SB Nation - Brian St. Pierre

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.

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.

49ers-Cardinals Wednesday Injury Report

Fooch — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:05:21 -0000

Each week an NFL team puts out a daily injury report to keep folks informed of what's going on. Wednesday and Thursday reports are primarily about who is able to practice, while Friday's report is the traditional Probable, Questionable, Doubtful, Out report. We'll have them for you every week so you can keep track of the team. It's certainly useful for knowing what's going on with the team, but also useful for fantasy football and gambling purposes.

49ers
Out (Definitely will not play)
LB Ahmad Brooks - Knee
WR Brandon Jones - Shoulder

Cardinals
Did not Participate in Practice
WR Anquan Boldin - Hamstring

Limited Participation in Practice
WR Early Doucet - Ribs
WR Sean Morey - Ribs
QB Brian St. Pierre - Back

Full Participation in Practice
WR Steve Breaston - Knee
S Matt Ware - Shoulder

So nothing out of the ordinary for the 49ers. We all knew Brooks and Jones were out. I'm definitely going to keep an eye on Boldin in the next couple practice reports. According to Rotoworld, "Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt confirmed that he anticipates Anquan Boldin (hamstring) playing in Week 1, despite a limited practice regimen." Whisenhunt said, "We've got a history with 'Q'," Whisenhunt said. "That's why I have a good feeling about him playing."

53 Man Roster Predictions After the Arizona Cardinals Shutout Loss to the Broncos

Hawkwind — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:49:49 -0000

by David Zalubowski - AP

Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt will have harder time cutting 22 players today than he did finding an offensive play that would work this preseason. (AP Photo/ David Zalubowski)

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Truth be told we won't dwell on another lackluster effort in the preseason. The Arizona Cardinals finished the preseason without a win but that doesn't even begin to tell the story of how ugly the past three and a half weeks have been. To give you a quick taste of how the past four games have gone, the Cardinals have been outscored 71-16 in the first half, Cardinals' quarterbacks have combined to throw twice as many interceptions as touchdowns (9 to 4) and the Cardinals' defenders have forced just one turnover. In conclusion this Cardinals team has looked like the one that played in December of 2008 instead of the team that took the field in January of 2009. Just for the record, historically teams that finish the preseason winless, also struggle in the regular season. Going back to 1989, 35 teams have finished the preseason without a win and 31 of those teams failed to make the playoff. To make matters worse, 21 of them finished with a losing record.

But we said we weren't going to dwell so we're moving on to the news that should come down today. Tomorrow is the deadline to cut down the rosters to 53 players, but most expect Ken Whisenhunt to break the news in an afternoon press conference. With that in mind, here's ROTB's last shot at nailing down the 53 man roster.

QB (3): Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart, Brian St. Pierre - Tyler Palko played his way out of any shot of making the roster with a poor performance last night. BSP hasn't shown much this preseason but Whiz is familiar enough with his abilities for him to stick.
RB (4): Tim Hightower, Chris Wells, Jason Wright, LaRod Stephens-Howling - No one did much to either help or hurt their case for a roster spot last night.
FB (1): Dan Kreider - After the recent discussion about Kreider vs. Tim Castille, I kept a close eye on both players last night. To be honest neither did much to impress me and at this point I think Whiz would chose a veteran that he's familiar with over a younger player.
WR (6): Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston, Jerheme Urban, Early Doucet and Sean Morey - I, like most Cardinals fans I suspect, have been pulling for Lance Long but he's played a great deal in the past two preseason games and he hasn't done much with his opportunity (2 catches for 21 yards). I think it's fair to say that he's not ready and I'd be wiling to risk cutting him. The Chiefs may or may not claim him before we can stash him on the practice squad but he can't help this team right now.

TE (3): Stephen Spach, Anthony Becht and Dominique Byrd - Truth to be told, I still don't know what we have at this position but I'm confident that Leonard Pope will be cut. He was the last tight end to take the field last night and that says enough about his future. I went back and forth on Byrd but his versatility in the H-back role won me over. The interesting thing about this spot is who gets released after week four when Ben Patrick comes back.

OL (9): Mike Gandy, Reggie Wells, Lyle Sendlein, Deuce Lutui, Levi Brown, Herman Johnson, Brandon Keith and Elton Brown and Melvin Fowler - It's overkill keeping so many offensive lineman and I went back and forth on Elton Brown but his ability to play LT made the difference. Oliver Ross is a possibility but he just didn't impress me during the preseason. Elton Brown wasn't all that impressive either but at least this coaching staff has seen him step in at LT and play decently.

DL (6): Darnell Dockett, Calais Campbell, Bryan Robinson, Kenny Iwebema, Gabe Watson and Alan Branch - No real surprises here. Branch hasn't done much to warrant a spot but neither has anyone behind him. At least he can line up at DE now as well as DT, although his effectiveness remains about the same. Keilen Dykes doesn't make the cut but hopefully they can keep him on the practice squad thanks to another leg injury that cost him nearly the entire preseason.
LB (8): Karlos Dansby, Gerald Hayes, Clark Haggans, Chike Okeafor, Will Davis, Victor Hobson, Reggie Walker and Ali Highsmith - Bertrand Berry is the surprise cut on the roster after pulling a disappearing act during the preseason that would make David Copperfield jealous. Considering that the backups consist of two rookies, one sophomore UDFA and a guy that was signed off the streets before the regular season finale last year, I fully expect the Cardinals to scour the waiver wire for a veteran linebacker (inside or out).
CB (5): Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Bryant McFadden, Ralph Brown, Greg Toler and Michael Adams - I don't know what to make of this unit but these are the top five guys. DRC has struggled mightily the past two games, McFadden can't even get on the field and Brown is looking awful old and slow. Toler and Adams are two guys that we should all hope spend much more time on special teams than the regular defense.
S (5): Adrian Wilson, Antrel Rolle, Rashad Johnson, Aaron Francisco and Matt Ware - Basically this is the same unit as last year, plus a third round pick. Francisco is still Francisco although Ware has caught my eye several times this preseason.
Specialists (3): Neil Rackers, Ben Graham and Mike Leach - No surprises.

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To be honest, when I first wrote all this down I ended up with 54 players and after scouring the two deep I ended up cutting a veteran, Bertrand Berry. I'm not sure why but I keep getting the feeling that some of the veterans who've been around this team throughout all of the bad times cause some apathy in the locker room sometimes that lead to performances like we've seen the past couple of weeks. Berry's absence over the course of OTA's and his indifferent excuse once training camp started is just a microcosm of how this team has played over the course of the preseason. Maybe it's a knee jerk reaction on my part for thinking that someone's head has to roll but so be it. Thoughts? Who makes your 53?

Arizona Cardinals Lay a Goose Egg, Lose to the Broncos 19-0

Andrew602 — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 06:33:38 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

3 months ago: Arizona Cardinals tackle Mike Gandy looks on as time runs out in the fourth quarter of the Denver Broncos' 19-0 victory over the Cardinals in a preseason NFL football game in Denver on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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The Arizona Cardinals finished the preseason 0 - 4.

Should there be a cause for concern? Sure. Does the preseason really reflect upon the regular season? No. Tonight the Cardinals dropped their fourth straight loss of the preseason and I'm glad it has "pre" at the beginning of it. We expected nothing more then a drive or two from the first team offense and defense, and that's virtually was how long they played. The defense was first off the field after stopping the Broncosearly. The offense stayed longer, with Whisenhunt possibly wanting them to muster any sort of offense before the season opener. After half of the first quarter, the remainder of the game and the possibility of salvaging any kind of respect was left in the hands of the reserves. As you can tell by the score, that didn't happen. And that's where we pick up, with the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Good.

Michael Adams - Here's the most impressive part of the game; Adam'sstat line tonight - 6 tackles, 4 passes defended, 1 interception. Not bad for the possible fourth string cornerback. Adams looked solid tonight, making key tackles and shadowing the receivers he lined up across from. He was in perfect position for the pick, staying out of the quarterback's sight, then closing in the ball. Adams has a significant shot at competing with Ralph Brown after tonight's game and Brown's poor preseason.

Greg Toler - Opposite of Adams, Toler also looked solid overall tonight, leading the team with 7 tackles. Toler seemed to be roaming around the field tonight, and nearly picked off the ball twice. Toler has shown sings of his upside through most of the preseason, and has also slightly improved over the last 4 weeks like we had hoped.

Victor Hobson - After tonight, Hobson may have secured his job as a back up linebacker on this team, recording the only two sacks for the Cardinal's defense. After rookie Cody Brown was lost for the season, many of us weren't particular in who would serve has his replacement, and for the last two weeks, Hobson has gradually moved his way up the depth chart.

That's it. Seriously. This was an incredibly slow preseason game, and nothing special or amazing seemed to form for the entire four quarters. If you could name any honorable mentions, you can toss how how good the offensive line looked or the special teams play.

The Bad.

Tyler Palko - Can we stop and jump off the Tyler Palko bandwagon now? He proved that his game against the Steelers in preseason week one was a fluke. Palko showed no reason that he should start ahead of Brian St. Pierre. He played for the majority of the game, completing 13 of 30 passes, throwing for 141 yards and 1 interception, for a whopping 43.9 quarterback rating. He seemed to be more concerned with running the ball, rather then throwing it away. I think it's safe to say the Palko won't be on the roster after Saturday.

Kurt Warner - There's got to be some cause for concern after number 13's preseason. Warner has yet to make us remember what was the magical season of last year. He came out today over throwing, or not even coming close to his receivers. He only completing three passes tonight, one being a 36 reception by Fitzgerald, who did all the work. Another was actually a completion to the Broncos. I rewound that play and couldn't understand what made Warner throw that pass, except for the possibility that he didn't see the defender.

The Ugly.

Penalties - Ken Whisenhunt cannot be happy with the lack of discipline by this team so far. Over the years, avoiding penalties has never been a strong suit for the Cardinals, and up until halfway last year, it was a problem. Something Whisenhunt did last year seemed to really get the team's attention and vastly lowered the penalties. So far in the preseason though, the Cardinals have averaged 9.5 penalties a game for a total of 281 yards. Today they committed 11 penalties for 79 yards alone. The Cardinals need to focus and get their heads on straight if they want to remain competitive in the NFC West this year.

The offense - Forget the first team offense...the offense as a whole failed to put together any sort of respectable drive, resulting in 244 total yards and zero points. The first team offense looked stale and out of chemistry for the time they were on the field, and for the time Palko was in..well you can forget about that. All I know is something's got to give. The Cardinals were one of the best offensive teams in the league last year and they'll eventually find their groove again.

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I don't want to take too much in from the preseason, as it is meaningless for the most part, but I am somewhat worried for the lack of offense. The loss of Todd Haley may be affecting the offense worst then we thought it would, and most importantly Kurt Warner. Maybe he and Ken Whisenhunt should starting hanging out and texting each other until Brenda accuses Warner of cheating on her with coach Whisenhunt. One thing's for sure, and that's that the Cardinals need to get on track before the 49ers come here on September 13th.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Broncos: Boldin, St. Pierre and Doucet Will Not Play

Hawkwind — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:07:59 -0000

by Jason Babyak - AP

(AP Photo/Jason Babyak, File)

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The Arizona Cardinals held their final practice before their preseason finale against the Denver Broncos and as expected they ruled Anquan Boldin, Brian St. Pierre and Early Doucet out of action. Boldin is still hampered by a gimpy hamstring and St. Pierre's back is still giving him problems. Doucet's ribs will likely keep him out for at least a couple of weeks. LaRod Stephens-Howling is doubtful for Thursday's game and is still experiencing from symptoms from his concussion, althouh he has passed the neurological tests in order to return to action. Matt Leinart is still experiencing some shoulder soreness but he is expected to play through the pain, although Tyler Palko is expected to see quite a bit of action.

Ken Whisenhunt still hasn't decided exactly how much his starters will play but they will at least take the field. It's doubtful that Palko will be able to jump St. Pierre on the depth chart but it will be interesting to him in his first action since the preseason opener. With Boldin and Doucet out and Breaston most likely limited, it'll be another chance for Lance Long and Orea Jones to showcase themselves.