Tag: Arizona Cardinals (Page 31 of 51)

      Ten things to look forward to now that the Super Bowl is over

      February 2, 2009 /

      Click here for six observations on Super Bowl XLIII.

      Lucifer himself might as well have created the Monday after Super Bowl Sunday.

      Is that extreme? No.

      The Monday after the Super Bowl signals the end of another NFL season and that means there is no football on the horizon unless you’re one of the 10 people that watches the Pro Bowl. There are seven months between now and the start of preseason games, which makes me sick to think about. If I could freeze myself for the next seven months and thaw just in time for the 2009 season, I would.

      Is that extreme? No.

      But fear not my football friends because even though there isn’t any football this Sunday, it doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to get excited about while looking ahead. Below are 10 things to look forward to now that the Super Bowl is over.

      Before you read on, realize that I’m not going to cop out and write about how free agency and the draft are things to look forward to. Of course they are, but let’s get more specific here, people.

      Tom Brady1. The Patriots’ decision regarding Tom Brady and Matt Cassel.
      The Patriots are faced with arguably the biggest decision of any team this offseason. Brady has won multiple Super Bowls for the organization, has been the face of the franchise for almost a decade and he’s one of the Pats’ most outspoken leaders. But he’s also coming off major knee surgery, is 32 years old and his backup (Cassel) is younger and had a productive season as a fill-in. Cassel is also an unrestricted free agent, which makes this situation even more intriguing. Rumor has it that the Pats will franchise Cassel, but that’s a risky move because they would have to pay him $14.65 million for one year. If New England went that route, they would have nearly $30 million tied up in the quarterback position next year and Cassel might not even take a snap if Brady recovers in time for the start of the season. Another option would be to re-sign Cassel to a long-term contract and then trade Brady, but that’s easier said than done. Even though Brady’s a multiple Super Bowl winner, the Pats would still have to find a suitor willing to take on his injury concerns and contract. Of course, New England could keep Brady and allow Cassel to walk, but then they would have to hope golden boy Tom is healthy, and have a backup option in place in case he does get hurt again. Either way, the Pats have one hell of a decision to make soon.

      2. Will the Cardinals trade Anquan Boldin?
      On the surface, this situation isn’t too complicated. Boldin wants to be paid like a No. 1 receiver, but the Cardinals want him to honor the contact extension he signed in 2005, which won’t make him a free agent until 2011. If Boldin doesn’t get paid, he wants Arizona to trade him, but the Cardinals just got done playing in the Super Bowl and would love to keep their dynamic passing game intact for next season. Will the Cardinals pony up? They might not have to. Larry Fitzgerald once again proved this season that he is the team’s No. 1 and while Boldin remains highly underrated, Steve Breaston is more than capable of being the Cards’ No. 2. The team could find another wideout to play the slot either via the draft or free agency. Plus if they trade Boldin, they could acquire multiple draft picks to use to strengthen other areas on the team, including offensive line and defense. But if Fitz is willing to rework his contract in order to help keep Boldin, then obviously Arizona is a much better team with him than without him.

      3. Will the Lions draft a quarterback with the first overall pick?
      The Lions have a new general manager in Martin Mayhew and it’s unclear at this point what they’ll do with the first pick in the draft. Some mock drafts have Detroit selecting Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford first overall, while others suggest Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith should be the team’s first pick. With the success that rookie signal callers Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco had last year, many draft pundits will probably urge the Lions to take a franchise quarterback. But taking a quarterback in the first round (especially in the top 10) has proved to be a fatal move for teams in the past and the Lions’ offensive line is one of the worst in the league. Perhaps Mayhew’s plan for free agency will be a telltale sign of what the Lions do come draft day. If the GM decides to rebuild the offensive line, Stafford might be the pick. But considering new head coach Jim Schwartz’s background is in defense, Mayhew might spend the entire offseason rebuilding on that side of the ball and then target quarterbacks Sam Bradford or Colt McCoy next year.

      4. Donovan McNabb’s situation in Philadelphia.
      McNabb is under contract with the Eagles until 2013, but according to several sources, he’s only signed through 2010, which is why he and the team are talking about a possible contract extension. Let the rumor mill start. Some media outlets claim that McNabb wants out of Philly, while others suggest that he wants to retire an Eagle. The fact that Andy Reid benched McNabb for former second-round pick Kevin Kolb in a game against the Ravens earlier this season adds intrigue. But I guess before anyone gets too wrapped up in the McNabb-Eagles offseason story, more information has to be released about his contract. If he’s under contract through 2012, there’s no sense in buying the rumors that he won’t be an Eagle next year. But if his contract is up, there are seemingly endless possibilities in this situation.

      5. Brett Favre…the saga continues.
      If this were a list of “top 10 things not to look forward to now that the Super Bowl is over”, this same exact topic would be listed. Favre’s retirement dance is brutal, but it makes for good drama. Jets’ owner Woody Johnson recently said that if Favre isn’t in OTA’s this spring, he wouldn’t be with the team next year. Peter King thinks that Favre will retire. Methinks that unless Favre isn’t in uniform next year, then he won’t retire. He’ll never retire…ever.

      Ray Lewis6. What will the Ravens do about their linebacker corps?
      Ray Lewis, Bart Scott and Terrell Suggs are all set to become free agents this offseason. The Cowboys are reportedly willing to spend upwards of $30 million to acquire Lewis, but that’s just a rumor at this point. If you’re Baltimore and another team wants to spend that kind of money on an aging linebacker, you might have to let him walk. Scott is highly underrated and Suggs is one of the premier pass-rushers in the league. Both players are also younger (Scott is 28, Suggs is 26) than Lewis and the Ravens can’t afford to lose all three players, especially considering their defensive coordinator (Rex Ryan) just became the new head coach of the Jets. Baltimore finally found a franchise quarterback in Joe Flacco and an offense that can score points and now their defense could be falling apart.

      7. Will Kurt Warner stick around?
      Warner proved that he has plenty left in the tank after leading the Cardinals to the Super Bowl, but he’s no spring chicken at 37 years old and he’s set to become one of the more sought after free agent quarterbacks on the market. While Arizona might be the best fit for him, this will likely be his last opportunity to get a decent-sized contract and while the Cardinals would love to have him back, Matt Leinart is still waiting in the wings to take over the reins again (again). Warner’s agent recently said he’d test the market, but it’ll be interesting to see how many teams will pursue him given his age and decreasing arm strength.

      8. Scott Pioli’s first offseason in Kansas City.
      It’s time to see what the mastermind behind the Patriots’ drafts this past decade can do outside of New England. The situation in Kansas City is a mess and it’ll be interesting to see whom Pioli hires to replace Herman Edwards at head coach. He has a plethora of candidates, but will he hire a veteran like Jon Gruden or go with an unknown? It’ll also be interesting to see what he does in his first draft, with the Chiefs in need at all positions. KC needs to rebuild the offensive line, has tons of holes on defense and unless Pioli thinks Tyler Thigpen is the answer, he’ll probably look at quarterback this offseason, too. Chiefs fans have one hell of a busy offseason to look forward to.

      9. Is LaDainian Tomlinson done in San Diego?
      By now, most people understand the situation in San Diego. Tomlinson is coming off his worst season as a pro, isn’t getting any younger and his backup is a free agent. All of this has spurned the idea that GM A.J. Smith will trade or release LT this offseason, re-sign Darren Sproles and then concentrate on landing another back either in free agency or the draft. But when you stop and think about it, the Chargers obviously didn’t think LT was on his last legs last offseason when they didn’t try and persuade Michael Turner to stick around. Had they known Tomlinson was done, they would have taken preemptive measures in trying to keep Turner and pair him with Sproles. Tomlinson is still under contract and Sproles is likely to test the free agent market. So maybe Smith’s decision isn’t as tough as everyone thinks and LT will remain a Charger for at least the 2009 season. Or Smith could part ways with the most productive back in team history and then the fun really begins.

      10. Mock Drafts – in all of their glory.
      All right, I had to do one less specified thing to look forward to this offseason. Mock drafts – are they pointless? Yeah. But you know damn well that you’ve already Googled over hundreds of them. Don’t lie.

      College Football, NFL, Super Bowl

      Kawakami: Super Bowl XLIII was no classic

      February 2, 2009 /

      Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News writes that while Super Bowl XLIII was exciting, it wasn’t a classic.

      Larry FitzgeraldA classic? That was a fun Super Bowl, no question. A triple plot-twist, loop-de-loop carnival ride.

      That was a raucous fourth quarter Sunday evening, full of Arizona Cardinals grit and, eventually, a great Pittsburgh Steelers drive to win 27-23 in Super Bowl XLIII.

      Oh, and there was that stunning 100-yard interception return by Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison to close the first half.

      But was that really a classic, Ali-Frazier Super Bowl? I doubt history will treat it that way.
      The protagonists were slightly less than epic and the action was just a bit too herky-jerk for instant masterpiece status. No Brett Favres or Lawrence Taylors in this game.

      All those penalties. The wide-open receivers when the last thing the defense could afford was to leave wide-open receivers. That third-quarter sag.

      Much better description: This was a classic example of the NFL’s Parity Era, when no team is good enough to dominate the Super Stage.

      After all those blowouts in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and all those Super Teams, we’ve now had two shriek-finish Super Bowls in a row and five straight that were close in the fourth quarter.
      The last blowout? Yep, Tampa Bay 48, Raiders 21 in Super Bowl XXXVII.

      So Larry Fitzgerald was outstanding Sunday. Kurt Warner, too. Santonio Holmes was a revelation. Harrison made the greatest single play in Super Bowl history, by my reckoning.

      But… this felt more like a good first-round playoff game that happened to have Bruce Springsteen at halftime and a spaceship capsule as the postgame stage.

      Agreed. It was a sloppy game for the most part and take away Harrison’s interception return and the first half was largely uneventful. That doesn’t mean the game wasn’t entertaining because it was. But a classic? That’s reach.

      NFL, Super Bowl

      Santonio Holmes vs. David Tyree Super Bowl catches

      February 2, 2009 /

      The last two Super Bowls have given fans two of the greatest catches in NFL history.

      It seemed that David Tyree’s amazing “helmet reception” in the Giants’ thrilling upset of the Patriots in last year’s Super Bowl would never be topped given the magnitude of the game and the fact that it led to New York’s game-winning touchdown. But after Santonio Holmes’ amazing sideline grab in Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday night, maybe Tyree’s catch was bested.

      What catch was better?

      David Tyree’s against the Patriots:

      Santonio Holmes’ against the Cardinals:

      There truly isn’t a wrong answer here because both were freaking phenomenal. But if a gun were placed to my head and I had to choose one, I would go with Holmes’ catch against the Cardinals and not just because it was more recent.

      The magnitude of both catches were both incredibly high, as well as the degrees of difficulty. Tyree had to fight with Rodney Harrison in midair just to catch the ball, then as it’s slipping from his grasp, press it against his helmet and make sure that it didn’t bounce out when the two players hit the ground. He also had to make sure that no part of the ball touched the turf, which is probably the most amazing part.

      Holmes had to jump up, snag Ben Roethlisberger’s pass as it was heading out of bounds, use only his hands to make the catch, make sure both of his feet came down in bounds and as he was falling to the turf, make sure he remained in complete control. He also had to show immense concentration because three defenders were around him at the time.

      Both were amazing, but I give the slight edge to Holmes because his catch actually scored the game-winning touchdown. I know Tyree’s led to the Giants’ game winning touchdown and without it, New York probably doesn’t win the game. But Holmes’s was officially worth six points, so I’m giving the nod to him.

      Related content:

      Holmes’ catch the best ever?

      NFL, Super Bowl

      Holmes’ catch the best ever?

      February 2, 2009 /

      Gregg Doyel of CBSSportsline.com writes that Santonio Holmes’ game-winning touchdown grab was the best catch in NFL history.

      Santonio HolmesYou can’t dispute that Pittsburgh receiver Santonio Holmes, given the stakes and the degree of difficulty, just gave us the greatest catch in the history of professional football — a 6-yard, leaping, tightrope grab in the back corner of the end zone with 35 seconds left to give the Steelers a 27-23 victory Sunday night against Arizona in Super Bowl XLIII.

      The ball was high, and heading out of bounds. Holmes wasn’t merely going to have to make a leaping catch — that’s routine enough; Holmes himself said later that he didn’t leap, but he did a little bit — but he had to make a leaping catch as his momentum was taking him out the side door near the back of the end zone. Leap, focus on the ball long enough to make the catch, then forget about the hands and worry about the feet. Get them down, both of them, because this isn’t Ohio State, son. Two feet down in the NFL, or it’s no catch.

      Do all that … oh, and did we mention this is the Super Bowl? And that there is less than a minute left? That the other team leads 23-20?

      Doyel goes onto compare Holmes’ catch to Lynn Swann’s in Super Bowl X and David Tyree’s in last year’s Super Bowl.

      Swann and Tyree made their catches in the Super Bowl, so they’re still in the running. I guess. But neither guy made his catch in the end zone. Neither guy scored on the play. Swann made the prettiest catch we’ve ever seen, and Tyree made one of the most difficult catches we’ve ever seen, but they came in the middle of the field. Tyree’s grab led to the winning touchdown, true, but it didn’t score it. So give Swann credit for being a ballerina in cleats, and applaud Tyree for making one of the most ridiculous catches you’ve ever seen.

      But don’t compare their non-scoring catches to what Holmes did — not just in the end zone in the Super Bowl, but in the final minute with his team trailing 23-20.

      I don’t find myself saying this too often but I actually agree with Doyel. I didn’t think that anything could top Tyree’s catch last year considering the degree of difficulty in which he had to hang onto the ball by pressing it against his helmet while he was falling to the ground and wrestling with Rodney Harrison at the same time. But if you were like me last night when Holmes caught that ball you said, “No way – no way was he in.” But he was and it was incredible.

      Holmes had to use his hands and his hands only to snag that ball. Not only that, but he also had three defenders around him and while Roethlisberger’s pass was placed in a spot only Holmes could catch it, it was still sailing well out of bounds when the Steeler wideout snagged it out of the air. And as Doyel points out, when you factor in the magnitude of the game and the fact that Holmes had to get two feet down while his momentum was being carried out of bounds, it all adds up to the greatest catch ever.

      NFL, Super Bowl

      Officials confirm Warner’s fumble on final play

      February 2, 2009 /

      NFL vice president of officiating Mike Pereira confirmed after the Super Bowl that Kurt Warner did fumble on the Cardinals’ final play of the game.

      Kurt Warner“I was really surprised on that one because I was definitely moving my arm forward to throw the ball,” Warner said. “I thought I’d almost gotten the ball off, so yeah, it does surprise you that in that kind of situation — five seconds to go to decide the Super Bowl — you would think it was something they’d do. But maybe somebody saw it clearly.”

      According to NFL VP of Officiating Mike Pereira, the replay official upstairs did see the play clearly.
      “We confirmed it was a fumble,” said Pereira. “The replay assistant in the replay booth saw it was clearly a fumble. The ball got knocked loose and was rolling in his hand before it started forward. He has to have total control.”

      Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt also was irked by the seemingly random ending.

      “I was hoping it would be (reviewed),” he said. “I knew it was inside two minutes and it was a booth review. Obviously I would have liked to seen it replayed because it looked to me that Kurt was throwing the ball.”

      The Cardinals had a difficult night with the officials. They were penalized 11 times for 106 yards. On one Steelers drive that ended with a field goal, Arizona was called for three personal fouls. The Cardinals also had to challenge two blown calls by the refs — one on a Ben Roethlisberger run that was initially ruled a touchdown, the other on an earlier incompletion that was initially ruled a fumble.

      There is no doubt there were several questionable calls last night that went in the Steelers’ favor. The roughing the passer call on Karlos Dansby midway through the third quarter was brutal and as the article noted, the Cards had to challenge twice in order to get the correct call on two huge plays.

      That said, I thought the penalties started to even out in the end. Not that the refs were trying to make up from previous calls, but no one can say that Pittsburgh didn’t get called for their fair share of penalties. Warner’s fumble still should have been reviewed, but at least Pereira came out and made the statement that the play would have stood as is had they went to the booth. (Not that that makes Arizona fans feel good or anything.)

      NFL, Super Bowl

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑