SB Nation - Lyle Sendlein

Top Ten Arizona Cardinals' Draft Picks of the Past Decade

Hawkwind — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 10:00:21 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

Does this trio of Arizona Cardinals (Reggie Wells, Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston (left to right)) make the cut in the top ten draft picks of the past decade? (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

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Call us old-fashioned but reaching the end of a decade is a great time to look back at the previous ten years and with that in mind ROTB will be taking that look with some special top ten lists over the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned and chime in on what we missed, special memories or just your two cents.

As we all know building a team through the draft is the best way to win consistently and as we also know the Arizona Cardinals haven't always been known as one of the better drafting teams in the league. With the improved play on the field though, the winds of change are blowing throughout our draft evaluation as well. Of the Cardinals starting 22, fourteen starters have come via the draft over the past decade and it's quite possible that the number could grow by four or five next season if guys like Matt Leinart, Brandon Keith, Ben Patrick, Cody Brown or Gabe Watson are ready to step into the starting lineup. Here's a look at the top ten draft picks of this decade.

Adrian Wilson - 3rd Round 2001 (64th overall) - By any definition Adrian Wilson has been a successful draft pick and considering that 64 players were selected before him, including three safeties (one even selected by the Cardinals), A-dub has been a steal. He's currently one sack from entering the exclusive 20/20 club (only ten members) and he's twice been named as a Pro Bowl starter (2006 & 2008). Wilson is also currently the longest tenured Cardinal and in his nine seasons he's started 116 games (including playoffs) amassing 677 tackles, 19 sacks, 22 interceptions, 12 forced fumbles and scored four touchdowns. He's also the only player in NFL history to have multiple 99 yard return touchdowns without the benefit of a kickoff return.
Reggie Wells - 6th Round 2003 (177th overall) - Wells isn't a Pro Bowl level offensive guard but anytime you find a quality starter in the sixth round of a draft, you've made an amazing pick. He became a starter in just his second season and only a broken ankle in 2005 (missed seven games) have kept him off the field. Since that injury he's started 65 consecutive games (including playoffs) and was a team captain for the 2008 season. He's also been versatile, starting games at left guard, left tackle and right tackle and even took snaps at center during the 2005 season. A case could be made that Wells has offered the most "bang for the buck" (draft pick speaking), of any selection this decade.
Anquan Boldin - 2nd Round 2003 (54th overall) - Boldin didn't waste any time proving to the NFL that he was a premier receiver. In his first professional game he had 217 receiving yards (NFL record) and since then he's set numerous records including most receptions for a rookie, most reception in the first 26 games of a career, fastest to 300 & 400 receptions and he's also set countless team records as well. He's a three time Pro Bowler, a team captain (2007) and endeared himself to Cardinals fans with his fearless, passionate playing style. Despite playing in 16 games only twice in his career, Q has amassed 570 receptions, 7,299 yards and 44 touchdowns
Darnell Dockett - 3rd Round 2004 (64th overall) - Mr. Nine-O was a starter from his very first day in the desert but he didn't really have a breakout season until 2007. In his first three season's he'd start 47 of 48 games and while he was productive, he only managed six sacks. That all changed in 2007 though as he racked up nine sacks and set a career high in tackles. He's now mentioned as one of the best defensive tackles in the league and despite some inconsistency at times, it's hard not to at least put him in the top five at his position. In his six seasons as a Cardinal, Dockett hasn't missed a game while totaling 271 tackles, 26 sacks, four picks and six forced fumbles while being voted to one Pro Bowl.
Larry Fitzgerald - 1st Round 2004 (3rd overall) - You might think it's awful hard to screw up the third overall pick but in the previous four years the Cardinals had five first round selections and the closest thing to a productive starter was Bryant "skillet hands" Johnson. Fitz was considered one of the best receivers to come out of the college ranks in quite some time and he certainly has not disappointed. In six seasons Fitz has established himself as arguably the best receiver in the NFL and his record setting performance during last year's post season run cemented his legacy as an all-time great. Despite still being just 26 years of age, Fitzgerald has already amassed 511 receptions, 6,966 yards and 56 touchdowns.
Lyle Sendlein - Undrafted in 2007 - So technically Sendlein isn't/wasn't a draft pick but anytime an undrafted free agent turns into a starter, someone deserves a massive pat on the back. After not getting drafted in 2007 though he played in 12 games as a rookie, including two starts, and has since started 23 consecutive games (including playoffs). After struggling at times as a rookie, Sendlein has remarkably improved during his second year as a starter and he's looking like a guy who can anchor the center of the Cardinals' offensive line for quite a while.
Gerald Hayes - 3rd Round 2003 (70th overall) - Hayes often gets overlooked by flashier players on the defensive side of the ball but he's developed into one of the most dependable defenders on the team. After two seasons playing mostly special teams, Hayes was supposed to start the 2005 season at middle linebacker before a preseason knee injury sent him to the injured reserve. Since that injury he's missed only two games and averaged almost six tackles per game and started 53 games. In his six seasons (not counting the one missed due to injury) he's amassed 389 tackles, five sacks, four picks and forced seven fumbles.
Steve Breaston - 5th Round 2007 (142th overall) - Breaston was drafted as a return specialist, a spot he excelled at as a rookie, but when the Cardinals used a third round pick on another receiver the following year, Boobs took it personally. Breaston onto the NFL-scene with 77 receptions for 1,006 yards in just his second year in the league and he's established himself as a legitimate deep threat. He's started twelve games over the past two seasons, filling in for an injured Boldin, and he's helped the Cardinals develop one of the most dynamic passing games in the league, not to mention the best trio of receivers.
Antonio Smith - 5th Round 2004 (135th overall) - Smith is really the only guy on this list who didn't make an almost immediate impact but once he broke into the starting lineup, he was quite productive. He spent most of his rookie season on the practice squad and didn't become a full time starter until the latter half of his third season. While he never really was a play-maker, Smith was consistently productive and a great pick in the fifth round. Smith left this past off season for big free agent money with the Houston Texans but as a Cardinal he played in 62 games, 39 starts, and racked up 125 tackles, 14.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.
Tim Hightower - 5th Round 2008 (149th overall) - The 149th selection of the 2008 draft was followed by a collective "who?" from Cardinals fans and draft 'experts' alike but Hightower has quickly proved to be quite a hidden gem. After starting his rookie season as a very effective goal line/short yardage specialist, he emerged as the starting running back midway through the season and he's managed to keep the starting job despite a promising rookie, Beanie Wells, nipping at his heels. Through just two short years Hightower has proven to be a fairly complete back with the ability to swing out of the backfield, protect his quarterback as well as tote the rock. With the Cardinal's dual running back approach, he's not getting a ton of carries but he's on pace to surpass 1,000 yards from scrimmage this season and could approach double digit touchdowns for the second consecutive season.

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One thing that is quite impressive when looking back at the past decade worth of drafts is how well the Cardinals drafted in the 2003 and 2004 draft. In those two years combined they turned fourteen overall picks into seven quality NFL starters and four Pro Bowl level players. Needless to say, a 50% success rate in the draft is a guaranteed formula for winning. With the past couple of draft classes looking very promising, hopefully we'll be able to look back in five years and see the same kind of success. Who is the best overall pick in your mind and who would be in your top ten?

Arizona Cardinals' Road To Elite Status

Undrafteds — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 05:22:14 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

15 days ago: Arizona Cardinals' Anquan Boldin (81) dives for a touchdown as Minnesota Vikings' E.J. Henderson runs in late to defend in the second quarter during an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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As we prepare for the Cardinals-49ers Monday Night Football matchup, with a chance for Arizona to claim its second NFC West crown in a row with a win, lets take a look back at the season to date to see what we have learned. In the name of reader enjoyment, I'll start with my synopsis, with a skimming of the surface breakdown to follow.

What have we learned? I don't have to tell any of you that we can all watch every snap and come away with very different versions of what we saw. So maybe it is more appropriate to say, what have I learned?

I have learned that the 2009 Cardinals are a new improved version of the 2008 Cardinals. Sounds simple enough doesn't it?

More precisely, the 2008 model was good enough to reach the Super Bowl for the first time in team history, but inconsistent and unreliable, especially at the most inopportune times such as the excruciating Steelers' game winning drive.

Last year, the teams primary weaknesses, arguably of course, were giving up the big play way too often, not winning on the road, and general inability to run the ball.

This year the Cardinals are not giving up nearly as many big plays on defense, are 5-1 on the road, and have increased their team yards per carry average from 3.5 last year to 4.1.

But it goes further than the numbers.

This team has demonstrated that they are more mature and resilient. Arizona is more focused and physical.

Additionally, key players have simply gotten better with each passing week. An alarming number of players are playing at a Pro Bowl-caliber level. Defensively, Antrel Rolle, Adrian Wilson, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Karlos Dansby and Darnell Dockett should at least get consideration. Not to mention special teams warrior LaRod Stephens-Howling, punter Ben Graham and kicker Neil Rackers. Offensively, the usual suspects Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald could all be locks for the Pro Bowl.

Forget about the Pro Bowl for a minute though. Calais Campbell, Lyle Sendlein, Deuce Lutui, Reggie Wells and Tim Hightower have all improved.

Don't bother doing the math, I've already done it: that is 13 out of the starting 22 that are either playing at a Pro Bowl level or have in the least improved their game. On special teams, Graham and Rackers have played nearly flawlessly, and LSH has been an upgrade on kick returns and return coverage.

This team has more character, even when they lose. In my not so humble opinion, the Titans game was a huge character win despite the loss. MattLeinart had some things to prove that day, and he did. There were more players making plays in that game than most I've seen. True, the Cardinals again let a QB execute another two-minute drill to perfection—their Achilles heel—and lost the game, but they can't win them all can they?

Finally, I have to talk about head coach Ken Whisenhunt for a moment. He has a methodical, patient approach, and his teams' progress is a reflection of that. In his first season he took an under-achieving talent-laden squad to their first 8-8 record in many moons. Last year they improved to 9-7, but caught fire and made it to their first-ever Super Bowl. This year their weaknesses have been shored up even moreso—defensively they are more consistent and the rushing attack is better—and the Cardinals have cleared yet another hurdle. Now, my fellow Arizona fans, the Cardinals are becoming one of the elite teams in the NFL right before our very eyes.

As I recall the 12 games played to date briefly below, by my count the 8-4 record can be broken down as follows:

Of the four losses, two were respectably played games that ended in a loss (Week 1 vs. 49ers and Week 12 vs. Titans), and two were games that the Cardinals simply laid an egg (Week 3 vs. the Colts and Week 8 vs. the Panthers).

Of the eight wins, all of them had at least two quarters of completely dominating play by Arizona.

The word dominate is used repeatedly on purpose to drive home my point.

1. San Francisco L 16-20 (0-1): Hard fought game, division rival.

It can be said that with the departure of Todd Haley, the flow of the Cardinals' offense wasn't quite in sync with Ken Whisenhunt's first time out calling plays in awhile.

Held Frank Gore to 30 yards on 22 carries.

2. @ Jacksonville W 31-17 (1-1): The Cardinals' nemesis last regular season was winning on the road. In their first attempt, they completely dominated Jacksonville for three quarters.

Jacksonville's 17 points were a little deceiving as it came up against prevent defense.

Held Maurice Jones-Drew to 66 yards on 13 carries, but 36 came on one run.

3. Indianapolis L 10-31 (1-2): After a promising start to the game, this was a poor all-around effort by the Cardinals.

They were flat and out of sorts in all phases for most of the game.

Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, and Pierre Garçon embarrassed Arizona, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in particular.

4. BYE WEEK

5. Houston W 28-21 (2-2): Arizona again completely dominated for three quarters.

When they went to prevent defense, Matt Schaub and company mounted a comeback.

A goal-line stand by Arizona prevented the Texans from tying to force overtime.

6. @ Seattle W 27-3 (3-2): Arizona completely dominated this game from start to finish.

One of their most complete wins in team history.

Held Matt Hasselbeck to 112 yards passing and Seattle to 14 yards rushing on 11 carries.

7. @ NY Giants W 24-17 (4-2): In a signature win, the Cardinals stymied the Giants who were 5-1 before this game, by forcing four turnovers and holding last year's best rushing team to 107 total yards on the ground.

The Giants could only muster three second-half points.

8. Carolina L 21-34 (4-3): Another poor all-around effort by the Cardinals, who were dominated by the previously stagnant Panthers, in a revenge game.

The Cardinals had embarrassed the Panthers last postseason on their home turf, and the Panthers returned the favor.

Arizona came into the game with the top ranked run defense, but were exploited for 270 ground yards.

9. @ Chicago W 41-21 (5-3): Cardinals rebound nicely by dominating the Bears. It was 31-7 at halftime.

In prevent defense, the Bears got back into the game. Matt Leinart helped them out by throwing an INT on his only attempt, and was immediately replaced with Warner.

10. Seattle W 31-20 (6-3): Seattle gave it everything they had, playing maybe their best game of the season, only to lose by 11 points to a superior team.

11. @ St. Louis W 21-13 (7-3): With Kurt Warner at the helm, the Cardinals were cruising with a 21-3 halftime lead.

He suffered a concussion at the end of the second quarter however, and the still rusty Leinart was unable to lead the team to points.

The defense held strong and mopped up, securing the win.

12. @ Tennessee L 17-20 (7-4): Playing the hot Titans, who had won four straight, without Warner.

Leinart improved, and the Cardinals held a 17-13 advantage with two minutes remaining before Vince Young's now instant classic, 18-play 99-yard drive, won the game on the last play of the game for Tennessee.

An all around well-played game by both sides.

13. Minnesota W 30-17 (8-4): Many pundits weighed in and very few gave the Cardinals a chance leading up to kickoff. The Vikings had been anointed the best all-around team by some, with only one loss in 11 attempts coming in. BrettFavre had only thrown three picks, but threw two in this one. Jared Allen was held without a stat, and Adrian Peterson was held to 19 yards on 13 carries. After giving up a 7-0 lead early sparked by Tim Hightower's fumble on the second play of the game, it was all Arizona.

What are your thoughts on the Cardinals season so far? Do you think they have achieved elite status, or is there still more work to be done?

Cardinals Dominate in 27-3 Win over the Seahawks

Pyromnc — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:00:35 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

2 months ago: Seattle Seahawks* quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, left, reacts to his fumble while Arizona Cardinals' Adrian Wilson (24) celebrates the turnover recovery by Arizona during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

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In week five the Arizona Cardinals had to sweat out a win that required a goal line stand in the final minutes against the Houston Texans. In week six they would not sweat so much, as they lead the whole game and played very well on all three sides of the ball (special teams, offense, and defense). They were able to do things in this game that has troubled them all season including, protecting Warner, giving up big play, and turning over the ball in the red zone. Everything for the most part went the Cardinals way in a big win in Seattle.

The Good:

The passing game played almost near perfect football in this game. Kurt Warner completed 32 of 41 passes (78 completion percentage) for 276 yards and 2 touchdowns. Warner spread all those completions between seven receivers but the two players that had the biggest impact of the receiver were Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston. Fitz caught nearly every pass thrown to him racking up 13 of them and also did what he does best and that is catch a touchdown in the end zone to give the Cardinals the first touchdown of the day. Breaston pulled of his best Fitz impersonation with some amazing catches and he would finish with seven catches and a touchdown. The pass protection also held up very nicely, allowing two sacks but not much pressure on Warner. Overall this is what we want to see out of the passing game.

The defense played extremely well today allowing just 14 total yards rushing on 11 carries (1.27 yards per carry) and held Matt Hasselbeck to just 10 completions on 29 throws. The rushing defense is nothing new as they were ranked seventh in the league coming into this game but the passing defense was a different story. They came in 32nd against the pass allowing more than 300 yards passing a game and nine total passing touchdowns. Much of this is because the defense has not been able to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. That all changed today, as it seemed Hasselbeck was getting hit on every play and went down for a total of five sacks. We all knew the Cardinals defense is loaded with talent and it decided to show in today's game.

Special Teams played pretty well in this game. They had a nice fumble recover in the 1st quarter on a short kickoff by Neil Rackers. They also had nice coverage holding Justin Forsett to just an average of seven yards per punt return and holding the kick returners to an average of 20 yards on three returns. The punter, Ben Graham, also played pretty well punting 6 times for an average of 37.8 yards but four of those punts went inside the 20. The only bad play by special teams was they allowed Seattle's punter to complete a 42 yard pass to the John Carlson that would lead to their only points in the game, a field goal.

The Bad:

The Running game finally got a considerable amount of work but they did not prove much as they ran 26 times for just 62 yards (2.4 ypc). They did start the game off pretty good as they ran 8 times for 31 yards (3.9 ypc) and 1 touchdown. After that there was not much to rave about as they would run 18 more times for 31 yards (1.7 ypc). With that many carries you would like to see much more production but at least they did not fumble the ball in the red zone, something that has seemed to plague the running game this season.

Turnovers continue to be a problem for this team as they give up two more in this game. The first one was a fumble by Warner, something he has a history of as we all know. This one was not completely on Warner as the protection broke down and Levi Brown allowed Patrick Kerney to get by him and strip Warner but Warner has got to hold onto the ball. The second one was an interception by Warner as he just heaved the ball to the end zone hoping to get a touchdown to end the half but ended up going into safety Jordan Babineaux's hands. Overall the Cardinals did a better job of holding onto the ball but they still need to stop turning it over.

The Ugly:

The Cardinals continue to have too many penalties in games. This week they had a total of 7 turnovers going for 76 yards. Most of these came from the offensive line as they had five of them, three false starts and two offensive holding calls. The have got to stop as they are coming on important drives. The first holding call, by Deuce Lutui, came on a rushing play by Beanie Wells that went for six yards and a first down that got brought back to 2nd and 11. The next one came on 2nd and 13 and Tim Hightower had a rushing play for 11 yards and that got brought back because of a holding call by Lyle Sendlein making it 2nd and 23. The false starts can be understandable in Seattle but they came on relatively quiet plays. They have to get better at not committing these penalties. The other two penalties were defensive pass interference on linebacker Gerald Hayes and Delay of game on Ben Graham.

Overall the Cardinals played well, and looked a lot more like that team that went to the Super Bowl last season. This team will have a tough game next week as they go to New York to face a pissed off Giants team.They will need to play like they did today if they want to win this game, something they have not been able to consistently do on a weekly basis. How do you think we played this week? Can we go into Giants stadium next week and beat the Giants?

Arizona Cardinals vs Indianapolis Colts: Offense Break's'down

Andrew602 — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:00:37 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

2 months ago: Arizona Cardinals running back Tim Hightower (34) fumbles as Indianapolis Colts cornerback Melvin Bullitt makes the hit during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009, in Glendale, Ariz. The Colts recovered the ball. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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When the team took the field on Sunday night, one of the last things you'd expect from the Cardinals was for their offense to struggle, and that's exactly what they did. With 14:20 left in the 2nd quarter, running back Tim Hightower put the football on the ground. Plain and simple. Whenever that happens you can never expect the team to win the game. After that, the score was never close. If the Cardinals want to make any attempt at the playoffs at all this season, they'll need to buckle up and take the drivers seat. Right now they're riding shotgun and don't have control of where they're going. So many things went right for this team last week, and yet it seemed as though so many things went wrong on Sunday. I won't spend this segment looking for the positives, because there were none. Let's do our best to tackle the biggest areas of concern for this offense.

The running game. Or lack thereof should I say. The running game was never a factor in this game from the opening kick off, to the end. After learning the recipe for success in the playoffs last year, you'd think the team would understand...run the football. If you can't run in the NFL, you will never go anywhere, literally. Last week they ran for over 100 yards and dominated their opponent. This week, they ran for a measly 24 yards and not one of those runs earned a first down for the team. Call it what you want, but they had success early running on the ground through two games. They also faced a team that had just given up 200+ yards the week before. Either the team was that discouraged running against the Colts, or they just never game planned for it.

Zero rushing first downs
24 total rushing yards
12 attempts, 2.0 average
2 Fumbles

Offensive line. This unit, quite possibly had one of their worst games as far as I can remember. Both tackles appeared slow and were beat to the punch time and time again. After a great 2008, Reggie Wells has slowly fell out of the mix after Sunday. The other two interior lineman, Deuce Lutui and Lyle Sendlein, don't appear to be playing at the level of the opposing defensive lines. This unit already couldn't run-block, but the lack of protection for Kurt Warner against the Colts has to be alarming. The expectations for this unit were high heading into the season. They've started next to each other going on three seasons, and we hoped they had built more camaraderie after playing in the super bowl. There's not a lot to evaluate, after they were out matched and out played on Sunday. Russ Grimm won't be a happy camper this week, and will likely look to drive this unit to improve dramatically, or we may see some changes along the line.

2 holding penalties
4 sacks allowed
24 rushing yards produced

Turnovers. The two turnovers in the end zone were perhaps the biggest factors of the game. The first came when the Cardinals were very close to taking a respectable 10-0 lead after Antrel Rolle's pick from Peyton Manning. Instead, Hightower fumbles the ball after a solid hit from an opponents helmet. That alone sucked all the momentum out of the Cardinals as a whole. The next came after a solid looking hurry up offense led by Warner all the way down to the 1 yard line. Instead of trying of the run, which would've been successful, they called a pass, in which Warner was picked off after a bobbled incompletion. Had they scored, the Cardinals would've went into half time with the deficit cut in half, 21-10. The final turnover came after a pass from Warner to Stephen Spach. At that point, the game had long been over. The Cardinals need to become more disciplined with the ball, because this team is not built to win if they lose the turnover battle. Some teams can handle it, the Cardinals cannot.

3 turnovers, 2 in red zone
2 fumbles, 1 lost

The bye week couldn't have came at a better time(if you ask me). It not only gives the Cardinals time to heal, both physically and mentally, But it also gives them a longer time to prepare and gameplan for the Houston Texans, a win that has become a must-need. What other concerns do you have with the offense thus far? Is there any roster changes or play calling that you'd fix?

The Saturday Sim: Cardinals vs 49ers

Andrew602 — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 07:59:09 -0000

Towards the end of last season, I had an idea that didn't lift off too much with the community. The idea came to me as I was playing a game of Madden '09 and thought, "We should sim a game between the Cardinals and whoever they play that week". But soon after, my idea floated away, only to come back this year at the start of the season. So to get where I'm going, we'll be incorporating a new segment every Saturday called the "Saturday Sim". If you haven't figured it out yet, I'll sim the game(watch the entire game) between the Cardinals and whoever they play for that given week. I figure that a lot of us probably play Madden, and would be curious as to the results of the simulation. It can be an accurate simulation, as the players are each rated based on their play in real life. The teams also feature custom playbooks as well. In other words, this is the best simulation you can get for being a video game.

Before I get started, let me say that this is still in testing and I may make some tweaks down the road. The way it will be currently set up is 7 minute quarters. I have the difficulty set as All-Madden, and the penalties slightly turned up to give it some realism. I also set the clock to be accelerated, because if I don't the score could get out of hand. At this point, I sit and watch the whole game, andI'll then post the score on Saturdays, along with some stats and play by play results. I'll also try to feature some pictures from the game, as you can see below. With that being said, here's the results from the game.

1st Quarter
Warner and the offense march up the field at ease to start the game, throwing more then passing. At mid-field, Warner throws a pass over the middle to Anquan Boldin, who then breaks several tackles(I count 4), only to waltz into the end zone 48 yards later. Cards lead 7-0.
On the 49ers first throw, Vernon Davis caughs up a fumble forced by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, recovered by Gerald Hayes. A few plays later and Kurt Warner capitalizes on the turnover by throwing a 13 yard touchdown to Larry Fitzgerald. Cards lead 14-0.

2nd Quarter
The 49ers start with good field position, only for the offense to burn out, and are forced to punt.
Once the Cardinals receive the ball, they drive down the field. The drive almost stalls due to a hold by Reggie Wells. It's not a problem, as Warner throws yet another touchdown to Steve Breaston, this time for 8 yards. Cards lead 21-0.
On the 49ers next possession, they abandon the run. Shaun Hill converts 2 first downs, and the 49ers are driving. Hill throws a beauty over the middle to a wide open Frank Gore, who runs it in for a 54 yard touchdown. Cards lead 21-7.
On the Cardinals next drive, a hold on Lyle Sendlein forces a punt. A three and out is committed by the 49ers, and they head into the half losing. Their defense looks like it is tightening up. Cards lead 21-7 at the half.

3rd Quarter
The 49ers receive at the 2nd half, but again start slow, and don't ever threaten. The Cardinals offense still looks impressive, as they move the ball with ease. The Cardinals score the only touchdown of the quarter to Fitzgerald for 8 yards. The 49ers run into another three and out. Cards lead 28-7.

4th Quarter
The Cardinals begin the 4th quarter with a drive finally featuring some nice runs, and cap it off with another touchdown to Fitz, this time for 20 yards. Cards lead 35-7.
The 49ers can't seem to muster much offense, and run into another 3 and out. The Cardinals continue to run, and rack a 51 yard field goal. Cards lead 38-7.
The 49ers again can't seem to the move the ball in the last few minutes. They try some trickory with a fake spike, but it doesn't fool the Cardinals as the game ends.

Final Score - Arizona Cardinals 38, San Francisco 49ers 7

Cardinals		49ers
362	Total	174
39	Rush	13
0	TOs	1
3	Penalties	1
20:00	T.O.P.	8:00

Kurt Warner- 24/31 77%, 323 Yards, 5 TDs, 149.6, 8 different receivers
Shaun Hill - 14/23 60%, 161 Yards, 1 TD, 96.4

Tim Hightower - 13 Carries, 33 Yards
Frank Gore - 8 Carries, 13 Yards, 4 Catches, 61 Yards, 1 TD

Larry Fitzgerald- 6 Catches, 76 Yards, 3 TDs
Anquan Boldin - 3 Catches, 67 Yards, 1 TD
Josh Morgan - 5 Catches, 63 Yards

Final Thought -Overall I'd have to say the Cardinals looked great in this game. The offense was able to pass without a problem, although they did had trouble running. The defense virtually shut down the 49ers. The 49ers were never able to do much offensively, and the defense was playing catch up for the entire game. I know it's just a Madden sim, but I'd be happy with these results on Sunday. Only time will tell if this comes anywhere close to the outcome, but it's sure interesting to try and guess. And just so you know, I believe the game will be a lot closer then the score here. Any thoughts on this simulation?

Arizona Cardinals Top Ten Irreplaceable Players

Hawkwind — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:03:04 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Kurt Warner and Tim Hightower are both among the top ten irreplaceable Arizona Cardinals but who else makes the cut? (AP Photo/ David Zalubowski )

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The Arizona Cardinals are on the door step of the most important season in franchise history. Just nine months removed from the their first ever Super Bowl berth the team must deal with unprecedented pressure from expectations and the pressure that comes with playing as the hunted instead of the hunter. The Cardinals will no longer fly under the radar or be an overlooked opponent. Every week the opposing team will know that the reigning NFC Champion will be on the opposite sideline and every week that opponent will bring their 'A' game because of that fact. Another major challenge for the Cardinals will be staying healthy. The Red Birds were one of the healthier teams in the league in 2008 and the "law of averages" will tell you that they'll have a hard time repeating that for a second consecutive season. With all of that in mind, we'll take a look at the most irreplaceable players on the Arizona Cardinals roster. Factoring in depth and the dropoff in performance from starter to backup will help us put them in order from ten to one.

#10 - Lyle Sendlein: Sendlein struggled mightily at times during his first year as a starter but the third year player has looked quite impressive during the preseason despite facing three dominating nose tackles in Casey Hampton, Jamal Williams and B.J. Raji. Sendlein's value not only lies in his improved play but also in the value of the depth at center. Ben Claxton is expected to be his backup but Claxton is a 29 year old player with a grand total of two games worth of experience.

#9 -Tim Hightower or Chris Wells: Hightower and Wells are 'one in the same' for this exercise because losing either one for a significant period of time would put too much pressure on the other to shoulder the load by himself. The Cardinals want to run the ball more this year and they'll need both backs healthy and productive in order for them to accomplish their goal. Jason Wright and LaRod Stephens-Howling may find their way onto the field in third down situations but either one of them getting a significant number of carries will not a be a good sign.

#8 -Gerald Hayes - Hayes doesn't get the attention or praise that he should but when he's on the field all he does it make play after play. He won't lead Sportcenter's Top 10 on Sunday nights or earn a trip to the Pro Bowl but he's one of the quiet, dedicated, reliable 'worker ants' that every winning team needs. Over the past three seasons he hasn't missed a game and has averaged 93 tackles per year. His veteran leadership combined with the fact that the Cardinals have very little depth at inside linebacker make his presence irreplaceable.

#7 -Steve Breaston - You might be wondering why a third wide receiver is irreplaceable but it's Breaston's total package that the Cards would miss. First, Breaston the only receiver who can simply run by a corner on any given play and beat a defense with the deep ball. Second and more importantly is Breaston's role on special teams. As the primary punt returner and most likely the primary kick returner, his value to the team can not be measured. If he were to go down you'd have to bump up Jerheme Urban, who's a talented receiver but not near the threat that Breaston is, to the slot receiver and you'd probably see Antrel Rolle get the first crack at punt returner.

#6 -Kurt Warner - It goes without saying that Warner is vitally important to what the Cardinals do offensively and they simply wouldn't be the same team if he were to go down. He'd be higher on this list though if Matt Leinart hadn't have had such an impressive preseason. Still though Leinart is a different type of quarterback and the offense would have to become more ground-oriented if he was the starting quarterback. Simply put, the way this team is currently constructed Kurt Warner is the guy that we need under center.

#5 -Darnell Dockett - Nine-0, as he prefers to be called now, is not only the team's best defensive lineman but he's the only one capable of shooting through the offensive line and wreaking havoc in an opponents backfield on any given play. If he were to go down, Kenny Iwebema would have to step in and they are completely different types of players. Dockett is essential to what the Cardinals hope to accomplish up front and the Cardinals need him to not only pressure the quarterback and penetrate the line of scrimmage but also to stay healthy.

#4 - Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie or Bryant McFadden - The combo of DRC and McFadden are essential not so much because of their talents, although neither of them is too shabby, but instead because of the lack of quality depth behind them. If either of the Cards starting corners were to go down they'd be forced to push Ralph Brown into the starting lineup and talented but extremely raw rookie Greg Toler into the nickel slot. Brown has plenty of veteran savvy that's allowed him to survive in the NFL for nine seasons but he's not starting material at this point and Toler has proven that he's not ready for significant snaps yet either.

#3 - Mike Gandy - By now you've probably looked down this list and you're wondering (or maybe screaming) how Gandy can make the list but Larry Fitzgerald's name is no where to be found. Gandy's status as an irreplaceable player has more to do with the lack of depth behind him than the actual quality of his play. His primary backup, Elliot Vallejo, has already be injured and subsequently cut. As a result the Cards are left with shuffling their offensive line completely if Gandy goes down. Coach Whiz has said that Levi Brown would move to left tackle and either Brandon Keith or Herman Johnson would step in at RT. Either way that plays out you'd have one player taking his first ever NFL snap at LT and one guy taking his first ever starting NFL snap. Any way that you slice it, the loss of Gandy would constitute a significant drop (at two positions) off from an already not spectacular quality of play.

#2 -Adrian Wilson - This one is pretty self explanatory, no one on this roster can do what Adrian Wilson does when he's on the football field. Against the pass he's capable of covering tight ends, backs and most receivers and also know for making game changing picks. Against the run he's basically another linebacker and his speed and instincts allow him to diagnose plays in a instant. Oh and he's quite possibly the most devastating blitzer on the team as well. If A-dub went down there would be some scrambling to fill his shoes and there are several possibilities. The Cards could move Matt Ware into the starting lineup or they could move Antrel Rolle over to strong safety and insert rookie Rashad Johnson in at free safety. Neither of those scenarios is particularly favorable.

#1 - Karlos Dansby - With the lack of depth at linebacker, Dansby had to headline this list. He's the leading tackler, the defensive signal caller and he's capable of punishing an offense in every way imaginable. He's strong enough to stuff a run up the middle, quick enough to shut down an outside sweep, fluid enough to drop into coverage and explosive enough to blow by opposing offensive lineman and pressure the quarterback. If Dansby were to go down the Cards would probably move Hayes into his spot and try to fill Hayes' spot with either Ali Highsmith or undrafted rookie Reggie Walker. Needless to say the Red Birds need Dansby to be healthy and productive in 2009.

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Ok, now it's your turn. Am I crazy for not listing Fitz or Anquan Boldin? Who else did I leave off?

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)

View full size photo »

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 Fight For 53: Examining the Bubble Players by Position

Hawkwind — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:52:26 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

3 months ago: Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson, right, picks up an eight-yard gain as Arizona Cardinals cornerback Ralph Brown pulls him down during the first half of an NFL preseason football game Friday, Aug. 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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It's simply the nature of the NFL that 22 players who currently call themselves Arizona Cardinals, will be unemployed by the end of this coming weekend. The bad news will be given to hundreds of players across the NFL within the next week and many will be left hoping for a place on some team's practice squad or maybe the newly formed UFL. Before anyone has to worry about their new football home though, the bubble players will have one last shot to impress the coaching staff this Thursday when the Cardinals travel to Denver to take on the Broncos. Here's a quick list at the battles at various positions.

Kreider vs. Castille: With four running backs expected to make the final roster, thanks to LaRod Stephens-Howling's impressive play over the past month, the Cardinals are expected to carry just one fullback. That leaves three guys, Dan Kreider, Tim Castille and Reagan Maui'a, fighting for one spot, although truth be told it's really just a battle between Krieder and Castille. No one has really established themselves and each guy brings something different to the table. Krieder is hands down the better blocker and he's a "Whiz-guy" but Castille's versatility out of the backfield and prowess on special teams gives him a shot.

Long versus the Unknown: The only real question for the Cardinals to answer at wide receiver is how many they want to carry. Assuming that Early Doucet's recent rib injury won't effect his roster status, the teams top six wide outs are virtually set in stone (Fitz, Q, Breaston, Urban, Doucet and Morey). That leaves fan favorite Lance Long fighting for a spot that simply might not be there, but the team has carried seven wide receivers before. The injury risk of a couple of those guys and Long's ability to contribute on special teams leaves the door open. At this point Orea Jones, who's been impressive during the preseason, is simply showcasing himself to other teams or hoping for a practice squad job.

Brown vs. Ross: The offensive line is sort of the in the same predicament as the wide receiver spot considering that they've got quite a few semi-capable bodies but not enough roster spots for everyone. What we know is that Gandy, Wells, Sendlein, Lutui, Levi Brown, Keith and Johnson are all locks make the final 53. If you're counting that's seven bodies and most squads carry eight or nine (although the Cards have kept ten before). That leaves two or maybe three spots up for grabs. One of the spots will undoubtedly be filled by a center and that battle seems to have boiled down to Ben Claxton versus Melvin Fowler. Fowler has a huge edge in experience and would seem to be the front runner but don't count out Claxton's familiarity with the offense. Assuming that the backup center spot is filled by one of these two (but not both), that leaves eight guys with Elton Brown, Trevor Canfield, Carlton Medder and Oliver Ross on the outside looking with one or two spots to fill. Of these remaining four, I'd have to say the top two are Brown and Ross and they'd be battling for the final spot or could be the final two in, if the team decides to keep 10 offensive lineman.

Unknown at Tight End: As we stated yesterday the only thing we really know about the tight end spot is that we really don't know anything. The best bet right now is that Ben Patrick is essentially assured of the roster spot to start the season but that's only because he won't count against the 53 until his four game suspension is over. With that in mind, we'll set him aside and just look at the remainder. The Cardinals in the past have carried as few as two tight ends and as many as four so it's possible that Stephen Spach, Leonard Pope, Anthony Becht and Dominique Byrd could all make the opening day roster, but that's probably a stretch considering how little the tight end is used in the passing game. Our best bet is that three with make the opening day 53 (not counting Patrick remember) with either Pope or Byrd getting cut.

Branch vs. Dykes: This much we know on the defensive line, Darnell Dockett, Calais Campbell, Bryan Robinson, Kenny Iwebema and Gabe Watson are all locks, even though Watson looked terrible against the Packers. It's tough to look at the Caridnals historically to see how many defensive lineman they kept because the 3-4 defense requires less lineman and more linebackers, but we can be sure that Keilen Dykes, Alan Branch, Alex Field, Rodney Leisle are all at the very least on the bubble. I don't think there would be any debate to say that Dykes and Branch are the best of those four but it could come down to whether the Cardinals want to keep six or seven defensive lineman. If they chose to go with six DL, I think Branch would be the choice considering that Dykes has had serious problems stay healthy over the past two training camps. His inability to stay on the field probably means that the Cards could stash him on the practice squad for an eventful call up when someone gets hurt.

Linebackers Help: Outside of the starters at linebacker, Dansby, Hayes, Haggans and Okeafor, I'm not sure that anyone is assured of a roster spot. Bertrand Berry would seem like a lock but he's done a complete disappearing act so far during the preseason. Victor Hobson, Will Davis and perhaps even Reggie Walker would seem like the next closest thing to locks. Hobson has experience in a 3-4 and can play inside and out while Davis and Walker have been impressive over the past couple of games. There's also Ali Highsmith who's failed to produce the same kind of buzz that he did last year. Chase Bullock and David Holloway round out the rest of the roster but neither of them have done much to warrant a roster spot. If the Cards had to decide today, I'm thinking that they'd keep the starters plus Berry, Hobson, Davis and Walker although this could be one position that gets an upgrade once other teams make their cuts.

Ware vs. Adams: There will be some tough decisions made in the secondary where it would seem that Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Bryant McFadden, Adrian Wilson, Antrel Rolle, Rashad Johnson and Ralph Brown are all locks to make the squad. Brown has struggled in the preseason but so has the depth behind him so it's highly doubtful that his spot is in jeopardy. With six locks that leaves Aaron Francisco, Greg Toler, Matt Ware, Michael Adams, Jameel Dowling and Wilrey Fontenot fighting for what will probably end up being eight or nine spots. Francisco and Toler are certainly the front-runners of the bubble group so the real battle comes down to Ware versus Adams. It's possible that the team could keep all ten members of the secondary, they've done it before, but nine is a more manageable number. Ware has much more experience with the regular defense and is probably the more talented player but Adams' standout performances on special teams give him a shot.

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Thoughts? Who wins these battles and who makes your final 53?

Cardinals vs Chargers: 10 Things to Watch for

Andrew602 — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 11:00:21 -0000

It's game day and the Arizona Cardinals are set to take on the San Diego Chargers only hours from now. The Chargers have come to Arizona, ~~hoping to establish themselves as one of the most dominant teams in the NFL in 2009~~ okay they're just hoping to take part in this preseason match up and evaluate rookies. Either way it's football action and more importantly, it's Cardinals football. So before you watch the game later today, here's 10 things to watch for during the game in no particular order...

The Cardinals return to University of Phoenix Stadium. It's been 8 long months since the Cardinals last played at home and the reunion should be great. The atmosphere should be intense as it always is. We might just get a glimpse of those banners that get hung up.
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie vs Antonio Cromartie. The cousins match up against each other for the first time in their careers. Although it's only a preseason game, can we expect some family rivalry to happen? Both want to establish themselves as two of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, and they're getting close.
Shawne Merriman vs Mike Gandy. As mentioned yesterday, Gandy needs to step his game up, especially against the top pass rushers in the league. Merriman also has something to prove as he missed the entire 2008 season with an injured knee. Will the Gandy that was solid all 2008 show up, or will the Gandy that got owned in the Super Bowl show up to this game?
Kurt Warner's return to being 100%. We saw last week what the recovered hip was doing to Warner. He was seen grimacing at times, and even had a limp as he walked away from an interview. The Cardinals success for 2009 is riding on Warner's hip as of now. He will likely play to the second quarter, and the Cardinals will need him to stay as healthy as possible.
Lyle Sendlein vs Jamal Williams. Lyle already faced a tough tackle in Casey Hampton last week, and things don't get much easier as he faces a huge Jamal Williams today. This is a very interesting match up to watch for, as Lyle has been regarded as too small at times.

Gerald Hayes vs LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles. In the playoffs last year, the Cardinals gave Gerald Hayes one job and one job only; mirror the running back. After re-watching last weeks game, I noticed that on every run play, Hayes had his eyes always on the running back. I'm not positive about this, but it could be a possibility that Hayes job in '09 is to mirror the running back every game. Watch for this.

How LaRod Stephens-Howling handles his second game. Much of us were anticipating LSH's first game, and although he showed some promise, he virtually did nothing. It may have been the bright lights,or that it was his first ever game, but this week, LSH gets a chance to not only run the ball, but we should see him return some kicks as well.

The battle at the tight end position. It's been an on going question mark on the offense for years, and Whiz hopes to solve it this year with the 5 tight ends that are currently on roster. All possess their own skills, but no one can multitask. Only one tight end needs to stand out to be named the starter, but which one will it be?

Chris Beanie Wells finally in action? We thought today was going to be Wells first NFL game, but after aggravating his ankle again in practice, it's now a toss up. If he does suit up, and actually play, then this has to be one of the things to watch for. It should also be interesting to see how he does against a talented defense in the Chargers.

The rookies on defense. Last week, many of us expected much more from the 4 rookies that were added to the defense through the draft. The only player that stood out was cornerback Greg Toler. When the second and third string defense hits the field, watch for Cody Brown, Rashad Johnson, Will Davis, and Toler to make any sort of impact on this game.

Well there you have it...10 things to watch for in today's game versus the Chargers. The best thing to watch for is just seeing our redbirds in action. What are you looking most forward to seeing? Is there any interesting match ups? Or are you looking forward to seeing the Chargers in action?

ROTB Interviews Football Outsiders' Bill Barnwell About All Things Arizona Cardinals

Hawkwind — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:31:12 -0000

We've introduced the greatness known as Football Outsiders a couple of times here at ROTB and we'll continue to incorporate their unique analysis of the NFL as time goes on, but for now the managing editor of FO, Bill Barnwell, has been kind enough to sit and answer some Arizona Cardinals related questions. First for those of you who don't know, Football Outsiders has published the Pro Football Prospectus in the past but this year they are calling it the Football Outsiders Almanac 2009 and a pdf version of the book can be purchased here.

For those who have never heard of FO at all, here is a quick description of their mission and other FAQ's:

Football Outsiders brings you a series of brand new, in-depth statistics you can't find anywhere else. With these stats, we will attempt to bring objective analysis to football that matches the revolution in baseball writing and analysis over the past 20 years. We have new methods for analyzing skill players, offensive and defensive lines, special teams, and total team efficiency.

We tried to focus on questions that not only effected the Cardinals on-the-field play but also some of the upcoming decisions that they'll have to make while also introducing as many of their different metrics as possible. Hopefully the result will give us all a good introduction to a site that is revolutionizing the way that some statistics are viewed. And for those of you who have been waiting to scream, "we get no stinkin' respect" from the hills, I think you'll have some new ammunition now......

ROTB - The Cardinals will face a major decision next off season when Karlos Dansby comes up for free agency. He certainly wants to be paid like a top tier linebacker in this league but how does he measure up with other elite middle linebackers according to FO's metrics?

Bill Barnwell - Football Outsiders keeps a stat called Defeats that basically totals turnovers, negative-yardage plays, and third- and fourth-down stops. In each of the last two seasons, Karlos Dansby has led the Cardinals in Defeats, and ranked in the top 20 of all players in the league. Most of the league leaders are sack masters, the DeMarcus Wares and Jared Allens of the world. Dansby, on the other hand, chips in with a little bit of everything. Last year, for example, he only collected four sacks, but added nine stuffs, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions, finishing with 26 Defeats. So we know he makes big plays.

Meanwhile, we also keep track of total Plays -- tackles, forced fumbles, recovered fumbles, passes defensed, interceptions. We then calculate percentage of team Plays for each defender. Dansby has been ridiculously consistent in this regard, ranking 17th among linebackers in 2007 and 16th last year. So we know he spends a lot of time cleaning up after his teammates.

We have other stats to measure Dansby's ability to play the run. We have a stat called Stop Rate that measures what share of a player's run tackles held opponents to short gains. We also have the average yards gained on each player's run tackles. Dansby's numbers here are up and down. He ranked 54th in Stop Rate in 2007, but 20th in average yards allowed on run tackles. Last year, though, those rankings virtually flipped; Dansby ranked 30th in Stop Rate, but 59th in average yards. It's a little hard to draw conclusions with numbers this erratic. However, given Dansby's high number of defeats and total plays, it seems like he either makes plays in the backfield, or after 7-yard gains, but not often anywhere in between.

Finally, we track how often each defender was targeted in pass coverage, Success Rate, which measures how often he held receivers to incompletions or short gains, and Adjusted Yards Per Pass allowed. "Adjusted" in this case means we take the quality of the receiver into account -- it's harder to cover Andre Johnson than it is to cover Andre Davis. There's no confusion here: Dansby has ranged from bad to awful in pass coverage, ranking 43rd or worse in both metrics in each of the last two seasons. Last year, he was 75th in Success Rate, and 86th in average yards allowed.

So we're left with a player who's something of a boom-or-bust defender, a guy who will chip in plenty of big plays that end drives immediately, but will also surrender first downs that keep a drive alive, especially in pass coverage. He's clearly the Cardinals' top linebacker, and he'd be the top linebacker on about half the teams in the league. At the same time, about half the teams in the league have at least one linebacker this good. Whether that makes him an elite player or not is, I guess, an argument of semantics.

ROTB - (after hearing Bill's answer we had to do a quick follow-up concerning Gerald Hayes) I've got one follow-up question concerning Dansby vs. Gerald Hayes. Hayes has long been an after thought amongst the Cardinals linebackers but after reading your description of the various defensive metrics I went back and compared the two. While it looks like Hayes doesn't make as many big plays (defeats), his stop rate is identical, his yards per play is less against the run and pass and his success rate is better against the pass. I guess my question would be two-fold, are Hayes' stats similar in past seasons and is it reasonable to assume that his stats might look better because he's on the field less, especially in passing situations (assuming that the average pass play goes for more yards than the average run play)?

BB - Here's how Dansby and Hayes have fared in our basic defensive stats over the past three seasons. I added in overall stop rate, which measures the share of each player's plays that held the offense to short gains, run or pass:

Dansby Team Pct Defeats Stop% Run Stop Rush Yds Success% Pass Yds

2006 11.7% 23 62% 73 2.9 40% 10.4

2007 15.2% 27 53% 61 2.7 43% 6.1

2008 15.8 26 59% 69 3.6 40% 8.6

Hayes Team Pct Defeats Stop% Run Stop Rush Yds Success% Pass Yds

2006 13.8% 15 53% 67% 3.6 45% 6.4

2007 12.4% 20 56% 64% 3.2 47% 7.5

2008 12.4% 15 59% 65% 3.2 47% 6.8

Note that in 2006 Dansby played a more traditional 3-4 outside linebacker role, playing close to the line. He had 8 sacks that year, and you can see the difference in his run defense numbers (and a corresponding drop in his Team Percentage -- he made fewer plays back then, but when he did, they were big ones). Note also that Success Rate is a measurement of how often the defender succeeds, so higher is better. Dansby has been awful in pass coverage for three seasons running now. Hayes hasn't been all that great himself.

Your second question is trickier to answer. Defensive stats are kind of nebulous, and are open to interpretation. Suppose the Seahawks, for example, run right at Hayes and he gets blocked out of the play, then Dansby comes over to make the tackle, but the runner has already gained seven yards. In a play like that, Hayes is the one who failed, but his numbers won't change (aside from a tiny dip in Team Percentage). Dansby, though, will see his Team Percentage rise, but his Stop Rate will go down and Average Run Yards will go up.

But going with the data we have, we can draw three conclusions:

Dansby makes more big plays than Hayes.

Dansby also makes more little plays than Hayes.

On the whole, Dansby's average play is about as effective as Hayes' average play.

Based on that, it looks like Dansby is the superior player, but the gap may not be as wide as most Cardinals fans believe.

ROTB - Cardinals fans are ecstatic about the potential at cornerback with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Bryant McFadden. Some of us thought that opposing teams tried to stay away from DRC down the stretch last season, proving that he's got 'shutdown potential' in his future. Do the stats back up that theory and how did DRC and McFadden rank amongst their peers last season?

BB - If that trend existed, it isn't reflected in our charting numbers. Let's divide the season into three parts: Weeks 1 to 3, when Rodgers-Cromartie was not starting; Weeks 4 to 11, Rodgers-Cromartie's first start up to his two-interception game against Seattle; and Weeks 12 to 17, all games after that Seattle game. Here's how often the Cardinals' top three corners -- Rodgers-Cromartie, Roderick Hood, and Eric Green -- were targeted in those timeframes:

Targets

Week Hood Green DRC

1-3 16 11 7

4-11 41 19 31

12-17 31 9 36

At the end of the season, Hood and Green saw their targets go down, while Rodgers-Cromartie's targets went up. So if anything, teams were targeting DRC more often by the end of the season. Of course, that's only half the issue -- teams may have been picking on DRC, but were they successful? Like we did for Dansby, we can measure Arizona's top corners in Success Rate and Adjusted Yards Per Pass:

Success Rate Hood Green DRC

1-3 35% 55% 74%

4-11 56% 48% 52%

12-17 40% 46% 50%

Adj Yds Per Pass Hood Green DRC

1-3 8.6 5.3 4.9

4-11 6.1 13.4 5.5

12-17 10.5 7.4 7.7

In plain English, these numbers show that teams started throwing at DRC more often by the end of the year; that throws to DRC were not more likely to be completed; and that when they were completed, they were more likely to be big gains.

Breaking it down game by game, though, reveals some interesting details. The Giants threw 33 passes against Arizona, and 12 of them -- more than one-third -- were at DRC, usually when he was covering Domenik Hixon. But he allowed only seven completions for just 62 yards. New England threw at him seven times, usually to Randy Moss, and he allowed three completions for 100 yards, including a 76-yarder. In the other four games in that stretch, DRC was targeted only 4.3 times per game, allowing 2.5 completions for just 26 yards per game. Against Minnesota, DRC was targeted only once, an incompletion to Bernard Berrian. (He may have been the only Arizona defender to play well that day.) There were definitely some games when his receiver was a non-factor.

DRC's biggest problem may be his tackling issues. Even though he only started for a portion of the year, he allowed 200 yards after catch, the 17th highest figure in the league.

Over the course of the entire season, Rodgers-Cromartie ranked 34th among all cornerbacks in Success Rate, and 33rd in Adjusted Yard Per Pass. Considering there are 64 starting corners in the league, he was almost exactly average. That's a pretty good performance for a rookie, and he's likely to improve.

McFadden, meanwhile, marks a huge upgrade over either Green or Hood. He ranked 39th in Success Rate last season, but 26th in Adjusted Yards Per Pass. That's a similar overall performance to DRC, but slightly different in style; McFadden is more likely to allow completions, but less likely to allow big plays. He's a solid tackler, and that helps against the run as well. McFadden posted an 80 percent Stop Rate on rushing plays last year, tops among all cornerbacks in the league.

ROTB - FO attempts to differeniate the different positions on the offensive line and evaluate each position versus the run and pass. Given that, which positions need are better at run blocking vs. pass blocking and visa versa? If FO were to determine a 'weak link' in the Cardinals offensive line, who would it be?

BB - In a perfect world, you'd obviously want five guys on the line who each excelled at run and pass blocking. Realistically, you're usually looking for pass blocking from your tackles and run blocking from your center and guards. With that in mind, the Cardinals' offensive line appears to have been built inside out. We use a statistic called Adjusted Line Yards to measure run blocking. In a nutshell, this stat cuts down on the reward for long runs, but at the same time increases the penalties for runs that lose yards. The Cardinals were 31st in the league in ALY on runs up the middle, and about average on runs to either side. On the other hand, Reggie Wells, Lyle Sendlein, and Deuce Latui combined for just 5.5 blown blocks leading to sacks and hurries. That's a pretty good performance for interior linemen on a team that passes as often as Arizona does. Meanwhile, only ten left tackles had more blown blocks than Mike Gandy's 5.5, and Levi Brown's 8 blown blocks ranked second among right tackles. If I had to name one as a weak link, it would be Brown, because the Cardinals are a pass-first team. If they were a run-first team, I'd pick one of the interior guys. Regardless, plenty of room for improvement here across the board.

ROTB - If you had to pick one over rated player and one under rated player on this team, who would they be and why?

BB - Well, based on the first part of this essay, I'm tempted to name Rodgers-Cromartie as overrated. It's not like his playoff performance was off the charts. He held Roddy White to a bunch of short gains, picking off one pass. He played very well against Carolina, though his performance was overshadowed by Jake Delhomme's meltdown. But then he gave up a long go-ahead touchdown to DeSean Jackson in the NFC title game, and was covering Santonio Holmes for most of the day when Holmes was named Super Bowl MVP.

For underrated, I'll go with another member of the secondary, Adrian Wilson, who has been one of our favorite players for years. He was fifth among defensive backs last season in Stop Rate against runs, third in 2008, second in 2007. He's not as dominant in pass coverage, but he's still very effective. Consensus opinion is that Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu are the best safeties in the league, and I agree, but I'd put Wilson at the next level, and he badly outplayed Polamalu in the Super Bowl. He's an absolute stud, one of the best players in the league, but since the Cardinals have been so mediocre until last January, he wasn't the household name he deserves to be.

ROTB - I saw that according to FO's preseason statistics/rankings that the Cardinals were more likely to land a top three pick in next year's draft than a playoff spot, what exactly goes into those projections?

BB - I knew this was coming. Yes, the projection system thinks that Arizona is going to be very, very bad this year. When the first set of projections came out, we said that couldn't be right, and we kept going back to the drawing board, making tweaks to the formula, looking for ways the system may be misreading Arizona. But no matter what we did the Cardinals came out near the bottom.

To understand why, you have to think of Arizona not as the NFC Champions, and not as a team that won two playoff games at home and a third because the opposing quarterback collapsed. Think of them as a team that went 6-0 against the weaklings in the NFC West and 3-7 outside the division. Think of a team that scored one more point than they allowed over the regular season. Think of a team that was blown out by the Jets, Patriots, Vikings, and Eagles. Now that seems like a team ready to collapse.

Now consider that the key players to the Cardinals' offense all made it through the entire season intact. Arizona started the same five linemen in all 20 regular season and playoff games last year. That's ridiculous. For comparison, every one of Seattle's top five linemen were on injured reserve by season's end. It's hard to believe Arizona won't suffer a significant injury to a lineman this year, and if they do, it could be catastrophic -- there's nothing on the bench but a bunch of Day Two draftees lucky to have a job.

The other two most important cogs in the Cardinals machine are Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald, and they also played in every game (as opposing cornerbacks are only too aware). If Warner goes down -- and he has never gone two seasons in a row without missing a game -- will Leinart be able to keep things on track? If Fitz misses time, is there anyone who can fill his shoes? (And I don't limit that question to Arizona's roster -- if Fitzgerald's not playing, I don't know if there's a human being on the earth who could take over.)

Speaking of Warner, he is now 38, and it's very doubtful he'll be able to match last year's 4,583-yard, 30-touchdown performance. Here is a complete list of all quarterbacks age 38 or older who have thrown for more than 3,600 yards or 25 touchdowns in a season: Warren Moon and Brett Favre. That's it. Joe Montana couldn't do it, Dan Marino couldn't do it, John Elway couldn't do it. It's possible Warner will defy Father Time like Favre and Moon, but it's more likely that his numbers will decline by at least a thousand yards and a half-dozen touchdowns. This team can't afford to lose that kind of production.

The final obvious harbinger of doom is the upheaval among the coaching staff. Teams that lose coordinators tend to decline, and Arizona lost theirs on both sides of the ball.

For what it's worth, despite all their faults, I have more confidence in the Cardinals than the projection system does. I expect them to win seven or eight games and contend with Seattle for the division crown.

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There are obviously quite a few talking points in there so I'll just open it up to the floor. Agree on Dansby's not-so-elite status? Is DRC the most over rated person on this roster? Top three pick, really?

Dansby	Team Pct	Defeats	Stop%	Run Stop	Rush Yds	Success%	Pass Yds
2006	11.7%	23	62%	73	2.9	40%	10.4
2007	15.2%	27	53%	61	2.7	43%	6.1
2008	15.8	26	59%	69	3.6	40%	8.6

Hayes	Team Pct	Defeats	Stop%	Run Stop	Rush Yds	Success%	Pass Yds
2006	13.8%	15	53%	67%	3.6	45%	6.4
2007	12.4%	20	56%	64%	3.2	47%	7.5
2008	12.4%	15	59%	65%	3.2	47%	6.8

Targets
Week	Hood	Green	DRC
1-3	16	11	7
4-11	41	19	31
12-17	31	9	36

Success Rate	Hood	Green	DRC
1-3	35%	55%	74%
4-11	56%	48%	52%
12-17	40%	46%	50%

Adj Yds Per Pass	Hood	Green	DRC
1-3	8.6	5.3	4.9
4-11	6.1	13.4	5.5
12-17	10.5	7.4	7.7