SB Nation - Leigh Bodden

Dolphins vs Patriots: Keys to Victory

Matty I — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:15:08 -0000

More photos » by David Duprey - AP

I say - what the hell - let him air it out and see what happens.

On Sunday, the Dolphins will look to do what only one team has been able to do since Bill Belichick took over as Patriots head coach - beat the Pats and send them to their second consecutive loss. That's right - since Belichick took over, the Patriots are 24-1 when they are coming off of a loss. Just this year, the Pats are 3-0 following a loss and have outscored their opponents by an average of 30 points. That number is skewed, of course, thanks to their 59-0 drubbing of the Titans. But still, their closest game this year following a loss was against the Falcons in which the Pats won by 16 points.

So no - this is obviously no easy task that the Dolphins face on Sunday and logic tells you that the Dolphins don't have too much of a chance. Luckily, games aren't won on paper - they are won on the field. And below you will find what I consider to be the three keys to a Dolphins victory.

Attack New England's secondary
No - the Dolphins aren't exactly loaded with talent at the receiver position. But at this point, what do we have to lose?

On Monday night, we saw the Saints regularly spread out New England's defense and just pick on their corners all game long. The biggest culprit was Jonathan Wilhite, who gave up completion after completion in that game. In fact, one of the biggest contributors to Pats Pulpit came onto this site and wrote of the Patriot secondary, "Brees picked it apart Monday night, throwing at CB Jonathan Wilhite like he wasn’t even there. In fact, it would have been better if he wasn’t because at least then there would have been an excuse."

Now we all know that these Dolphin receivers aren't even close in terms of talent to what New Orleans can throw at you. But what the hell? Let's go for it.

The last time these teams met, Chad Henne did throw for 220 yards. Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo each had good days. And Brian Hartline has continued to improve each week. In that game, the Dolphins did a good job of picking on New England's weaker corners. They threw at rookie Darius Butler 10 times, completing 7 passes for 76 yards against him. They threw at Shawn Springs four times, completing all four passes for 46 yards. Leigh Bodden was the guy who was most effective, allowing only three completions and just 4.1 yards per attempt in his direction. Bodden was especially good against Bess, allowing just one completion in five attempts to Davone.

Wilhite, meanwhile, didn't see too much of the field in large part because the Dolphins didn't use too many three or four receiver sets. I really hope to see - dare I say - more four receiver sets on Sunday. Spread out that defense, keep Ricky Williams in the backfield, and have Ted Ginn split out wide just running fly patterns all game in hopes of occupying one of the safeties.

What's the worst that could happen?

Mix up the defense
One of the things the Saints did so well against the Patriots was to mix up the defense and keep the Patriots on their toes. Following the loss, when asked about how the Saints were able to contain Randy Moss so well, Bill Belichick responded, "They did what they do. They played zone. They double-covered. They played man. They rushed. They did what they do and they did it pretty well."

There's something to be said about how important it is to not do the same thing over and over again. And we saw back in week nine that man coverage with minimal safety help is not the route to go against this Patriot offense. So I really hope that this isn't the plan of attack that Paul Pasqualoni dials up again.

What should the Dolphins do defensively? I'm no defensive coordinator so I won't try to talk like one. But I know for a fact that this defense has become too predictable. Countless times this year, the Dolphins have used the same boring blitz packages and same coverages in the secondary. Their blitzes have become predictable and their coverages have become tired and old.

I know that Sean Smith and Vontae Davis are only rookies, but would it kill them to play a little zone? Probably not. Sure - zone is harder to learn. But it would keep a veteran like Tom Brad on his toes.

Right now, I can sit at home and read the Dolphins' secondary before the snap just as well as a quarterback can. That, my friends, is a big problem. We've seen all of the good quarterbacks that Miami has faced just eat up this defense with simple pre-snap adjustments. Peyton Manning has done it. Tom Brady has done it. Drew Brees has done it. And now even Ryan Fitzpatrick has done it. Enough is enough. Be different. Take some chances. Grow a set.

Show a little emotion
Sometimes I can't help but wonder about this team and these players. Why was it on Sunday that Tony Sparano was showing more emotion on the sideline than his players were on the field? Did anybody else notice that?

I know - they were just the Bills. But I can't imagine that this coaching staff didn't drill it into their players' heads that any loss - even one to the Bills - would severely cripple their playoff chances. And yet, in a game the Dolphins had to have, these players on the field just looked uninspired for pretty much all of the second half.

Well I'll tell you what. If I don't see much more emotion and fire on Sunday in a game at home against the Patriots, we'll all have to start questioning the heart of this team - and of their supposed leaders.

Patriots in the RedZone, Sponsored by ComCast

MaPatsFan — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 01:11:46 -0000

With 3 for 4 in the RedZone this past Sunday, the Patriots rout of Gang Green puts them at 47.73% under 20 yards. Remember, this stat doesn't count things like long bombs to Randy Moss (none in this game) or pick sixes by Leigh Bodden (yeah baby!!), but 3 for 4 is pretty darn good, especially against the high flying Jets defense.

New York Jets Run Offense vs. New England Patriots Run Defense

John B — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:23:54 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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The Pats give up 110 yards per game on the ground, which is in the middle of the pack. Two excellent run defenders on the line, Jarvis Green and Ty Warren are nursing injuries and are not certain to play. Don't be fooled, though. This is going to be a tough matchup. The Jets have to figure out how to handle Vince Wilfork. Wilfork has been almost impossible to block this year. Almost every week in this space, you see me talk about how important it will be for Nick Mangold to handle the other team's nose tackle. This week it's more pronounced than usual. Wilfork isn't a great pass rusher, but he can blow up opposing run games.

The Jets also need to focus their blocking schemes on Jerrod Mayo, the second year linebacker with 39 tackles in 6 games. He missed the first contest. New England has other quality run defenders at the linebacker position. Pierre Woods, a rotational player who had a big game in last year's visit to Foxborough, is one of them. So is Adalius Thomas. Woods could see a lot of time depending on Tully Banta-Cain's injury status. Inside linebackers Gary Guyton and Eric Alexander are both nursing injuries that could hamper their effectiveness and leave a lot on veteran Junior Seau. This might be something the Jets can exploit if Mangold can hold Wilfork in check.

New England's secondary is very good in run support. Shawn Springs' coverage skills are in decline, but he's been effective against the run. So has Leigh Bodden, New England's other corner and safeties Brandon Merriweather and Brandon McGowan. This is a game where Leon Washington's ability to make people miss may be missed.

We'll see eight men in the box a lot with the rookie quarterback as we do every week. If that doesn't work, we may see nine to try and force Mark Sanchez to win the game like we did in Week 2. The offensive line has a tough task winning these matchups.

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. New England Patriots Pass Defense

John B — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:55:39 -0000

More photos » by Peter Morgan - AP

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The Patriots have offered a number of different defensive looks the past few weeks. Watching the game against the Dolphins two weeks ago, I noticed a subtle move. Vince Wilfork lined up at right end in the 3-4 trying to create a mismatch against the left side of Miami's line. Last week against the Colts New England operated a lot out of the 4-3 with Ty Warren out of the lineup and Derrick Burgess and Tully Banta-Cain at end. Warren is fighting an ankle injury. He's questionable. Whether he starts or not, I think we'll see a few wrinkles from Bill Belichick, changing up the looks on Mark Sanchez.

I would guess we could see Wilfork at end a few times trying to use his power against D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Alan Faneca, who may struggle to contain him. If the left side gets tied up, it will free up edge rushers, such as New England's best, Tully-Banta Cain (3 sacks). Banta-Cain is questionable with a rib injury. I could see Belichick utilizing a look like this to use Rex Ryan's overload blitzes against him. With Warren banged up and Jarvis Green also nursing an injury, we'll see a lot of Mike Wright on the line. Wright has been effective as a pass rusher.

I think the Jets should max protect to keep Sanchez standing. The Pats are probably going to attack him. They've seen on film the rookie mistakes he's made and will try to force more. I'm also expecting eight in the box. Belichick teams try to take away what you do best. For the Jets, owners of the league's top rushing attack, that's run the football. Patrick Chung has also been an effective blitzer from the safety spot.

If the Jets can keep Sanchez standing, they have some decent matchups. Braylon Edwards is a tough matchup for Leigh Bodden. He might need help in the form of Brandon Merriweather and other safeties, which will leave Jerricho Cotchery against an aging Shawn Springs, returning to the lineup from a knee injury and a mix of rookie Darrius Butler and Jason Wilhite. Cotchery always seems to play well against New England. He'll have a good chance to do so again. Dustin Keller should remain Sanchez's primary read, though. It's important not to make mistakes. Keller's a safety valve, and aside from Merriweather and Jerrod Mayo, New England's linebackers and safeties aren't great in coverage.

The Jets did a lot to exploit New England's pass defense in the second half of the first game. This was without Braylon Edwards. As long as they can keep Sanchez upright, they'll have some favorable matchups again. I do not expect this platform to affect Sanchez. Less than a year ago, Mark lit up the Rose Bowl. Obviously, this is a tougher defense, but the pressure of the game won't get to him. Aside from Banta-Cain and Wright, the Pats don't really have any great pass rushers in their front seven. Adalius Thomas and Derrick Burgess have ability but haven't really lit the world on fire this year. The Jets just need to do what it takes to keep Sanchez standing.

New England Patriots Links 10/07/09 - Pees Pleased With Secondary Efforts

Marima — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:18:07 -0000

The Butler did it. Big time on Sunday.

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Dean Pees talks about how good it was for the Defense to get that interception Sunday.

We've been pleased with some of the production we've had back there. We've had more pass beak-ups here in the first four games than we had all last season. We've been around the ball quite a bit and we haven't given up many big plays. We've been happy with those things. You're right. You like to get those turnovers. You like to get some interceptions and show some productivity for your efforts. And that interception [by Leigh Bodden] was a great catch, just a great catch. [He was] very aware of the sideline. I think it got everybody in the secondary and the whole team excited.

Bill Belichick talks about the Patriots very competitive secondary, and how they're all contributing.

We've got good depth there, good quality. Those guys compete hard and we're going to keep using them. Maybe that will settle into one particular group, or maybe it won't, I don't know. But we'll just keep letting them play. As long as everybody's playing well and contributing, we'll keep doing that. I think that group's been pretty consistent all the way through. They've given us some plays. I'm not saying it's been perfect back there, but they've given us some plays. They've worked hard, and they communicate well together, and it's been good for the depth of our team.

Jerome Bettis (SI) offers his thoughts on the Ravens complaints about the Roughing the passer calls, and Brady's reaction.

I'll say this about Terrell Suggs' questionable hit on Tom Brady: If Tom hadn't gotten his right leg out of the way, there would have been a much bigger, much nastier collision. If I were a ref, there was just enough contact, even with Tom saving his own butt, for me to make that call. It was a 50-50 play: If they hadn't flagged it, I would have understood it. They did, and I understood that.

I also understand what Ray Lewis is concerned about. The league-wide approach to handling quarterbacks is all wrong; it sends a terrible message to the rest of the NFL: the quarterback is 10 times more important than everyone else. Does Brady get any special treatment? Obviously I believe that, too. Peyton Manning as well. And that's bad for the game. But you know what? You can't blame Brady for playing within the rules and the way a game is called.

TEAM TALK

Tuesday Conference Calls: Bill Belichick (10.03min.), Nick Caserio (10.14min.), Dean Pees (8.03min.) Plus Transcripts.
Boston Patriots vs. Denver Broncos: The Boston Patriots travel to Denver to face the Broncos at Invesco Field at Mile High this week. Break out the throw-back jerseys again.
Ask PFW: Hope is riding high with wins.

LOCAL LINKS

Karen Guregian compares the success of Josh McDaniels to the disaster of Eric Mangini. Tough-love vs. dictatorship.
Jim Donaldson writes about a season that began with internal bickering and widespread pessimism about the Broncos’ prospects has become a lovefest.
Chris Gasper and Michael Whitmer report 40 year old LB Junior Seau was at Gillette for a workout yesterday.
Mike Reiss looks at where the Patriots rank in key statistical categories through 4 weeks of the season, with the biggest change from last week coming on third-down defense.
Kerry J. Byrne bluntly asserts the 2009 Patriots have done little well on paper but win games. They’re 3-1 when almost everything says they shouldn’t be. He lists seven reasons the "Just Win, Baby" Patriots should NOT be 3-1.
Mike Reiss offers some nuggets from Bill Belichick's, Nick Caserio's and Dean Pees' weekly conference calls with the media.
Christopher Price reports that while the Patriots pass rushers have been slow to pick up sacks this year — they have eight sacks through four games, 10th in the AFC — they still have done plenty to pressure the quarterback.
Jeff Howe points out how rookie CB Darius Butler entered the game nearly cold turkey and shut out Clayton from that point on to help the Patriots close out a tight win.
MIchael Whitmer notes the Patriots offense is working to establish an identity, already a quarter of a way through the season.
Mike Reiss spoke with RB Kevin Faulk at a charity event yesterday, where Faulk expressed being impressed - but not surprised - by what McDaniels has done so far in Denver.
Jeff Howe looks back at the history between Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels.
Mike Reiss answers his weekly reader mailbag. Lots of terrific insight here as usual.
Christopher Price also answers his weekly reader mailbag. Another quality writer here in Boston, even if he did buy into the hype and pick the Ravens.
Mark Farinella talks about Sunday being one of the AFL legacy games, with some little-known facts about the subtle Nike infiltration of the Broncos' uniforms.

NATIONAL NEWS

Mike Reiss (ESPNBoston) Ten things to know about the Broncos. Josh McDaniels is calling the plays for Denver.
Mike Reiss reports that Ravens LB Ray Lewis and S Ed Reed will not be fined for disparaging comments made regarding the officiating in Sunday's game, league executive Ray Anderson decided Tuesday.
Tom E. Curran (NBC Sports) What to watch in Week 5? Try Hoodie vs. Hoodie.
Gregg Easterbrook (ESPN) Amidst the thousands of words written, his thoughts on Patriots-Ravens, Belichick's going for it again on 4th down, and other NFL news are sprinkled in throughout the column.
Tim Graham (ESPN) Jets acquire Cleveland cast-off Braylon Edwards in trade.
Jarrett Bell (USA Today) Brady Rule creates trouble for officials and defenses.
Matt Snyder (NFL Fanhouse) Zebra Report: Trouble with the Roughing rule itself, not with Brady wanting to gain an advantage.
Peter King (SI) Handing out awards through NFL season's first quarter. Patriots excluded, I guess.
Chris Chase (Shutdown Corner) A Raiders cornerback thinks he was flagged because of his religion. No, he was flagged because of some idiotic doofus league rule about 'excessive celebrations.'

VIEW FROM DENVER

Lindsay H. Jones (Denver Post) McDaniels vs. Belichick matchup begins before Broncos host Patriots.
Jeff Legwold (Denver Post) Taylor bringing Patriots-best 202 rushing yards to Denver.
Jeff Legwold (Denver Post) 4-0 shows McDaniels taught by Belichick.
Patrick Smyth (DenverBroncos.com) Broncos vs. Patriots: Team info and points of interest.

Denver Broncos Season Storyline - Week 2 Vs Cleveland

Jeremy Bolander — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:22:13 -0000

Grading Out Broncos (1-0) vs. Bengals (0-1)

Before moving on to Week Two, a quick review of the Cincinnati game, and a report card for both teams will help us to put the Win in the rearview mirror, after which we will look at the season's storyline as it continues to develop.

Denver

Cincinnati

Rushing Offense

C+

Correll Buckhalter showed great burst and acceleration, while Knowshon Moreno looked like a favored choice to get key reps in his development. This is a trend that will likely continue, with Cleveland's defensive front being quite similar to Cincinnati's. The line is still working on perfecting some of the new techniques, and the cutback lanes haven't been totally clean, but against a defensive front featuring Tank Johnson they still managed a healthy yards-per-carry and protected the ball well. The offense featured two-back sets with Peyton Hillis leading the way as a fullback. Hillis actually got more plays than he has in the past, but fewer individual looks, seeing only one carry and two targets.

C+

Cedric Benson continued to struggle with consistency, and this game marked the first time he had over 20 carries in a losing effort. 10 of his carries were for 2 or fewer yards and he was far too tentative to the hole. He started picking up steam late in the game, a signature of Benson's. The Bengals' short-yardage game looked good, however, and could be a strength for their inexperienced line going forward, and a great source of confidence.

Denver

Cincinnati

Rushing Defense

B+

Just missed making the A grade in this category due to late-game mental mistakes that allowed cutback lanes to open a few times, including Benson's longest run of the night. Overall the timely run support from the safeties was topnotch, and the defensive line looked terrific, stacking and shedding consistently and allowing the Broncos to keep one and even two players in coverage. Despite entering Denver territory on every drive, Cincinnati's inability to rush the ball led to most of the mistakes that earned Denver's D the stops.

A-

Great hitting and fast linebackers set the tone early, and despite a number of quick gashes, the D-line was very effective and the run support was excellent. Rey Maualuga and Keith Rivers both looked terrific, while the D-line got good penetration to break up many of the plays.

Passing Offense

C+

Several receivers had drops and Kyle Orton had a number of poor and late reads, but the performance edges towards the positive when the morning's scheme is considered, where the Broncos effectively protected the ball and avoided turnovers. Cincinnati's DBs played very well, which they are more than capable of doing, and even Roy Williams was tackling well. The maturation of the offense was expected to take time, and with Cincinnati's particular matchup problems, unfortunately the passing game was asked to take a backseat to ball protection in this game. The brunt of the negative in this grade comes from inconsistent execution, as many plays were left out on the field in the passing game.

C+

The overall scheme seemed to suffer from a lack of vision, with far too many third downs thrown short of the 1st-down markers. With the long ball effectively taken away, the Bengals didn't look prepared to work underneath and Carson Palmer was mostly ineffective at threatening in the short passing game. He did, however, move well in the pocket, and the line was adequate in protecting Palmer, a critical area for this game. A few bad passes from Palmer and a few drops by his receivers left many plays on the field for the Bengals as well.

Passing Defense

Denver played this according to plan, leaving deep safeties deep and giving the underneath coverage a chance to shine. The pass rush wasn't as consistent as the preseason promise it showed, but flashes were there, and from unexpected sources, including Andra Davis, Mario Haggan and Darrell Reid. Cincinnati's talent was a good test, but with doubts about how well the Cincy team has gelled to date, greater tests loom, especially the Dallas matchup in three weeks.

The weakest area of a strong defense didn't fail catastrophically in any way, except for failing to play the whole field on Denver's final play; but they had numerous short area breakdowns that allowed Denver to twice press into FG range and convert for points. In most games that would be enough to keep Cincy in it, but they needed to clamp down with more consistency in Sunday's unexpected field position battle.

Special Teams

C+

Matt Prater continued his regular-season kicking streak to 12 straight FGs, in addition to his perfect record for the preseason. He has yet to kick a de facto game winner for the Broncos, though; so his toughest challenges are still yet to come. Brett Kern outkicked his coverage a number of times and didn't force any fair catches. In a game that was quickly and completely turned into a battle for field position he was less than perfect, and the Broncos know they have other options if they need them; and they are looking at them. Eddie Royal did as well as he could against an above-average punting and coverage team, but the Broncos' coaches will keep looking for more help to take some of the load off of Eddie. Failure to recognize a fake punt early is a downgrade, but is also a factor of coaching as well.

Long snapper Brad St. Louis is the sole source of downgrade on this unit, though the unit as a whole played mostly average. The ineffective snap to the holder was terrible on many levels, and ruined an otherwise decent day for the STs unit where they converted a long fake punt for a first down, and where punter Frank Huber posted an expectedly-good showing.

Coaching

B-

Not all will agree with the gameplan going in, but based on Cincy's strengths and weaknesses, the Broncos made a great choice for how to combat them. There are a lot of ways to skin a cat, and the Broncos chose ball control and time of possession on offense. With no real true weakness on the Bengals' defense, the Broncos chose instead to try to wear them down and force weakness upon them, to mixed results. Unable to consistently execute in the return game, the offense was usually starting from square one, with no clear advantage. On defense, the choice to prevent quick strikes was a perfect complement to the ball-control offense, and with the Bengals needing 59 minutes to score their first points, it was executed nearly flawlessly. The choice to protect the cornerbacks earned a couple of plays from Alphonso Smith and Champ Bailey, which will work out more times than it fails for the Broncos. Cincinnati was able to refocus and drive on this defense late in the game, something they are eminently capable of doing, and it would have been nice to see the defense earn a couple more shots at the ball on that drive; but overall, it was a terrific scheme that put the team in a position to compete for 60 minutes.

C-

The Bengals stated before the game that they were expecting a finesse, pass-happy team in the Broncos. While the defense adjusted accordingly to Denver's ball-control rushing offense, with only a few minor setbacks, the offense failed almost completely to adjust to the Broncos' choice to take away the big play. The further decision to abandon the run in the second half was also questionable. It wasn't until the Bengals moved to a more-spread-out offense that they started having success finding open men underneath, but by then it was nearly too late, and when they did score, the Broncos were looking at having a decent amount of time on the clock to set up a winning FG.

Week 1, Win at (0-1) Cincinnati: Nothing wrong with a miracle to help get that first win of the season, especially when it comes in a way that teaches so much, and on the heels of a team effort and coaching gameplan that was admirable in its quality. But as far as the Bengals are concerned, Denver earned nothing.

"We played pretty well, regardless of that play," Bengals safety Chris Crocker said. "That play was a miracle. I'm not going to give them any credit and they didn't do anything to deserve that play. We played our butts off."

Crocker may or may not give Denver any credit for how the game ended, but he is certainly within his rights to point out how well the Bengals played. The closest their defense allowed Denver to get was the 24-yard line, and they didn't allow a single passing first down until Denver ran their 2-minute drill late in the first half. What they need to recognize is just how in situ Denver's current offense is, and how limited it was by design. They will need to play much better to have a chance at Lambeau Field, where they have never won, and where the 1-0 Pack brings a much more mature and cultivated offense to the table.

Their offense will also need to do a much better job of limiting mistakes, such as Chad Ochocinco's two fouls, an offensive pass interference and a holding call, both on plays that resulted in negated third-down conversions. And while they managed 4.5 yards per first-down carry, that tapered off dramatically to 2.6 yards on second and third downs. The offensive line still needs time to gel, but the skill players need to start holding up their end of the bargain as well.

Going Forward:

Laveranues Coles needs to get over the drops. He showed #2 potential to get open on Sunday, but he contributed next to nothing to the bottom line.
DE Antwan Odom had an unlikely day, recording 2 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, and one pass deflection. If the Bengals keep rotating him with DE Michael Johnson, he may keep getting the looks he needs to stay fresh and be successful
Roy Williams continues to be a double-edged sword. His 9 tackles were a key part of the defensive effort that held Denver short multiple times, but his boneheaded choice to lay out Marshall instead of play safety at the end of the game was costly. Too costly. He may never change his stripes, but the Bengals would like to see something different, and they won't get it.
The O-line could be in even more trouble, and if Cincinnati struggles more post-Denver, this could be the biggest reason why. Their LG Nate Livings hurt his knee in the second quarter and may need to be replaced. The only upside is that he didn't have any more time to gel than anyone else at this point...

Week 2, Home Opener Against (0-1) Cleveland: QB Brady Quinn looks like he is going to challenge Trent Edwards for the "Captain Checkdown" label, as his first-half numbers (7-of-11 for 47 yards, 2 sacks for 10 total yards lost, and a net production of 37 yards) should tell you. He was quickly reduced to a game manager in a game where the Vikings pulled away with accelerating boredom.

Blame it on the Vikings defense, a tough card to draw in your first regular-season opener.

Regardless, until the Vikings' lead had increased to 14 points, Quinn found zero traction, and failed to find the end zone until there was only 30 seconds and a 21-point deficit left. Despite this, he has the blessing of his coach, Eric Mangini, and the spectre of the "Offseason of Doom" Denver Broncos to look forward to. How bad to you have to be playing for the media to declare that this is a "winnable" game for the Broncos??

Going Forward:

As Jamal Lewis goes, so will this offense go, at least as long as Quinn is starting. The good news is that that isn't such a bad thing. In limited carries he was excellent with a 5.7 yard average and 47 yards receiving, but the bad news is that with James Davis' shoulder injury, he may be asked to take on even more reps. He is confident that that won't hamper him. The history of RBs 30-and-over says otherwise.
Replace Quinn with Derek Anderson? Always a possibility, but in particular it becomes an issue if the team is in desperate need of a quick strike score, which DA brings to the table.
There doesn't appear to be any chemistry in the WR group with a miscommunication between Quinn and Braylon Edwards leading to an INT and Edwards catching only one of 6 passes thrown his way, and with Josh Cribbs running incredibly athletic, but wholly unsuccessful receiver routes. Robert Royal at the TE position is inconsistent and dropped two passes that the team really needed. Watch for Mike Furrey to replace Cribbs at #2 WR, and for the receiving to instantly begin to gel. Hopefully this is a decision that gets put off until Week Three at the earliest, as Denver's DBs could have some fun baiting Quinn...
Not that Cribbs is all bad... :) What is the best way to handle the league's best kick returner? Some say kick it away. Some say kick it smart and give your coverage the best chance for a stop. I don't know what to say. He is a bad dude, and in his own way, better than Hester was. They just need to stop forcing the issue of having him in the base formations. He is good enough to execute trickery even when teams suspect something. For the good of the team, the Browns should just leave it at that.
How are the Browns going to protect Quinn? They allowed 4 sacks and numerous hits on Quinn against Minnesota's 8-man fronts, and Denver brought pressure from 6- and 7-man fronts with their numerous disguises. At best, more sacks are on the menu; at worst, the INTs might start racking up...
With that said, Denver needs to choose their battles. LT Joe Thomas dominated Jared Allen, and Denver will be hard-pressed to face him with someone who can get around him. Elvis Dumervil (DOOM) may be our best choice, due to DOOM's unorthodox style, but it is one heck of a challenge.
Did anyone else see Shaun Rogers lined up at MLB last week?? How scary is that dude with a running start?
For the second time I'm bringing up Kamerion Wimbley. With 1 sack and multiple pressures he is making good on the option of moving him around. Denver needs to watch him before every snap and get the right calls out for him.
Eric Wright is an excellent cornerback, but he could be the source of a terrific offensive matchup for the Broncos offense. Runs to his side can see success, and any RB worth his salt can break an Eric Wright tackle.

@ (0-1) Oakland: "They're very hurt," Tom Cable said. "I've been a Raider since 2007 and it felt like that was the first time in the locker room after a loss where it really got us in the gut, and that's a good thing. That's the way you're supposed to feel about this game. So I'm proud of them. Very proud of them."

Gotta start somewhere, right? I described this as a culture of losing, and so I can kind of understand where Cable is coming from, but as far as addressing this culture, well, this isn't exactly what I had in mind... That said, they had a chance to win the Monday Night game against the Chargers, and the difference maker was Philip Rivers. (If we want to go through the agonizing process of defining a "franchise QB" we can make it even more agonizing by starting the discussion with a look at Rivers. He stacks up in a lot of ways, it pains me to say...)

Oh, and Al Davis needs to stop calling plays down to the field. That would help, too.

Richard Seymour makes a pretty good Raider. 2 sacks, 6 tackles and an unrelenting pressure on the pocket. Bastard.
The Raiders held the Chargers to 151 yards for three quarters... and then gave up 166 yards and two TDs on two drives. The difference between playing your heart out, and playing your heart out for 60 minutes. Glad Denver seems to have learned this lesson.
The Oakland running game is missing Justin Fargas for now, and even on returning he may not be 100% with a hamstring pull. He is the most gnat-like of the raider RBs: effectively annoying. His absence is a huge reason why the running game started hot but sputtered quickly.
TE Zach Miller was a legitimate threat as expected, but for now he is the ONLY threat. With Chaz Schilens battling an injury, Johnnie Lee Higgins leaving the game after taking a serious hit and Darrius Heyward-Bey dropping 2 and catching none of his 5 targets, there doesn't appear to be any help on the horizon. Javon Walker continues to be a healthy scratch.
The Raiders allowed 66-yard and 59-yard returns to Darren Sproles. Now we'll see how they do against the Kansas City return units, but it is shaping up to be an opportunity for Denver to establish or gain some momentum on special teams when they face them.

(1-0) Dallas at Home:

Despite the hubbub surrounding Romo's great start, the Cowboys still gave up 174 yards rushing. Next up is Brandon Jacobs. They also gave up 276 yards passing and recorded no sacks. There could be opportunity here...
The Cowboys appear to have officially upgraded one key area. I talked about how STs is devastated when team building is conducted in the manner that Dallas appears to be caught up in. Well, Dallas took the Shanny approach and fired the coordinator and hired a new one...and so far the dividends are positive. Outside of a blocked kick, multiple touchbacks and good FG kicking, the coverage units held Pro Bowler Clifton Smith in check all day.
The Cowboys are insisting on using TE Martellus Bennett to challenge defensive coverages by splitting him out wide. It's not the passes he catches that hurt you in this situation, it's the attention he forces his way, with the other weapons on the field. If Hillis is kept secret, the Cowboys may be in for a dose of their own medicine in Week Four.
The battle between Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins for the #2 CB position is still up in the air. They both played well, but they both failed to cash in on multiple opportunities. The longer this battle plays out, the more it benefits Denver.
I continue to see gratuitous similarities to the Denver of Shanny's final days. Lots of talking up the offensive brilliance while ignoring the defensive failures, though that isn't rooted in the personnel issues and is more an "option". Under this type of team building, units on the team suffer, while other units get saddled with increasing resources but increasing responsibilities - ones which exist in conflict with their primary responsibilities. For example, a stellar offense is charged with not only using its loads of talent to score quickly, but is also charged with keeping a weak defense off the field. But that is an either/or proposition, and contradictions will always come back to bite you. All units require the same amount of attention, or the whole thing becomes so unbalanced that it tips over. It just needs the right kind of push...

Quick Notes:

(1-0) New England @ Home:

Laurence Maroney is once again no lock to be the go-to guy. Fred Taylor on the other hand is a perfect fit...
Right now the Pats are exhibiting a weakness against the screen, a staple of Josh McDaniels' offense. We'll see how long it takes them to get the issue cleaned up.

Newly-acquired cornerback Leigh Bodden might've been the most excited player in the Patriots' locker room following Monday's win. Bodden played for the winless Lions last season and hadn't been on the winning side of a professional football game since 1997. "It feels good," he said. "It's just amazing to me the resilience that this team has, just because you're down it doesn't mean that we're going to go in the tank. Other teams that I've been on it's like, 'Here we go again.' But here I didn't hear any of that. I just heard, 'We're going to get this done,' and we got it done."

@ (1-0) San Diego:

RG Louis Vasquez and C Nick Hardwick both left the Monday Night game with injuries. Hardwick may be out for an extended period of time.
The Chargers are looking at the Ravens, Dolphins and Steelers in the next three games... they allowed 148 yards rushing to the Raiders, and you can bet that these three teams will make every effort to establish the run, and quickly. Unlike the Raiders, it is doubtful that these three teams will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory...
The secondary is showing some holes. Watching Antonio Cromartie and Clinton Hart screw up their coverage to allow a TD is like a symphony in motion to this Broncos fan. The McDaniels Offense is designed to take mistakes like that and make teams pay, so hopefully Orton has it down by then. Quentin Jammer is still the real deal though....
Say what you will about Norv Turner and the slow starts and playoff losses... the dude doesn't seem to ever lose patience. Maybe he should...

@ (1-0) Baltimore:

501 total offensive yards against KC...
Terrell Suggs doesn't look like the same player. No sacks, no pressures, no hits on the QB.
TE L.J. Smith may not be ready to go; but then, he may not have to, what with Todd Heap's reappearance after an injury-riddled 2008. He looked like a quality target and was able to go after the ball, and Joe Flacco seemed to gain a lot of confidence in him as the game went on. A blast from the past for the Ravens...

(1-0) Pittsburgh @ Home:

Expect Troy Polamalu to make the Denver game his first game back from injury for PIT. He could possibly be back sooner, and he is a competitor so that shouldn't be ruled out, but without setbacks, the expectation is 6 weeks to heal from the MCL sprain.
The running game from 2008 didn't look great, and so far, it isn't looking like anything special in 2009 either (and may have gotten even worse). And yet, the Steelers still managed to find a way to win. There is that franchise quarterback discussion that we all love so much...
The pass defense looks porous, but the run defense looks stout as ever. That is something that can be built on, at least.

@ (0-1) Washington:

Albert Haynseworth isn't racking up the stats, but that doesn't mean his impact isn't being felt. He played very stoutly against the run in limited playing time, and that is where the Redskins wanted to start with him. But they will need to get some wins under their belt or they may be facing a classic Haynesworth inversion, where he disappears completely on the field. It may not be a fair criticism, but it is always threatening, based on his past history.
DeAngelo Hall and Fred Smoot are incredibly weak links in the Redskins secondary. Whether those links hold long enough for Denver to get a turn taking advantage of it in Week 9 is anybody's guess though...
Jim Zorn needs to get the college ball out of his system. After opening with a very unlikely 34-yard rush from Clinton Portis, he followed with an embarrassing option pass from Antwan Randle-El. That is how you destroy healthy momentum in the NFL, and from that point forward (outside of an excellent fake FG that the Redskins had stored in the hopper for the Giants), the Giants had the Redskins right where they wanted them.

(1-0) New York Giants @ Home:

Giants WR Ramses Barden should see the field next week, and I will definitely be watching... I wasn't a big fan of his, but it will be interesting to see what a team like NYG can do with him.
So far, the running game isn't all that it has been touted as, with only 3.3 yards per. Part of it was going against Albert Haynseworth, but part of the blame rests firmly on the Giants' O-line. They get Dallas next, who are having trouble already with stopping the run, so the proof should be in the pudding after next week's game.
They got burned badly on a fake FG before the half that allowed the Redskins to gain new life. Don't expect it to happen again...

@ (0-1) Kansas City:

Against the Ravens, the Chiefs unveiled a new strategy: don't beat yourself. They committed zero turnovers and committed only three penalties. They did, however, consistently miss blocks and assignments on offense. So I guess it is more like, "Don't beat yourself...too badly."
The Chiefs' run blocking really struggled, but that is mostly a testament to the Raven's D-line which spent most of its time in the backfield. Still, this is something to watch for a (hopefully) lack of improvement.
If KC can get production out of its "odd man out" D-line prospects (notably Tamba Hali and Tank Tyler) then they can consider themselves ahead of the curve for their rebuild. Both Hali and Tyler were supposed to be casualties of the switch to the 3-4, but they are producing - Tank as a converted NT and Hali as a converted OLB (though to be fair, Hali's production comes when he is lined up as a DE).
CB Brandon Flowers is not back on the field yet, but will be soon. He is an excellent young corner who is hard to replace (though Maurice Leggett did a decent job against Baltimore).

@ (1-0) Indianapolis:

At this point, Denver can expect that WR Anthony Gonzalez will be back by the time they play Indianapolis. More weapons for Peyton Manning is never a good thing.
DT Antonio Johnson, acquired off of the Jacksonville practice squad by Bill Polian, earned a gameball in his first start. He stacked and shed like a vet and got 9 tackes (5 solo) for his efforts. Could be another solid find by the Colts... Also Rookie CB Jerraud Powers was impressive in his first start.

@ (1-0) Philadelphia:

The Philly defense hasn't lost its edge with the passing of its architect, the late Jim Johnson. With 7 turnovers and 5 sacks, it shows the kind of aggressive promise that it always has.
Despite the convincing win, the passing game was struggling, earning barely over 4 yards per attempt.
DeSean Jackson, who was widely regarded as a much better receiver than Eddie Royal before the draft, is starting to show some of that promise again. He isn't the pure receiver that Eddie is, but he is finding ways to be productive out of the Wildcat, on reverses, and in the return game (where he had one return for a TD against Carolina).

Post Game Analysis: New England Patriots defeat Buffalo Bills, 25-24

MaPatsFan — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:37:31 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

This picture just about sums up the joy Ben Watson had at that very moment. Thanks Ben, thanks. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

Browse more photos »

Friggin' WOW!! That's all I have to say. I'm STILL wrapped up in this emotionally. That was both exhausting and exciting to watch. From my experience at Gillette Stadium (which I'll write about later) to the crowd around me, it was just incredible. You've all written some excellent FanPosts, so I won't repeat much of what you said, but simply add a few thoughts of my own from my perch in Section 332, Row 6, Seat 12.

Overall, I thought the Patriots came out rusty, particularly Tom Brady. He rocketed more than a few passes too far ahead of some guys and to far behind others. When he got his rhythm about the third quarter, things settled in and the game was less frenetic for NE. Buffalo worked hard to pressure Brady (the Giants' blueprint), but he was only sacked once for 10 yards while Edwards was brought down four times - twice by Tully Banta-Cain and once each by Adalius Thomas and Derrick Burgess. Who says we can't bring the pressure? In the end, it was big plays, patience, and fundamentals that won this game.

Buffalo would take the lead early and continue to press the Patriots until the last two minutes of the game. Terrell Owens was essentially blanketed by coverage and rendered ineffective, coming up with two receptions for 46 yards and no TD's. However, Bills' QB Trent Edwards made good use of RB Fred Jackson who went 5 for 83 and one TD. Rookie Bills' TE Shawn Nelson accounted for a TD as well. Oh, let's not forget DE Aaron Schobel's Tom Brady interception and 26 yard run for a pick six. Schobel has freakishly long arms that look like they came out of nowhere to pull down Brady's pass. He was within a few yards of Tom, so to pick a ball out of the air like that is quite a feat.

Early on, the Patriots stumbled defensively and had a tough time of it. I had a feeling they wouldn't use a 4-3 alignment that much because the Bills use the same defensive scheme, so Edwards would be familiar with it. The Bills were 1-6 last year against 3-4 teams, so there's your reason. I did, however, see a lot of loading the box which seemed to neutralize Buffalo's rushing attack - 90 yards total. However, it did leave NE vulnerable in the backfield. Where Edwards went 15/25, 212 yards, and two touchdowns. Ya gotta pick your battles.

I mentioned fundamentals early in this post. This game was a shining example of that, ESPECIALLY the forced fumble on Leodis McElvin's kick return. Hindsight is 20/20 and Leodis should've kneed the ball in the endzone for a touchback and a guaranteed 20, but he didn't and a Pierre Woods fumble was recovered by Stephen Gostkowski. Yes, you read that right - G Man was in the mix.

Denver fan Kfustud, in a most excellent FanPost talked about how these things aren't lucky:

McDaniels, while being interviewed about all our team's new fumble drills, said that 40%, or so, of fumbles were caused by the other team going after it. In Denver last year you couldn't buy a turnover and there was a reason. We didn't work at it. On the final kickoff of the game you could see that those Patriots were coached at it. They went out and made a fumble. No luck there.

I believe this team has a lot to work on, but there is significant potential. A few random thoughts:

Brandon Meriweather - If this game is any indication, the torch has been passed. He was a beast on the field, prowling, recognizing offensive looks, and making head's up plays. Welcome Rodney Jr.
Offensive Line - Aaron Schobel was toying with the OL all night. We need to find a way to neutralize defensive ends. Luckily, Brady only went down once.
Cornerbacks - Jonathan Wilhite did a nice job when called on. Leigh Bodden seemed to be in the mix as well as Shawn Springs. I don't think we have any shutdown guys, but this group will only get better. It's a significant upgrade over last year, IMO.
Running Backs - We struggled to pick up yardage, but the Bills were doing a good job of clogging up the gaps. This was not on Laurence Maroney or Fred Taylor.
Receiving Game - Brady was 39/53, 378 yards, and two touchdowns. Wes Welker quietly collected 12 for 93 and Randy Moss went 12 for 141. Kevin Faulk was 6 for 51.
Benjamin Watson - The absolute STAR of this game. I had written in the past few days that I was curious to see if the Patriots would use their newly acquired tight ends for more receiving duties. I figured Chris Baker would be one of Brady's early looks, but I was half right - almost cut Ben Watson became the go to guy. He came up strong when he needed to. Congratulations Ben.

More Bills/Patriots chatter with NEPatriotsDraft.com

Brian Galliford — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:00:27 -0000

You can bet that we'll be talking about the New England Patriots for much of this week; we've got a little more Pats content for you this afternoon, as we swapped some questions with NEPatriotsDraft.com about the Buffalo Bills' first game of the season.

You can see the Bills-centric interview (complete with my own glowing optimism) right here. James from NEPatriotsDraft.com was kind enough to answer a few of my own questions about his favorite team, which appear - with some thoughts of my own - after the jump. (Warning: some of the territory covered has been charted by Pats Pulpit; more than one take on a specific situation, however, is never a bad thing.)

Rumblings: Is there any possible chance the Pats stumble out of the gate in their home opener, just to give the Bills a chance?

James, NEPatriotsDraft.com: The Patriots have stumbled in openers to the Bills before - who can forget Sam Adams rumbling into the end zone? The only way I see it this year is if T.O. can beat double coverage on a consistent basis.

Since when does an opposing player have anything to do with stumbling? Plus, if Owens is doubled, Lee Evans is going to have a fun time torching Terrence Wheatley all night - particularly if Trent Edwards can get him the ball when he does.

Rumblings: I've heard Tom Brady described as "rusty." How accurate is this?

James, NEPatriotsDraft.com: His shoulder might need some "oil," but other than that, he is at where he usually is. If anything, Joey Galloway is the player that is rusty - he can't seem to learn how to run routes in the Patriots offense.

Honestly, Joey Galloway is one of the very last players on New England's roster that I'm worried about in this game.

Rumblings: How legitimate are the claims that the Pats are switching to a 4-3 defense? Is it a base defense, or more of a wrinkle? How has it looked?

James, NEPatriotsDraft.com: As legitimate as any claim can be about a Belichick defense. I can see the Patriots employing the base 4-3 in quite a few games this year, as our LB corps is pretty thin. Meanwhile, our D-Line has shown that it is very tough to run on in a 4-man front. Pressuring the quarterback out of the 4-3, however, has proven difficult.

That's the strangest part about the Pats' apparent transition to a 4-3 scheme to me - it's being pegged as a move to not only fit personnel, but to increase the pass rush. That makes no sense. It's certainly possible to generate a pass rush out of a 4-3 alignment, but it's much more difficult to disguise things. This has to largely be a personnel matter; nothing else makes much sense.

Rumblings: How concerned are you with the Patriots' completely-revamped (and as I hear it, struggling) secondary?

James, NEPatriotsDraft.com: Shawn Springs needs to be healthy and productive quickly if the Patriots are going to have a good defense in the first half of the season. Darius Butler shows the skills, but you can tell that he doesn't have all the nuances down yet. Jonathan Wilhite and Leigh Bodden have shown flashes of greatness, but there are still too many mistakes. Our safeties have played well at times, but Patrick Chung has not proven himself worthy of a second round pick as of yet.

The secondary was a concern last year before Rodney Harrison got hurt (he's now retired), and since then, Ellis Hobbs has been traded. New England's secondary is very young, and veterans like Bodden and Springs are crucial to fielding a competent unit this year. If they falter, New England's young guns will swap between brilliant and mistake-prone. For now, they are talented and vulnerable.

Rumblings: I'd love to hear your predicted order of finish in the AFC East.

James, NEPatriotsdraft.com: I originally predicted the Jets to go 6-10, but Mark Sanchez has looked better than I thought. Miami and New England will both be in the playoff hunt at about 11 or 12 wins. Buffalo and New York will both hover around .500 in my opinion. I would agree with you that all four teams have the ability to make a playoff run if the planets align just so.

1. New England
2. Miami

3. Buffalo
3. New York

New England Patriots 53 man roster - some thoughts

MaPatsFan — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:04:36 -0000

by Stephan Savoia - AP

7 months ago: New England Patriots head football coach Bill Belichick looks over his rookies during football minicamp at the team's practice facility in Foxborough, Mass., Friday morning, May 1, 2009 (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

View full size photo »

We stay with 2 QB's, LB is a bit weak, TE will be a position to watch, OL is stacked on the interior...let's break it down position by position (props to NESilver for his comment in this thread)

Offense: 25

QB: Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer (2) - Odd we keep only 2, but that could change when the season starts.
RB: Laurence Maroney, Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, BenJarvus Green-Ellis (5) - Solid group.
WR: Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Joey Galloway, Greg Lewis, Saim Aiken, Julian Edelman (6) - Break out the air raid sirens. Edelman looked like "Little Welker".
TE: Benjamin Watson, Chris Baker, Michael Matthews (3) - Like this group, Matthews is a big man which must mean "blocking TE". Baker has good hands which we haven't seen in NE TE's for a long time.
OL: Matt Light, Logan Mankins, Dan Koppen, Stephen Neal, Nick Kaczur, Sebastian Vollmer, Rich Ohrnberger, Dan Connolly, Ryan Wendell (9) - Deep on the interior, Vollmer is the next stud.

Defense: 25

DL: Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork, Ty Warren, Jarvis Green, Ron Brace, Mike Wright, Myron Pryor (7) - Liking the depth, glad to see Pryor make the roster
DE/OLB: Derrick Burgess, Tully Banta-Cain (2) - Can you say, "4-3?" I knew you could. Here comes the pass rush.
LB: Adalius Thomas, Jerod Mayo, Gary Guyton, Pierre Woods, Eric Alexander, Rob Ninkovich (6) - Might be considered a little thin, possibly why NE is experimenting with a 4-3.
CB: Leigh Bodden, Shawn Springs, Jonathan Wilhite, Darius Butler, Terrence Wheatley (5) - Wheatley barely hung on to his spot. I hope a "shutdown corner" emerges.
S: Brandon Meriweather, James Sanders, Patrick Chung, Brandon McGowan, Matthew Slater (5) - Good group, although Slater will, most likely, be IR'd.

Specialists: 3

K: Stephen Gostkowski - What can I say? One of the best kickers in the league. A machine through the uprights and consistently boots kickoffs into the endzone.
P: Chris Hanson - Game changer. Massive hangtime and very good accuracy.
LS: Jake Ingram - Many laughed when Hoodie drafted Ingram. The rookie wins the long snapper battle.

Injured Reserve

OLB: Shawn Crable - Depressing. The dude can't catch a break.
RB: Chris Taylor
OL: George Bussey - Adds depth for next year.
LB: Tyrone McKenzie - Looking forward to seeing him inside for 2010.

Poll

What do you think of the roster?

Lovin' it!

524 votes

Too early to tell.

722 votes

Hate it.

66 votes

1312 votes | Poll has closed

Predicting the Arizona Cardinals Record: Part 4

Andrew602 — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 11:00:23 -0000

For the last three weeks, we've spent some time breaking down what the Cardinals record may be for the 2009 season. Over the weeks we looked at each game of the Arizona Cardinals schedule, and broke down each team they will play. You can see parts part 1, part 2, and part 3 right here, where you'll see that the Cardinals record at this point is 8-4. In part three, the Cardinals came out 3-1, only losing to the Titans. During this next stretch, they face 2 division opponents, and two others from the NFC North. So to finish our segment before the season begins, here is the final part of the prediction for the Cardinals 2009 record.

Week 14 - At San Francisco 49ers

Key Additions: WR Brandon Jones, CB Dre Bly, DE Demetric Evans, FB Moran Norris

Key Losses: LB Tully Banta-Cain, WR Bryant Johnson, CB Donald Strickland, QB J.T. O'Sullivan, DT Ronald Fields

Analysis: After Mike Singletary took over for the 49ers last year, he immediately made a difference, and since then, he's stamped his identity on this team. He's created a tough and smart football team over at 49er camp. Although the 49ers are one of our rivals, you have to respect what Singletary has done for them at this point.

What to watch for: In their first match up, I gave the Cardinals the win at home, as they were opening the season after their Super Bowl run against a division rival on their home field. This time, the Cardinals travel to San Francisco, where the 49ers can play very aggressive against road teams. It's also on the Monday night stage, where both teams have played very cutthroat in the past. Expect a lot of emotions to come out as this has become a great rivalry.

Key Match Up: Chris Wells vs Patrick Willis - This would be a very exciting match up on the national stage, as our bruising rookie running back takes on their Pro Bowl hard hitting linebacker.

Prediction - Loss - Last year the Cardinals barely escaped a win over the 49ers at home. This year I'd expect us to split the series, with each team winning at home.

Week 15 - At Detroit Lions

Key Additions: LB Julian Peterson, QB Matthew Stafford, LB Larry Foote, CB Phillip Buchanon, CB Anthony Henry, DT Grady Jackson, OT Jon Jansen, WR Bryant Johnson, RB Maurice Morris, WR Ronald Curry, CB Eric King

Key Losses: CB Leigh Bodden, DT Shaun Cody, DT Cory Redding, DE Corey Smith, QB Jon Kitna, QB Dan Orlovsky, WR Shaun McDonald, FB Moran Norris, G Edwin Mulitalo, S Dwight Smith, WR Travis Taylor

Analysis: There's not much to say after a team goes 0-16 during the regular season. The Lions just plain stunk last year. This year proves to be a different experience for a team that's struggled in recent years. As you can see, they've cleaned house and started fresh. It began in the off season when they hired Titans defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, as their head coach. They also took the next step in rebuilding their team, in drafting a franchise quarterback by the name of Matthew Stafford. The team can only improve from last year and anything more then 4 wins would be a success.

What to watch for: By the time the Cardinals head to Detroit at this point in the season, they will likely be vying for a playoff berth. On the other hand, the Lions may just want to play spoiler. Another thing to watch for is Calvin Johnson. He's already been regarded as one of the best wide recievers in the NFL at this point in his career. Watch to see how DRC handles himself against the tall receiver. If Stafford is in the game at this time, watch for the Cardinals defense to try and rattle the rookie QB.

Key Match Up: Adrian Wilson vs Matthew Stafford - If the rookie is starting at this point in the season, he has a big arm and likes to air it out. Expect Wilson to drop in coverage a few times but also layout Stafford a few times in the backfield.

Prediction: Win - It's simple, the Cardinals will be fighting for a playoff spot at this point in the year and the Lions will not be.

Week 16 - St. Louis Rams

Key Additions: SS James Butler, C Jason Brown, FB Mike Karney, OT Jason Smith

Key Losses: WR Torry Holt, OT Orlando Pace, QB Trent Green, S Corey Chavous

Analysis: After dusting off the cob webs and bringing in some youth, the Rams look to another challenge in '09, WIN. The last two years have been struggles for this Rams team that used to be the greatest show on turf. With Spagnola at the helm now, we may actually see a division rival actually become...a division rival.

What to watch for: The Rams come to University of Phoenix Stadium with hopes of knocking off a divisional opponent. Unfortunately, they haven't played that well there in the past, and will likely have some difficulty. The Cardinals will be ready for this game, hoping to catapult themselves into the playoffs with a win.

Key Match Up: Gerald Hayes vs Steven Jackson - Last year Hayes swarmed Jackson when the Rams came to Arizona. Will Jackson have revenge on his mind?

Prediction - Win - The Cardinals may need this win more then the Rams will at this point in the season.

Week 17 - Green Bay Packers

Key Additions: S Anthony Smith, C Duke Preston, DT B.J. Raji

Key Losses: DT Colin Cole

Analysis: The Packers had high hopes last year, after coming off an NFC Championship appearance. Unfortunately, it didn't translate into the 2008 season. While they had a good offense in '08, they suffered injuries that caused them to lack a rushing attack to go with their passing offense. The defense was the obvious weak spot, as they gave up a significant amount of points and were playing catch up most often then not. This year they bring back their explosive offense, and most are healthy. Aaron Rodgers has looked amazing at this point in the preseason, and they outscored their opponents in each game. They brought in Dom Capers and drafted DT B.J. Raji to improve their defense, and it's already showed as they've forced numerous turnovers and have limited their opponents scoring so far.

What to watch for: Watch for the Cardinals to head into this game with revenge on their minds. Even though it was only the preseason, the Packers put a shellacking on the Cardinals first team offense and defense. Expect to see fireworks in this game as the Cardinals defense would like to get after Aaron Rodgers.

Key Match Up: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie vs Packers Wide Receivers - After getting embarrassed in the preseason, we can only expect DRC to come out with something to prove in this game.

Prediction - Loss -Although the Cardinals will likely play differently this game, the Packers look to be much better in '09 and will be playing aggressively in their last game of the season, as their division will be competitive.

------------------------------------------------------

Arizona Cardinals final projected record - 10-6

So after the final four games, the Cardinals finish their 2009 season at 10-6, which will likely land them with another division title and a playoff berth. Although you could easily mix and match some wins and some losses, 10-6 may still be the record, with 9-7 or 11-5 not that far out of the question. Although I'd like to see them go 16-0, I can live with the projected record if it happens. As far as anything less, the Cardinals would have to have a complete meltdown or a massive amount of injuries. What's your take on a final record of 10-6? Do you think the Cardinals would do better or worse?

Poll

How many wins will the Cardinals have in 2009?

13 or higher - Super Bowl here we come...again.

62 votes

10-12 - What hangover? We're back in the playoffs.

495 votes

7-9 - Another average season in the books

183 votes

6 or less - Same Ole Cardinals?

47 votes

787 votes | Poll has closed