This week, the Cardinals released punter Dirk Johnson and signed Ben Graham, who was released earlier this year by the Jets and the Saints.

Graham is the fifth punter the team has utilized since training camp of 2007. That's when Whisenhunt decided to cut Scott Player just before the start of the season and go with Mike Barr, a rookie who had tried for a few years to catch on with a team.

Barr was a disaster as a punter and a holder for kicker Neil Rackers. His holds were inconsistent and that sent Rackers into a funk.

Barr gave way to Mitch Berger, who left after last season and was replaced by Johnson.

Johnson, too, was inconsistent all season but coaches kept him around because they didn't want to throw off Rackers again. In the end, however, Johnson's inconsistencies just cost the team too much in field position.

Graham, an Australian, was signed, but not before coaches brought in Rackers to work with him. The tryout went fine for Graham, both as a punter and a holder, and Rackers is determined to make it work.

"He's got great hands and gets the ball down quick," Rackers said of Graham. "And he's amazed with (long-snapper Nathan Hodel's) speed on his snaps, as is everyone else."

Johnson's statistics weren't great, but not awful. He was averaging 41.8 yards gross and 35.2 net. What led to his departure was his inconsistencies. There were just too many punts in the 35-yard range and with little hang time.

Coincidentally, the lack of hang time is the reason the Jets parted with Graham, who had punted for them since 2005.

SERIES HISTORY: 60th regular-season meeting. The Rams lead, 30-27-2, but the Cardinals have won four straight and five of the past six. The teams met just a month ago and the Cardinals won, 34-13, dominating in every way. They rushed for 177 yards, passed for 333 and held the Rams to 231 total yards. It was the starting debut of rookie running back Tim Hightower, who gained 109 yards. The Cardinals didn't have a turnover, while the Rams had three.