SB Nation - Bertrand Berry

Arizona Cardinals News: McKinnie's Stance Tipped the Defense Edition?

Hawkwind — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:59:27 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

Could offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie's stance have led to the Arizona Cardinals defensive dominance on Sunday night? That's the rumor..... (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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The Arizona Cardinals enter Monday night's game with the 49ers with two major goals staring them in the face, beat a divisional opponent and win the NFC West. With a win the Cardinals secure their second consecutive NFC West title, and obviously a second straight trip to the post season, but first they're have to repay an opening week loss to the Bay Area boys.

Did Bryant McKinnie's 'tell' lead to the Vikings blowout loss? - Interesting conspiracy theory regarding the Cardinals defense being able to determine a run or pass play depending on McKinnie's stance.
Shutdown Corner defensive player of the week: Tamba Hali - Not one but two Cardinals' defenders were in the running for defensive player of the week (Bertrand Berry and Karlos Dansby).
Playoff matchup could favor Cardinals - An Arizona vs. Minnesota matchup in the playoffs seems probable and the Cardinals hold that advantage.
Mike Sando's MVP Watch - With his latest stellar performance, Warner joined Johnny Unitas as the only players in NFL history to post four consecutive games with a passer rating of 120 or higher, but does that make him a MVP candidate?

Cards' little guys making big impact - The Cardinals have seven players under 6 feet, and Stephens-Howling (5-7) and Adams (5-8) are the shortest. But they played large over the past two weeks. At Tennessee two weeks ago, Stephens-Howling, a running back, returned a kickoff for a touchdown and downed three punts inside the 5. Adams, a cornerback, played in passing situations last week against the Vikings and often was matched up against Percy Harvin, a favorite to win offensive rookie of the year honors.
Hard-hitting Cardinals shedding finesse label - The Arizona Cardinals are pummeling that "finesse team" label into submission. Sure, Kurt Warner throws some pretty passes and he has some marvelous receivers to catch them. But the Cardinals' tough side was on national display Sunday night in a dominating 30-17 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
Warner delivers outside the numbers - Warner is amazing outside of the numbers.
A healthy Boldin produces - Since then, Boldin has played at a Pro Bowl level, averaging 7 catches and 84 yards a game. He's scored three touchdowns. In his previous seven games, Boldin averaged five catches for 58 yards and score one touchdown. "He's certainly played well since then," Whisenhunt said. "The one thing you always worry about is having to fight those things (injuries) all year."
NFL assistants eye possible lockout - Assistant coaches throughout the league, including with the Cardinals, have their eyes on 2011. If a new collective-bargaining agreement with the players isn't reached by March of that year, the owners are expected to lock out the players. That could mean pay cuts or job losses for team employees, including assistant coaches.

Game Notes: Cardinals Crush Vikings, How?

Undrafteds — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:31:26 -0000

The two most important stats of the game: Adrian Peterson toted the rock 13 times for 19 yards, including an 11-yarder, and Jared Allen was blanked entirely from the stat sheet. No solo tackles, no assists, no sacks—no nothin'.
Jeremy Bridges deserves the game ball without question. To step in and play left tackle, a position he had never played, against one of the most feared defenders in the league and completely shut him down is miraculous. I know that Bridges received help from Ben Patrick and Tim Hightower and others, and that Allen was double-teamed for the majority of the contest, but Bridges did his job and Allen was dominated. That was an effort not many Pro Bowlers can muster, performed by a career back-up.
Maybe Anquan Boldin hasn't lost anything. Q turned in a two-TD effort while running after the catch like the Boldin of old. I had publicly questioned his form recently, trying to recall the last time I saw him running angry and breaking tackles. Last night proved to me that he still owns the fire, and apparently is fully healthy for the first time all season.
It was great to see Larry Fitzgerald become a focal point of the offense once more, and he produced with a season-high 143 yards, including his longest reception on the season with a 34-yarder.

When Tim Hightower fumbled the ball away on the second play of the game giving the Vikings excellent field position, it was easy to moan and groan and wonder if it was a sign of impending doom. Now that the game is over and we have more clarity when rehashing details, there is a positive spin to that blunder. Before fumbling, Hightower had run straight up the Vikings' gut for 10 yards on the Cardinals' first rushing attempt. This set the tone for the game, that the No.4 rushing defense was beatable and nothing to shy away from. The Cardinals totaled 113 yards on the ground against a team that had been allowing an average of only 84 per game. Tim Hightower continued his aggressive play by punishing defenders in his wake, and providing a lethal stiff-arm on his 32-yard romp.
Down 7-0 after handing the Vikings a scoring opportunity right out of the gate, Steve Breaston's 64-yard punt return was the spark that turned the game in the Cardinals favor. That makes two games in a row Arizona has gotten a big return from special teams.
Punter Ben Graham who is having a Pro Bowl caliber season, continued that pace by placing two of this three punts inside the Vikings' 20, with a long of 52.
Flying under the radar is Neil Rackers, who has missed only one kick all season, PAT's included. He is now 15 for 16, with his only miss being a 45-yarder in Week 2.
Tony Dungy accurately surmised that Arizona won this game in the trenches, and I agree. It wasn't just Bridges who played a phenomenal game as the Vikings as a team, the NFL leaders coming in with 40 sacks, had zero. Defensively, Darnell Dockett was his usual unstoppable force, at one point shoving Pro Bowler Steve Hutchinson aside like a feather and tackling Adrian Peterson in the backfield. Calais Campbell made his presence known with constant pressure and his fifth sack of the year, and 34-year old Bertrand Berry registered two sacks to bring his total to five also.
ESPN's NFC West blogger Mike Sando said it best: "The Cardinals outperformed the Vikings in every important dimension: offense, defense, special teams, coaching, intelligence and overall orneriness."
Arizona is now 1-1 versus the top three teams in the NFL, and have for the moment moved past the Vikings as one of the top teams to beat.

Who Would You Take From The Minnesota Vikings?

Andrew602 — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:18:50 -0000

More photos » by Mark Duncan - AP

Adding Kevin Williams to an already talented Cardinals defensive line would make the defense one of the best in the league.

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With only 2 days left until the Cardinals play on Sunday night, it's about that time to discuss the Minnesota Vikings. I don't mean how they'll play on Sunday or what the Cardinals should do, but who you'd be interesting in taking from their team. It should be easy considering they are filled with star-power and currently stand at 10-1, the 2nd best record in the NFL. It can be a young or older player, a starter or a back up, etc. You can also take their current contract status into consideration, as if we were actually signing the player. Also look at who may be leaving our team after this season. Here are some of my picks.

Kevin Williams, DT:It's picking and choosing when it comes to the Vikings defensive line but the first player that comes to mind is Williams. He and Pat Williamshave become one of the best defensive tackle duos in the NFL over the last few years and they remain that way this year. WIlliams is already having a great year with 6 sacks and is currently on his way to another pro bowl. Williams is the best true defensive tackle in the league(IMO) because of his age, pass rush ability and run stuffing ability. He and Dockett would be a formidable tandem along with Calais Campbell on the other side.

Jared Allen, DE: The Cardinals have always lacked a dominant threat at defensive end and haven't had a player reach a double digit sack total since Bertrand Berry did it in 2004 when he had 14.5 sacks. Allen has been one of the best defensive ends for the last few years and adding him to the Cardinals defensive line would be tremendous. With Allen and Calais Campbell at defensive end, the Cardinals would be set for years. The only obvious drawback is that Allen is not a 3-4 defensive end and he may not be as productive in that system.

Steve Hutchinson, G: Hutchinson came from the Seahawks as a huge free agent acquisition a few years ago and since he's been with the Vikings, they've been one of the best rushing teams in the league. He's disciplined and has plowed rushed lanes for running backs, Shaun Alexander and Adrian Peterson . With the possibility of changes along the offensive line next year, Hutchinson would literally fill a hole along the Cardinals offensive line and add the run-blocking the Cardinals need.

Visanthe Shiancoe, TE:This one may come as a surprise seeing how Shiancoe isn't a flashy tight end in the league, but this year he's improved greatly and is already having one of his best seasons as a Viking. Shiancoe has also turned into a dependable target and his 8 touchdowns shows his ability to score in the end zone. With the Cardinals lack of a true starter at tight end, adding Visanthe would fill a big void.

There are plenty of other Vikings to pick from but these four stood out to me as obvious choices for the Cardinals. And no I didn't pick Peterson because I feel the Cardinals are set at runningback with two young studs and Beanie Wells is a potential star. Now's your chance - who would you take from the Minnesota Vikings?

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 Game Maker: Week 9 Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears

CardsFan08 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:16:29 -0000

In week 9 the Arizona Cardinals continued a very impressive road streak by defeating the Chicago Bears 41-21. In the first half of the game we saw one of the best performances from all three units (Offense, Defense, and Special Teams) playing consistent and aggressive football.

This weeks game maker is a result of all three units working extremely well. The offense had just delivered it's fourth TD in four series with a strike from QB Kurt Warner to TE Anthony Becht giving Becht his first TD of the season. The defense then stopped an urgent drive by the Bears who were trying to reclaim some momentum just before the half but were stopped in field goal range with less than a minute left in the first half.

Leading to this weeks Game Maker...

Week 9 Game Maker: @ 0:40 2nd Quarter - CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (29) field goal block and FS Antrel Rolle's (21) catch and run setting up the offense to move into field goal position and increase the Cardinals lead to 31-7 at the half.

Full break down of the play after the jump!

Image 1 - The line up: A weak side overload with CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (DRC) (29) left unblocked with a straight shot to the kicker. CB Bryant McFadden (25) is lined up on the right side. Antrel Rolle is back in the end zone in case the kick is short. Linebackers Ali Highsmith (95) and Bertrand Berry (92) line up in case of the fake.

Image 2 - DRC turns on the speed as Gould comes in for the kick...

Image 3 - DRC leaps just as Gould plants and swings for the kick...

Image 4 - The kick is blocked! You can see the ball bouncing up off of DRC's white glove.

Image 5 - The sound of the ball being deflected is enough for everyone to know that something unexpected happened. Every Cardinal head is watching the ball to see where it is going...

Image 6 - The ball looks like it will travel some distance but fall wide right initialy. DRC lands on his back and looks for the ball...

Image 7 - The Bears lineman are watching the ball sail through the air and both parties stand to watch and see where it's going to go...

Image 8 - Suddenly they realize that it's going to be short and the Cardinals have one more trick up their sleeve. The Bears start rushing for the endzone...

Image 9 - Because they saw Antrel Rolle standing with the ball falling straight to him...

Image 10 - Rolle makes the catch, surveys the field and starts the take the ball out of the endzone...

Image 11 - He starts toward the left side...

Image 12 - But quickly cuts back to the right...

Image 13 - Due to the number of defenders on the left and blockers starting to set up on the right...

Image 14 - Bears LS Manelly (65) is the first down the field closely followed by G Omiyale (68)...

Image 15 - Rolle stops and cuts inside Manelly...

Image 16 - Causing Manelly's momentum to make him miss the tackle...

Image 17 - Ominyale charges Rolle, but Rolle uses a shoulder shake...

Image 18 - It's enough to sell Ominyale to go outside...

Image 19 - So Rolle cuts inside causing Ominyale to miss and then sees the crease created by his blockers up field...

Image 20 - Rolle heads for the crease as a Bear defender sees the gap and tries to beat him to it...

Image 21 - NT Gabe Watson (98) sees Rolle's route and moves forward to make a play saving block...

Image 22 - Rolle continues his fancy footwork and uses his vision and speed to run between two defenders...

Image 23 - Manelly is relentless and continues after Rolle, but Rolle's getting good blocking now and is continuing to make progress up the field...

Image 24 - Rolle turns on the speed...

Image 25 - In the open field and cruising the sideline as the 16 yard line...

Image 26 - DT Idonije (71) tries to force Rolle out of bounds...

Image 27 - But CB McFadden (25) makes the block and Rolle highsteps Idonije's out stretched arms staying inbounds...

Image 28 - TE Desmond Clark takes an angle to push Rolle out...

Image 29 - But Rolle cuts inside where he sees MLB Karlos Dansby (58) ready to lead block. He runs behind Highsmith and Calais Campbell making a great block and continues upfield...

Image 30 - Only the Bears Kicker is left and Rolle has Karlos Dansby and Highsmith for blockers...

Image 31 - Dansby sees Gould trying to make the tackle and heads for him to make a block. Rolle is staring him down...

Image 32 - DRC comes from the top and Rolle starts to turn inside while running, rather than just staying outside and running up the sideline...

Image 33 - Gould runs outside, side stepping Dansby's block and he's now one on one with Rolle...

Image 34 - Rolle cuts inside but due to Dansby not blocking Gould, Gould is able to get the shoe string tackle and trip up Rolle...

Image 35 - The Cardinals were one block away from an additional touchdown...

Image 36 - Rolle was brought down at the 49 yard line. The Special Teams unit is psyched for just getting their third blocked FG of the year and returning the ball this far with 22 seconds left on the clock allowing the offense one more shot to put more points on the board in the first half!

Image 37 - Well done Rolle!

Due to the excellent field position Antrel Rolle was able to pick up Kurt Warner was able to lead the Cardinals down to field goal range to tack on three more points before the half.

Was there a different play you picked as the game maker? Ware's INT in the 4th quarter? Warner to Breaston for the fifth TD of the day taking the score to 41-21?

Building a Playbook to Beat the Cardinals: Pounding the Ball Behind the Powerlifters

John Morgan — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:41:18 -0000

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

Let's show our support and give back Mamma Blue.

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Sometimes, I, as a fan, ask myself what can I give back to the Seahawks organization? The men and women of the Seahawks give their lives to create Seahawks football, and I spend my life following it. If I could donate a fraction of my time to, not criticizing or commenting about, but helping the Seahawks, shouldn't I? So here goes...

Seattle must win in Arizona to keep the second half of the season exciting. When the Cardinals tore into Qwest and put a boot on the Seahawks offense, it ended the realistic chance Seattle would compete for a playoff spot. But screw realism. I didn't become a fan for rational thought. This Sunday begins the unrealistic, storybook, climatic run towards contention. And I am going to help them start.

The goal over the next two days is simple: construct an offense from and influenced by real Seahawks plays that can beat the Cardinals defense.

The Cardinals have constructed a powerful 3-4 defensive line. Rod Graves drafted Alan Branch and Calais Campbell in the second round. Branch and Campbell team with Darnell Dockett to put about 900 pounds and 19 feet of muscle up front. Branch is a rotational nose, and might play primarily at end because Kenny Iwebema is questionable with a knee injury. However they construct their front, it is the core of their defense and what allows their marginally talented linebackers to dominate the run game.

In their first matchup, Seattle was down 14 before its offense could take the field. We'll assume Seattle overcomes its Dehavenry this game. The Cardinals defended with their base, eight-in-the-box look.

Arizona ran a safety blitz with Adrian Wilson. Seattle ran an aborted play-action and then Matt Hasselbeck found Nate Burleson on a ten-yard hook. It worked, barely.

Instead of running play-action, let's attempt an actual run. The Cardinals ability to force runs out wide allows them to overmatch teams. Arizona has five standing defenders in the box. Seattle needs to establish a running presence between the tackles. The design is to run behind left guard.

First Seattle motions John Carlson into the right slot. Arizona may then motion Adrian Wilson or Clark Hagans to cover him. It also might not budge. We'll assume that Carlson, sophomore slump and all, is still receiving threat enough to draw Wilson. If he doesn't move or no one moves, the Cardinals might be blitzing off right end. It could be time to audible.

Wilson shadows Carlson. The next thing to do is demonstrate the blocking assignments. The goal is to push the defensive line left and then surge behind it and away from backside pursuit. Rob Sims matches against Campbell or Dockett, depending on the rotation. That is the single most difficult and critical block of this play.

The action has started. Seattle is attacking on multiple fronts, but the Cardinals have counterattacks. Hagans is unblocked and threatening to chase down Julius Jones. Carlson has a bad angle on Wilson and must attempt to cut block. Left inside linebacker Gerald Hayes and right inside linebacker Karlos Dansby are flowing towards Jones. For Seattle to execute properly, Locklear and Max Unger must be able pull into the second level and stop their respective assignments.

Let us now look at this play a fraction of a second later. Carlson has flopped, slowing but not stopping Wilson. Hagans is in hot pursuit. Dockett has been able to beat Willis on the outside. Not everything is working, but enough has to punch a hole. Spencer has turned nose tackle Bryan Robinson. Sims has down likewise against Campbell. Locklear is blocking down Dansby and Unger has cut Hayes. The path to the second level is paved and Jones must hit the hole hard.

There's nothing especially creative about this play, but it does play Seattle's personnel to their strengths. The hole is built off the Seahawks two most powerful blockers: Sims and Spencer. Locklear has the best balance and footwork and he pulls out and attempts to railroad the linebacker. Unger starts the play by assisting Spencer to get a mean push on Robinson. That double team moves the nose and creates space for Unger to run forward and cut Hayes. Unger is nimble and assignment correct, but not a powerful blocker. Carlson draws Wilson out of the tackle box and can either run off Wilson (against man cover) or cut his path (in zone). The goal is to stop Wilson from chasing the play from behind. Blocking tight end John Owens must only slow Chike Okeafor or Bertrand Berry enough that they are not able to run into the backfield and reroute Jones.

The weakest link is Willis against Dockett. That is why Willis uses his length to tie up and slow Dockett. You can not count on winning every matchup. Seattle needs to win two for this play to work: nose and right defensive end. If it can get that push, Jones will have a hole. It's not sophisticated, but it builds off Seattle's strengths and helps make play action a little less ludicrous.

Arizona Cardinals Stock Up/Stock Down: Bye Week Edition

Hawkwind — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:34:20 -0000

More photos » by Matt York - AP

2 months ago: Arizona Cardinals' Ben Graham (5) and Neil Rackers celebrate Rackers' field goal against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

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In continuing with our bye week randomness here's a look at the Arizona Cardinals who have either surprised or disappointed over the first three weeks of the season (in no particular order).

Alan Branch: The former second round pick that most of us left for dead has impacted two games in a row for the first time in his career. While that might not be saying much, this is the same guy that many fans didn't want to see on the roster. A move to defensive end has jump started his young career and a sprained ankle from Kenny Iwebema has led to more playing time for Branch. He'll have to do much more than one tackle and a batted pass to validate his draft status but at least it's a step in the right direction.

Calais Campbell: Antonio Smith who? So much for all of the off season reports that listed Antonio Smith as the biggest loss in the off season. Campbell has notched 11 tackles, half a sack, knocked down two passes and blocked a punt through three games. As a reference point, Smith didn't log his 11th tackle until week six last year, his first sack didn't come until week 11 and he didn't knock down a pass all season long. Needless to say Campbell is making the naysayers look awful foolish so far.

Gerald Hayes: Even though Hayes has led the team in tackles (or at least tied for the lead) in two of the last three seasons so it's not a big surprise that he currently leads the team with 22 tackles but what is surprising is what that projects to over the course of a season. Hayes' previous career high for tackles in a season was 98 (in 2007) but at his current pace he'll end up with over 115 stops. He's also already forced a fumble and if he stays healthy and continues this pace, he'll have a career year.

Ben Graham: It's not secret that I've got a strange affinity for punters but this isn't a pick that's made with any bias. Graham has been a top five punter through three weeks with a punt average over 50 yards (4th in the league) and net average of just over 42 (7th in the league). Both numbers are right about a ten yard improvement over his 2008 stats and even more impressive is that his booming kicks are not hurting the coverage units. Opponents have returned eight punts for 62 yards (7.75 yards per return). For those that don't know those numbers are Pro Bowl caliber as far as punters go.

Steve Breaston: I had to search long and hard to find a offensive player who deserved to be on this list but Breaston is a solid candidate. He missed the first game of the season and hasn't been 100% for any game so far but his 12 catches for 177 yards are nothing to dismiss. If he maintains that pace over the remainder of the season, you're talking about a 15 game season that looks like this: 90 receptions for 1,328 yard. Not bad at all. When you add in the fact that his current yards per catch average (14.8) would set a new career high and most likely rank him among the league leaders in that category. Breaston is undoubtedly benefiting from increased defensive coverage on Larry Fitzgerald but right now he's within four yards of leading the team in receiving yards despite missing one game.

Antrel Rolle: I went back and forth on this one so I'm expecting some criticism but Rolle's peripheral stats won me over. First, going into the season he'd never recorded a single sack in his four year career but so far he's notched a sack and a half in three games. He also forced a fumble in one of those sacks (just the third FF of his career) and of course he's scored another defensive touchdown (5th defensive TD of his career). Granted Rolle has muffed a few punt returns and he hasn't been exactly stellar in his role as free safety, but I starting to wonder if Rolle is just the kind of guy who will make some spectacular plays while also giving up some back breakers.

Well you might has noticed that the "Stock Up" section didn't include many offensive players and that's for good reason. Compared to last year the offense has been putting up 30 fewer yards per game and scoring one less TD per game. As you might expect there will be quite a few more fellas from the offensive side of ball on this list.

Kurt Warner: While I don't think Warner has been the biggest disappointment on the team thus far, we all know that the QB gets more credit during the good times and more blame during the bad times. His completion percentage and yards per attempt are almost identical to his career averages so the idea that he's completely lost is ludicrous but the biggest difference between this year and 2008 have been turnovers and sacks (which consequently tend to go hand-in-hand). He's already thrown four picks and been sacked seven times and if you break it down even further, all of those mistakes came in the losses to the 49ers and Colts.

Entire Offensive Line: No two players on the Cardinals roster deserve more tongue lashings than Mike Gandy and Levi Brown but in sake of fairness, the offensive line as a whole has been wholly disappointing. The Cardinals pass protection schemes can baffle us fans at times but the fact remains that at this current pace Warner will be sacked a whopping 37 times this season (eleven more times than last year). To make matters worse, they've also accomplished something that most of thought was impossible: the running game is statistically worse that last year. They're yards per carry and yards per game are both lower than the league worst numbers that they posted in 2008. Whiz has shown quite a bit of patience with this starting five but if something doesn't change soon, you've got to expect that some sort of change is coming.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie: Wow, weren't we all talking about this guy having a Pro Bowl season and establishing himself as a premier corner in this league? I'm guessing if you haven't tapped the brakes on that talk you've probably missed the past three games. I honestly don't remember DRC looking this bad early in his rookie season. He's getting beat deep, he's getting beat on double moves and his tackling seems to actually have gotten worse. I'm not sure if it's a sophomore slump or if he just had a bad couple of weeks but much of the "improved secondary" talk over the off season was based around DRC becoming a star player. He's still got plenty of time to turn it around but at this point I cringe every time I see a QB throw the ball in his direction.

Bertrand Berry: It feels weird to chastise the team leader in sacks but Berry's two sacks are trumped by a bigger number (or smaller depending on how you look at it), three tackles in three games, two of which were starts. To put this in the simplest way that I can, Neil Rackers and LaRod Stephens-Howlings each have more tackles than Berry (not combined but individually they both have more tackles). Berry is still a force coming around the corner but he's no where near starting material. Whether he simply doesn't care about playing against the run or whether he's just too old to play a full game anymore, we'll probably never know but for now this team needs Chike Okeafor to get healthy.

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Who has been the most surprising and most disappointing? Who did we leave off the list?

Arizona Cardinals Smother the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-17: Defensive Breakdown

Hawkwind — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:00:44 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

The mad man, Darnell Dockett (aka NINE-0) takes aim at David Garrard as the Arizona Cardinals defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-17. (AP Photo/Phil Coale)

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The Arizona Cardinals defense had an up and down game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. On one hand they allowed 372 yards and 18 first downs to team without much of a passing attack, but on the other hand they allowed just 17 points, posted four sacks and forced three turnovers. In the game where ultimately the scoreboard does the final talking, you'd have to figure that the defense did it's job but there is certainly some room for improvement.

Bend but Don't Break: A week after forcing eight three-and-outs against the Niners the Cardinals defense forced just one against the Jags and in all the Jaguars were able to put together five drives of at least 50 yards. Luckily for the Cards their defense was able to stiffen up once the Jags crossed mid-field where they forced two field goal attempts (one of which was blocked), a fumble and a fourth drive ended on downs. The yardage total is a bit concerning but 17 points is an vast improvement over last year's average and in this case I think we'll defer to the phrase, "the ends justify the means."
Pressuring Garrard: One of the things we talked about leading up to the game was a need to pressure David Garrard and considering that they notched four sacks and forced a fumble, I'd have to think that they accomplished that goal. There were several instances where Garrard was able to escape the pressure but for all his faults he does have some escapability and it showed on Sunday. Billy Davis continues to be dial up exotic blitzes, especially with his safeties Adrian Wilson and Antrel Rolle, and with eight sacks in the first two games (second in the league) it's hard to argue with the results.
Run Defense: After completely shutting down Frank Gore in week one the Cardinals took a different path to slow down Maurice Jones-Drew. Instead of just stuffing him every time he got the ball the Cards jumped out to an early lead on the scoreboard and effectively took him out of the game. After reeling off an impressive 36 yard run on the Jags second play from scrimmage, MJD was limited to just 30 yards on 12 carries. The front seven remains stout against the run and a big reason for their success this season has been the ability to rotate in fresh bodies along the defensive line. Alan Branch, Gabe Watson and Keilen Dykes all played roles for the Cards on Sunday and their presence will be needed as the season wears on and guys get dinged up.

Much Improved Secondary?: One of the things we spent the entire off season raving about was how much the secondary would be improved with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie having a year under his belt, Rolle acclimating to the free safety spot and the additions of Bryant McFadden and Rashad Johnson but so far that hasn't been the case. Now the Cards are middle of the road in passing yards per game (15th), yards per pass attempt (17th) and QB rating (18th) but the concerning thing is the number of big plays allowed so far against two offenses who don't really have a big play threat. They've allowed four passes of 20 yards or more and one pass of 40 yards or more and while neither of those are among the league worst, I think we'd have all expected the secondary numbers to look quite a bit better after the first two games, especially considering the amount of pass rush that the front seven has been able to generate. It's hard to make any concrete decisions after two games but I think it's safe to say that the best passing offense that we'll see this season will be coming into Arizona this Sunday night and the secondary needs to have their best performance to date.
Bertrand Who?: After wondering where Bertrand Berry was for most of the off season and then seeing very little from him during the preseason yours truly predicted that he'd be on the chopping block on the final roster cut down day. After two weeks though I'm gladly eating crow as Berry has notched sacks in each of the first two games and was pushed into the starting lineup because Chike Okeafor was nursing a sore shoulder. Berry is still basically a one trick pony considering that his only two tackles have been sacks thus far but he's the team leader in that department and he's also recovered two fumbles. Not bad for a guy who none of us were praising two and half weeks ago.

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All in all the defensive effort was good for a second consecutive week and believe it or not they enter week three as the 13th ranked scoring defense and sixth ranked defense in terms of yards per game. Both of those are dramatic improvements over 2008 but there are still some areas that can be improved upon because there are much better offenses coming down the road.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Injury Report and Game Coverage

Hawkwind — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:56:16 -0000

More photos » by Matt York - AP

3 months ago: Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin (81) makes catch as San Francisco 49ers safety Dashon Goldson defends during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009 in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

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After a somewhat grim injury report yesterday that included nine players on the list, including four who didn't participate in practice at all, the Arizona Cardinals had better news yesterday after practice. While there were still nine players listed, there were only three who couldn't participate at all and several players moved from 'limited' to full participation, including Sean Morey, Early Doucet and Brian St. Pierre. Steve Breaston practiced on a limited basis after not participating on Wednesday and Anquan Boldin was limited again for the second consecutive day. Reggie Wells is still listed on the report although he's fully participated in every practice. Kenny Iwebema, Matt Ware and Chike Okeafor still haven't practiced this week and the status of Okeafor is now worth watching. He has some form of shoulder injury and if he is unable to play that would push Bertrand Berry into the starting role and Will Davis would become the primary backup at both OLB spots.

The return of Early Doucet to full participation is key considering the still unsure status of Boldin and Breaston. At this point I think it's fair to say that Breaston will be a game time decision again this week but either way he won't return punts or kickoffs. I would also imagine that Boldin will play but the question remains, how much he'll play and how effective he'll be when he's out there. Either way, you'd have to think that the return of Doucet is one of the primary reasons that led to Lance Long getting his walking papers and if he's close to 100%, he should be an upgrade.

The Jaguars status hasn't changed very much with Zach Miller and Brian Witherspoon still being held out of practice although there were two new names on the report. Quentin Groves (DE/OLB) and Daryl Smith (LB) were both limited in practice but both are expected to play.

Cards will be able to keep their cool - To the Cardinals cope with the heat and humidity in Jacksonville, some Cardinals will have a cooling system in their shoulder pads. Players can hook a hose to their shoulder pads on the sideline, and cool air blows through an insert in the pads. The Cardinals tried the system out in practice last week, and it drew positive reviews from the players. "Our guys liked it," coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "A lot of our guys are like me, they are superstitious about certain stuff. Even though it may be one-tenth of an ounce, in their minds it probably weighs 10 pounds and slows them down." Similar systems have been around for several years, and a handful of college and pro teams have used them. This will be the Cardinals' first experience with the system, however. "I wish they had one for my hat, so that when I get really steamed it could cool me down," Whisenhunt said.
Cardinals game blacked out in Jacksonville - The Jaguars aren't expected to have a sell-out this season - Sunday's game will be blacked out in the Jacksonville market - but that doesn't mean they haven't been trying to sell tickets.
Challenging The Cards' Defense - The talk was about Frank Gore and slowing Frank Gore and what Frank Gore could do to hurt the Cardinals, so the Cards’ defense used that as motivation in the season opener. The 49ers running back ended up with just 30 yards on 22 carries. "I think (the defense) likes challenges," coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "They seem to respond to challenges." There will be another one Sunday against Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who will likely be the key to Jacksonville’s offensive success. But the Cardinals can see that these individual challenges may not be the best motivation, because it can lead to letdowns.
Challenging The Cards' Defense - The talk was about Frank Gore and slowing Frank Gore and what Frank Gore could do to hurt the Cardinals, so the Cards’ defense used that as motivation in the season opener. The 49ers running back ended up with just 30 yards on 22 carries. "I think (the defense) likes challenges," coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "They seem to respond to challenges." There will be another one Sunday against Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who will likely be the key to Jacksonville’s offensive success. But the Cardinals can see that these individual challenges may not be the best motivation, because it can lead to letdowns.
Arizona RB Tim Hightower vs. Jackonsville LB Justin Durant - In only the third meeting between these two teams, both the Cardinals and Jaguars are coming off Week 1 losses. This matchup features a pair of Division I-AA players from Virginia. Hightower, who was not invited to the combine prior to the 2008 draft, established himself during his rookie season as a do-everything player. He was discovered by former Cardinals assistant Maurice Carthon at a campus workout. A good all-around player, he can run , catch, block, and keep defenses from keying on him. Hightower, who had 10 rushing TDs in 2008, caught 12 passes last week for 121 yards. Durant had a team-leading 10 tackles last week against the Colts. He plays fast -- he ran a 4.62 40 at 240 pounds at combine in 2007. He will hit someone on every play. Durant had 17 tackles in a wild-card playoff game against Pittsburgh in 2007. He has the ability to make plays in space, which he will need to do against Hightower and the Cardinals.
The Arizona Cardinals on the East Coast is not Normally Good..... - I know the Cards won last year in Carolina in convincing fashion, but did you know they’ve lost 11 consecutive regular-season games on the East Coast and lost all five of their regular-season East Coast games in 2008 by a combined score of 202-102? The last time the Cardinals won a regular-season game in the east was Nov. 7, 2004, at Miami when they won 24-23. I know the Cards need to win, but they don’t seem to like the eastern time zone. With Kurt Warner looking a little rusty last week and the fact they’re playing in Jacksonville, it might spell trouble for Arizona.
Fantasy Start 'Em/Sit 'Em - Owners beware: Neil Rackers at Jaguars - The Jacksonville defense ranked third in allowing fewest fantasy points to kickers in 2008.

Arizona Cardinals Lose to 49ers 20-16: Defensive Breakdown

Hawkwind — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:24:02 -0000

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

3 months ago: San Francisco 49ers quarterback Shaun Hill (13) is sacked by Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett (90) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009 in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)

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For the second straight year the Arizona Cardinals opened the season with a solid performance against the San Francisco 49ers. In fact looking back at the 2008 opener, the similarities are almost scary. In both games the Niners managed just 13 first downs, their third down conversion rate was almost identical (38% vs. 37%) and in both games the Cardinals defenders managed four sacks. The big difference however was of course the score and the outcome of the game. The Cardinals defense had an up and down day but, unlike the offense, I think it's fair to say that we saw more promising things from the defense than negative.

Total Defensive Effort: 203 Net Yards. That is all that the Niners could muster on offense and that's counting a 50 yard touchdown pass and an 80 yard drive. The Niners averaged just 3.4 yards per offensive play and less than a yard per rush. In fact of their 25 rushing attempts, 13 of them gained one yard or less including six that resulted in negative yardage.
Frank Gore no More: One of the biggest keys to shutting down the Niners has always been stopping Gore and the Cardinals did exactly that. Forget the fact that he had two touchdowns for a second and consider this, before this past Sunday Gore had been held under 50 total yards from scrimmage just twice. During those two games combined he touched the ball 28 times for 73 yards. On Sunday, against the Cardinals, he touched the ball 25 times for just 48 yards. Linebackers Gerald Hayes (10 tackles, including four for loss) and Karlos Dansby (6 tackles including one for loss) were a big reason why Gore couldn't find running room.
Defensive Pressure: All offseason we wondered if the Cards would have the pass rush presence strike fear into opposing quarterbacks and through one game, I'd say their just fine. Of course they also notched four sacks in last year's opener against the Niners but for some reason this had a different feel. The Cardinals defensive line, namely Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell, had great games and practically lived in the Niners backfield. Bertrand Berry proved that's he's not quite as washed up as your's truly thought he was and Chike Okeafor had a very impressive game. Okeafor is a key to this defense and if Sunday was any indication as to the type of season he'll have, it's a very good sign for the Cardinals.
Dominance for Three Quarters: Looking back at each of the Niner's offensive drives for the first three quarters of the game, it's almost unbelievable how dominant the Cardinals defense was on Sunday. They did allow one 50 yard bomb to Isaac Bruce but outside of that play they allowed just 94 yards on 40 plays. Of the Niners' ten drives during the first three quarters, the defense forced five three and outs, one drive ended with a fumble and all but one drive accounted for less than 25 yards. During that time the Niners started in Cardinals' territory twice and a third drive started at their own 44.

The 4th Quarter Drive: Obviously it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows so the black eye of this defensive effort was undoubtedly the 80 yard fourth quarter drive engineered by the Niners. Heading into this drive Shaun Hill was nine for 26 for 139 yards and the Niners were and the San Fran offense had converted just three of 12 third down opportunities. The Niners four previous drives consisted of just 12 plays that combined for negative six yards. Over the next 15 plays though San Francisco called 13 passes and Hill connected on nine of them for 72 yards including the go ahead touchdown, while also converting four consecutive third down conversions. None of Hills passes were down the field but his dink-and-dunk style helped the Niners work their way on the longest drive of the day, by either team.

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Overall the defensive effort by the Cardinals was more than admirable despite allowing 20 points and losing a very winnable game. The secondary still needs to get on the same page to prevent big plays and allowing 80 yard scoring drives during the fourth quarter of a game in which you're holding a narrow lead are terrible blunders but there were more positives than negatives we can take from this game. Thoughts?