Tag: Arizona Cardinals (Page 42 of 51)

      Cardinals blasted by Eagles – prove they don’t belong…yet

      November 28, 2008 /

      Kurt WarnerThe past two weeks were supposed to be games the Arizona Cardinals used to prove that they belong with the elite teams in the NFC. Instead, they were soundly beat by the Giants at home and then absolutely waxed 48-20 by the Eagles on Thanksgiving night.

      What was interesting about the Cards’ loss to the Eagles Thursday night was that Philly didn’t blitz all that much. One could fathom that if Kurt Warner were under constant duress for four quarters, he would certainly struggle. But the Eagles dropped extra defenders into coverage and relied on their four-down linemen to create enough pressure on Warner to get him out of rhythm. The result: Warner did throw for 235 yards and three touchdowns, but he was also picked off three times.

      But a more telling sign that Arizona quite isn’t there yet is how both the Giants and Eagles did whatever they wanted to the Cardinal defense. Philly racked up 48 points and 437 yards in one game against Arizona, this after totaling just 20 points the past two weeks in a tie to the Bengals and a lose to the Ravens.

      Fortunately for the Cardinals, they play in the weakest division in the league. They’ll win their division, but what happens when they have to go into Carolina or Tampa come playoff time or worse yet – the Meadowlands? They should be able to get by a Wild Card team at home, although so far they haven’t proven that they can go on the road and beat a good team at their place.

      Kurt Warner has been a nice story this season, while Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston form one of the best receiving corps in the NFL – if not the best. But the defense is full of holes and ‘Zona has yet to prove they can beat a good team on the road. There seems to be a ceiling to this team’s success.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Donovan McNabb will start on Thanksgiving

      November 25, 2008 /

      Andy Reid noted Monday night that quarterback Donovan McNabb would keep his starting job and start on Thanksgiving against the Arizona Cardinals.

      Donovan McNabb“Donovan is the quarterback. I don’t want to leave here until you understand that,” coach Andy Reid emphasized at his news conference Monday. “Donovan is the quarterback for this football team.”

      “Sometimes you have to step back to step forward in a positive way and Donovan will do that,” Reid said. “This has nothing to do with Kolb’s performance or Donovan’s performance.”

      “As I sit here right now, he’s my starting quarterback,” Reid said. “I need to coach better. Donovan needs to play better and the guys around Donovan need to play better.”

      “I think I know Donovan McNabb better than anybody in this room,” Reid said. “I know [seven] turnovers, that’s not him. That’s no part of his game. You back up an inch and you evaluate it and you should be able to step forward a mile after that.”

      So what if McNabb plays poorly again in the first half? Does an unprepared Kolb then go back in? The mess has only begun in Philly. McNabb could do himself and Reid a huge favor with a solid performance.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Could we see an all-New York Super Bowl?

      November 24, 2008 /

      Brett FavreWith their back-to-back road wins over the Patriots and previously unbeaten Titans the past two weeks, the talk of the NFL world is now Brett Favre and the New York Jets. Some are even suggesting that the J.E.T.S, Jets, Jets, Jets are even the best team in the AFC right now.

      While there is still some debate over which team is the best in the AFC (remember, the Titans are still pretty damn good at 10-1), there’s no question that the New York Giants are the top team in the NFC, especially after they knocked off the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale on Sunday.

      What are the chances that we could see an all-New York Super Bowl come January?

      Let’s look at the Giants first. With their win over the Cards, they improved to a conference-best 10-1 on the year and sit comfortably atop the NFC East Division by three games with only five remaining. However, they have a tough schedule down the stretch: at Washington, vs. Philadelphia, at Dallas, vs. Carolina, at Minnesota. NFC East games are always tough, and the Panthers and Vikings will be competing for playoff berths themselves, so they won’t be pushovers either.

      Barring a total collapse, the G-Men will make the playoffs and of the top teams in the NFC – Arizona, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Dallas, Washington, Atlanta – nobody outside of maybe the surging Cowboys should scare the Giants. (Although the Bucs’ defense should keep o-coordinators up at night.)

      Conversely, the Jets have an easier road. They play the inconsistent Broncos next week, travel to San Fran, home against Buffalo, at Seattle and home against Miami to end the season. Considering they just crushed the Titans, one could probably assume the Jets finish no worse than 11-5.

      Eli ManningThe one main thing to consider in all of this is that the Jets would have a tough road in the postseason. The Steelers are flawed, but they’re a veteran team with a solid defense, while the Pats and Colts remain dangerous, although they’re more beatable now than ever. And if the Jets have to go back to LP Field, they can probably bet the Tennessee defense won’t surrender 400 total yards like it did Sunday.

      Still, the possibility of an all-NY Super Bowl is a reality and it would be a cool sight come playoff time. And think about the story lines: Favre leads Jets to Super Bowl; Giants try to defend title; Clash of New York; etc, etc.

      It’s fun to think about the scenario.

      NFL

      Cardinals still have a ways to go

      November 23, 2008 /

      Kurt WarnerThanks to the reemergence of Kurt Warner as a MVP candidate, the Arizona Cardinals have been a nice story this season. But as the Giants proved in their 37-29 win in Arizona on Sunday, the Cardinals still have a long way to go before anyone should consider them Super Bowl contenders.

      With how absolutely brutal the NFC West is, the Cards are going to win their division – they might even clinch next week. But a lot of people are talking about how their game Sunday might be a preview of the NFC Championship Game.

      Let’s not forget that if Arizona doesn’t secure one of the top two spots in the NFC, they’ll have to travel to the East Coast in the second round of the playoffs, assuming of course they win Wild Card weekend. Making the long trip is tough enough, nevertheless for a team who has struggled on the road over the past couple years like the Cards have.

      There’s no doubt that Warner’s performance this year has made ‘Zona an incredibly dangerous team. Not many of their opponents can match up against what the Cards do offensively, although the Giants made them one-dimensional Sunday by limiting Tim Hightower to only 21 yards. But this team has had issues defensively this year and good teams like New York will shred them in the playoffs.

      This was a Giants team that didn’t have Brandon Jacobs (the backbone of their offense), but still managed to total 321 yards. This was a great test for the Cards to see how they stack up against the best in the NFC, but they clearly have some work to do before the playoffs. It’ll be interesting to see how this team responds next week on the road against Philadelphia, and then again on the road in Week 16 when they take on the Patriots in Foxboro.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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