SB Nation User Blog: Andrew602

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers: Five Keys To Success

Andrew602 — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:25:08 -0000

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

Expect to see a lot of Nine-O on Monday night. He's already twittered that he's fired up for the game.

The Arizona Cardinals(8-4) take their 5-1 road record to San Francisco to take on the 49ers(5-7) on Monday night. Both teams regularly keep the games close when they play each other, with 7 of the last 8 games being decided within 7 points, and the only game more was the season opener last year(the Cardinals won by 10 but the game was decided at the end).

This year - after a 1-2 start - the Cardinals are 7-2 since and have shown an obvious improvement on offense since the Cardinals lost to the 49ers in the opening week. The Cardinals road success has been a surprise, as they've outscored opponents with an average score 26.8 - 15.1. At home, they're average score is 22.6 - 23.8.

The 49ers have experience the opposite season as the Cardinals. Since they began the season 3-1, they've dropped 6 of the last 8 games. They are currently 4-2 at home, outscoring opponents with an average score of 20.8 - 16.3. They also have had success against quarterbacks at home, holding them to an average rating of 75.24. Luckily, Kurt Warner's average QB rating on the road is 116.8. Let's take a look at five keys to Cardinals success on Monday night.

Protect Kurt Warner.This was what hurt the Cardinals chances at winning week 1 against the 49ers. The 49ers defensive line had the killer-instinct and was able to successfully rush four, while dropping 7-8 in coverage all game. As a result, Warner was sacked 3 times and threw 2 interceptions. The Cardinals may take the same approach they used against the Minnesota Vikings. They were able to contain the Vikings front four, and finally game the offensive line help with running back and tight end support. If Kurt Warner is given time, he can pick any defense apart, especially a 49er defense without top cornerback Nate Clements.
Contain Vernon Davis. That is obviously easier said then done but limiting the 4th year tight end is a huge step in the right direction on Sunday. He caught 5 passes for 40 yards the first time these teams met, but since then Davis has 58 catches for 741 yards and 10 touchdowns. Considering the Cardinals are one of the worst defenses at containing tight ends, they'll want to add an extra eye on number 85 throughout the game. It should also be worth noting that since Alex Smith took over at the midpoint against Houston, Vernon Davis has 40 catches for 513 yards and 7 touchdowns in only 6 1/2 games. Davis is the 49ers best option on offense and taking him out of the equation gives Smith one less threat to throw to.
Keep the defense rolling. The Cardinals defense surprised many when they were able to stifle a dangerous Minnesota Vikings team a week ago. They did so by getting pressure without taking away coverage. They also mixed up their scheme, something we haven't seen a lot of this year. The Cardinals should take the 49ers defensive gameplan and pressure Smith with a 3 or 4 man front. Since Alex Smith took over for the 49ers, in 4 losses Smith's been sacked 12 times. In the two wins, Smith was only sacked twice. If the Cardinals can at least register 4 sacks on the day and force any ill-advised throws, Smith and the 49ers will be in for a long day.
Wide receivers need to have a big game.The last times these teams met, Steve Breaston didn't play and Anquan Boldin was forced to limp into the game on an injured hamstring. Nate Clements, a defensive back for the 49ers that has regularly limited Cardinals receivers in the past - will not play on Monday. That means two of the three receivers will be healthy while Fitz and company don't have to worry about Clements. The offensive play calling is built around the receivers, and if Warner has the time to find them we should see a similar result as last week.
Play a well-rounded game and limit mental errors.In week 1, the Cardinals turned the ball over twice, 12 penalties for 82 yards, were 4-14 on 3rd down, and only rushed for 40 yards. Lately much of those problems have disappeared and the Cardinals should keep it that way against the 49ers. They're rushing has improved, and Beanie Wells is much more a part of the offense then he was in week 1. Kurt Warner hasn't turned the ball over in over a month and they've seemed to lower the penalty issues that plagued them at the start of the season. If the Cardinals can put together a well-balanced performance and keep mistakes to a minimum, they should have no problem hammering the last nail in the 49ers coffin.

If the Cardinals are able to stick to their gameplan and not get ahead of themselves, a win shouldn't be too much of a problem in San Francisco. The 49ers usually give the Cardinals a challenge, but if they want to establish themselves as an elite team in the NFL and improve their playoff positioning, this is a must win game. What are your keys to the game and why?

Who Would You Take From The San Francisco 49ers?

Andrew602 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:42:30 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

Adding Patrick Willis to the Cardinals would bring more leadership and vastly improve the Cardinals run-defense.

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With the Monday night match up not far ahead, we can start preparing to face the San Francisco 49ers. It may sound difficult to want any players from a division rival on the Arizona Cardinals, but in all honesty, the 49ers are filled with talent. Their 5-7 record may not show it, but the 49ers have one of the best defenses in the league and are starting to gel on offense. Remember that who you pick can be a young or older player, a starter or a back up, etc. You can also take their current contract status into consideration, as if we were actually signing the player. Also look at who may be leaving our team after this season. Here are some of my picks.

Before you look over the list, head over to Niners Nation to check out who they have interest in taking from our very own Cardinals and make sure to voice your opinion if you feel they're overlooking some certain players.

Patrick Willis, LB: This had to be the easiest/most obvious pick from the 49ers. He's a tackling machine(123 tackles leads the league) and has really developed to be one of the best linebackers in the league. Willis is a smart defender that can play the run(as their 5th ranked 95.4 rushing yards per game shows), and he's improving in coverage(6 PD, 2 INT). The former rookie of the year is only 24 years old, and with the uncertainty of Karlos Dansby returning next season, adding Willis would fill a tremendous need.

Vernon Davis, TE: As much as it pains me to say, I would like to have Vernon Davis as a Cardinal. He seems to have turned a new leaf this season and it's showed on the field. Already being a dominant run-blocker, Davis has turned it up a notch at the receiving end and is currently tied with Larry Fitzgerald with a league-leading 10 receiving touchdowns on the year. Adding Davis would surely fix our tight end situation and give us a young receiving/blocking tight end for years. Doesn't it seem like most teams have better tight ends then the Cardinals?

Aubrayo Franklin, DT: Franklin has gradually developed into one of the best run-stuffing defensive tackles in the league. He's also one of the more underrated defenders on the 49ers. The 49ers have had much success stopping the run and much of that stems from Franklin's ability to fill the defensive gaps. He seems to be ever-improving all facets of his game, as he's recorded 2 sacks on the year and also has 1 interception. With Bryan Robinson's age becoming a liability, and the uncertainty of Alan Branch and Gabe Watson, adding Franklin would leave no Cardinals fans worried about the defensive tackle position.

Joe Staley, OT: Staley returns to action this upcoming Monday and the former 1st round pick has been missed by the 49ers. Although Barry Sims has filled in with solid play at tackle, he's not as well rounded as Staley has been the last two seasons. He's still developing but his pass-protection would be greatly welcomed in Arizona. In the seven games this year, Staley has only allowed 2 sacks and hasn't committed any penalties. With how Levi Brown and Mike Gandyhave fared this season, adding Staley would fill a large void.

Honorable mentions: Nate Clements, Justin Smith, Manny Lawson

Ok so that's my list for this week. Don't forget to see what the Niners fans are saying and who they'd pick over at Niners Nation. Who would you take from the 49ers and why?

Ask Revenge Of The Birds: Game 2

Andrew602 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:16:54 -0000

Hey Niner fans, Andrew here from Revenge Of The Birds here to talk a little Cardinal-football. Just to start, yes, the opening game of the season hurt. But, that was a different Cardinals team that hadn't started the season very good, especially at home. After the bye week the Cardinals have been 7-2, and they are currently 5-1 on the road, where they are a considerably better. I look forward to having a good game on Monday night, and as always, use this thread to ask any questions you have and me and others from RotB will be here to answer your questions.

Arizona Cardinals Defensive Philosophy To Bend But Not Break

Andrew602 — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:17:29 -0000

Last year the Arizona Cardinals defense held on in the final seconds of the game to beat the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night football.

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The Arizona Cardinals defense has faced its fair share of comeback attempts this season. Games against the Texans, Bears, Giants, and Rams rest in recent memory.

That could be due largely to the conservative plays the offense run once they have they've established a lead in the second half of games. Minus the Tennessee game, the Cardinals defense has done an admirable job at preventing any comebacks and have solidified themselves as a defense that doesn't fold under pressure. They currently stand at 8-4 and five of their wins have been when the Cardinals led at halftime.

The Cardinals may be relinquishing 257 passing yards a game (30th) to opponents, but they are currently ranked 2nd overall in defensive 3rd down efficiency. They're only allowing 33.1% of 3rd down conversions to opponents and have improved their red zone defense as well — they currently rank 10th in the league at keeping teams from scoring when inside the 20. On Sunday the Vikings only scored twice in the red zone and the Cardinals held the Vikings to 5 of 15 (33%) on 3rd down attempts. Considering the Vikings usually convert 47% of 3rd down attempts (3rd in NFL), the Cardinals' defensive effort becomes even more impressive.

The Red Birds cannot get too comfortable though, especially against division rival San Francisco 49ers.

In week 1, the 49ers converted 7-18 (38%) of their 3rd down attempts including 4 on their 80-yard game-winning drive and also scored 2 touchdowns in the red zone. The good news is that San Francisco is currently 29th in the league, only converting 30.2% of their 3rd down attempts — however, they're 8th in red zone offense. Luckily the Cardinals appear to be ready for the divisional opponent, with revenge being the primary ingredient.

"Just because you can do drills real good doesn’t mean you can play football on Sundays," Dockett said. "That’s been our approach. They beat us the first time and we don’t like losing in the division. We’re coming and they know we’ll be ready. I’m not going to give them any (bulletin) board talk or anything. But they know we’re coming."

The Cardinals take their 5-1 road record to San Francisco to take on the 49ers on ESPN's Monday night football. The Cardinals have improved on the national stage (2-1) and a win on Monday would clinch the NFC West for a second consecutive year and add further fuel to the 49ers rivalry.

In the Valley, the Cards got a 31.9 rating and 46 share, reaching 598,000 homes. Those stats set a...

Andrew602 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:47:42 -0000

In the Valley, the Cards got a 31.9 rating and 46 share, reaching 598,000 homes. Those stats set a local market record for a Cards’ regular-season game. The game was also the most-watched TV show in the nation last week. It averaged 20.9 million viewers, six million more than the No. 2 show, ABC’s "Desperate Housewives."

Regarding the Cardinals/Vikings game this past Sunday.

Arizona Cardinals Power Rankings Round Up: Week 13

Andrew602 — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:44:01 -0000

The power rankings around the web are in and after the Cardinals impressive victory over the Minnesota Vikings, they seem to be making believers out of critics. The Cardinals fell down some power ranking lists(9.8 last week) after their loss to the Titans, but climbed back to the top and average the week with a 6.2, easily their highest average of the season.

ESPN - 6th

They are a Kurt Warner concussion and/or a 99-yard Vince Young drive away from being 6-0 on the road this season. (Sando)

Yahoo - 5th

What got devoured more quickly Sunday night – Larry Fitzgerald Sr.'s ice-cream sandwhich or Adrian Peterson on running plays?

FOX - 6th

With fear of future regret, it's time to believe in the Cardinals again. Now that they are finally playing consistently well — and not just vs. the NFC West — take them seriously.

CBS - 8th

They served notice to the rest of the NFL not to forget about them by beating the Vikings the way they did. The defense was impressive.

Walter Football - 6th

If I knew Kurt Warner was ready to go, I would have picked the Cardinals. I swear! The Vikings had a road game for the first time since Nov. 1 and had to travel all the way across the country. Arizona, meanwhile, wanted to make a statement by beating Minnesota.

Sports Illustrated - 6th

Can't tell you how impressed I was with the Cardinals' effort against Minnesota on Sunday night in that big shiny stadium of theirs. That Arizona defensive line out-classed the Vikings' injury-plagued offensive line, and a Cardinals offensive line that was missing left tackle Mike Gandydeflected everything Minnesota's vaunted pass rush threw at it. I see a payback beatdown coming for the 49ers Monday night in Candlestick.

Sporting News - 6th

No longer just a finesse team, the Cardinals' defense and offensive line can bully opponents.

NFL Fanhouse - 8th

A shocking slam of the Vikings on Sunday Night Football pretty clearly establishes the Cards as legit this year, with the only possible worry for last year's NFC champs being the health of Kurt Warner. Given that they're straight-up cruising to the NFC West title at this point, it would be pretty shocking not to see a hefty dose of Matt Leinart for much of tte regular season. While no one wants Warner getting rusty, getting injured in a meaningless contest with nothing on the line would be far worse.

USA Today - 6th

NFL - 6th

Yahoo Team Ranker - 6th

Average Power Rankings By the Week:

Week 1: 16
Week 2: 15.1
Week 3: 15
Week 4: 18
Week 5: 18
Week 6: 13
Week 7: 9
Week 8: 13
Week 9: 10.9
Week 10: 8.4
Week 11: 7.0
Week 12: 9.8
Week 13: 6.2

Cardinals Kurt Warner Wins NFC Offensive POTW, Up For Fedex Air POTW As Well

Andrew602 — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:54:17 -0000

Cardinals Kurt Warner Wins NFC Offensive POTW, Up For Fedex Air POTW As Well

After completing 22 of 32 passes for 285 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions, Kurt Warner was awarded the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award. This is his second of the year and 6th as a Cardinals, which is a franchise record. He's also been nominated at NFL.com for the Fedex Air Player of the Week award. He'll be up against Phillip Rivers and Bruce Gradkowski.

JC Penney/Van Heusen HOF Voting: Part 2

Andrew602 — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:42:00 -0000

The is a sponsored post from JC Penney and Van Heusen. Vote at www.fanschoice.com.

As reported last week, the fans choice HOF voting is still in effect and you can cast your vote now to hear the results live on NFL Network just before the actual HOF picks are made on February 6th, 2010. If you're unaware what this is, JC Penney and Van Heusen have provided the fans an option for picking and voicing who they would select to be in the Hall of Fame. Obviously the fans don't actually pick who gets inducted into the HOF but it's a great start and could eventually lead to fans having a voice in the voting one day. Either way, thousands of votes were cast and it's certainly interesting to see the opposing views of the fans and selectors top 25 picks.

The fans and the selectors currently have had their differences with the picks, with 11 of the fans picks not even making the selectors top 25. The fans selected 4 quarterbacks into the top 25 while the selectors picked zero. There's still plenty of time and instead of getting four picks, fans now have to narrow their picks down to only one. Names such as Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, and Shannon Sharpe fill the list, so head over to www.fanschoice.com to cast your vote. The current top 25 still in the running for fanschoice is after the jump...

1. Jerry Rice, WR – 20,599 votes
2. Emmitt Smith, RB – 17,523 votes
3. Ray Guy, P – 12,899 votes
4. Tim Brown, WR – 11,868 votes
5. Cris Carter, WR – 11,720 votes
6. Shannon Sharpe, TE – 11,048 votes
7. Otho Davis, Contrib. – Athletic Trainer – 8,360 votes
8. Jim Plunkett, QB – 7,807 votes
9. Richard Dent, DL – 6,387 votes
10. Lester Hayes, DB – 6,311 votes
11. Cliff Branch, WR – 6,246 votes
12. Tom Flores, Head Coach – 5,688 votes
13. Charles Haley, DL – 5,400 votes
14. Randall Cunningham, QB – 5,143 votes
15. QB Phil Simms, QB – 5,134 votes
16. Todd Christensen, TE – 5,040 votes
17. Steve Atwater, DB – 4,418 votes
18. Andre Reed, WR – 3,188 votes
19. Jim Tunney, Contrib. – 2,565 votes
20. Joe Theismann, QB – 2,530 votes
21. Ed “Too Tall” Jones, DL – 2,274 votes
22. Sterling Sharpe, WR – 2,168 votes
23. John Randle, DL – 2,097 votes
24. Steve Tasker, Special Teams – 1,857 votes
25. Kevin Greene, LB – 1,767 votes

Agree or disagree? Cast your vote now. www.fanschoice.com

Grading The Offense: Arizona Cardinals vs Minnesota Vikings

Andrew602 — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:30:32 -0000

via prod.static.cardinals.clubs.nfl.com

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It was uncertain just how prepared the Cardinals offense would be for a stingy Minnesota Vikings defense Sunday night. Kurt Warner was questionable all week with post-concussion symptoms. Matt Leinart shared reps with Warner in practice and was ready to go if Warner was not. Mike Gandy had been battling a hip injury and back up offensive tackle Jeremy Bridges was preparing to play as well. On game day, it was likely that Gandy wouldn't suit up, but Kurt Warner would refuse to miss anymore action. The Cardinals offense stumbled to start the game with a Tim Hightower fumble that led to a Vikings touchdown. After that however, the Cardinals offense outscored the Vikings 27-10. Let's take a look at how they did.

Kurt Warner: Kurt was surprisingly spot on after reportedly experiencing blurry vision and sensitivity to light. He had also missed the previous 6 quarters of play, so to see him slinging the ball over a 10-1 Vikings team was encouraging. The fact that the 38-year-old quarterback could return from a viscous blow to the head and beat the 2nd best team in the NFC spoke tremendously for his resiliency. Warner made the reads that put the wide receivers in best interest to make plays on the ball(see Anqun Boldin's 39-yard touchdown) and could have very well played a better game had the Cardinals not resorted to conservative play in the second half.

Running backs: Tim Hightower didn't make many plays with his legs to earn recognition, but surprisingly exceeded many expectations in the blocking department. Hightower squared up on just about every defender that decided to blitz and gave Kurt Warner the perfect amount of time to get rid of the ball. Hightower's blocking will be greatly needed come playoff time. Beanie Wells carried the ball more then Hightower, but only amounted to 28 yards. Obviously being in his rookie season means there will be games where he struggles, but it's not helping his cause to become the starting running back on offense.

Wide receivers: Anquan Boldin posted his best game of the season and also played his fourth game in a row in which he's looked like an absolute beast. Boldin set the tone on offense and led the Cardinals to their first two touchdowns of the game. Larry Fitzgerald quietly put together another solid game, catching a season long 35-yard touchdown pass that added to his league-leading total of 10 touchdowns. Steve Breaston didn't do much on the receiving end but added a 64 yard punt return in the 1st quarter that led to the first Cardinal touchdown of the game.

Offensive line: The biggest part of the win came from the trenches, where the Cardinals big five didn't allow a sack on the day. They completed that feat against the Vikings defensive line, a unit that leads the NFL in sacks. Even more impressive was the fact that back up tackle Jeremy Bridges was inserted into the line up, only to face NFL sack-leader Jared Allen. Add that the Cardinals run-blocking led to 113 rushing yards against the 2nd ranked run-defense and the Cardinals offensive line obviously had the best game of the season.

My offensive grade: A

Final thoughts: It's not hard to give the Cardinals an A after their 30-17 defeat of the Vikings on a nationally televised game of Sunday night football. They played their best game of the year on all facets of the game and faced no trouble moving the ball down-field. How did you grade the Cardinals offense and why?

Poll

How would you grade the Cardinals offensive effort on Sunday?

ROTB Survival Pick'em: We Have A Winner!

Andrew602 — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:33:19 -0000

The coveted ROTB trophy.

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Congratulations to SenSurround for winning the Revenge of the Birds Survival Pick'em league! He lasted an amazing 13 weeks of correct picks, and outlasted 42 other members to win the league. With his final pick, he went with the Cincinnati Bengals, who beat Detroit on Sunday. His other two competitors, KDean75 and Travis23 were eliminated with their picks of the Steelers and 49ers. SenSurround will now be added to the home page(shorty) until next season as the winner of the league. He'll also be receiving some Cardinal merchandise. So let's congratulate Sensurround for being the 2009 Survival winner!