While 8-8 and no trip to the playoffs isn't what we all wanted, could there have been a better game to end the season? Watching last nights game was like watching a football before Goodell turned the league into touch football. If felt like their two dozen huge hits, a dozen personal fouls and more pushing and smack talking than a half dozen WWF fights rolled into one.
After the break, five positives:
1. Larry Fitzgerald shows us why he's worth 200 million dollars: It seemed like every catch Larry made was huge. Two awesome one-handed catches, one of them diving. Bouncing off big hits and rolling for yards. Larry ended the day with 9 catches and 146 yards. Larry for the season had 1400 yards on 80 receptions, 8 TDs with a average of 17.6 yards per reception, a career high.
2. Larod Stephens-Howling: While LSH didn't break the 100 mark he had 21 carries for 93 yards, both career highs. LSH filled in for Beanie Wells and played a good game. LSH is a well loved player for the Cardinals and it was good to see him have a good game.
3. Daryl Washington, Darnell Dockett and the Defense: It's always hard to seperate one player from the defense. A good defense works as a unit and not as a individuals and yesterday the defense played spectacular. Washington had 11 tackles, 1 sack, and a PD that could have been a game securing INT. Dockett was as disruptive as he always is and made several big plays. The defense did give a lot of yardage up on the ground but held when it counted, only allowing a TD's on a broken plays. Vonnie Holliday also had a good game filling in for an injured Calais Campbell. The defense also had 4 sacks.
4. The offensive line??? It is weird to say this but the offensive line played a good game. Levi did allow a sack because he picked up the wrong guy, but overall the line protected Skelton and gave him time to through (though he also made a lot of his own time with some epic get-off-me-son maneuvers). They opened up holes for the run game and when it counted, in OT, they paved a path for LSH and allowed Feely to make a chip shot to win the game.
5. Kent Whisenhunt and coaches: The only thing I cannot give a positive is at times the play calling was stale. Overall though the team played with a ton of passion and fought like it was the playoffs. It was a great game and the coaches deserve credit for keeping this team up and not letting them sink.
It was a good season and it has set my personal expectations high for next year.