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Grading the Defense: Arizona Cardinals vs. Chicago Bears

Hawkwind — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:00:54 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

about 1 month ago: Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, bottom left, sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) in the second quarter of an NFL football game in Chicago, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. In the background is the Cardinals' Gabe Watson (98). (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

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Coming off a disappointing loss against the Carolina Panthers, Kurt Warner wasn't the only Arizona Cardinals' player with something to prove this past weekend. The Cardinals' defense, namely the front seven, had some serious questions to answer after allowing the Panthers to run rough shot over them just seven days prior. Standing in their way would be a Chicago Bears team that was undefeated at home and one of the league's more complete running backs in Matt Forte. Needless to say the Cardinals defense had their work cut out for them and here's a breakdown of how they performed.

Overall Defensive Performance: Depending on how you look at it the Cardinals defense was anywhere from very good to very marginal. From the "very good" department, the defense only allowed two drives of 45 yards or longer but the two "very bad" drives were both 90+ yards and resulted in touchdowns. From the "very good" file, with roughly one minute left in the third quarter the defense had allowed just 200 yards on the Bears' first seven drives, 90 of which came on their opening drive, but the Bears also racked up another 180 yards on their final four drives (including a 93 yard TD drive). One thing is pretty clear, the defense either started to fail or relaxed in the fourth quarter resulting in most of their overall numbers looking very average. it is worth mentioning however that portions of the fourth quarter were played with backups like Will Davis and Kenny Iwebema. By the time the game was over the Bears' offense had racked up 417 yards from scrimmage (averaging 6.6 yards per snap) and had scored 21 points.

Rush Defense: It's pretty fair to say that the Bears' abandoned their run game early in the game considering that they played at least 3/4 of the game from a two touchdown deficit. For the game they attempted just 12 rushes, although they did average 5.8 yards per carry. Forte led the way with 33 yards on five carries while (the other) Adrian Peterson and Jay Cutler added another 40 yards on the ground with their five combined carries. Their running game simply never had a chance to get on track and was limited to draw plays out of shotgun for most of the game, a scenerio the Cardinals are quite familar with.

Pass Defense: Normally when a team gets behind early they are forced to air it out for the rest of the game and that was certainly the case for the Bears. Cutler set season highs in completions (29), attempts (47), yards (369) and touchdowns (3) and posted a very respectable 98.6 QB rating. Most of his completions were a result of their short passing game where YAC receivers like Devin Hester and Johny Knox could excel, although two of his most successful deep balls were to tight end Greg Olsen. The Cardinals registered four sacks but more importantly they continously pressured and knocked down Cutler. Pressure from guys like Darnell Dockett, Calais Campbell, Chike Okeafor and Clark Haggans were a big reason why the Bears were limited to short passes for most of the day.

Honor Roll:

Karlos Dansby and Ali Highsmith: Thanks to a back injury that prevented Gerald Hayes from suiting up, Highsmith got his first start as a pro and the defense didn't seem to miss a beat. There were times that he got pushed around but his energy and athleticism also made him an asset once the Bears turned pass-happy. Dansby did what he normally does, leading the team in tackles despite the Bears lack of a running game.

Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell: There may be better 3-4 defensive ends in this league but the way DD and CC are playing right now, I don't know that I'd trade them for any other pair. Dockett was his normal disruptive force and his second sack of the season. Campbell, regardless of what the boxscore says, recorded at least half a sack, if not a full sack (the sack that was awarded to Okeafor). One thing that really stands out about Campbell though is that he never gives up on a play. At least once a game it seems like he'll make a tackle ten yards down field while a back tries to wiggle through the secondary.

Matt Ware: We haven't talked much about Ware this season but if you me, that's a good thing. Ware has stepped into Aaron Francisco's role and has been a moster upgrade. He's not a great cover safety but he does alot of things well and so far the Cardinals are using him in a way that allows him to succeed. He registered his first career pick late in the fourth quarter.

Will Davis: Welcome to the NFL rook! Davis recorded his first career sack and don't look now but he's starting to get a couple of snaps a week with the defensive unit. He's already proving that he has the athletic ability to play in this league and his relentless motor and ability to get off blocks led to his fourth quarter sack on Cutler.

Overall Defensive Grade: C+

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Overall the Cardinals defensive effort can classified as good with plenty of room for improvement. One thing that will stick with me for a while is how dejected Jay Cutler looked after he continually got hit by the Arizona Cardinals. Very rarely do you visibly see a player quit, especially a quarterback, but he was very close on Sunday. As the game wore on he got up slower and slower as the hits kept coming and quaterbacks in the future will recognize that on tape. The Cardinals feel like they're building something special here and there were glimpses of that on Sunday. What's you're grade for the defense?

Poll

How would you grade the Cardinals defensive effort on Sunday?

A

20 votes

B

119 votes

C

61 votes

D

4 votes

F

2 votes

206 votes | Poll has closed

Arizona Cardinals vs Carolina Panthers: Keys to the Game

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

More photos » by Mel Evans - AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arizona Cardinals Rookie Report: Bye Week Edition

Hawkwind — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:01:36 -0000

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

2 months ago: Arizona Cardinals running back Beanie Wells (26) is tackled by Jacksonville Jaguars safety Reggie Nelson after a short gain in the first half of an NFL football game in Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

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The Arizona Cardinals 2009 rookie class has some tremendously large shoes to fill considering that the previous class produced two starters, one of which led the team in interceptions and the second which broke the franchise mark for touchdowns by a rookie, and several serviceable backups. Two things have slowed the progression of the '09 class: injuries and a roster that was already stocked with talent. An early bye week doesn't give us much to evaluate but here's what we've seen so far.

Disclaimer: These guys are obviously young and are only three games into their NFL careers so take this for what it is, a look at only the past couple of months. We're not arguing who should have been drafted or saying any of these guys are garbage. We'll update these guys later on in the season and see how they're progressing.

Beanie Wells: Some have already labeled Beanie as the "most disappointing rookie at any position" but quite frankly nothing could be further from the truth. It's fair to say that Beanie hasn't produced eye-popping numbers like some predicted but he hasn't been terrible or disappointing by any stretch of the imagination. To be fair through training camp and three games, Beanie has two negative marks and one positive marks. The first negative mark is obvious, the ankle injury that held him out of training camp and part of the preseason. Not only did that hold him back from working with the offense and mounting any kind of serious push for the starting tail back job but more importantly it prevented him from learning the playbook and working against NFL-level competition. The second negative is probably just as obvious as two fumbles in one game will have a tendency to raise some eye brows. We've covered the fumble-itis issue quite a bit so we won't beat a dead horse. With the negative-nancy talk over and done with lets move on to the silver lining: his production. While Beanie hasn't received many carries through three games, it's interesting to note that he currently is tied with LeSean McCoy for the best yards per carry average among rookie running backs (4.4 ypc). Fellow first round backs Knowshon Moreno (4.0 ypc) and Donald Brown (3.4 ypc) both have more yards and carries but neither have posted a better yards per carry average than Wells. While many so-called-experts pointed to Beanie's lack of carries last week, as Cardinals fans we're accustomed to seeing this offense abandon the running game once a game starts to get away from them and like it or not, that's the team's philosophy at this point. The best news for Beanie at this point is that based on pure running ability, he's out performed Tim Hightower. Hightower is a more rounded back but Wells has proven to be more decisive and explosive. Grade: C+

What's to Like: When Beanie has the ball in his hands (and holds onto it), he's the most productive RB on the roster.
What he needs to Improve: Obviously he needs to hold onto the ball and he'll need to improve his pass protection and pass catching ability before he really starts to cut into Hightower's playing time.

Cody Brown: Wrist injury ended his season before it every really got started. Grade: Incomplete

Rashad Johnson: Despite being a third round pick Johnson came in with quite a bit of hype and expectations and I think many of us (my self included) probably expected too much from him this early in the season. He was touted as being very 'NFL-ready' despite not having elite athleticism but so far he's just looked like a rookie who is still pretty raw. Through three weeks he hasn't made a very big impact on any game despite playing quite a bit on passing downs, especially considering that Matt Ware has missed the past two weeks. Given his position that could easily be seen as both a positive and negative statement so for now we'll just say that it's somewhere in between. Johnson hasn't been visibly beaten on any big plays but at the same time he's yet to break up a pass or make any plays that would validate the 'future starter' label that many of us slapped on him shortly after the draft. RJ should continue to play in most passing situations and as the season progresses he'll get better acclimated to the speed of the NFL game and more adept at reading opposing offenses. Grade: B-

What's to Like: Johnson is learning the game and hasn't been noticeably beaten and tackling has been solid in both pass and run support.
What he needs to Improve: Overall just about everything in his game can be improved and that should come with experience. His anticipation and reaction time are the biggest things that he needs to develop at this point.

Greg Toler: Sadly Toler's biggest contribution on the young season has been running into a punt that Antrel Rolle didn't catch. With the way the league records stats, it means that officially he's returned one punt for zero yards and fumbled the ball, but we all know what really happened. Outside of that he's been active for two games (inactive for season opener) most of his playing time has come on special teams and unless injuries strike the cornerback position that probably won't change. We knew that Toler was very raw and anything he contributes this season is probably just a bonus. Grade: C

What's to Like: Considering the jump in talent that Toler is making, it's at least encouraging to see him contribute in any aspect. His athleticism should keep him on field with the special teams.
What he needs to Improve: Basically every aspect of his game on the defensive side of the ball needs work but we probably won't see that improvement this season unless the secondary gets ravaged with injuries.

Herman Johnson: Through no fault of his own Johnson has been inactive for every game so far. We didn't think much of the Jeremy Bridges signing at the time but his ability to play both guard and tackle has pushed Johnson and Brandon Keith to the inactive list on game days. It'll probably take at least a couple of injuries for Johnson to receive any playing time this season. Grade: Incomplete

Will Davis: The primary beneficiary from Brown's injury was Davis and thus far he's been active every game and contributed two tackles, one on special teams and one with the regular defense. His most significant playing time came against the Jags and it's fairly reasonable to expect him to get some playing time in any game in which the Cards get a 'safe' lead. Davis has the athleticism to play the OLB position and he'll get better with time. Considering the Cardinals lack of depth at OLB it's realistic to think that he'll get some extended playing time sometime this season. Grade: B+

What's to Like: Considering what we saw during the preseason, I was pretty impressed with Davis when he played against the Jags. He didn't look near as lost as he did in the preseason. His athleticism is impressive and he'll get better as the year progresses.
What he needs to Improve: His weakness is still understanding the entire defense and covering the pass. It normally takes at least one season for young OLB's to grasp a 3-4 defense so that's nothing new.

LaRod Stephens-Howling: The Hyphen has contributed just as much, if not more, than any rookie on the roster. He's only carried the ball once (for two yards) but he's caught three balls for 22 yards and returned every kickoff so far. His 21.2 yard average on kick returns isn't great but it's fifth among rookies with at least five returns and seven of his nine returns have gone for at least 20 yards. LSH is proving that his promising preseason wasn't a fluke and as long as he continues to display good ball security, he should hold onto the primary kick returner job. The next hurdle for LSH will be challenging Jason Wright for the #3 RB job and I wouldn't be surprised to see that happening later in the season. Grade: B+

What's to Like: LSH is productive when he touches the ball, especially in space. He has some escape-ability and seems to quickly gaining the confidence of the coaching staff.
What he need to Improve: His biggest weakness as this point is pass protection, which also happens to be Wright's strength. If LSH can close that gap he should start pushing Wright for playing time.

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Reggie Walker is the only other rookie on the roster but he's yet to record a tackle and he's only been active for one game. I guess we could list him as incomplete. While it's probably safe to say that this year's rookie class won't get out of the shadow of the 2008 class anytime soon there are certainly some promising players in this group. We'll update these guys later in the season but for now, what's your opinion of the rooks through three games? Who's the most surprising and disappointing?

Week 3: Friday Injury Report

shake n bake — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:28:38 -0000

Dwight Freeney returned to practice and Clint Session stayed on the practice field for a second day, but Kelvin Hayden and Gary Brackett remained on the sidelines. Joe Addai and Marlin Jackson got days off.

Out: Bob Sanders, Anthony Gonzalez

Questionable (no practice): Gary Brackett, Kelvin Hayden

Questionable (some practice): Clint Session, Dwight Freeney

Colts.com link

Oesher relays Caldwell's comments on the questionable players.

“Gary’s still being worked on constantly,” ... adding that Brackett’s injury could be best described as a strain. “He’s getting better. It’s kind of a day-to-day thing.”

Hayden “is still nursing” his hamstring injury, but added “he’s at a stage right now where he’s better I think than expected.”

Freeney, listed late in the week with a back injury, returned to practice Friday. “He had a little bit of an issue, but he’s fine,

Session has made “some progress.” “He did some limited things (Thursday), so we feel good about that,”

On the Cards side they are quite different of the Colts in how they use the report. While the Colts haven't meet an injury they didn't feel deserved at least questionable. The Cards list players with full participation across the board on their report and are big fans of the probable label.

Out: Kenny Iwebema

Questionable: Matt Ware (limited all week), Ali Highsmith (out Wed/Thurs, limited Fri), Levi Brown (limited all week), Rashad Johnson (new on report, limited Friday. Practice injury?), Steve Breaston (out Wed, limited Thurs/Fri), Chike Okeafor (out Wed, limited Thurs/Fri).

Probable (none missed practice time): Sean Morey, Kurt Warner, Antrel Rolle, Bryant McFadden, Brian St. Pierre, Reggie Wells, Anquan Boldin, Will Davis, Early Doucet

AzCardinals.com link

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 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Injury Report

Hawkwind — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:13:33 -0000

The Arizona Cardinals injury list has grown considerably since last week and as of today it includes nine players including four who didn't participate in yesterday's practice. Reggie Wells, Chike Okeafor, Matt Ware and Kenny Iwebema joined Sean Morey, Brian St. Pierre, Steve Breaston, Anquan Boldin and Early Doucet on the report with Okeafor, Breaston, Ware and Iwebema sitting out of the entire practice. Everyone else at least participated in some portion of practice. As of today, Iwebema is the only player who is expected to miss Sunday's game against Jacksonville. Boldin admitted that he's still not 100% but did say that he feels much better than last week and did more in practice than he has in three weeks. Ken Whisenhunt said that they will be very cautious with Breaston this week in hopes that some time off will allow him to play on Sunday.

For the Jaguars, Zach Miller (TE) and Brian Witherspoon (CB) both missed practice. Miller, and this isn't the tight end from Oakland, is a rookie tight end who's making the transition from college quarterback. He's buried on the depth chart and most likely wouldn't have an impact even if he played. Witherspoon is listed as a corner but he's basically a return specialist, and a pretty good one. He averaged over eleven yards per punt return last year as a rookie and 24 yards per kick return.

Update (hat tip to Jeff): We should also mention that the Jaguars most significant injury in the past week was to defensive end and pass rush specialist, Reggie Hayward. He broke his leg against the Colts has already been placed on IR. The 30 year old has 39.5 sacks over the course of his career but has struggled to stay healthy over the past several seasons. It's unknown who will fill the void although Quentin Groves, James Wyche or rookie Julius Williams are in the mix or the team could decide to run more 3-4 schemes. Groves, a second round pick in 2008, is officially listed as a linebacker on their depth chart and has been a disappointment so far as a pro. Neither Wyche or Williams have appeared in an NFL game before.

Arizona Cardinals Cut Wide Receiver Lance Long; Signs with Chiefs

Bezekira — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:57:17 -0000

Two weeks ago Lance Long beat the odds as the second year undrafted wide receiver made the Arizona Cardinals opening day roster but his stay lasted only one game as the team cut him yesterday. Long didn't have a catch despite taking quite a few snaps on Sunday but his release may have more to do with the injuries to Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston and Early Doucet than with his actual play on the field. Long was the team's seventh wide receiver but with Boldin, Breaston and Doucet all nursing injuries, Long got a chance to make an impact. Considering that he's now been released, there's a good chance that one, two or even all three receivers could be able to suit up when the Cardinals travel to Jacksonville.

There has been no word on who will take Long's roster spot although early speculation is that it'll be a defensive player. Matt Ware and Kenny Iwebema were both injured against the Niners and at this point it looks like Iwebema will not suit up against the Jaguars. Ware's injury is considered less serious although we'll know more about it after today's practice.

Update: It took former Cardinals OC Todd Haley less than twelve hours to sign Lance Long, which of course means that Long is now a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. It is worth mentioning that Long isn't on their active roster, he's on the practice squad.

49ers-Cardinals: Final Injury Report

Fooch — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:59:56 -0000

The final injury report for the week was just sent out and the 49ers don't have any surprises. However, the Cardinals could be in an interesting situation. Anquan Boldin is listed as questionable and appears to be a game-time decision. Rotoworld had an interesting quotation from Boldin in which he said he'd "rather sit out game one as opposed to sitting out four or five other(s)." Also, John Clayton reported on NFL Live today that Boldin probably wouldn't play on Sunday.

Personally, I won't believe any of this until I see it on Sunday. Questionable on the injury report is often the ultimate in BS. I've seen times where a player will spend a good chunk of the season as "questionable," but still play every single week. It'd be nice to not have to face him, but I'm not holding my breath at this point.

49ers
Out
LB Ahmad Brooks - Knee
WR Brandon Jones - Shoulder

Cardinals
Questionable
WR Anquan Boldin - Hamstring
WR Early Doucet - Ribs
QB Brian St. Pierre - Back

Probable
WR Sean Morey - Ribs
WR Steve Breaston - Knee
S Matt Ware - Shoulder

Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers: Boldin Injury Status Still Unclear

Hawkwind — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:01:35 -0000

by Matt York - AP

3 months ago: Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin runs Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009 during a football workout in Tempe, Ariz. The Cardinals face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. (AP Photo/Matt York)

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After sounding very confident in Anquan Boldin's status earlier in the week, Arizona Cardinals' head coach Ken Whisenhunt sounded not quite so sure of himself yesterday. Boldin was limited in practice again on Wednesday, limiting himself to some early work but was then shut down to avoid any undue stress on a hamstring that is obviously less than 100%. During that early work he did some light running but his primary goal was about understanding assignments and the game plan. Boldin has been unavailable during the time that the locker room was open to reporters but Whisenhunt's comments on Boldin's status did seem to show some concern:

"We shut it down just so he wouldn't stress it," coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "I don't know where he really is at this point. Hopefully, he'll continue to improve and he'll have a shot (at playing) on Sunday. He did a little running in that period and it didn't seem to bother him. I think it was a good first step."

With very little practice time remaining before Sunday's contest with the 49ers, it seems likely that Boldin might not significantly test his hamstring until game time. The rest of the injury report remains the same, Sean Morey, Early Doucet and Brian St. Pierre were limited while Steve Breaston and Matt Ware fully participated but are still listed on the report. Breaston continues to look good in practice but has acknowledged that he's not very close to 100%. Whisenhunt did add that if Boldin does not play that it's likely they're try to protect Breaston from overuse by limiting his work on special teams. That likely means that Antrel Rolle will get a shot on punt returns and rookie LaRod Stephens-Howling could see action in his first game as the primary kick returner.

Another interesting aspect to the Boldin injury is that Early Doucet (fractured ribs) is not expected to suit up on Sunday, despite his limited status in practice all week, and that likely means that fan favorite Lance Long could see some regular snaps with the offense at wide receiver. His competition, Sean Morey, has been limited all week in practice with a rib injury so Long might just see his first action in a regular season game. The decision to keep seven receivers isn't looking so questionable now.

Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers: Preview and Anquan Boldin Injury Update

Hawkwind — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:14:37 -0000

by Matt York - AP

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin remains sidelined with a groin injury but is expected to play on Sunday versus the 49ers. (AP Photo/Matt York)

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The Arizona Cardinals are a mere three days away from opening the 2009 season against a very familiar face. Not only have the Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers met twice a year since being realigned after the 2001 season, but they've also opened the season against each other each of the past three years. Needless to say the Niners and Cards know each other very well and there won't be many surprises when the two teams take the field.

On the injury front the Cardinals have one injury that we'll monitor all the way up until game time, Anquan Boldin. Boldin hasn't practiced since before the Packers preseason game and he was not able to practice in yesterday's session. He did tell an FSN reporter, while he was at a Dodgers-Diamondbacks game, that he would "most definitely" play on Sunday and Whisenhunt has said that Q missing practice but still playing wouldn't be a first. The chances of Q actually missing the game seem relatively small but hopefully he'll at least test it before game time. Other guys listed on the injury report who were limited in practice include Sean Morey, Early Doucet and Brian St. Pierre. Steve Breaston and Matt Ware were also listed on the report but fully participated in practice. Breaston did say after practice that he expected his knee to be sore after testing it yesterday but it's just something that he'll have to play through.

The Niners have two injuries to report but it's worth noting because both players have already been ruled out of the game, linebacker Ahmad Brooks and wide receiver Brandon Jones. Brooks is a backup outside linebacker and Jones is their third or fourth wide receiver.

Under Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt, the Cardinals 14-4 record at home (including the playoffs) is an NFC-best as is their 28.9 points per game scoring average at home.
The Cards and Niners have met 35 times dating back to 1951 and the Niners hold a 19-16 lead in the all-time series but in the 14 matchups since Arizona joined the West, the series is tied at seven games a piece.
In the past ten meetings, in which the Cardinals won six, the average margin of victory is a mere 6.7 points. Three of the games have went into overtime and only two of the games have been decided by more than one score (both won by the Cards). Despite the close games though, in six of the past seven seasons one team has swept the season series with Arizona pulling out the broom in three of the past four seasons.
This is just the second time that the Cardinals have opened the season at home since moving to the desert with the other being the inaugural regular season game at University of Phoenix Stadium in '06 when we also hosted the Niners. Prior to UoP Stadium the schedule makers tried to avoid early season games in Arizona because of the heat (yet another reason to love the new Nest).
With a win the Cardinals post back to back season opening wins for the first time since the Don Coryell era (75-76), but since moving to UoP Stadium the Cardinals have not lost home opener.
Anquan Boldin needs 84 receiving yards to pass Frank Sanders for fifth on the franchise's all time leader board.
Larry Fitzgerald needs just 25 receiving yards to reach 6,000 for his career and that would make him the second youngest receiver to ever reach that mark at 26 years and 13 days old (Randy Moss was 25 years and 270 days when he reached 6,000).
Kurt Warner is a perfect 3-0 in opening day starts at home and has posted a sparkling 102.3 in those starts. Also Warner's next 300 yard passing game will be his 19th with the franchise and it will tie him with Neil Lomax for the franchise record.
Warner is also 9-1 versus the Niners during his career and in those ten games he's thrown 23 TDs versus just 10 interceptions and compiled a QB rating of 102.7.
The Cards have not had a rusher break the 100 yard mark in week one since 1988 (Stump Mitchell with 110) and they haven't had a rookie rusher top 100 yards in his first game since Ottis Anderson ran for 193 in 1979.