as alternates, and at the very least, consider this to be a list of players you should be watching out for in future seasons. The offense is below
The Shutdown Corner Hidden Pro Bowlers — The Defense - Shutdown Corner - NFL Blog - Yahoo! Sports
Every Pro Bowl roster has its snubs, but we'd like to present this list more as the guys we think should be on there with the understanding that a ball of excellence at certain positions and the politics of popularity will have things going another way. You'll see some of these names as alternates, and at the very least, consider this to be a list of players you should be watching out for in future seasons.
Not the only time Saints got their stats - NFC West Blog - ESPN
New Orleans' decision to keep passing Monday night in pursuit of Dan Marino's single-season yardage record has opened the Saints to criticism. Coach Sean Payton knew it, which is why he addressed the subject without prompting following the Saints' 45-16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. While NFL records are best achieved organically, at least the Saints were honest about what was happening. An interest in racking up stats doesn't preclude a team from valuing winning the most. NFC West fans might recall Arizona's Matt Leinart throwing a 7-yard pass to Steve Breaston with 53 seconds left in a 2008 Week 17 game the Cardinals led, 34-21. The completion gave the Cardinals three 1,000-yard receivers.