SB Nation - Darnell Dockett

Grade The Defense: Cardinals vs Lions

Andrew602 — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:00:21 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

In our final touch up of the Cardinals victory against the Detroit Lions this past Sunday, we'll discuss the defense. The best possible summery for the game is this - when the offense turned the ball over, Detroit scored points. When the game was on the line, they didn't. Let's see how they did.

Defensive Line: Two sacks on the day doesn't necessarily stand out as a good performance but considering the Lions quarterbacks completed a measly 16 of 31 passes, I'd say they did alright. The initial surge was consistently coming from Darnell Dockett's side of the line and he single handily stopped the Lions on a key 4th and 1 play in their own red zone. They did have trouble stopping Maurice Morris, who led the team in receptions(5) after benefiting from the screen pass. Another blip for the defensive line was the play of Bryan Robinson. The veteran defensive tackle uncharacteristically unleashed on the referees twice, drawing consecutive unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that resulted in a Detroit field goal.

Linebackers: The Cardinals linebackers didn't face a well-known tight end, nor did they face an all-pro running back on Sunday, yet somehow they managed to allow 161 total yards to career-back up Maurice Morris. The blame shouldn't completely fall on the linebackers, but they did blow coverage on the 64 yard touchdown run. The linebackers have also struggled generating pressure on quarterbacks the last four games, registering only 1 sack(Haggans) - yeah, one.

Defensive Backs: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie played the game with an injured toe, yet somehow managed to pick off two passes on Sunday. He also did a great job limiting Calvin Johnson to only 3 catches. Antrel Rolle and Bryant McFadden had a solid game while Adrian Wilson nabbed half a sack and is currently one away from 20 total for his career. Looking at the Lions combined quarterback stats[16/31, 129 yards, 3.9 avg 35.5 QB rating] it's obvious this unit shutdown Detroit's passing attack.

My Defensive Grade: B+

It's easy to judge the defense when looking at the scoreboard, but when you take away the turnovers, the Cardinals defense only allowed 10 points. They dominated whatever sliver of a passing game Detroit had left, and if they hadn't given up so many rushing yards their performance would've easily warrented an A. What grade did you give the Cardinals defense and why?

Poll

How would you grade the Cardinals defensive effort on Sunday?

Larry Fitzgerald, Adrian Wilson and Ben Graham Likely Pro Bowl Bound

Hawkwind — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:20:35 -0000

by Matt York - AP

Larry Fitzgerald looks to snag his fourth overall and third consecutive Pro Bowl. (AP Photo/Matt York)

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The fan voting portion of the Pro Bowl concluded yesterday and if the fan voting is any indication of how the coaches and players will vote (the remaining 2/3 of the process), the Arizona Cardinals should be well represented. Last year the Cardinals had five representatives, the largest number since 1977, and there is still a chance that they could approach, or exceed, that number this season. Players and coaches will vote today and the team will be announced on the NFL Network next Tuesday (the 29th). Here are the final results from the fan voting:

Larry Fitzgerald: Only four players in the entire league (Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Brett Favre and Adrian Wilson) received more votes that Fitz and he is certainly headed to his fourth Pro Bowl (2005, 2007 & 2008).

Adrian Wilson: Wilson led all NFC strong safeties with over 305,000 votes and A-dub should be selected to his third Pro Bowl (2006 & 2008).

Ben Graham: Perhaps the surprise performance of this season will be capped off with Ben Graham's first ever Pro Bowl appearance. Graham surged through the final weeks of fan voting and finished the process leading all NFC punters with just over 103,000 votes.

Antrel Rolle: Rolle finished third among NFC free safeties behind Darren Sharper and Madeau Williams. Rolle shouldn't overtake Sharper in the remaining coaches and players votes but it'll be interesting to see how he fares against Williams. Rolle has more tackles (68 vs 63), sacks (1.5 vs 0), forced fumbles (1 vs 0), passed defended (8 vs 4) and interceptions (4 vs 0).

Kurt Warner: Warner finished fourth among NFC QB's behind Brees, Favre and Aaron Rodgers. The gap between Brees, Favre and Warner is likely to much to overcome and Rodgers' numbers are better than Warner's at the moment so it's unlikely that he'll be able to move up.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie: DRC finished fourth among NFC corners behind Charles Woodson, Asante Samuel, Antoine Winfield. Woodson and Samuel seem like a good bet to remain ahead of DRC but Winfield hasn't really had a great year statistically and currently looks like the beneficiary of a great voter turnout among Vikings fans. Winfield has missed six games (of 14) and as a result DRC has better numbers across the board despite playing with a mild case of turf toe.

Darnell Dockett: Dockett stayed at fourth overall among NFC defensive tackles for basically the entire process despite having the better numbers than any of the four players ahead of him, Pat Williams, Kevin Williams and Albert Haynesworth. The coaches and players vote will be an interesting process to see whether name recognition or actual peformance on the field is more important.

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That's it for Cardinals' players who finished in the top five at thier position. Anquan Boldin and Karlos Dansby could still gain some ground but they've got quite a ways to go and slipping through as an alternate might be the best case scenario for them. How many Cardinals will make the final Pro Bowl roster?

The Steve Keim Scorecard

John Morgan — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:50:25 -0000

More photos » by John Froschauer - AP

Seattle Seahawks fans are unused to repeat failure. Perhaps a Cardinals suit can make them more familiar with the feeling.

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Adam Schefter reports that Steve Keim is among Seattle's ten general manager candidates. This is a quick and dirty attempt to review his performance in Arizona.

Organization: Arizona Cardinals

Position(s): Player Personnel Director (May 2008), College Scouting Director (June 2006), Regional Scout (1999)

Curious that perhaps the most defamed team in the NFC, bad from when the Lions and Rams were good, is now auditioning personnel for promotion to other teams. Thus is the fickle world of the NFL. I don't like it, and I don't like Keim's boss Rod Graves. Graves has served with Arizona since 1997, and few franchises in any sport can claim a longer period of losing, instability and apathy from their fans. But, by all means, let's break off a piece of that talent factory.

Keim scouted the east for Arizona, and, undoubtedly, the southeast specifically. Let us first look at the players we can be most confident Keim had a hand in scouting. I singled out picks made from Keim's particular scouting area, and listed the round, overall pick, name and college.

2000

1) 7 Thomas Jones RB Virginia

2) 41 Raynoch Thompson OLB Tennessee

3) 71 Darwin Walker DT Tennessee

Jones is still around but was a huge bust for Arizona. He split time with Michael Pittman, never averaged more than 3.7 yards per carry and was traded before the end of his rookie contract.

Raynoch Thompson sort of speaks for himself: Who is Raynoch Thompson? He was an undersized Vol linebacker that was out of the league by 2004. He is still only 32, meaning he was cut in his prime.

Darwin Walker played for that same undefeated Tennessee team as Thompson. He didn't play for the Cardinals, who cut him before a single start and after only one regular season game. Walker was claimed by the Eagles off waivers and became a productive five-year starter for some stout Eagles defenses.

2001

2) 54 Michael Stone DB Memphis

3) 64 Adrian Wilson DB North Carolina State

4) 98 Bill Gramatica K South Florida

4) 123 Marcus Bell DT Memphis

Stone never broke through with the Cardinals and is now out of the league.

Adrian Wilson is an unconditional success. Wilson and Keim share an alma mater. He is now considered among the best safeties in the NFL. This is exploiting a hometown connection to pick an absolute steal in the third. Too bad, I guess, that NC State is hardly a talent factory.

Kicker in the fourth. Kicker in the fourth. Kicker in the fourth.

Marcus Bell is out of the league after three seasons with Arizona and three seasons with Detroit.

2002

2) 49 Levar Fisher LB North Carolina State

Fisher is the only member of the 2002 class we can be pretty sure Keim had a significant say in drafting. Fisher was a standout at NC State, but lost his career to knee injuries. Fisher has knee problems in college, so this failure falls on Keim.

2003

1) 17 Bryant Johnson WR Penn State

1) 18 Calvin Pace DE Wake Forest

2) 54 Anquan Boldin WR Florida State

Johnson has been a disappointment since entering the league. He was surpassed by Boldin in their respective rookie seasons and is now a minor player for the Detroit Lions.

Arizona selected Pace with its next pick and he was a bust before Ken Whisenhunt switched him to outside linebacker in 2007. No credit is given Keim.

Boldin was a win for all involved, if, perhaps, a crapshoot win. Boldin was a quarterback and wide receiver at Florida State that suffered serious knee injuries in college and then ran a 4.71 forty. I respect Keim for seeing the potential in Boldin, but I do not think anyone expected Boldin to be so good. His health has never improved and he still regularly misses time because of injury.

2004

2) 33 Karlos Dansby OLB Auburn

3) 64 Darnell Dockett DT Florida State

Maybe this is Keim picking up speed and proving his potential. Dansby has been solid since being signed and still starts for Arizona. Of course, that's to be expected from a linebacker selected with the first pick of the second round.

Dockett has been a starter since his rookie season and a lynchpin on the Cardinals ever-in-flux defensive line. Over the past three seasons, he's been one of the best defensive linemen in football. He was considered a first-round talent, but also an underachiever and a major risk because of his battles with coaches, troubles with the law, and, specifically, his conviction for misdemeanor theft.

2005

1) 8 Antrel Rolle DB Miami (Florida)

3) 75 Eric Green DB Virginia Tech

3) 95 Darryl Blackstock LB Virginia

4) 111 Elton Brown G Virginia

Rolle is a corner bust since shifted to safety. He has played decent at safety, but credit for that goes to the person who made the move: Whisenhunt.

Green was an intermittent starter, mostly between injuries, that is now out of the league.

Blackstock is now out of the league. He played sparingly for Arizona before being signed by the Bengals -- another well run organization.

Brown was a seldom starter for the often very bad Cardinals offensive line that is now playing in the USFL.

2006

3) 72 Leonard Pope TE Georgia

6) 177 Jonathan Lewis DT Virginia Tech

Pope is a situational tight end and among the worst players at his position in the NFL.

Lewis participated in four games in 2006 and never again played in the NFL.

At this point, Keim was promoted to Director of College Scouting and can be debited or credited for the Cardinals entire draft class.

2007

1 5 Levi Brown OT Penn State

2 33 Alan Branch DT Michigan

3 69 Buster Davis LB Florida State

5 142 Steve Breaston WR Michigan

7 215 Ben Patrick TE Delaware

Brown is a middling power right tackle that isn't significantly better than Ray Willis. Bust.

Branch is a pretty typical Keim pick: Highly touted prospect, thought of as a top ten pick before a nasty run of belligerence and bad effort knocked him off most draft boards. Branch is three years into his professional career, still every bit the monster he was in college, and still a rotational player buried on the Cardinals depth chart.

Buster Davis was a terrible pick when made. Davis was an undersized, see: 5'9", linebacker completely unfit for Whisenhunt's preferred 3-4 alignment. He was cut before his rookie season, has since bounced around and is now out of the league.

Breaston was a return monster at Michigan State that has developed into a very good slot receiver. Keim must be credited for, first, securing a good returner in the sixth, and moreover, seeing that Breaston was turning the corner as a receiver. A big win for Keim, on a pick I was very skeptical about.

Patrick is the Cardinals starting tight end, but largely an afterthought in the team's offense. Patrick was a toolsy sleeper that's produced some, but is mostly a starter by default, and still more H-back than tight end.

2008

1) 16 Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB Tennessee State

2) 50 Calais Campbell DE Miami (Fla.)

3) 81 Early Doucet WR Louisiana State

4) 116 Kenny Iwebema DE Iowa

5) 149 Tim Hightower RB Richmond

6) 185 Chris Harrington LB Texas A&M

7) 225 Brandon Keith T Northern Iowa

This is the draft that made Keim a general manager candidate and his fingerprints are all over it. DRC was a tools messiah that shot up boards during the pre-draft process. He never faced top competition in college, and many, including myself, questioned his ability to cover NFL talent. Well, that question is yet unanswered. Cromartie certainly looks amazing-sometimes, but he is also regularly criticized for being out of position, burned and, well, not being able to cover NFL talent. The Cardinals, noteworthy in this case, are the second worst team in the NFL at defending #1 receivers and were 27^th in 2008. DRC is the unchallenged #1 corner in Arizona. He is only 23, and cover skills are slow to grow. Best to give this pick an "Incomplete". It's possible DRC puts it together and taps into his tremendous talent, and it's possible his flashy play hides a bad player.

Campbell was a slamdunk and is proving so in his second season. He is toolsy, growing into those tools, scheme correct and straight beastly.

I liked the Doucet pick at the time and still think he has a bright future. It's tough to measure his performance because he is buried on the Cardinals depth chart. Doucet suffered a lot of injuries in college and that might have sapped his speed.

Iwebama has proven to be a solid member of a good defensive line rotation. He was, and this will shock everyone that's read this far, a toolsy player that was knocked down boards because injury and off-field problems. His performance declined his senior season, something that hurt Campbell and Doucet's stock, too.

Hightower has proven himself a valuable receiver, but, then, who defends Tim Hightower when Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston are on the field. He has since been de-emphasized in favor of Chris Wells. Hightower is a modest success.

Harrington is now a Jaguar.

Keith is still on Arizona's roster and has played in one game this season.

It's a little too early to make much of the 2009 draft, but it further supports the basic Keim profile. In brief: His preferred scouting area is the American South East. He likes toolsy players and does not bat a lash at character concerns. Keim swings for the fences and has a high whiff rate. The 2008 draft has produced solid players, but let's be clear: The Cardinals are finishing their third decade of terrible football. They made the Super Bowl last season, but were only 9-7 in the regular season. The team changed when it signed Ken Whisenhunt, and its recent success has been built off smart leadership, a weak division, years and years of early round picks, and Kurt Warner. Warner has recovered from a mid-career funk to make a case for the Hall of Fame. That's mighty lucky. Warner joined the Cardinals in 2005 and I do not see how Keim could be credited with his signing.

Maybe he interviews well. Maybe his most recent drafts, his most successful drafts, speak more clearly of his own abilities and potential, but I don't like his method, I am not impressed with his results and I don't want to sign a person that's been an integral part of one of the worst run franchises in sports history. For every one diamond in the rough, there's acres and acres more rough. And, right or wrong, executives must be judged both by the decisions they make and the company they keep.

Golden Nuggets: The good, the bad and the ugly from yesterday

Fooch — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:00:30 -0000

Ninjames remains Internet-less, so I'm back for another day's worth of the Nuggets. Rather than ruminate on another tough loss, if you really wanna get fired up, you can go check out Darnell Dockett's Twitter page. I guess 49ers fans were tweeting some smack talk to Dockett and he bounced back with a vengeance yesterday. While the smack talk is rather tiring, I will say that one 49ers fan went too far in saying, "i hope your plane crashes and i'll piss on your grave." And the guy is proud of how he pissed people off with that tweet. People certainly love to talk tough when they can hide behind their computer. That's definitely one drawback of the Internet.

Singletary says Smith played poorly but does not question QB's future (Maiocco)

49ers lose to Eagles, eliminated from playoffs (Maiocco)

Chalk up this interception to Davis (Maiocco)

Gore the bright spot vs. Eagles (Maiocco)

49ers at Eagles: Gametime Live (Maiocco)

Weather report from Philly, along with playoff update (Maiocco)

Eagles clinch playoff berth, 27-13 (Sac Bee)

49ers Blog and Q&A: Live blog: 49ers-Eagles with The Bee's Matt Barrows (Barrows)

49ers Blog and Q&A: Niners-Eagles: city is snow white, but field is jolly green (Barrows)

Tim Kawakami: Coach's faith in Alex Smith hasn't wavered (SJ Mercury News)

49ers can't contain DeSean Jackson (SJ Mercury News)

49ers' playoff hopes dashed again (SJ Mercury News)

Playoff dream ends in Philly (SFGate.com)

Game review (SFGate.com)

Lee's punting impressive (SFGate.com)

Why does Singletary believe in Smith? (SFGate.com)

Road Struggles Continue For 49ers (49ers.com)

49ers Postgame Press Conference (49ers.com)

Philadelphia clinches playoff berth with 27-13 win over San Francisco (Yahoo! Sports)

San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles - Recap (ESPN.com)

Wrap-up: Eagles 27, 49ers 13 (Sando - ESPN.com)

Cards' Dockett taunting 49ers fans (Sando - ESPN.com)

Early turnovers against Eagles lead to the 49ers' elimination from the playoff race (49ers Examiner)

Eagles 27 - 49ers 13: Hidden Nuggets

Fooch — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:34:46 -0000

Today's game definitely did not end as any of us would have hoped, but there were still a few positives to take from the game. Most prominent among the positives would be the performance of Frank Gore. Gore has managed to bounce back from a few quiet games and now sits 58 yards from his fourth straight 1,000 yard rushing season. No 49er running back has done that for three straight seasons, let alone the fourth season. One interesting additional stat: Gore is now only 153 rushing yards from passing Garrison Hearst for 4th all-time among 49ers running backs. He's facing some weak defenses these next two weeks, so hopefully he can blow past Hearst

100 Back-To- Back

With 107 rushing yards on the day, RB Frank Gore has rushed for over 100-yards in back-to-back games for the first time since 2006 (12/10/06 vs. Green Bay and 12/14/06 at Seattle).
This marks Gore's 4^th 100-yard game of the season and 19^th for his career. He trails only RB Joe Perry (20 100-yard games) for the most 100-yard games in franchise history.
Gore became the first RB in 20 regular season games to rush for over 100 yards vs. Philadelphia.
Gore needs only 58 more yards to reach the 1,000-yard mark for the fourth consecutive season.

A few more interesting stats after the jump...

Turnovers Coming In Bunches

With 2 interceptions on the day, the 49ers defense has forced 2 or more turnovers in a game 7 times this season. It is the first time since 2005 that the 49ers defense has forced 2 or more turnovers in at least 7 games (8 in 2005).
CB Shawntae Spencer intercepted QB Donovan McNabb in the endzone for his 2^nd INT of the season (8^th of his career).
CB Dre' Bly notched is 2^nd INT of the season (42^nd of his career) as he picked off McNabb midway through the third quarter, setting up the 49ers first touchdown of the day.

Smith Ties Touchdown Mark

QB Alex Smith tied his single-season touchdown record on a 12-yard TD pass to WR Josh Morgan. With 16 TD passes on the season, Smith has tied his career-high from 2006.

Davis Sets Another Franchise Record

TE Vernon Davis broke the 49ers franchise record for receiving yards in a season by a tight end. Davis now has 858 receiving yards on the season. The previous record was 825 yards receiving by TE Eric Johnson in 2004.

Morgan's Career Day

WR Josh Morgan tallied 183 all-purpose yards, the most in his career. He had a career-high 7 receptions for 61 yards and 1 touchdown and also totaled 122 kickoff return yards, including a long of 52 yards. His previous career-high was 149 all-purpose yards (6 receptions for 56 yards, 1 carry for 20 yards and 73 kickoff return yards) at Seattle (12/6/09).

Season Long

K Joe Nedney nailed a 51-yard field on the 49ers first possession, his longest of the season. That marked Nedney's 8^th field goal of 50-yards-or-more since joining the 49ers in 2005. He holds the franchise record for most field goals of 50-yards-or-more.

Extending Their Streaks

DT Justin Smith extended his consecutive starts streak to 137 games, which leads all defensive linemen. Arizona DT Darnell Dockett is second at 79 games.
S Mark Roman extended his streak to 110 consecutive games played. He ranks 2nd in the NFL among safeties with 110 consecutive games played (Deon Grant, SEA - 142).

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?

Grading The Defense: Arizona Cardinals vs San Francisco 49ers

Andrew602 — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:39:14 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sakuma - AP

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The Cardinals defense was fired up heading into Monday nights game, with players like Darnell Dockett and Adrian Wilson voicing their thoughts on their division rival. Perhaps the only thing that kept the Cardinals alive throughout the night was in fact, the defense. The odd part of it all was that they allowed 167 rushing yards to Frank Gore - who had been limited the previous 3 games - after holding Adrian Peterson to 19 rushing yards the week before. The defense is truly a Jekyll and Hyde type and that is about the only thing they've done consistent all season.

Defensive line: You know things are bad when the Cardinals defensive line starts the game with 3 penalties. How do they redeem themselves? Darnell Dockett picks off an Alex Smith pass when the 49ers were in the red zone. That was about the only highlight for the defensive line as they were only able to register 1 sack against an average-at best 49ers offensive line. It's looking more certain that the aging Bryan Robinson and unproven Gabe Watson are a liability at defensive tackle. Alan Branch's light bulb has stayed lit this season, is it time for Ken Whisenhunt to give him more playing time?

Linebackers: Throughout most of the night the Cardinals linebackers were caught out of position and had trouble rounding up Frank Gore. They couldn't get any pressure on Smith, and had issues stopping the 49ers on 3rd down. They did have mild success against the pass, with Vernon Davis only catching 3 balls on the night. There's really not much more to say about this unit. One game they play out of their minds, the next their age and lack of depth shows. It's been the story of the season so far.

Defensive backs: This unit probably played the best out of the three, holding Smith to 144 passing yards on 35 attempts. With the exception of Michael Crabtree's touchdown, the Cardinals DBs didn't allow much production out of the 49ers wide receivers. The defense had 9 passes defensed, with Adrian Wilson contributing 5 of them. They also held Alex Smith's yards per attempt to 4.1. The only area of concern continues to be the lack of help against the run. Once Frank Gore got to the 2nd level, it was almost guaranteed he would get the 1st down.

My defensive grade: B-

Final Thoughts: A B- may be considered high to some but looking over the numbers, the only 49er that had success on the night was Frank Gore. When the offense gives 7 turnovers away the defense will rarely look appealing on the final stat sheet, but considering they kept the Cardinals offense alive throughout the game should warrant a respectable grade. What grade did you give the Cardinals defense and why?

Poll

How would you grade the Cardinals defensive effort on Monday?

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:30:13 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

11 days ago: Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall, left, avoids the tackle of Indianapolis Colts linebacker Gary Brackett in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009. Marshall had 21 receptions for 200 yards in the game. The Colts defeated the Broncos 28-16. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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Happy Tuesday, friends, and welcome to another edition of Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. Christmas is coming - and I, for one, am hoping for a much more joyous holiday season than I experienced last December. All I got for Christmas last year was the Broncos' historic collapse, and all I had to give was the one scenario that could possibly be worse than the season-ending Chargers game (it involved hypothetically cutting an apple, slipping, and stabbing myself in the groin WHILE watching that game).

I'm not much for moral victories, but today in Donny Deutschland, I will talk about why I feel better about Sunday's loss than I have about any Broncos loss in years. There's no time to waste, so let's not waste any time. Out of the echo chamber, and into the fire, y'all. Ready..... BEGIN!!!

1. I learned on Sunday that what I suspected was the case, was in fact, the case. That is, the Broncos can play with Indianapolis, at Indianapolis. It happened a little differently than I thought it would, but the Broncos competed, and got back in the game after getting down in really ugly fashion. Consider these statistics, as I pretend that I care about statistics for a moment. The Broncos outgained Indianapolis 357-312. They held the ball for 31:27, versus the Colts' 28:33. They won the turnover battle 3-1. The Broncos advanced into Colts territory on 8 of 12 posessions. These measures would tend to indicate victory, but in this case, the Broncos fell a little short.

For next time, we can internalize a few thoughts:

a. The Broncos have the players and schemes to cover the Colts receivers, pressure Peyton Manning, and generally disrupt their offense.

b. The Broncos have the players and schemes to move the ball at will against the Colts defense.

c. As a fan base, we all mistakenly thought to ourselves "Here we go again" when the Colts got up 21-0 after four possessions. We can take this game as a lesson that the past doesn't indicate the future. Those Broncos teams which got their doors blown off by the Colts passing game are definitely not these Broncos.

One general concern is that the Broncos could have run the ball better, and will need to next time. I felt the run scheme was too zone-heavy and horizontal, and it played into the Colts' plan to run-blitz the gaps. A smaller, faster team needs to be man-blocked with a vertical scheme. Those are guys you don't necessarily want moving laterally, because they're comfortable doing so.

The other concern is that at money time, Dallas Clark needed more and better attention. Josh Barrett needed to be on the field manning him up, because he's the best guy in the NFL at covering TEs man-to-man.

All in all, I am proud of the way the Broncos stayed in the game, despite some reasons that lesser men would take to quit. This was really a game which turned on a few plays, and I am pleased to know that the Broncos can compete with Indianapolis, unlike in past years. This week, it's the Raiders, and luckily, JaMarcus Russell will be under center again. Expect Elvis Dumervil to get some shots at him. The Broncos can take care of business at home, and position themselves well to make the postseason. Happy Raiders Week, friends.

2. Information From My Eyes, Broncos at Colts:

a. Andre' Goodman got beat on a crossing route by Pierre Garcon on the first offensive play of the game, and in the moment, I wondered if there was a major speed mismatch. Goodman settled down to play Garcon spectacularly the rest of the game, breaking up four well-thrown balls. Goodman has been terrific all year, but I'd call this his best game as a Bronco.

b. When the Broncos drafted Darcel McBath, I'd never heard of him. I'm very impressed with his play as a rookie, though, and he had a fantastic game Sunday. He separated Dallas Clark from the ball on a 3rd down, and also baited Peyton Manning into his third interception. It's a real bummer that he broke his forearm and is gone for the season, but he showed well when he got the opportunities. I look for him to make a serious run at Renaldo Hill's starting job next season.

c. I really "misunderestimated" the Colts' DTs, Daniel Muir and Antonio Johnson. They both played fantastic, and drove the Broncos' interior players backward consistently.

d. Ryan Clady didn't play very well in the running game, which was a departure from what we've been seeing lately. He got pushed backward several times when he lost leverage, and he misread a few run blitzes, and didn't hit the right guy. He's young and growing, and we can only hope he learns from this game.

e. Brandon Marshall was spectacular, of course. It's obvious that Kyle Orton really trusts him to make plays at this point. I wish he trusted Eddie Royal a little more, though. The truth is, though, Royal hasn't come up with some plays when he's had chances to do so.

f. I was happy to see Jabar Gaffney back in the mix this week. He's a pro's pro, and the Broncos offense is better when he is involved.

g. I was pleased with what I saw from Robert Ayers and Elvis Dumervil, despite the Broncos' lack of sacks. Both played well against the run, and generated pressure against Manning.

h. Peyton Hillis isn't a very good lead blocker, and I think a key part of the trouble the running game had was with the loss of Spencer Larsen. Larsen has been knocking heads the last two weeks, and he wasn't there this time, obviously.

Hillis is a good RB, but he's a true HB, not a FB. The truth is, he is where he should be on the depth chart; the third RB for the Broncos. Zappa said that some DP posters were calling for Knowshon Moreno to be benched, and Hillis to get the starting job. That's not going to happen, and frankly, it's asinine. Hillis could get more opportunity to make plays, but he deserves to be behind Moreno and Correll Buckhalter. There's no question in my mind of that.

i. The Colts' last drive was enabled by missed tackles by Vonnie Holliday (first play of the series) and Mario Haggan (3rd down inside the Broncos 10).

j. Oh, Dallas Clark. Ty Law did a good job on him, but he often was assigned to cover Austin Collie. Wesley Woodyard is a good zone player, but he can't cover a Clark in man-to-man. That 4th-and-4 was badly schemed, because Brian Dawkins shouldn't be manned up on Clark, either.

Finally, at the end of the game, the approach should have been to look at the formation. The power was left, and the only receiving threat was Clark, playing with his hand down on the right side. You need somebody to drive him straight into the ground, so he can't get out in the pattern. That's how I would coach that situation, anyway. Tackle him when he pretends to block, without getting called for holding.

k. D.J. Williams had a very good game, except for the one stupid penalty. Darrell Reid got (another) one of those too, while we're at it.

3. Information From My Eyes, Other Games

a. I thought Thursday's Browns-Steelers game was pretty riveting, and I almost wish I went (but not quite). Several of my friends tried to get me to go, because everybody in the world was trying to dump their tickets. It was 12 degrees, with 50 mph winds, and felt negative-7 in Cleveland that night. That's a recipe for freezing your hind-parts off, as Omar would say.

The Browns are changing for the better, and I wonder if it saves Eric Mangini's job. They're doing some very interesting things, like using Mike Furrey at FS. He's played both ways in his career, but has been more of a WR in the NFL, and caught 98 passes for the Lions in 2006, which was second in the NFL.

He did some nice things at Safety in the game, and it reminded me of Troy Brown playing defense for the Patriots, though, as I mentioned, Furrey has played defense at the professional level. You have to be impressed with a player doing what it takes to help his team win.

b. A guy who I have always liked, who the Browns found for free is Matt Roth. He got on the wrong side of Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano in Miami, and they put him on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list, and then waived him in November. The Browns smartly claimed him, and he's played very well for the Browns thus far. The Sam position in a 3-4 is pretty hard to fill, because it's a unique skill set. Lamarr Woodley and Mario Haggan are both very good at it, and Adalius Thomas used to be, but like RT on offense, there are a lot more average 3-4 Sams than there are good ones. Roth is a good one, because he sets the edge well, and generates a good pass rush when he's called upon to do so. Finding a guy like him in-season is what a bad team has to do.

c. Two unheralded guys who the Browns have discovered on offense are RB Chris Jennings and TE Evan Moore. Jennings won a Grey Cup recently with the Montreal Alouettes, and looked like the best back on the Browns roster last Thursday. He ran with power and explosion against an excellent run defense.

I meant to mention Moore last week and forgot; but I know a football player when I see one, and he's a player. He was a big WR at Stanford for 4 years, and also played basketball for his first 2 years. His fluidity, body control, and overall athleticism jump off the screen, and really remind me of Antonio Gates. I don't know if he's as fast as Gates, but he looks to me like he could definitely be a Brent Celek-caliber receiving TE. He's been key to Brady Quinn's recent improvement, because Quinn does his best throwing work inside the numbers.

Jennings and Moore are two players who the Browns can be very excited about, as they figure out what their program is during the offseason. Like Roth, they came with no significant cost. Now the Browns just need to nail their offseason.

d. I had a friend who is a Steelers fan ask me what was wrong with his team, and I think I may have disappointed him by not having a real definitive answer ready. It's kind of a tough question to answer, really, because Mike Tomlin had it exactly right when he said it was a function of struggles in all three phases of the game.

The defense really misses Troy Polamalu, who I think might be the most irreplaceable defensive player in the NFL. No safety plays with the speed of Polamalu, and the Steelers are much more conservative in their blitz packages without him. Their CBs are also playing pretty poorly over the last five games. On offense, I think the Steelers play-calling has been suspect. Rashard Mendenhall has emerged as a good RB, and the Steelers seem reluctant to commit to letting him run. I'm not surprised at the rumblings Sunday that some offensive coaches are likely going to get whacked after the season.

e. Now, on to why the Browns won Thursday. There were two reasons. One reason is that Joshua Cribbs is a great football player, and he carried his team on offense and special teams. The other is that the Browns covered the Steelers' receivers at a shockingly high level. ST&NO Favorite Brandon McDonald was fantastic. He might have had the best coverage game I have seen from a CB this year (although Andre' Goodman was awesome on Sunday, too). Eric Wright was strong on the other side too, though he gave up a few completions to Santonio Holmes. As has often been the case with the Broncos this season, the coverage allowed the pressure to get to Ben Roethlisberger, who was sacked 8 times.

f. It was another annoying weekend when almost every game was early, including the Broncos. I had the Chicago-Green Bay game on at the same time as the Broncos game,. and as I watched some of it, I was struck by the fact that neither team showed me anything that I didn't already know about them. Aaron Rodgers continued his recent run of getting sacked less, and the Packers defense was strong again. The Bears had some flashes, but self-destructed at key times.

The only real takeaway from this, to me, is another reminder why I don't really like fantasy football. The number one player in the Official MHR League this year has been my QB, Rodgers. In real football terms, he played fine on Sunday. He completed 16 of 24 throws for 180 yards, and lost a fumble on a blind-side sack. His team won the game, so no worries, right? Well, in fantasy terms, he tanked. Not only that, I am playing Zappa in the playoffs this week, and he has Ryan Grant, who had a monster game with 137 yards and 2 TDs, because the Bears were playing coverage to prevent big plays in the passing game.

g. Speaking of guys who tanked on my fantasy team, Randy Moss, this skunky, warm Miller High Life is for you. One catch for 16 yards, and a lost fumble? Really? He really looked like he wasn't trying hard, too; it was a total flashback to the Oakland days. Good thing I had Brandon Marshall and the Eagles (TD scoring) defense.

h. I think the Patriots are in trouble, and that their culture needs an adjustment. I read Bill Belichick's sending tardy players home as a clear indication of that. Adalius Thomas lipped off in the media, and got benched for it, and Randy Moss did it with his play somewhat on Sunday. I wouldn't be shocked if both are gone after this season. Thomas is gone for sure, and Moss is a possibility. The Patriots have a lot of draft assets with which to restock the WR position, and they're pretty solid at LB anyway, with guys like Tully Banta-Cain and Rob Ninkovich making positive contributions.

It was pretty interesting how Tom Brady and Bill Belichick came to Moss's aid on Monday, after he clearly was dogging some pass routes. Michael Lombardi had a good point on NFL Network that Moss has done that his whole career, and that the Patriots probably weren't too alarmed by it. I think it's pretty bad, personally.

i. Scary moment in Arlington, Texas, when DeMarcus Ware was carted off the field with a neck injury. The Chargers had a false start, and then went right down the field in two plays to score the deciding TD afterward. Reports on Monday were that Ware would miss the next two weeks, which would really handicap the Dallas defense. Most casual fans think of Ware as just a pass rusher, but he is a rare player who stars against the run, and in zone coverage too.

j. I alluded to this thought last week, but it was well-articulated by Michael Lombardi last night; Dallas's struggles have nothing to do with what month it is. The same can be said of the Chargers and their success in the month of December. If you're playing in a lot of places where there's bad weather, then maybe the month is a semi-meaningful data point, but neither Dallas nor San Diego particularly qualifies. I know somebody is going to say that a game in December is a pressure game, but even that's not true a lot of times. San Diego has tended to be healthy in December, and Dallas has tended to be banged up. San Diego has tended to play weak late-season schedules, and Dallas has tended to play difficult ones. Don't get caught up in things which Peter King would incorrectly call a factoid.

k. That Radio Shack commercial with the sleeping scruffy dude saying "Dance, Sugar Plum Fairies" is bizarre. It makes no sense at all to me, and I can't imagine how it would make anybody want to shop at Radio Shack, or buy that craptastic phone from Sprint.

l. NBC lucked out with a great game on Sunday night between the Eagles and Giants. Neither defense looked particularly good, but both offenses lit it up. The difference in the game was a defensive TD from Sheldon Brown, and a punt-return TD from DeSean Jackson. Those plays also provided the difference in the Shallow Thoughts team beating Zappa's Sactown Beavers in the playoffs.

m. I would never let Jackson get off the line of scrimmage without getting hit. Teams just insist on letting this guy run free through their secondary, and he kills them. Little, fast guys like him must be re-routed off the line, and then you want over/under coverage on him after that. He's not the typical big, physical number-1 WR like Brandon Marshall, but he does need double-team attention, or at least Cover-3 behind him, so he can be hit at the line with confidence.

n. Brandon Jacobs, to me, is like a 98-mph fastball that's a little too straight, and rarely misses bats. Jacobs has been running harder lately than he was early in the season, but he doesn't make anybody miss. He takes so many hits, and this year, he's going down more easily than he used to. I think the Giants offense is better when Ahmad Bradshaw is getting more carries than Jacobs at this point, even as Jacobs has been better lately.

o. Speaking of the Giants, I want to share some ST&NO light with a Giants fan, because I've coincidentally been listening to his music as I wrote this part of the column. If you like hip hop, you ought to check out Nickel at his website www.SpotMeANickel.com. He's got a couple albums worth of MP3s available for free download there. I went to high school with the guy at Norwich Free Academy in Norwich, CT, and it's cool to see him doing well, and making good music.

p. As always, I watched 5 games on Monday night, and the one I learned the most from was the New Orleans-Atlanta game. Very simply, New Orleans deserved to lose the game, and I haven't seen or heard anybody acknowledge that. I take that as a reaffirmation that my effort is worth the time.

Brent Grimes got called for two horrible pass-interference penalties, on plays where he reached around his man to play the ball. Those two plays directly led to 14 points being scored, and the Saints won by 3. The officials bogusly penalized ST&NO Favorite Thomas DeCoud on an even better play in the fourth quarter too, but Garrett Hartley subsequently missed a Field Goal, so it didn't affect the scoreboard. The Saints are a very good team, and they don't need any bonus help, but apparently you can't breathe on their receivers. It reminded me of the 2006 NBA Finals, when Dwyane Wade got "fouled" practically every time he touched the ball, and it disgusted me just as much to watch.

q. Jonathan Vilma deserves credit for sealing the win for New Orleans. He intercepted Chris Redman with 3 minutes to go in the game. Then, after the Saints arrogantly tried a fake field goal, rather than taking the points and going up 6, Vilma tackled the formidable Jason Snelling cold in the open field, a yard short of the first down on 4th and 2. He made the plays that were there to be made.

r. While I'm on the topic of the Saints, here's an E! True Hollywood Story for you. Or maybe it's a Letterman-style Top 2 list. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Top 2 Things Ted Bartlett Currently Doesn't Give A Damn About (And Al Roker's Forecast Calls For No Change:)

1. Whether or not the Colts or Saints go 16-0, and on a related note, whether or not they rest their starters.

2. Who wins the NFL MVP Award.

Going 16-0 doesn't matter to anything. All it would do is create something which Peter King would someday mistakenly call a factoid (even though it's actually a fact). The only thing that matters is going 3-0 (or 4-0) in the Playoffs. Plus, the whole thing puts Mercury Morris back in the spotlight, and he's a jerk who doesn't deserve it.

As for the MVP Award, really, who cares? I may start caring if somebody other than a QB or RB can win, other than the rare Lawrence Taylor in 1986. (Since the AP award began in 1957, only DT Alan Page, K Mark Moseley, and Taylor have won the award from positions other than QB or RB. Taylor is the only winner for the Pro Football Writers Association award, which began in 1975. This is an absolute farce.)

Remember ST&NO Rule #1: If reporters vote for it, and decide it, it's usually not particularly worth paying attention to. That includes any and all power rankings, the NFL All-Pro team, all season-ending awards in all sports, and membership in all Halls of Fame. Reporters often mean well, and they add some value to the overall football discourse, but the value they add ends when they're not asking questions, finding things out, and reporting those things. When you ask them to judge something, most can't get past the very obvious, or what other people tell them, and nearly all are biased by what they consider to be the most interesting story. While that's understandable, given the fact that they're in the interesting story business, it's also self-serving, and represents noise rather than a reflection of truth.

s. The more I watch Chad Henne, the more I like his mechanics, all the way through the process of playing QB. I most especially like the way he carries out his fakes after he hands off the ball. You can tell that he's very well coached, both at the collegiate level and the professional level.

t. Speaking of good coaching, if Head Coaching jobs were being handed out based only upon excellence as a coordinator, Mike Mularkey would be looking pretty good for a shot at another job. People who know things about offense, and pay attention, know that Mularkey has been getting a lot of production out of some pretty marginal talent the last two seasons. It's equal parts scheme, knowing the capabilities of his players, and getting his guys to execute, but Atlanta's offense overachieves. Remember - Mularkey didn't get fired in Buffalo; he resigned in 2006 because he didn't see eye-to-eye with the recently hired Marv Levy. He's up there with Houston's Kyle Shanahan on offense, and the Broncos' Mike Nolan, Cincinnati's Mike Zimmer, and Arizona's Bill Davis on defense as guys who I think are adding a great deal of value to their sides of the ball.

u. I tend to dislike University of Texas players, because they have a well-known reputation for being coddled in Austin, and often coming into the NFL as soft players. A limitation of making evaluations from a distance is that you sometimes have to rely on information which may or may not be meaningful, such as the fact that coaches are prohibited from cursing at players at UT. That's pretty absurd in my opinion, like the urban legend about stress cards in basic training.

I didn't take to Brian Orakpo much coming out of college, partially due to the UT factor. Turns out, he's very good, and he's brought a lot to the table for Oakland. He has had a very good rookie season, but he was dominant on Sunday against the Raiders' bad offensive line and indecisive JaMarcus Russell. I still prefer Knowshon Moreno to Orakpo for the long haul, and I still think the Redskins should have taken Michael Oher (after the Packers should have taken Michael Oher). Orakpo was a good choice though, and is a good player, so I missed on that one.

v. I said a couple weeks ago that I was pretty sure that the Chiefs didn't regret acquiring Matt Cassel, and he's proceeded to have the two worst games of his career the last two weeks. His ability is very clear, so I still don't think they regret it, but he needs to step it up, and buy Todd Haley and Scott Pioli some cover. Kansas City has an aggressive local sports media, led by Adam Teicher and Jason Whitlock. Whitlock has already renamed Pioli as Scott Egoli, so it would be mighty helpful to this regime if they and Cassel could finish the season stronger than they've been showing, and feel like there's something to build on.

w. A vital part of a 3-step drop passing play is that the outside blocker on the throw side (usually the Tackle) needs to cut the Defensive End and get him on the ground. The 49ers RT, Adam Snyder, failed to cut Darnell Dockett twice in the first half Monday night, resulting in an Interception by Dockett, and another deflection by Dockett, which Alex Smith caught himself, and promptly was tackled for a 6-yard loss. Neither play was Smith's fault; his job is to get to the top of his drop, and let the ball go. Snyder's job is to clear the throwing lane.

x. Speaking of guys clearly not doing their jobs (and jumping back to the Dallas game because of the topic), Tony Dungy was right on when he was asked if coaching was the problem in Dallas. He said that he knows Terence Newman has been coached to jam a WR and re-route him in Cover-2, and that coaching definitely wasn't the problem on the big Vincent Jackson 39-yard catch on 3rd and 12 (right after the aforementioned Ware injury).

That was the key play of the game, and Newman didn't make it. As the play happened live, I yelled out "Where's the f$%^&* jam, 41?" I was glad Dungy called him out, although I bet he wasn't moved to profanity like I was. I've always thought Newman was highly overrated, by virtue of being a Cowboy. It comes with wearing the blue star, I am afraid.

y. Usually, when a defensive lineman is drafted highly, you expect him to be a big sack guy. The Bengals once drafted Justin Smith fourth overall, in 2001. His career high in sacks, mostly as a Right DE in a 40-front, was 8.5 in his rookie season. He had 6.5, 5, 8, 6, 7.5, and 2 in his next five seasons, which are respectable numbers, but not for an open-side DE drafted that highly.

Smith signed a 6-year $45 million deal with San Francisco in 2008, and moved to 5-technique in a 30-front. It's the role he should have been playing all along, because he's always been a physical, block-defeating player more than a speed-rushing player. It's not too different than the highly drafted Derrick Harvey from the Jaguars, or Jamaal Anderson for the Falcons (who moved to DT eventually). Their skill sets are just better suited to playing with physicality than with speed. (Harvey got only his second sack of the year Sunday, and Anderson has 0.5).

Anyway, Smith was dominant on Monday night, and consistently held the point of attack, while often penetrating and disrupting the Cardinals offense. It sure seemed like he is earning his money. I was also very impressed with the pass-rushing skills of Ahmad Brooks, who used to be just a MLB.

z. Another rookie I criticized for seeming to be soft was Beanie Wells, and he continues to play like he isn't. His TD run early in the 4th quarter Monday night was a man's TD run, all second effort. He did fumble later in the 4th quarter, but it was on a kill-shot by Dashon Goldson, who had a couple of those in Monday night's game.

aa. Genetics are a funny thing. In my family, we have something called the Bartlett Calves. My dad and all his siblings have them, and all my siblings and I have them, even my 8-year old half-sister Abby. The Bartlett Calves are notable for being disproportionately muscular and large, compared to the rest of our bodies. I am 6 feet tall and weigh 235 pounds, and when flexed, my calves are 18 inches around, which is 3-4 inches bigger than the average man's calf, and an inch bigger than the average man's neck.

I bring up this genetic oddity, because it makes me feel a certain kinship with Frank Gore, who has thunder thighs like whoa. He's found out a way to make good professional use of his thighs, because they're what give him such impressive power in traffic. Mine don't really come in too useful as an accounting manager and blogger.

ab. The jury is in as far as I am concerned for San Francisco. The 49ers are on the right track, and ST&NO Favorite Alex Smith has definitely emerged as their long-term QB. They have 2 first-round picks this season, which are both going to be in the 10-15 area. They need a CB and an offensive lineman with those picks, or maybe even two offensive linemen. This team is not far at all from the playoffs, and they're not even going to miss by much this season.

ac. The Cardinals are still legitimate championship contenders, but they got their hind parts kicked Monday night. The result of the game was more a reflection of good play by the Niners than it was of bad play by the Cardinals. The bright spot for Arizona was the excellent Adrian Wilson, who baited Smith into a dumb INT, and was around the ball constantly, the whole game.

4. I couldn't agree more with TJ Johnson's piece about deferring the option yesterday, and a smart analyst got out ahead of me before I wrote about it, which happens once in awhile with a Tuesday slot. I'm always glad to see an in-house MHR guy do it. Big up TJ! If you haven't read his article, you should. So should Don Banks (and Dan Fouts.)

From Banks:

• Did I hear that right, the Broncos won the coin toss to start their game at Indy and deferred to the Colts? And Peyton Manning? Why exactly would you give Manning the chance to get the ball in his hands any more than you absolutely have to? What were you thinking, Josh McDaniels? That's a dubious, rookie-like call for the Broncos new head coach. I do believe McDaniels was guilty of overconfidence in his defense.

My two cents was going to be that each team gets the ball kicked to them to start one half, and there's no way around that fact, so if you consider just this fact, it's utterly meaningless which half a particular team gets their opportunity to receive. TJ goes much further, and finds that there is actually evidence that teams who get the ball to start the second half tend to experience more success. Very interesting stuff.

5. That first-rounder from the Bears is looking really good right now. Chicago fell to 5-8 Sunday, and I like them to finish 6-10. They play at Baltimore and home against Minnesota before finishing at Detroit. For the Broncos' playoff chances, I'd like to see the Bears beat the Ravens, but I doubt it happens. A 6-10 record is probably good for a pick in the neighborhood of 9th or 10th overall. I gave a cursory look at the remaining schedules of every team with a losing record, and this is what I came up with for season-ending records, and way-too-early possible picks.

1. St. Louis 1-15 Sam Bradford QB Oklahoma

2. Tampa Bay 1-15 Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska

3. Detroit 2-14 Gerald McCoy DT Oklahoma

4. Kansas City 3-13 Eric Berry S Tennessee

5. Cleveland 4-12 Russell Okung T Oklahoma State

6. Oakland 4-12 Carlos Dunlap DE Florida

7. Buffalo 5-11 Jimmy Clausen QB Notre Dame

8. Washington 5-11 Trent Williams T Oklahoma

9. San Francisco ~~Carolina~~ 5-11 Joe Haden CB Florida

10. Seattle 6-10 Anthony Davis T Rutgers

11. Denver ~~Chicago~~ 6-10

12. San Francisco 7-9

13. Pittsburgh 7-9

14. Houston 8-8

15. Tennessee 8-8

With a 10th or 11th pick, you can get yourself a difference-making defensive player like a Terrence Cody, Rolando McClain, or Brandon Spikes. You could also go outside the box, and draft a guy like C.J. Spiller from Clemson, who projects as a major home-run threat, a la Chris Johnson, at the NFL level. You have to admit, he'd make a nice tandem with Knowshon Moreno. My move, though, might be to try to trade down, and enjoy some of the depth of this Draft. (I say try, because you can't always do it.) I am treading kind of lightly with this line of thinking, because I am a well-known believer that players are better than draft picks. (A player is a real asset, and a draft pick is a derivative asset; when you're needing to operate now, it's better to have a barrel of oil than a contract guaranteeing the delivery of a barrel of oil at a future date and price.)

To me, the Broncos could get back once or twice to #20 or so, and take someone like either Mike or Maurkice Pouncey from Florida, if they elect to enter the draft. (Incidentally, I think Florida is going to lose a bunch of underclassmen.) Both are 6-5 320-pound interior offensive linemen, and would fill what I think is the Broncos' biggest roster need. The overall point, though, is that it's good to be in the position the Broncos are in right now, with this pick coming in higher than their record would earn. For those who were sure the Broncos erred in trading their own pick rather than Chicago's, I'd hope they remember that you don't know how things are going to play out until they play out.

6. Bad news emerged for QB-needy teams yesterday that Washington junior Jake Locker will return for his senior season. It was not altogether unexpected, but I believe that Locker would have been the first QB selected, and maybe the number-1 overall pick. His talent as a thrower and runner is way ahead of the other guys in this class. The guy who benefits is Sam Bradford, because if he checks out healthy, his size and arm are both a bit better than Jimmy Clausen's. I, personally, am not in love with either guy. Bradford looks like a young Matt Hasselbeck to me, while a comparison for Clausen doesn't come to me so easily. Clausen is short, average athletically, looks like he needs to get a lot stronger, and has an average arm. He looks a bit like a young Drew Brees, before Drew worked so hard to become what he became. I am reluctant to make that comparison, but it's the best one I can come up with.

7. Retired for John Elway.

That's all I have for this week. We'll be back next Tuesday with more Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. Until then, have a fantastic Raiders Week, and Go Broncos!

Post Game Reaction: Arizona Cardinals Lose to San Francisco 49ers 24-9

Andrew602 — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:22:53 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

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There's not much to say other then the fact that the Arizona Cardinals never showed up to play Monday night. It's clear they were looking past the 49ers and San Francisco came in hungry for a win. The Cardinals appeared flat, starting the game defensively with three penalties. Darnell Dockett forced an early interception but the Cardinals offense couldn't get moving. The real story of the game was ball protection. The Cardinals fumbled the ball 5 times while Kurt Warner threw 2 interceptions. I'll make this qucik, so here are some game notes:

The Positives:

- There weren't many. Beanie Wells took over for Tim Hightower and had mild success running the ball, even scoring the Cardinals only touchdown. But he too, could not hang onto the ball.

- The defense had problems but easily kept the Cardinals offense in the game and gave them every chance to catch up. They came within a score at one point.

- Aside from Michael Crabtree's touchdown, the Cardinals defensive backs limited Alex Smith and the 49ers passing attack. Adrian Wilson had another interception to add to his career total at 21.

That's it, really.

The Negatives:

- The Cardinals offense was never in sync and turnovers really hurt this team like usual. It's no secret that when the Cardinals turn the ball over more then their opponent, they lose. That's what happened tonight when the Cardinals turned the ball over SEVEN TIMES, and it shouldn't be a surprise they lost. Was it a surprise that they couldn't get anything going and Kurt Warner's 120+ QB rating games stopped at four? Yes. Fortunately Kurt Warner has a bad game every now and then and usually bounces back with dominating performances, which is good news with the Lions and Rams coming up.

- The defense only registered 1 sack on the day and had no answer for Frank Gore. 167 yards and 1 touchdown were Gore's final numbers as the Cardinals couldn't contain him like they did in their first match up. No pressure + no run defense=loss.

Final thoughts: These are just my thoughts on where the Cardinals currently stand. I'm obviously frustrated and I can't tell you how much I wanted this win.

The Cardinals are not the division champs...yet. Don't get down on yourselves Cardinal fans. This game wasn't for the division and the Cardinals would have to lose to the Rams and Lions while the 49ers have to head to Philadelphia and beat the Eagles next week.

ESPN and the national media finally gave the Cardinals recognition, but was it too much? I appreciate it as a fan but this team obviously plays better with a chip on their shoulder and when they're the underdog. The 49ers ALWAYS play the Cardinals well and the games usually go down to the last minute. Not to mention, one of the teams usually sweeps the other in the season, there's rarely been a split as of late. I even chalked this one up as a loss before the season started and I'm not surprised the 49ers were the better team tonight.

Before I finish let me say there are certainly more negatives but the main two were stated above. If the Cardinals offense could have got more points on the board and the defense could've played like they did last week, the Cardinals would've had the NFC West won. I'm not happy with a loss but I will happily except any negative criticism from the media. Let's even take it one step further and declare the Cardinals underdogs for the rest of the season and throughout the playoffs, especially if that means getting back to the Super Bowl. What are your thoughts on the game?

Arizona Cardinals' Road To Elite Status

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

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

18 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?