SB Nation - Michael Adams

Post Game Reaction: Arizona Cardinals Upset Minnesota Vikings 30-17

Andrew602 — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 05:22:23 -0000

More photos » by Ross Franklin - AP

Arizona Cardinals' Anquan Boldin (81) gets past Minnesota Vikings' Cedric Griffin and heads for a touchdown in the second quarter.

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After the heart-breaking loss to Vince Young and the Tennessee Titans just a week ago, the Arizona Cardinals understood just how important a win today would be. The Vikings were 10-1 heading into Sunday's game and looked like the most complete team in the NFL.

The game began with a Tim Hightower fumble on the second play of the day. Brett Favre and the Vikings offense easily walked their way down to the 3 yard line on their opening drive. An overturned challenge gave Visanthe Shiancoe a 3 yard touchdown catch to give the Vikings the early lead. After a Steve Breaston 64-yard punt return, Kurt Warner found Anquan Boldin for a two yard score. The Cardinals had their way with the Vikings secondary for most of the game and Kurt Warner threw for 2 more touchdowns to give the Cardinals the win.

The Positives:

- The defense came to play. The Cardinals defense wiped any memory they had of last weeks performance and dominated the Vikings high-powered offense. Adrian Peterson was held to 13 carries for 19 yards, while Brett Favre was picked off twice and had a quarterback rating of 79.4. The Cardinals defensive line also found ways to penetrate into the backfield and sacked Favre 3 times on the night.

- The offensive line protection/blocking was great. Even with starting left tackle Mike Gandy missing the game, back up Jeremy Bridges filled in with an impressive performance. The Cardinals didn't allow one sack to a defensive line featuring Jared Allen and Kevin Williams. A larger part of the success went to the tight end and running back help, something Ken Whisenhunt shied away from at the beginning of the season. The Cardinals also managed to run for 113 yards on the night, something most teams have had trouble achieving against the Vikings defense.

- Kurt Warner showed no signs of post-concussion symtoms.After missing the last 6 quarters of play because of a concussion he suffered three games ago, Kurt Warner had a fantastic night. He was 22 of 32 for 285 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a quarterback rating of 127.7. Warner was able to read what the defense very well and put the ball on the money throughout the game. With Warner returning, Anquan Boldin had his best game of the season receiving 98 yards with 2 touchdowns.

- The all-red jerseys continue to help. Ken Whisenhunt may want to continue wearing the all-red look. The Cardinals have won their last two home games in dominant fashion and I personally think they look better.

The Negatives:

- The Cardinals settled for more field goals then TDs in the red zone. Usually Warner and Co. have no problem putting 7 on the scoreboard when in the red zone. Tonight the Cardinals went 1 for 4 and only scored 9 points in the second half because of that. Luckily the Vikings were not able to keep the game close. Settling for more field goals then touchdowns is not something this team can do if they want to continue winning games.

- Depth in the secondary continues to be a concern.The Cardinals lack of depth/talent beyond Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Adrian Wilson, and Antrel Rolle has become a pressing issue the last few games. Bryant McFadden had trouble defending outside passes and Michael Adams size allowed a late touchdown to Percy Harvin. Teams will continue to take advantage if the Cardinals cannot fix this problem.

Final Thoughts

Overall the Cardinals we all know and love decided to show up on Sunday and played tough enough to beat the red-hot Vikings. Kurt Warner showed why he gives the Cardinals the best chance to win the game, while the defense revealed their true potential. The 49ers also lost today keeping the Cardinals NFC West lead at 3 games, although next week's Monday night football showdown will still be crucial for the Cardinals chances of clinching the division and improving their playoff seeding. What are your thoughts on the game?

Grading the Defense: Arizona Cardinals vs. St Louis Rams

Hawkwind — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:08:47 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Curry - AP

Rams QB Marc Bulger is pulled down by Arizona Cardinals safety Antrel Rolle as Calais Campbell looks on during the first quarter. (AP Photo/Jeff Curry)

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The Arizona Cardinals defense continues to impress, under new coordinator Bill Davis, and on Sunday they limited the St. Louis Rams to just 13 points and dominated for most of the game despite missing multiple starters. Granted the Rams aren't exactly an offensive juggernaut but the Cardinals' "bend but don't break" game plan is starting to work very well. After this week the defense ranks just 21st in yards per game but a very respectable (and remarkably improved) 11th in points per game.

A couple of quick stats before we get into the defensive breakdown:

Two of the Rams' scoring drives, accounting for ten points, started in Cardinals territory thanks to turnovers from the offense.
The Rams had four four-and-out drives and seven drives that accounted for 30 yards or less.

Run Defense: The box score say Steven Jackson racked up 116 yards on 24 carries (4.8 ypc) so we certainly can't give the defense a big "atta-boy" but overall the run defense was better than the overall numbers would suggest. Although they didn't stop a single run behind the line of scrimmage, almost half of Jackson's yards came on one big 48 yard scamper meaning outside of that run he averaged 3.0 yards per carry. The run defense was also very stout in short yardage situations stopping the Rams on three out of four times in third or fourth-and-one opportunities. Karlos Dansby led the way with nine tackles and the return of Gerald Hayes had a significant impact as well.

Pass Defense: The secondary lost Bryant McFadden relatively early in the game but still did a good job of causing Marc Bulger all kind of trouble. He completed just 51.4% of his passes and his yards per attempt (5.8) and QB rating (57.8) were both below his season averages. With McFadden on the sidelines, the Rams picked on his replacement, Micheal Adams, a bit but the defense were still able to lower their yards per game average. Adrian Wilson also forced the only Rams turnover when he picked off Bulger in the second quarter.

Pass Rush: The Cardinals continue to get to the quarterback using a pass rush by committee approach with Will Davis, Darnell Dockett and Antrel Rolle getting into the mix this week. No player on the team has reached five sacks yet but eight different defenders have recorded multiple sacks and twelve different players in all have taken down a QB at least once this season. Bill Davis continues to use his pieces well and his defense does a good of getting to the quarterback without having to bring heavy blitzes. The Cardinals currently rank 6th in team sacks with 28.

Honor Roll:

Gabe Watson: Watson still hasn't regained the starting nose tackle job but it seems like he might be getting more and more snaps as the season progresses and he played well in this game. He made four solo tackles and Jackson ran for a grand total of three yards on those plays, including two that went for no gain.

Antrel Rolle: Rolle continues to play well and he logged the first sack of Bulger (although the NFL hasn't assigned the sack to him yet). Rushing the passer isn't Rolle's forte but he's athletic enough to create havoc once he gets into the backfield. Five tackles isn't a big game for Rolle but he's a big reason why the Rams weren't able to score a big play in the passing game.

Adrian Wilson: I know A-dub could be on this list every week but after picking off another pass for the second week in a row, I just couldn't leave him off. While he hasn't blitzed as much this season, Wilson is just one interception from matching his career high of four.

Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell: This defensive end duo continues to create a great deal of havoc. Nine-0 has logged a sack in three consecutive games and forced his first fumble of the season on the Rams final offensive play. Not much is expected, stat-wise, from defensive ends in a 3-4 defense but this duo continues to shoulder their fair share of the workload.

Michael Adams: Adams filled in for McFadden once he went down and it was pretty clear that Bulger and company were going to pick on him early and often. At times Adams struggled in coverage but Adams showed the tenacity and grit that earned him a roster spot. He's fearless run supporter and in time may develop into a decent nickel corner.

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All in all the defense logged another game where they gave their offense every opportunity to win the game. The yardage totals continue to look high but as long as they're keeping teams out of the endzone, we can't complain too much. Thoughts?

Poll

How would you grade the Cardinals defensive effort on Sunday?

A

34 votes

B

155 votes

C

51 votes

D

4 votes

F

2 votes

246 votes | Poll has closed

Post Game Reaction: Warner Out Second Half, Arizona Cardinals Still Win 21-13

Andrew602 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:49:28 -0000

More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

Tim Hightower runs down the field for 50 yards early in the game. It's obvious that he wants to remain the starting running back.

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Today's game was a flip flop performance by the Cardinals offense. That could also be blamed on the fact that the Cardinals pro bowl quarterback Kurt Warner didn't play the second half of the game. The game began with a Beanie Wells fumble, and the Rams taking advantage of the turnover with a field goal. The offense took a couple drives to get going as they always seem to do, but once they were firing on all cylinders, they jumped out to a 21-3 lead, by running and passing the ball successfully. After Kurt Warner was knocked down halfway through the 2nd quarter, he was able to finish the scoring drive, but didn't return in the game after that. Matt Leinart finished the game, and there was an immediate drop-off on offense. The Cardinals didn't score for the remainder of the game, but the defense came through to hold off the Rams upset. Let's take a look at the positives and negatives.

The Positives

- The running game was also outstanding for a third week in a row. The Cardinals ran for 183 yards, their highest of the season. 50 of the rushing yards came on a big run by Tim Hightower, in which he broke through the line of scrimmage and ran into Rams territory. The Cardinals ability to run has dramatically made this offense better.

- Kurt Warner was spot on once again, making that three games in a row that he hasn't thrown an interception. He's also been considerably better on the road this season. Let's hope that he's only suffering from a mild concussion and that his return next week is probable.

- The Cardinals defense was solid despite the Rams getting more opportunities in the second half. The inability of the Cardinals to drain any time off the clock, allowed the Rams offense to get more scoring chances. The Rams also had 4, 4th down attempts, converting 3 of them. Despite all of this, the Cardinals defense made the stops when they needed to.

- The Seahawks and the 49ers both lost today, making the Cardinals lead above the 49ers 3 games.

The Negatives

- Matt Leinart wasn't able to heat up as the game went on. It's certainly justified for him to be rusty once he comes into the game, but for Leinart to have trouble throwing the ball down field in the fourth quarter is unacceptable. Once Leinart came into the game, the offense sputtered, and is the primary reason the Rams had a chance at tying the game. The Cardinals should hope that Warner is ready to play by next week, otherwise we may see another poor offensive performance.

- Beanie Wells fumbled on the Cardinals first drive of the game, allowing the Rams to score a field goal. Wells has had issues holding on to the ball this year. The run was a shovel pass that Beanie wasn't able to hold on to. This issue has essentially kept Wells from taking over the starting job.

- Michael Adams isn't a starter, but he had a tough game today despite covering a young receiver in Brandon Gibson. Adams was also flagged for a holding call that gave the Rams a first down.

- The Cardinals had 6 penalties, a number that lowered from last week but still hurt them at times in the game. They also turned the ball over two times - both were fumbles on offense.

Thoughts

Overall it's not hard to be mad at the offense for not putting up any points in the second half. After all, Warner understands how to run the offense and Leinart did not look comfortable in the pocket. Other then that, the defense played well under pressure and the running game was dominant agian. What are your thoughts on the game?

Rams vs Cardinals: Gameday notes & injury report

VanRam — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:23:26 -0000

by Dave Weaver - AP

Can this man single-handedly stop Texas...and just how would he look with Golden Horns on his helmet?

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Don't count on injuries to give the St. Louis Rams a break today. The visiting Arizona Cardinals won't likely be sitting many player when they take drop into the Ed Jones Dome today.

RIght now, it looks like the only player out for Arizona is LB Chike Okeafor. The questionable list includes: CB Michael Adams (hamstring), LB Karlos Dansby (shoulder), T Mike Gandy (pelvis), LB Gerald Hayes (back), CB Bryant McFadden (ankle), WR Sean Morey (head), TE Ben Patrick (knee).

The Rams will be without DE Victor Adeyanju and OG Richie Incognito. As we've mentioned, the Adeyanju injury leaves them thin at defensive line. DE Chris Long is the only player listed as questionable, and Spagnuolo made it sound as though that would be a game time decision.

Continuing on the o-line theme form 3k's post yesterday, the PD has a look at the unit. No surprises there. This is a really strong group for the Rams now, with the potential to get better. One thing that's really helped the Rams this year is the depth. Adam Goldberg has started all but one game this season.

The Cardinals are kind of sneaky good again this season, winning five of their last six with the league's fifth best passing offense. It'll be a big day for our secondary.

Stray thoughts on college football

I watched the Mississippi State at Arkansas game yesterday, and three players really stood out. The obvious is Ryan Mallett. He's an accurate and strong QB, smart too, but needs to develop his ability to find other receivers when his guys are covered up too tightly. Surely, he stays in another season. Arkansas WR Cobi Hamilton, a freshman, is one helluva receiver. I was really impressed with Mississippi State running back Anthony Dixon. He reminded me of Steven Jackson, similar moves and style. There's probably a reason for that: Sylvester Croom, the former Bulldogs head coach who was hired as the Rams running backs coach this season. Croom isn't getting enough credit for Jackson's big season, but he should be.

Les Miles, seriously?

Ndamukong Suh will get a national stage when Nebraska is sacrificed to Texas in the Big 12 championship game. I still think it could be a pretty interesting game, and I look forward to watching what he can do against one of college football's elite teams.

Michigan got beat by guys in sweatpants...Rodriguez has to go now.

Arizona Cardinals vs. St. Louis Rams: Injury Report

Hawkwind — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:20:40 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

Arizona Cardinals ~~wide receiver~~ special teams ace Sean Morey continues to deal the after effects of a concussion. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

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As the season wears on the Arizona Cardinals injury report seems to get longer and longer and this week is no exception. In all there were 13 players listed on the report with four DNP's, eight limited particpations and a single player who was listed but participated fully. Duece Lutui is officially on the report because he missed practice but it wasn't injury related so we can assume that he'll be back at practice today. Joining him on the DNP list are Bryant McFadden (ankle), Chike Okeafor (back) and Michael Adams (hamstring). On the limited side were Steve Breaston (knee), Karlos Dansby (shoulder), Mike Gandy (pelvis), Gerald Hayes (back), Kenny Iwebema (knee), Sean Morey (head), Ben Patrick (knee) and Adrian Wilson (groin). Reggie Wells continues to be on the report with a broken thumb but he's yet to miss any practice or game time because of the injury.

Needless to say that's quite a bit of talent standing on the sidelines, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Five of the eleven starters missed at least some of practice yesterday, including three of our four linebackers, so hopefully this was just a day where Ken Whisenhunt took it easy on some veterans. It's good to see Hayes back in practice, even if just on a limited basis, and there is some hope that he'll be ready to go by Sunday. Okeafor is a guy we'll have to continue to monitor as his back continues to give him problems. He's missed two games already this season and he's one of the more consistent pass rusher. If he's unable to go then his OLB spot will again be filled by a combination of Bertrand Berry and rookie Will Davis.

The Rams injury list isn't nearly as long but there are some key names.

Did Not Practice:

G Richie Incognito (foot)
DE Chris Long (knee)

Limited Participation:

C.J. Ah You (knee)
DE James Hall (back)
DE Leonard Little (knee)
DT Clifton Ryan (toe)

Arizona Cardinals vs Carolina Panthers: Keys to the Game

Andrew602 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:10:06 -0000

More photos » by Mel Evans - AP

If Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie suits up, he may have a field day against Jake Delhomme.

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This Sunday, the Arizona Cardinals return to University of Phoenix Stadium to face the Carolina Panthers. The Cardinals are coming off a 3 game win streak, while the Panthers are 2-4 and in the midst of a quarterback controversy. The Panthers are also looking for redemption, as the Cardinals are the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year(and apparently the accuracy out of Jake Delhomme also). The Cardinals are attempting to take a stranglehold on the NFC West, with the Rams and Seahawks virtually out, and the 49ers facing the Colts in Indianapolis. Let's take a look at the keys to the game.

Stop the run: The Panthers offense isn't what it was a year ago, which can largely be blamed on Delhomme. Steve Smith hasn't been given the opportunities he's had in the past, and Musin Muhammad seems to have lost a step. This offense is successful at the run, and that's something they'll come out with on Sunday. Stopping or even limiting DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart would be a success, but that depends if the Cardinals are up to it. Something that has worked for them in the past is scoring early, and forcing the opposing team to pass the ball. It worked in the playoffs last year, and it could work Sunday. If it does, that would lead us to the next point.

Pressure Jake Delhomme: Since the embarrassing performance in the playoffs last year, Delhomme hasn't been the same quarterback he one was. Through the first 6 games this year, Delhomme has tossed 13 interceptions and has clearly had problems under center. If the Cardinals stop the Panthers running game, Delhomme will get more opportunities to throw the ball. The Cardinals dared Eli Manning to throw the ball last week, something he struggled with. They may take the same approach and force Delhomme to pass the ball, which could eventually lead to a turnover(s).

Play smart/no turnovers: A game like this could be considered a trap game, as the Cardinals are high on confidence, and the Panthers have their backs against the wall. Getting overly confident often results in poor play(see last year). One thing that has haunted the Cardinals are turnovers and turnovers in the end zone. The last thing that needs to happen is blowing a big lead, and that's something that could happen if turnovers become an issue on Sunday. Keeping them to a minimum would be very important in order to get the victory.

Run the ball: Last week, the Cardinals saw some success on the ground, with Beanie Wells having his best game of the season. The Panthers are 23rd against the run, allowing 133.2 rushing yards per game. This is the ideal situation to improve the rushing game. Running back screens and draws will also keep defenders like Julius Peppers from pressuring Kurt Waner. The Cardinals also got all three running backs involved last week and may continue again on Sunday.

Secondary depth: In the fourth quarter against the Giants, the Cardinals secondary saw three starters leave at different times due to injury. Adrian Wilson was suffering from cra. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie suffered an ankle sprain, and Antrel Rolle also suffered an injury to his foot. The success of this unit depends on how the back ups play. If Michael Adams, Ralph Brown, or Matt Ware get extended time, there can't be a drop off in production. With Rashad Johnson strugglin so far in his rookie season, they'll also need the most from Ware. Ware covers the deep middle part of the field when Wilson is around the line of scrimmage. If this unit plays like they have the last two weeks, expect an impressive win for the Cardinals.

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Fortunately, as long as the Cardinals don't have a mental breakdown or a complete lack of discipline, they should already have the cat in the bag. The Panthers haven't been the same team they were, and the only threat of possibly losing this game, is if they run wild on us and force turnovers. Nevertheless, a win is much needed, as it could send this team on a much longer win streak. What are your keys to the game? Which one is most important?

Grading the Defense: Arizona Cardinals vs. New York Giants

Hawkwind — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:00:32 -0000

More photos » by Tim Larsen - AP

about 1 month ago: Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Alan Branch (78) celebrates with teammate Chike Okeafor (56) after sacking New York Giants' Eli Manning (10) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Cardinals won the game 24-17. (AP Photo/Tim Larsen)

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To say that the Arizona Cardinals defense was impressive Sunday night against the New York Giants is quite an understatement. While the box score might not blow you away (327 yards allowed and 17 points), the play on the field told a different story. The Cardinals defense played a game of cat and mouse that had Eli Manning and the Giants off balance for most of the game.

Eli doing his best Peyton Impersonation: From the beginning of the game it was clear that the Cardinals' defensive game plan was to make Eli think before the snap. Bill Davis had Adrian Wilson and Antrel Rolle moving all over the defensive front and Eli spent most of his pre-snap audibles trying to make sure that he accounted for their presence. The problem though is that Eli isn't quite Peyton when it comes to pre-snap audibles and he took two delay of game penalties because of it. To make matters worse, both penalties came on third downs.

Pressure leads to Success: Despite the Giants' previous success protecting Eli the Cardinals were able to harass and rattle him. The constant pressure led to three sacks and three interceptions, both numbers doubled his season totals coming into the game. The Cardinals supplied most of the pressure with blitzes although two of the three sacks were simply a result of a player beating their man. By the end of the game Eli was left with his worst statistical since last year's playoff loss to the Eagles (47.5 QB rating and 51.4 completion percentage).

Banged Up Secondary Still Does the Job: The biggest beneficiary of the pressure supplied by the front seven was the Cardinals secondary and they needed all of the help that they could get. With Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie spraining his ankle and A-dub dealing with cramps, the secondary was forced to lean on some young guys including Michael Adams and Greg Toler. While neither finished with gaudy stat lines, it's a testiment to the depth of this team that the Giants weren't able to capatilize on the absense of DRC and A-dub.

Short Scoring Drives: Despite giving up over 300 yards and 17 points the Cardinals defense did a tremendous job on the Giants offense. Exactly half of their drives (7 of 14) were 'three-and-outs' and their two "legitimate" scoring drives both started in Cardinals territory. I'm using the word "legitimate" because the 62 yard touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks was about as fluky as they come. Had DRC's batted ball fallen harmlessly to the ground, as most do, that 75 yard TD drive would have been a four play drive that resulted in a punt. If you throw out the drive that included the fluke TD, the Giants didn't have a single drive that was longer than 30 until the fourth quarter.

Honor Roll

Calais Campbell: Campell continued his outstanding play with two tackles, a sack and a tipped pass that resulted in Eli's second pick. To make a long story short, he's playing a like a mad man.
Alan Branch: Wait this can't be right, we're praising Alan Branch? Many of us, myself included, were hoping that Branch would be shown the door this off season but for the second straight game he's been a true force. Not only did he notch the first sack of his career but he also picked up the second sack. His move to defensive end is looking like a genuis idea.
Karlos Dansby: Dansby's been under some fire lately for his lack of big plays (and his one tackle game against the Seahawks) but his first double digit tackle game of the season should ease some tension.
Adrian Wilson and Antrel Rolle: I'm listing them together because they were equally impressive Sunday night. They both danced all over the formation causing Eli to jump from audible to audible, but they also produced some decent stat lines to boot. Together they accounted for 13 tackles and two picks.
DRC: His intereception was nothing short of spectacular and his day would have been even better had it not been for that batted ball and his gimpy ankle.

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All in all despite the yardage and points that the Giants put up, this was the best defensive performance of the season in my mind. Who else stood out and who deserves a game ball?

Arizona Cardinals Make Cuts; Release Pope, Francisco, and Hobson

Andrew602 — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:39:10 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

Arizona Cardinals safety Aaron Francisco (47)

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After one of the more lackluster performances of the preseason, the Cardinals have made their final cuts of the off season before the home opener against the 49ers. Within the last 24 hours, the Cardinals were able to make their decisions and release the remaining 20 players on the bubble. Among them were some notables, including Aaron Francisco, Leonard Pope, and Victor Hobson. Aside from the cuts, those that were left untouched were undrafted rookie linebacker Reggie Walker and second year linebacker Ali Highsmith.

The cuts also show just how much trust the coaches have in the young players on defense. Now backing up Wilson and Rolle will be Matt Ware and Rashad Johnson. Highsmith, Walker and Will Davis will also fill in behind the starters at linebacker. On offense, the Cardinals cut quarterback Tyler Palko, along with fullback Tim Castille. Aside from Pope, the offense remains virtually the same.

Players that were able to survive the cut may come as the real surprise. Fan favorite Lance Long, just barely made the team. With Pope being the odd man out, that means the Cardinals will carry Dominique Byrd, Anthony Becht, and Stephen Spach. Since Ben Patrick doesn't count against the roster until week four, we can only assume that one of these tight ends will be released at that point. Other notables that survived the cut were Michael Adams, Greg Toler, and more importantly, LaRod Stephens-Howling. The most obvious reason for LSH's spot on the roster has to be return duties, which he should be ready for on September 13th. What's everyone's take on the roster cuts? Would you have handled the cuts any different?

For a complete list of the roster cuts, click here.

53 Man Roster Predictions After the Arizona Cardinals Shutout Loss to the Broncos

Hawkwind — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:49:49 -0000

by David Zalubowski - AP

Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt will have harder time cutting 22 players today than he did finding an offensive play that would work this preseason. (AP Photo/ David Zalubowski)

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Truth be told we won't dwell on another lackluster effort in the preseason. The Arizona Cardinals finished the preseason without a win but that doesn't even begin to tell the story of how ugly the past three and a half weeks have been. To give you a quick taste of how the past four games have gone, the Cardinals have been outscored 71-16 in the first half, Cardinals' quarterbacks have combined to throw twice as many interceptions as touchdowns (9 to 4) and the Cardinals' defenders have forced just one turnover. In conclusion this Cardinals team has looked like the one that played in December of 2008 instead of the team that took the field in January of 2009. Just for the record, historically teams that finish the preseason winless, also struggle in the regular season. Going back to 1989, 35 teams have finished the preseason without a win and 31 of those teams failed to make the playoff. To make matters worse, 21 of them finished with a losing record.

But we said we weren't going to dwell so we're moving on to the news that should come down today. Tomorrow is the deadline to cut down the rosters to 53 players, but most expect Ken Whisenhunt to break the news in an afternoon press conference. With that in mind, here's ROTB's last shot at nailing down the 53 man roster.

QB (3): Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart, Brian St. Pierre - Tyler Palko played his way out of any shot of making the roster with a poor performance last night. BSP hasn't shown much this preseason but Whiz is familiar enough with his abilities for him to stick.
RB (4): Tim Hightower, Chris Wells, Jason Wright, LaRod Stephens-Howling - No one did much to either help or hurt their case for a roster spot last night.
FB (1): Dan Kreider - After the recent discussion about Kreider vs. Tim Castille, I kept a close eye on both players last night. To be honest neither did much to impress me and at this point I think Whiz would chose a veteran that he's familiar with over a younger player.
WR (6): Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston, Jerheme Urban, Early Doucet and Sean Morey - I, like most Cardinals fans I suspect, have been pulling for Lance Long but he's played a great deal in the past two preseason games and he hasn't done much with his opportunity (2 catches for 21 yards). I think it's fair to say that he's not ready and I'd be wiling to risk cutting him. The Chiefs may or may not claim him before we can stash him on the practice squad but he can't help this team right now.

TE (3): Stephen Spach, Anthony Becht and Dominique Byrd - Truth to be told, I still don't know what we have at this position but I'm confident that Leonard Pope will be cut. He was the last tight end to take the field last night and that says enough about his future. I went back and forth on Byrd but his versatility in the H-back role won me over. The interesting thing about this spot is who gets released after week four when Ben Patrick comes back.

OL (9): Mike Gandy, Reggie Wells, Lyle Sendlein, Deuce Lutui, Levi Brown, Herman Johnson, Brandon Keith and Elton Brown and Melvin Fowler - It's overkill keeping so many offensive lineman and I went back and forth on Elton Brown but his ability to play LT made the difference. Oliver Ross is a possibility but he just didn't impress me during the preseason. Elton Brown wasn't all that impressive either but at least this coaching staff has seen him step in at LT and play decently.

DL (6): Darnell Dockett, Calais Campbell, Bryan Robinson, Kenny Iwebema, Gabe Watson and Alan Branch - No real surprises here. Branch hasn't done much to warrant a spot but neither has anyone behind him. At least he can line up at DE now as well as DT, although his effectiveness remains about the same. Keilen Dykes doesn't make the cut but hopefully they can keep him on the practice squad thanks to another leg injury that cost him nearly the entire preseason.
LB (8): Karlos Dansby, Gerald Hayes, Clark Haggans, Chike Okeafor, Will Davis, Victor Hobson, Reggie Walker and Ali Highsmith - Bertrand Berry is the surprise cut on the roster after pulling a disappearing act during the preseason that would make David Copperfield jealous. Considering that the backups consist of two rookies, one sophomore UDFA and a guy that was signed off the streets before the regular season finale last year, I fully expect the Cardinals to scour the waiver wire for a veteran linebacker (inside or out).
CB (5): Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Bryant McFadden, Ralph Brown, Greg Toler and Michael Adams - I don't know what to make of this unit but these are the top five guys. DRC has struggled mightily the past two games, McFadden can't even get on the field and Brown is looking awful old and slow. Toler and Adams are two guys that we should all hope spend much more time on special teams than the regular defense.
S (5): Adrian Wilson, Antrel Rolle, Rashad Johnson, Aaron Francisco and Matt Ware - Basically this is the same unit as last year, plus a third round pick. Francisco is still Francisco although Ware has caught my eye several times this preseason.
Specialists (3): Neil Rackers, Ben Graham and Mike Leach - No surprises.

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To be honest, when I first wrote all this down I ended up with 54 players and after scouring the two deep I ended up cutting a veteran, Bertrand Berry. I'm not sure why but I keep getting the feeling that some of the veterans who've been around this team throughout all of the bad times cause some apathy in the locker room sometimes that lead to performances like we've seen the past couple of weeks. Berry's absence over the course of OTA's and his indifferent excuse once training camp started is just a microcosm of how this team has played over the course of the preseason. Maybe it's a knee jerk reaction on my part for thinking that someone's head has to roll but so be it. Thoughts? Who makes your 53?

Arizona Cardinals Lay a Goose Egg, Lose to the Broncos 19-0

Andrew602 — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 06:33:38 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

3 months ago: Arizona Cardinals tackle Mike Gandy looks on as time runs out in the fourth quarter of the Denver Broncos' 19-0 victory over the Cardinals in a preseason NFL football game in Denver on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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The Arizona Cardinals finished the preseason 0 - 4.

Should there be a cause for concern? Sure. Does the preseason really reflect upon the regular season? No. Tonight the Cardinals dropped their fourth straight loss of the preseason and I'm glad it has "pre" at the beginning of it. We expected nothing more then a drive or two from the first team offense and defense, and that's virtually was how long they played. The defense was first off the field after stopping the Broncosearly. The offense stayed longer, with Whisenhunt possibly wanting them to muster any sort of offense before the season opener. After half of the first quarter, the remainder of the game and the possibility of salvaging any kind of respect was left in the hands of the reserves. As you can tell by the score, that didn't happen. And that's where we pick up, with the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Good.

Michael Adams - Here's the most impressive part of the game; Adam'sstat line tonight - 6 tackles, 4 passes defended, 1 interception. Not bad for the possible fourth string cornerback. Adams looked solid tonight, making key tackles and shadowing the receivers he lined up across from. He was in perfect position for the pick, staying out of the quarterback's sight, then closing in the ball. Adams has a significant shot at competing with Ralph Brown after tonight's game and Brown's poor preseason.

Greg Toler - Opposite of Adams, Toler also looked solid overall tonight, leading the team with 7 tackles. Toler seemed to be roaming around the field tonight, and nearly picked off the ball twice. Toler has shown sings of his upside through most of the preseason, and has also slightly improved over the last 4 weeks like we had hoped.

Victor Hobson - After tonight, Hobson may have secured his job as a back up linebacker on this team, recording the only two sacks for the Cardinal's defense. After rookie Cody Brown was lost for the season, many of us weren't particular in who would serve has his replacement, and for the last two weeks, Hobson has gradually moved his way up the depth chart.

That's it. Seriously. This was an incredibly slow preseason game, and nothing special or amazing seemed to form for the entire four quarters. If you could name any honorable mentions, you can toss how how good the offensive line looked or the special teams play.

The Bad.

Tyler Palko - Can we stop and jump off the Tyler Palko bandwagon now? He proved that his game against the Steelers in preseason week one was a fluke. Palko showed no reason that he should start ahead of Brian St. Pierre. He played for the majority of the game, completing 13 of 30 passes, throwing for 141 yards and 1 interception, for a whopping 43.9 quarterback rating. He seemed to be more concerned with running the ball, rather then throwing it away. I think it's safe to say the Palko won't be on the roster after Saturday.

Kurt Warner - There's got to be some cause for concern after number 13's preseason. Warner has yet to make us remember what was the magical season of last year. He came out today over throwing, or not even coming close to his receivers. He only completing three passes tonight, one being a 36 reception by Fitzgerald, who did all the work. Another was actually a completion to the Broncos. I rewound that play and couldn't understand what made Warner throw that pass, except for the possibility that he didn't see the defender.

The Ugly.

Penalties - Ken Whisenhunt cannot be happy with the lack of discipline by this team so far. Over the years, avoiding penalties has never been a strong suit for the Cardinals, and up until halfway last year, it was a problem. Something Whisenhunt did last year seemed to really get the team's attention and vastly lowered the penalties. So far in the preseason though, the Cardinals have averaged 9.5 penalties a game for a total of 281 yards. Today they committed 11 penalties for 79 yards alone. The Cardinals need to focus and get their heads on straight if they want to remain competitive in the NFC West this year.

The offense - Forget the first team offense...the offense as a whole failed to put together any sort of respectable drive, resulting in 244 total yards and zero points. The first team offense looked stale and out of chemistry for the time they were on the field, and for the time Palko was in..well you can forget about that. All I know is something's got to give. The Cardinals were one of the best offensive teams in the league last year and they'll eventually find their groove again.

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I don't want to take too much in from the preseason, as it is meaningless for the most part, but I am somewhat worried for the lack of offense. The loss of Todd Haley may be affecting the offense worst then we thought it would, and most importantly Kurt Warner. Maybe he and Ken Whisenhunt should starting hanging out and texting each other until Brenda accuses Warner of cheating on her with coach Whisenhunt. One thing's for sure, and that's that the Cardinals need to get on track before the 49ers come here on September 13th.