SB Nation - Rashad Johnson

Meet the Newest Arizona Cardinal: Hamza Abdullah

Hawkwind — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:30:14 -0000

The Arizona Cardinals made several roster moves in the past couple of days including cutting backup linebacker and special teams ace Ali Highsmith. Filling Highsmith roster spot and the void left by Matt Ware's injury is Hamza Abdullah. Abdullah could end up splitting time with rookie Rashad Johnson as the team's nickel safety and will also play a role on special teams. Abdullah was selected in the seventh round (231st overall) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and spent the first couple of months of the 2005 season on their practice squad before being signed to the active roster by the Denver Broncos. During the remainder of the 2005 season and throughout the 2006 season he played primarily on special teams before starting the final eight games of the 2007 season. During that eight game stretch he logged 37 tackles and two passes defended while also forcing two fumbles.

Heading into the 2008 season Abdullah looked on the verge of a breakout season. He entered training camp as the starter at strong safety and despite a nagging groin injury he emerged from camp as the starter, at least according to the team's first official depth chart that year. With that in mind, it was a surprise when the Broncos cut Abdullah just one month later. There was some talk that his inability to stay healthy might have lead to the release and even some grumblings that his religious beliefs might have been a factor (read the comments here). Abdullah was signed by the Browns during the 08 season but never saw the field and was cut during this year's training camp after yet another injury.

What we can actually expect from Hamza Abdullah: From everything I've read so far Abdullah sounds like a typical backup strong safety. He's capable of laying a massive hit on the ball carrier or receiver but will take bad angles at times and will completely whiff on occasion when he lowers his head. He's not much of a defender against the pass, in man or zone coverage, and could turn into a major liability if forced into an every down role. Basically Abdullah sounds quite a bit like ROTB whipping boy Aaron Francisco, decent special teams player and poor defender.

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

In a perfect world, I'd imagine that Whisenhunt hopes that Adrian Wilson stays healthy and Rashad Johnson is able to outperform Abdullah when the defense switches to nickel and/or dime situations. Wilson is obviously a premier strong safety but with the absence of Ware they were left with no real backup candidate. Prior to this move, and perhaps even after, if Wilson were to go down I'd have to think that Rolle would move over to strong safety and Johnson would step into the starting free safety role. While it's bad enough to break in two new starters at the same time it's also worth noting that in this scenario the team would probably be forced to move Ralph Brown, or another corner, into the nickel safety or simply not use more than two safeties. Adbullah at least gives them another warm body at the safety position and, while his limitations may outweigh his abilities, he does have experience playing in this league. I highly doubt he'll be around after this season but these are the kind of band-aid fixes that teams have to make when injuries strike late in the season. Thoughts?

Despite Second Half Rally, Arizona Cardinals Beat Detroit Lions 31-24

Andrew602 — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:01:02 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

Arizona Cardinals running back Beanie Wells ran for 110 rushing yards on 17 carries for 1 touchdown in the Cardinals win on Sunday.

Browse more photos »

The Arizona Cardinals traveled to Detroit with the NFC West division title only two wins away. The only problem was that they may have over-looked the struggling Detroit Lions. After beginning the first half 17-0, the Lions made it uncomfortably close after a 100 yard interception return for a touchdown and a 64 yard rushing touchdown by Maurice Morris. The Cardinals offense responded with an 18 yard touchdown by Beanie Wells and a 5 yard touchdown by Anquan Boldin. In the end, the Lions were unable to drive for the game-winning touchdown, and the Cardinals improved their record to 9-5.

The positives

- Beanie Wells had his first 100 yard rushing game of the season and gave the Cardinals some explosive running when the passing game was faltering. Wells also scored a 4th quarter touchdown that swung some momentum back in the Cards favor.

- The passing defense gave their best effort for a second straight game. They didn't allow a 100 yard receiver and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie had two interceptions on the day, making his season total 5. They also limited Lions star receiver Calvin Johnson to just 3 catches for 35 yards. Rashad Johnson saw his most action since the preseason and seemed to fill in fine for the majority of the game. He nearly had an interception on the Lions last offensive play of the game, but it luckily had no effect as it was 4th down.

- Anquan Boldin stepped up noticeably with Larry Fitzgerald not being 100%. Boldin was targeted 11 times and caught 6 passes for 72 yards and the go-ahead score to give the Cardinals the lead and eventually win the game.

- Despite some pressure from the Lions defense, the Cardinals offensive line held up well, only allowing 2 sacks and 3 QB hits.

- Mike Nugent filled in for the injured Neil Rackers and the Cardinals kicking game didn't skip a beat. Nugent made all of the extra points and knocked in a 48 yard field goal in the first half.

- Ben Graham played another spectacular game, punting 3 of his kicks inside the Lions 20, and also averaged 50.3 yards a punt.

The negatives

- Kurt Warner may still be suffering the effects of the hip pointer he tweaked against the Vikings three weeks ago. He wasn't limping around the field but he didn't have as much zip on any of his passes. Many passes fell at the receivers feet or were over-thrown. He also fumbled the ball to end the 1st half and threw an interception that resulted in a 100 yard return for a touchdown. Warner redeemed himself as he usually does, when he led the Cardinals on their game-winning drive and threw the touchdown to Anquan Boldin.

- The Cardinals rush-defense was slashed again, and gave up 126 rushing yards and a touchdown to the former Seahawk Maurice Morris. The Cardinals have allowed two 100-yard rushers the last two weeks since they held Adrian Peterson to 19 rushing yards.

- Mental errors and turnovers haunted the entire game. The Cardinals turned the ball over 3 times and the Lions capitalized by scoring 14 points. The Cardinals also committed 8 penalties for 65 yards. Two of them came from Bryan Robinson, for unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that resulted in 30 yards. Turnovers and penalties have plagued the Cardinals lately, and isn't something they can continue if they want to make a run in the playoffs.

- Play-calling was questionable at times, mainly on 3rd and short situations when the Cardinals became very predictable. The Cardinals were 4-12 on 3rd downs, and that was one of the main reasons the Lions were able to stay in the game till the 4th quarter.

Final thoughts

While I am upset that the Cardinals couldn't dominate the now 2-12 Lions, I'll take a win know matter which way it comes. The Cardinals did show signs of life when most of the momentum turned in the Lions favor, and they were able to battle back to score on a game-winning drive. Kurt Warner needs to get healthy fast, and the Cardinals may need to show a stronger sense of urgency with the Rams coming to Arizona next week. What are your thoughts on the game?

Arizona Cardinals at Detroit Lions: Three Keys To Success

Andrew602 — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:29:39 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sakuma - AP

Getting Larry Fitzgerald back to 100% is the most important key to the season at this point.

Browse more photos »

Yeah, that's right - three keys. I think the Cardinals only need to follow the three keys below in order to beat the lowly Lions.

This Sunday, the Arizona Cardinals(8-5) face off with the Detroit Lions(2-11) in a situation that has become a must-win game for the red birds. The Cardinals are fresh off a disappointing Monday night game, in which they turned the ball over 7 times and were surprisingly limited to 9 points. They need to win 2 out of their next 3 games and need a 49ers loss to clinch the NFC West.

The Lions are experiencing another losing season/rebuilding year and are at the mercy of a rookie coach and quarterback. There is light at the end of the tunnel though, and it's only a matter of time before the Lions are back at mediocrity. Here are the three keys to success on Sunday.

1. Stop the Calvin Johnson. He's the Lions best player and many consider him to have the best all-around skill set of any receiver in the league. His stats may not show it this year but Johnson has faced injuries and his fair share of poor quarterback play and has still produced at a pro bow level. The Cardinals were burned by the other Johnson earlier this year and to keep it from reoccurring, they will need to ensure that there are no breakdowns in coverage. The Cardinals fastest defensive back, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, will likely cover Johnson with added safey help over the top.

2. Play the Lions like they are a 2-11 team. Winning is always satisfying, but the Cardinals certainly should not squeak out a win. They have the Lions beat in every NFL category, so there's certainly not room for any excuses this week. The Cardinals have managed to keep opposing teams in games this year and if they want to make a statement to the league they'll keep their foot on the gas on Sunday. The Lions have been obliterated by some teams this year(see last week) and that shouldn't stop just because the Cardinals are in town.

3. Get healthy and acquainted. The Cardinals may likely use the next stretch of games to rest certain players in hopes to become healthy for the playoffs. Most notably, injuries have hit Mike Gandy, Larry Fitzgerald, Matt Ware, Kurt Warner, and Neil Rackers. Fitzgerald suffered a knee injury on Monday but an MRI revealed it was only a bone contusion and knee sprain. Kurt Warner has been nursing a hip pointer the last two weeks and may rest if the Cardinals have a comfortable lead on Sunday. Gandy and Rackers have already been ruled out the game. As a result of the injuries, Mike Nugent, Jeremy Bridges, and Rashad Johnson were pushed into more prominent roles on the team and must become more familiar with their respective positions the next two weeks.

On a final note, the Cardinals should obviously hand the ball off on Sunday and not be scared of fumbling. Limiting the rushing game may only discourage the Cardinals two young backs at this point.

In all reality, this is a game the Cardinals should win at ease. With the 49ers essentially on life-support, they have yet to be eliminated from playoff-contention. If the Cardinals want to take some pressure off themselves, now would be the moment pull the plug. What are your keys to the game and why?

Arizona Cardinals Weekly Flock: Larry Fitzgerald's Knee and Rashad Johnson's Role

Hawkwind — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:59:33 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

Larry Fitzgerald and status of his knee are the talk of the town. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Browse more photos »

News of Larry Fitzgerald's health and Rashad Johnson's readiness to take the field dominate this week in Arizona Cardinals headlines. Here's a look at what people are talking about:

Fitz is feeling better and the rest of the injury report - Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald did more at practice Thursday and while he was still limited, he said he was feeling better than Wednesday and continues to believe he will play Sunday in Detroit. There wasn’t much change to the injury report.

Cardinals' rookie Rashad Johnson ready to be safety net - Rookie safety Rashad Johnson is eager to take on an expanded role for the Cardinals on Sunday when they play the Lions.

What will Rashad do? - A lot is riding on what rookie safety Rashad Johnson can do here at the end of his first season. The third-round pick is the guy who has to step in for veteran Matt Ware when the Cards go to three safeties (veteran cornerback Ralph Brown has played there some as well) now that Ware is done for the season.

KentSomers - A walking bruise (Neil Rackers report) - Kicker Neil Rackers' teammates have been teasing about the way he's walking these days. But Rackers has a good reason for moving like he's just ridden a horse for a few weeks. He showed me the upper part of his right leg. (O.K., I know. Insert your joke here. Go ahead). It's an ugly, bloody mess, the result of a muscle tear.

To Fumble or Not to Fumble....if it were only that easy - Larry Fitzgerald went through a stretch where he lost three fumbles in four games back in early 2007. Those are the only three lost fumbles of Fitzgerald’s nearly six full seasons. "Man, that’s the worse feeling," Fitzgerald said. "You feel everyone’s eyes are on you, and really they are. You’re the guy that’s to blame, and it’s a terrible feeling. I’ve experienced it before and I’d rather not feel it again." The Cards know about terrible feelings of late. They lost five fumbles in San Francisco, with two coming from their top two running backs, Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells. Isolated and they could be shrugged off. But they haven’t been isolated – Hightower, for example, fumbled early against both Minnesota and San Francisco the past two games, with each leading to opposing touchdowns. Both players continue to work on the issue.

The timing of turnovers - I took a closer look this morning at the 29 turnovers committed by the Cardinals this year. I knew that most of them came in the first half but I was startled to see that 21 of them came in the first two quarters. Here's the breakdown: First quarter -- Seven turnovers:1 interception, 6 fumbles Second quarter-- 14 turnovers: 9 interceptions, 5 fumbles Third quarter -- 0 turnovers Fourth quarter -- Eight turnovers: 4 fumbles, 4 interceptions.

Pro Bowl update: Balloting for specialists - Ben Graham has moved up to third among NFC punters.

Under the Cap: Top Ten Safeties - Football Outsiders takes a look at the top ten safeties in terms of contract and as you might expect there's some Adrian Wilson info in here.

Larry Fitzgerald to Have MRI and Other Arizona Cardinals Injury News

Hawkwind — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:30:15 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald missed most of the game on Monday with a knee injury but it doesn't appear to be serious. He'll undergo an MRI today just to make sure. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Browse more photos »

Not only did the Arizona Cardinals suffer an demoralizing loss at the hands of a division rival, San Francisco 49ers, they also took a beating during the game. Larry Fitzgerald missed most of the game, although he returned late in the game, with a knee injury and he'll have a MRI today. At this point the team is just being cautious with the MRI, but we all know that losing Fitz for any kind of playoff run would be devastating. The other significant injury involved Matt Ware, who was hurt on the opening kickoff and did not return. Ware is a key backup in the secondary and allows DC Bill Davis to use Adrian Wilson in many creative ways so we'll have to closely monitor his situation. If Ware were to miss significant time, or be done for the season, it would mean big things for Rashad Johnson. It'll be interesting to see if RJ, who has had trouble getting on the field during his rookie season, is ready for extended playing time or if the team will have to look elsewhere for a third safety.

The third injury from this game is still somewhat of an unknown. Mike Gandy came out of the game late in the third quarter but no one has confirmed if he left because of his injured hip or simply because he was playing very poorly. Either way it's probably fair to say that he'll be reavaluated this week and I wouldn't be surprised to see Jeremy Bridges in the starting lineup this Sunday when the Cards travel to Detriot.

Arizona Cardinals vs Carolina Panthers: Keys to the Game

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

More photos » by Mel Evans - AP

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

Browse more photos »

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arizona Cardinals Rookie Report: Bye Week Edition

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

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

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

Browse more photos »

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Week 3: Friday Injury Report

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

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

Out: Bob Sanders, Anthony Gonzalez

Questionable (no practice): Gary Brackett, Kelvin Hayden

Questionable (some practice): Clint Session, Dwight Freeney

Colts.com link

Oesher relays Caldwell's comments on the questionable players.

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

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

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

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

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

Out: Kenny Iwebema

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

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

AzCardinals.com link

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

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

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

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

Browse more photos »

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

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

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

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

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

49ers-Cardinals: A Q&A with Revenge of the Birds

Fooch — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:17:47 -0000

As some of you may have noticed during the preseason we mixed in some Q&As with opposing bloggers. The best way to find out about an opposing team is to check in with one of their bloggers. Fortunately SB Nation has NFL bloggers covering every single team. So, for the 2009 season we'll have a Q&A every single week.

For this week, we welcome cgolden from Revenge of the Birds. He's already posted a FanPost answering your questions, but I wanted to get some specific answers out to the front page. Enjoy.

Fooch: Obviously a team's preseason record should be taken with a huge grain of salt (see last season's 4-0 Lions). At the same time, struggles in the preseason tend to raise concerns among the fanbase. The Cardinals finished 0-4 with the worst point differential in the NFL. How are the fans taking it and do you have any idea why the team struggled?

CG: Well the reaction has been pretty mixed so far despite the poor play by the Cardinals. I've said it a million times that I couldn't care less what the final score of preseason game is but the poor, sloppy play by the first team offense and defense is something that concerns quite a few fans, including myself. Cardinals players and coaches have thrown a couple of excuses out there such as a lack of game planning for opponents and the inability to muster the same fire and passion that they showed during the playoffs. The game planning is pretty much a given, although every team could also use that excuse, but the lack of fire and passion is somewhat concerning. Several of the players have hinted that they just could get their heads wrapped around going full bore for a preseason game after tasting playoff success. I'd also expect that the injuries at the receiver position (Boldin, Breaston and Doucet have all missed time) have also played a significant role in the lack of offensive production.

Fooch: Along the same lines (and feel free to combine these questions together if you want), is there concern of a Super Bowl hangover that often afflicts the loser of the big game?

CG: Concern probably depends on who you ask but the idea of the Super Bowl loser being the only team that falters is a bit of an overblown theory, in my opinion. One thing that rarely mentioned is that since the 2002 Super Bowl, the winner has also failed to make the playoffs the following season three times (in seven years). In my mind there are two main concerns for the Cardinals as they enter 2009, the first being health. The Cardinals were fortunate that they sustained very few injuries last year and they didn't have to send a single starter to the injured reserve the entire season. Injuries have a way of playing back into the law of averages so we'll see if the team can be as fortunate as they were last year. The second concern for them is that they have to decide whether they are the team that faltered down the stretch in 2008 or the team that ran through the NFC playoffs en route to the Super Bowl.

After the jump we check in with cgolden on Kurt Warner, the Cardinals rushing game, their 2009 defense and potential break-out players...

Fooch: Are the Cardinals (and their fans) confident riding the arm of Kurt Warner in spite of his age? Would Leinart be ready to take over if Warner went down with an injury?

CG: Confident....yes. How confident is probably the better question. Old man Warner had hip surgery in the off season (funny picture) and as recently as the second preseason game he was still walking gingerly and noticeably uncomfortable. He's said that he actually feels better moving around instead of standing still or slowly walking but his hip has gotten quite a bit of press as he's stumbled to a 47.4 QB rating in the preseason. One thing that I think we're all still confident about is that Warner can still get the job done at a Pro Bowl level and once his receivers and the game plan are installed, I think we'll see him return to form. If he were to get injured, I feel that Matt Leinart is quite capable of leading this team to wins. The offense might lean a little more on the running game but Leinart is looking more and more like a capable NFL quarterback every time he steps on the field.

Fooch: What can we expect from the Cardinals rushing attack now that Edgerrin James is out of the picture? According to Football Outsiders, the Arizona rushing game finished 28th in the NFL. Can Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower rectify that?

CG: Wow 28th? I've been touting them as the league's worst rushing attack for seven months now. In all honesty though, the Cardinals rushing attack was putrid last season and they can only go one direction this season. The addition of Beanie and subtraction of Edge means that we've gained potential and lost production. Some might consider that a wash but I give a slight edge (pun intended) to Beanie being an upgrade. That combined with the new slim and trim Tim Hightower has some thinking that the Cardinals could actually move the ball on the ground somewhat effectively this season. Just to put a cherry on top the weakest link in the Cards offensive line, Lyle Sendlien, also had off season shoulder surgery and has looked much stronger this preseason despite facing mammoth nose tackles Casey Hampton, Jamal Williams and B.J. Raji.

Fooch: The defense wasn't exactly stellar in 2008. What kind of changes can we expect in 2009?

CG: Changes?!? You want changes?!? We've got plenty of changes for you, including the front seven finally scraping the Clancy Pendergast "hybrid" look and committing to a more traditional 3-4 front. The defense as a whole will have three new starters, Clark Haggans (OLB), Calais Campbell (DE) and free agent signee Bryant McFadden (CB) and a much more aggressive style of play. The new defensive coordinator (whom you guys are very familiar with) Bill Davis has said that he'll incorporate a much more extensive blitz package than Pendergast ever carried. That of course will put some pressure on the secondary but there are hopes that the secondary, which allowed the most passing TD's last season, will be much improved. McFadden is a clear upgrade over Roderick Hood and DRC should continue to grown with every game. Both cornerbacks have good size and are a perfect compliment to each other considering that DRC is the uber-athletic burner and McFadden is the physical run stopper. The Cardinals also hope that Antrel Rolle settles into the free safety spot this year along with third round pick Rashad Johnson and that the duo can limit opposing offenses from breaking off big plays.

Fooch: Aside from Beanie Wells, who do you think is a good candidate to be a young break-out player in 2009 for the Cardinals?

CG: To be honest, I don't think Beanie is going to have the kind of breakout season that some expect, but that's not because he doesn't have the ability. I think that Hightower is going to hold onto the starting job longer than most expect and that carries will be split very evenly by the end of the season. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if neither back approached 1,000 yards but combined they had some where close to 1,600. A guy who is a legitimate breakout candidate though is Calais Campbell. Defensive ends in a 3-4 don't traditionally rack up stats but Campbell has shown some outstanding ability for a second year player in the preseason against the run and as a pass rusher. I wouldn't be surprised if he racked up a handful of sacks and close to 50 tackles (both very good numbers for a 3-4 DE).