Jan 5th 2009 5:55PM by Matt Snyder (author feed)
Filed under: AZ Cardinals, NFC West, NFL Injuries, NFL Playoffs
After missing the last two games, Anquan Boldin returned to the field Saturday against the Falcons, and he announced his presence with authority in scoring a 71-yard touchdown. On that play, however, he injured his hamstring and was unable to return after the next series.
Today, the Cardinals received news on the injury, but no definitive answer on whether or not he’ll be able to play against the Carolina Panthers this coming Saturday night.The good news is the hamstring isn’t torn. The bad news is, well, it’s a hamstring, and that injury is unpredictable.
“We’ll see how it goes this week,” (head coach Ken) Whisenhunt said at his Monday news conference.They have an able replacement in Steve Breaston, but he’s not Anquan freaking Boldin. They’ve had enough trouble heading East this season, so trying to break the trend in Carolina without one of their stars receivers would be quite the tall task.
Another layer is that there’s no way a pulled hamstring is fully healed within the time span of one week. Even if Boldin gets himself up to speed and attempts to play, the chances are quite high that he’ll reaggravate the injury during the game and have to depart.
Basically, the Cardinals and their fans should start mentally preparing to be without Boldin.
Jan 5th 2009 6:54PM by Matt Snyder (author feed)
Filed under: AZ Cardinals, Falcons, NFC South, NFC West, NFL Playoffs
Arizona Cardinals’ defensive end Bertrand Berry was on the Dan Patrick radio show today, and he had something interesting to say about the Offensive Rookie of the Year, Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan. Berry said that Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan didn’t change his snap count all game. It’s true that the Cardinals’ defensive front was getting off the ball very quickly all game, so I guess we have to believe Berry. I just don’t understand how a quarterback at the NFL level would turn a blind eye to something as obvious as this. High school quarterbacks vary snap counts in order to keep opposing defenses on their toes. Sure, Ryan is a rookie, but he went 11-5 in his rookie season and showed veteran-like poise in many late-game situations.
Is it possible he buckled under the playoff pressure and his lack of variance on the snap count was due to nerves?
Other notes from the interview were that Berry said Anquan Boldin would try to play even if he had an amputated leg. I’m sure someone will make a fuss about that comment in relation to Richard Collier’s tragic situation from this past offseason. Let’s just remember, he’s making a statement about how tough Boldin is.
Jan 6th 2009 10:00AM by JJ Cooper (author feed)
Filed under: AZ Cardinals, Falcons, NFL Playoffs
Give Cardinals head coach/offensive whiz Ken Whisenhunt credit. The Cardinals’ offense took conventional wisdom and managed to tweak it to its own advantage to beat the Falcons.
The Cardinals only ran the ball on 34 percent of their offensive plays during the regular season, and they have one of the best passing offenses in the league. The Cards had struggled to run the ball all season, but with the exception of some occasional pass-protection breakdowns, the passing game has been one of the league’s best.
So what did the Cardinals do on their second possession of the game? They hand the ball to Edgerrin James on three straight plays, setting up a flea-flicker touchdown. And it wasn’t a one-drive ruse. The Cardinals ran the ball on 28 of their 60 snaps. And they ran effectively, despite the fact that their longest run of the game was 10 yards.
But the most important aspect offensively was the Cardinals ability to slow down the Falcons’ pass rush. Coming into the game, I thought that Abraham would turn right tackle Levi Brown into a doorman on his way to Kurt Warner. Instead, Abraham finished the game with two tackles, two quarterback pressures and no sacks. Warner was never sacked by any Falcon, and he was rarely pressured.
So how did they do it? In going back and rewatching the tape, there’s a lot of credit to be shared. Whisenhunt’s play calling and use of formations played a part, while Brown and left tackle Mike Gandy did an excellent job. And Warner’s tendency to get rid of the ball quickly made the offensive line’s job much easier.
Abraham was questionable with a shoulder and thigh injury coming into the game. It’s easy to blame the problem on the injuries, but Abraham’s shoulder didn’t seem to bother him, as his bull rush was his best move–he once bowled over Gandy and would have gotten to Warner if not for a quick release.
There is a chance that Abraham’s thigh injury robbed him of some of his explosiveness. Abraham had success with bull rushes, but he never beat Brown or Gandy around the corner on a speed rush, which is surprising considering that Abraham is one of the fastest defensive ends in the league. He actually only tried to turn on the jets on four pass plays all night, which is a sign that he didn’t have his normal speed.
But a lot of it had nothing to do with Abraham’s health. Coming into the game, I wondered if Whisenhunt would go away from his normal practice of leaving his tackles alone on islands to block opposing defensive ends with no help. Whisenhunt generally stuck to his philosophy, but he did mix in a couple of double team blocks that helped slow down Abraham.
The nastiest attempt to slow down Abraham came in the second quarter. The Cardinals sent fullback Terrelle Smith out wide, like a wide receiver, then brought him back to the line in motion. He was still moving toward the line at the snap and he continued like a heat-seeking missle at Abraham’s legs. Although Smith got a great blind-side shot at Abraham (that was completely legal by the way), Abraham recovered hopped up and chased after the play. The Cardinals also brought a tight end over to help Gandy on the flea-flicker touchdown to Larry Fitzgerald in the first quarter. Since it was a slow-developing play, Whisenhunt was smart to give Gandy some help to ensure Abraham was taken care of.
But generally, the Cardinals let Gandy and Brown handle the Falcons’ best pass rusher. They slowed him down with some formation help by positioning a wide receiver or tight end just off the tackle’s shoulder on some plays, and they also had running backs cut just off the tackle’s outside shoulder on their way into the pattern. They weren’t chip blocks, as most times the backs or wide receivers never even touched Abraham, but if Abraham had tried a pure speed outside rush, they would be in his way.
It worked. Warner threw 32 passes, Abraham was on the field for 23 of them. Of those 23 passes, he lined up 14 times against Gandy and nine times against Brown. He dropped into coverage on three different pass plays, and was double-teamed on four plays. He got close to Warner only three times. Once he flushed the quarterback and helped force him to throw the ball away, once he got a hand on Warner to help pressure him into an incomplete pass and once he got in Warner’s face, but Warner still completed a pass to Fitzgerald for 15 yards.
It was a great effort by Gandy and Brown. They get another test this weekend when they faced Julius Peppers and the Panthers. While Gandy handled Peppers pretty well in their first meeting, little-noticed end Charles Johnson beat Brown for a pair of sacks. After shutting down Abraham, Brown should have a little more confidence for the rematch.
Jan 5th 2009 8:30AM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: AZ Cardinals, Chargers, Eagles, Ravens, NFL Fans, NFL PlayoffsSix weeks ago, the 2008 Chargers were effectively done. They were 4-8 after having lost at home to the Falcons, and worse, division rival Denver held a three-game lead with four games to play. Well, we know how the final month of the regular season played out: the Power of Norval Eugene compelled San Diego. The Chargers won out, finished 8-8, and the cherry on top: they smacked around the Broncos in what amounted to a Week 17 play-in game.
The Chargers, not content to just get to the postseason, kept hope alive against the Colts, many people’s favorite to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl next month. And while the records suggested that Indianapolis would come into Qualcomm Stadium long enough to hang 30-plus on a suspect San Diego defense before making its way to Tennessee, it didn’t happen. Never got close, really. Sure, the Colts had won their final nine games to finish 12-4, and the Chargers backed into the playoffs, but there are a couple things worth considering.Continue Reading
Jan 5th 2009 8:38AM by JJ Cooper (author feed)
Filed under: AZ Cardinals, Chargers, Eagles, Giants, Panthers, Ravens, Steelers, Titans, NFL Playoffs
When you get to the playoffs, it’s worth keeping one eye on the weather — Chargers fans rightfully believe they would have made it to the Super Bowl in 1981 if it wasn’t for a record cold snap in Cincinnati. And there are Cowboys players from the 1960s who still have frozen fingers from the Ice Bowl.
We shouldn’t see anything like that this weekend, but it appears that three of the four second-round playoff games could see some inclement weather.
The Titans-Ravens game could be a turnover-fest, as rain and potential snow showers are forecast for Saturday with a high of 38 degrees. And the Chargers should be ready to bundle up as the projected high in Pittsburgh on Sunday is 23 (with mild winds) and occasional snow showers are forecast.
The Giants-Eagles game will be played in very mild conditions for a Giants-Eagles’ game in January — 30 degrees and sunny, while the Panthers-Cardinals game may see rain — as the early forecast is for 52 degrees and rain. While rain might affect the Cardinals’ passing game, they surely would prefer to have 52 degrees and rain to another snowstorm like the one that buried them in New England last month.
These are forecasts for six or seven days in the future, so there is a chance that they will change over the next week. But if they don’t change we could see some interesting weather this weekend, which usually makes playoff games even more interesting.
Jan 3rd 2009 6:00PM by Michael David Smith (author feed)
Filed under: AZ Cardinals, Falcons, NFL Playoffs
The first half of the Cardinals-Falcons game was characterized by big plays from Arizona receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald and Arizona running back Edgerrin James looking revitalized. But the Falcons went on a late flurry to take a 17-14 lead into halftime.
The Falcons scored two touchdowns in the final three minutes of the half. The first, a seven-yard run by Michael Turner, came on a 14-play, 77-yard drive on which the Atlanta offense looked like it had finally figured out the Arizona defense after a first quarter in which the Falcons couldn’t get anything going. The second touchdown drive covered just 23 yards and followed a Kurt Warner interception.
Warner’s numbers don’t look too impressive at first glance — he completed just six of his 15 passes — but the Cardinals have had two huge plays in the passing game. The first was a 41-yard touchdown catch by Fitzgerald (pictured above) that came on a flea flicker. The second was a short pass that Boldin turned into a 71-yard touchdown, racing down the sideline and outrunning the Atlanta secondary.Continue Reading
Jan 3rd 2009 6:48PM by Michael David Smith (author feed)
Filed under: AZ Cardinals, Falcons
The Arizona Cardinals have dominated the third quarter of today’s wild card playoff game, turning a 17-14 halftime deficit into a 28-17 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The second half couldn’t have started much better for the Cardinals: On the second play of the third quarter, a botched Falcons handoff was fumbled and plucked out of the air by Cardinals safety Antrel Rolle, who raced 27 yards for a touchdown to give the Cardinals a 21-17 lead.
Later in the third, Cardinals running back Tim Hightower scored on a four-yard touchdown run to give the Cardinals a 28-17 lead, and then Arizona started to pour it on: On the Falcons’ first play after the ensuing kickoff, Cardinals cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie showed off his incredible vertical jump as he leaped into the air and picked off a Matt Ryan pass.
The Cardinals had to punt on their next possession, and the Falcons have the ball heading into the fourth, but Atlanta now has an uphill climb to keep its season alive.
Jan 3rd 2009 7:35PM by Michael David Smith (author feed)
Filed under: AZ Cardinals, Giants, Panthers
The good news for the Arizona Cardinals is that they won today’s wild card playoff game, beating the Atlanta Falcons and advancing to the divisional round.
The bad news is that in the divisional round, they’ll play either at the Carolina Panthers or at the New York Giants. And the Cardinals have been absolutely atrocious when traveling east this season.
The Cardinals went 0-5 on the East Coast this season, and they were blown out in three of those five losses, losing 56-35 at the New York Jets, 48-20 at the Philadelphia Eagles and 47-7 at the New England Patriots. Whether the Cardinals have jet lag or just need their assistant to the traveling secretary to find them more comfortable hotel rooms, long road trips have been rough for Arizona.
The good news is that of their five East Coast losses in 2008, the closest was to the Panthers, who beat the Cardinals just 27-23. Perhaps Carolina is the one place out East the Cardinals feel comfortable playing. They’ll find out tomorrow, based on the Eagles-Vikings result, whether they’re going to play there again.
Jan 3rd 2009 7:53PM by Matt Snyder (author feed)
Filed under: AZ Cardinals, Falcons, NFC South, NFC West, NFL Playoffs.
You have to give the Arizona Cardinals credit. They don’t often make the playoffs, but when they do, they get their money’s worth. The last time they were in the playoffs was 10 years ago, and they won a game that time around as well.
I guess all those people constantly reminding Arizona fans how much their team sucks needed to check themselves a bit. After a beautifully executed flea-flicker — resulting in a touchdown by Larry Fitzgerald — the Cards outplayed the Falcons for most of the game. There was a brief interlude where Atlanta took the lead due to a late first-half interception deep in Cardinals territory. That sequence alone is why the game ended up much closer than it should have been.
The Cardinals controlled this game at the line of scrimmage from start to finish. Coming in, the Atlanta Falcons were the ones with the vaunted rushing attack, while the Cardinals ran the ball less than any team in the league. With John Abraham being rendered basically meaningless and the Cardinals defensive front living in the Falcons backfield, the Cards outran the Falcons.
Continue Reading
Jan 3rd 2009 8:33PM by JJ Cooper (author feed)
Filed under: AZ Cardinals, Falcons, NFL Playoffs
You can blame Matt Ryan’s two interceptions, or the Falcons’ defense’s inability to get off the field, but the most shocking part of the Falcons loss has to be Michael Turner’s inability to ever get going against the Cardinals defense.
Turner finished with only 42 yards on 18 carries, a 2.33-yard per carry average that looks more like what Chris Perry would do instead of what you would expect from the second-leading rusher in the NFL. And to add to the ugliness, a botched exchange between Ryan and Turner turned into the go-ahead touchdown for the Cardinals.
Turner picked the worst possible time to have his worst game of the season. Twelve of Turner’s 18 carries went for two yards or less, and six were for no gain or negative yardage. The Cardinals had a solid run defense this year, but it was hard to expect that they would completely turn Atlanta into a one-dimensional passing team.
Turner had seven carries in the first quarter, eight in the second quarter and only three carries in the entire second half. Jerious Norwood, one of the more dangerous No. 2 backs in the league, got only two carries all night — his fewest of the season.
But considering how the game was going, you can’t blame Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey for junking the run. Atlanta had very few possessions in the third quarter and it was already clear that the running game wasn’t working. By the time Atlanta finally got the ball back in the fourth quarter, it was desperation time.
Turner and Ryan carried the Falcons to the playoffs. So it’s not surprising that when they struggled on Saturday, Atlanta’s season ended.
