SB Nation User Blog: Bezekira

Mike Gandy's Injury Might Be More Serious Than We Originally Thought

Bezekira — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:05:59 -0000

While perusing around AZcentral.com I ran across the story talking about Warner's hip (which he says is ok) and buried at the bottom was a concerning statement about Mike Gandy's pelvis.....

There were concerns late last week that Gandy may have to undergo surgery to correct the problem, but the Cardinals' medical staff doesn't think that is a necessary option.

Now I'm certainly not a doctor and the closest I've come to diagnosing an injury is watching House every Monday but this sounds like a bigger problem than I originally thought. Gandy and Whisenhunt still sound optimistic about him returning to practice this week and potentially playing on Monday but it seems odd to go from "possibly surgery" to "ready to play" in a weeks time.

I'm sure with Jeremy Bridges strong showing this doesn't seem like a big issue but it could turn into a domino effect considering that now Brandon Keith is the primary backup and could be forced into duty at any position along the line, outside of center. Either way it's something worth keeping an eye on and it might be the safest strategy to hold him out until he's clearly 100% rather than force him back into action before he's fully comfortable. There's also the possibility that with a games worth of tape out there on Bridges, the 49ers will have a better plan of attack on him than the Vikings did. Thoughts?

Let's Get Ahead of Ourselves (The Cardinals Plan for the #2 Seed)

Bezekira — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:44:52 -0000

While we're still all high-fiving and patting each other on the back I figured I'd throw out this pipe dream. I'm sure as Cardinals fans we all want Kurt Warner and company to have the best possible playoff seed heading into the post season and at this point the best case scenario looks like the #2 seed. With that in mind last night win over the Vikings was obviously huge and it opens a whole can of "what if" worms. The Cardinals are in the drivers seat to secure the #3 seed but the #2 seed still might be attainable, but what will it take?

First and foremost the Cardinals will most likely have to win out. That sounds more daunting that it actually is considering the rest of their schedule contains four very "winnable" games. To start, the Red Birds will most likely be favored in each game, only one team remaining can boast an above .500 record and the four game stretch includes teams which have combined for a 15-32 (.469) record. Two of the games, including the most difficult (Packers), are at home and road trips to San Francisco and Detroit aren't exactly buzzkills. If the Cardinals can win their remaining four games they'll be sitting at a very healthy 12-4, but will that be enough?

Currently the Vikings are 10-2 so they have a two game lead with four to play, but their remaining schedule isn't near as favorable. Next week they'll host the 9-3 Bengals, who are 4-1 on the road and a road trip to Carolina will follow. It's concievable that the Vikings could lose to the Bengals and then beat the Panthers leaving them at 11-3 but still holding a one game lead over the Cardinals. The Vikings remaining two games include a road trip to Chicago to take on the rival Bears then a home tilt against the upstart Giants. Despite the lack of quality play from the Bears this season we all know how quirky rival games can be and as the Cowboys learned yesterday, the Giants are no pushover. It's again concievable that the Vikings lose one of these games and leave them sitting at 12-4 with the Cardinals.

If, and I realize that's a big IF, this scenario plays out the Cardinals will enjoy much needed bye week heading into the playoffs before hosting a game at UoP. The only question now is, can it be done? Thoughts?

"I’m just trying to be better than Albert Haynesworth......He’s the defensive tackle everyone talks ...

Bezekira — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:16:21 -0000

"I’m just trying to be better than Albert Haynesworth......He’s the defensive tackle everyone talks about that gets $100 million for the things he’s doing, so I figure, ‘Do it like him or do it better.’ "

Courtesy of Mr Nine-0

Expecting to win on the road is a sign of a good team. And yet great teams do not allow 99-yard...

Bezekira — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:53:12 -0000

Expecting to win on the road is a sign of a good team. And yet great teams do not allow 99-yard drives to lose a game as time expires. For the moment, the Cardinals are stuck somewhere in between.

Call me crazy but that's an excellent evaluation of where this team is at. (source)

Post Rams Randomness

Bezekira — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:30:39 -0000

So we didn't beat the Rams by 20 like I thought and it took a late defensive stand at the goal line to ensure the Cardinals moved to 7-3, but there's more to this story. Sometimes it takes an ugly win when you don't have your 'A' game and at least in the NFL we don't have to worry about style points or margin of victory. A 'W' is a 'W' and that's really the only thing that matters. In case you're feeling a bit bummed about the this unimpressive win, consider this note from Kent Somers:

The Cardinals are 7-3 for the second consecutive year. They have a three-game lead over the 49ers. As a friend pointed out, if the Cardinals go 3-3 the rest of the way, the 49ers would have to go 6-0 to overtake them.

Considering that the remainder of the Cardinals schedule includes only two teams with a record above .500, and both of those games are at home (although this year they may actually be a negative), I think it's fair to say that it's only a matter of time before we clinch the West. With that being said, here's the randomness.....

Obviously most of the talk about this game will surround Matt Leinart's play. While I expected him to play better (aka, at least put some points on the board), it's hard to ignore that he completed over 70% of his passes and he didn't turn the ball over. Of course that's not the whole story and so I'll defer to the 'so-called' experts, the two main 'beat writers' (Urban and Somers). It's interesting that Urban seems to focus on what Leinart did well and what could have been if things had gone just a bit differently....

His numbers weren't bad (10-for-14 for 74 yards). Whisenhunt said if tight end Anthony Becht hadn't lost a fumble after a second-down catch and had the Cards executed a third-and-1 pass - running back Beanie Wells apparently didn't look back quickly enough for the ball - he had no doubt Leinart would have piloted the Cards to points. Leinart also had the clutch third-down pass to Early Doucet that gained a first down late in the game.

While Somers doesn't tip-toe around Leinart's performance quite as gingerly....

Coach Ken Whisenhunt defended the play of backup quarterback Matt Leinart, although the Cardinals haven't scored this season in his three appearances. On Sunday, a couple of players mentioned that Leinart entered the game under "tough" circumstances. Ahead 21-3 and facing a bad team is tough? Sounds ideal to me.

I don't blame Whisenhunt for defending Leinart. What's he supposed to say? But I'm not joining the chorus of people who think Leinart can't play. I do think it's reasonable to see progress from him this year. And he hasn't shown it. He still tends to throw high when he's nervous, mostly because his footwork gets out of whack. That's been a problem for more than two seasons now. Leinart was set up to succeed Sunday and it didn't happen. You can't get around that fact and it has to concern Cardinals coaches and management. All that said, not all of the problems in the second half were Leinart's fault. Tight end Anthony Becht fumbled. The running game stalled. The defensive intensity dropped off.

Who wants to fix the running game now? I've been saying for a couple weeks that it doesn't matter who plays the first snap at RB. Both guys are talented and they'll share carries pretty evenly. Tim Hightower was the better runner yesterday but Beanie Wells did his share of damage as well. Regardless of who ends up with the most carries or yards, anytime this offense gets 184 yards from the ground game they're going to be nearly unstoppable. Has anyone realized that over the past three games we're averaging over 160 yards on the ground the past three weeks?
Speaking of the running game, has anyone noticed that the offensive line's pass protection has gotten better as the running game has improved? After racking up 14 sacks in the first seven games, Warner has only been sacked twice in the last three games. Maybe our offensive tackles are finally dealing with defensive ends who can't simply pin their ears back and rush the QB. Amazing what a running game can do to an offense like ours.
I know Micheal Adams is taking some heat after getting picked on by the Rams passing game but there's something that you just gotta like about this guy. I know his height will always prohibit him from being a regular defensive player but I love his attitude. He never backs down and attacks every single player/ball carrier like he's a 250 pound linebacker. He's the kind of guy I want on my team.
Maybe it was just seeing a smaller guy on the opposite side attacking everything like a pit bull, but for some reason it was even more evident that Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie shy's away from contact too often. DRC has All-Pro talent and I love his potential but he's from the "Deion Sanders school of run support" and even worse, he seems to give up on plays once they get by him instead of trying to run them down.
You think someone got in Darnell Dockett's ear about legitimacy as a top tier defensive tackle? After recording just one sack in the first seven games, he's now recorded a sack in three consecutive games. Maybe teams are starting to pay more attention to Calais Campbell, who has just half a sack in the previous three games, but whatever the cause, Dockett might just playing his way into a Pro Bowl slot.
It was good to see Gerald Hayes back out there. Sure Steven Jackson broke 100 yards but it took a 48 yard scamper to make that happen. His stop on Jackson's 4th-and-1 carry early in the second quarter was huge.
The more we talk about Will Davis, the more he seems to deliver so Will Davis, Will Davis, Will freakin' Davis. Is it crazy to think that he'll have a better chance of being a starter next year than Cody Brown?
Ben Graham continues to play like a Pro Bowler. Nuff said.
Lastly, some general observations about the Rams......Is it just me or does it seem like Marc Bulger thinks long and hard about getting back up after he get's knocked down? He taken a beating over the course of his career and he looks like he's lost the will to fight. James Laurinaitis is awful good for a rookie and he'll be a guy we'll have to deal with for the next decade.

All in all, nice divisional road win. Big test coming up this week and if we're sitting at 8-3 seven days from now, I think we can start making January plans because we'd officially be playoff bound.

Dockett's Dirty Elbow?

Bezekira — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:26:44 -0000

Dockett's Dirty Elbow?

Hawks' fans, I posed the question to the ROTB community about Darnell Dockett's elbow the throat and whether it was a dirty move or just commonplace in the NFL. Since it obviously happened to your QB, I figured you all might like to chime in as well.

Darnell Dockett and His "Dirty" Play Isn't Going Away

Bezekira — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:32:14 -0000

Like it or not, Dockett's elbow to the throat of Matt Hasselbeck isn't getting swept under the rug. Darren Urban is talking about it at the team's official site, Mike Sando is talking about it on ESPN, Seahawks head coach Jim Mora has sent film to the NFL offices and even Nine-0 referenced the situation via his twitter account.

For anyone who has yet to see video evidence of what we're talking about, you can see it right here.

I think at the very least Dockett will be some kind of slap on the wrist fine but this could be the kind of thing where the league and perhaps more importantly referees start watching him more closely. We all know that Dockett can have a short fuse and he's picked up his share of personal foul penalties over the years. He's also got a reputation for "questionable" behavior at the bottom of a pile (just google Dockett and Earnest Graham or Dockett and Rex Grossman). I really doubt that any kind of suspension could be coming but one can never tell how Roger Goodell will respond. Luckily this didn't happen against Peyton Manning or some other high profile QB in a nationally televised game (like it not, that makes a difference), but this might follow DD around for a while.

Poll

What do you think of Darnell Dockett's elbow to Matt Hasselbeck's throat?

Dirty play that crossed a line....no question about it.

99 votes

It's just fooball.......get over it you pansies.

118 votes

217 votes | Poll has closed

Post Seahags Randomness

Bezekira — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:50:48 -0000

The Cardinals got off to a slow start but once they got the ball rolling, it was all over with. Warner was slinging, Beanie was rumbling and the defense was doing just enough to keep Bad-beck and the Seahawks off balance. Here's some randomness......

51 completions on 70 attempts (72.9%) for 601 yards (8.6 ypa), seven TD's and zero interceptions (131.9 QB rating). What is that you might ask? Well that's Kurt Warner's performance since js10jj went on his little rant about how KW was basically old, washed up and needed to be benched. Considering that those are unbelievable numbers, this proves two things. First and foremost, KW is a ROTB reader (welcome Kurt, we love you) and secondly, js10 is a genuis for inspriring KW to put up beastly numbers.
In case you're wondering who pissed in Beanie's cheerio's during the third quarter, check out this story from Darren Urban. After collecting his 15 yard penalty, he ripped off nearly 70 yards on just nine carries and picked up both of his receptions. Lesson learned, don't piss of Beanie Wells during a game.
Anquan Boldin might never admit it, but that's the best he's looked in at least a month and the extra week of rest was a big reason why. That was the old Q out there yesterday and I'd rather him miss a game or two here to witness him at full strength instead of seeing him limp through game after game. Not to be lost in the glory of another win, Boldin is now the fifth fastest to 7,000 receiving yards (88 games). Congrats Q.
Call me crazy but I think the pass rush is starting to come around. Sure we're talking about the Seahawks and they're terribly injured offensive line but the Cards just keep finding ways to get to the QB. We may not have a stud pass rusher that other team's truly fear but we've got five of six guys who are capable of getting there on any given play. Clark Haggans was the man yesterday registering his first two sack game since September of 2006.Karlos Dansby and Darnell Dockett each had half a sack and the ultimate veteran, Bryan Robinson got his first sack of the season. Guys like Bertrand Berry (who should have had at least half a sack) and Will Davis were bringing pressure off the edges and forcing Hasselbeck to step up into the arms of guys like DD and Haggans. All around solid performance and they did it without two starting linebackers.
Did somebody mention to Antrel Rolle that he's sorta playing for a new contract right now? He's been on fire the past month or so. His past five games have included 25 tackles, six passes defended and three picks and while it may have taken him longer that most of us expected, he's finally starting to look like an upper-tier free safety. He's staying back as the last line of defense, he's reading the eyes of QB's and taking good angles. Rolle could be one of those monster decisions this off season.
Ben Graham should go to the Pro Bowl. There I said it, I'm officially campaigning for a punter. He was booming the ball yesterday and dropped three more inside the 20, including a beautiful 51 yarder that was downed at the one yard line. Graham leads the NFC in average yards per punt (minimum 10 punts), even more than the great Andy Lee, and his net average is third (same minimum). And his cherry on top - no punter in the NFC has dropped more punts inside an opponents' 20 yard line. He'll never make it because he's not a known commodity of we should all go vote for him.
Last but certainly not least, I think this win might be bigger than most of us realize. I think they could have limped through this game and blamed a close loss on missing three starters and falling behind early. Instead though they took the first blow, picked themselves back up and came out swinging. The drive following the Seahawks second TD was HUGE. At that point I thought they had two options....lay down and wait till next week or counter punch. Needless to say they outscored the Hags 31-6 from that point on. Score one for the good guys.

That's all folks. A two game lead in the West with three to play before we travel to San Fran in a game that will hopefully wrap up the division. It's time to get on a roll and start thinking about the post season.

What We Know About the 2009 Cardinals at the Half Way Point

Bezekira — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:47:16 -0000

Here are some random thoughts about the 5-3 Arizona Cardinals:

The Cardinals are the best team in the NFC West and it's not exactly a slim margin. They're the only team with a winning record and the only team that's scored more points than they've allowed. Most importantly though, they're the only team that doesn't have questions at the most important position on the field (QB), but more on that in a bit.
While the Cardinals aren't an elite team, that doesn't mean that they season is doomed for failure. Elite teams put forth a consistent winning effort week in and week out despite the quality of their opponent, but at best we're only talking about three or four teams in this league. The Cardinals are one of the "muddled middle" that's capable of beating or losing to just about anyone. Consistency is the goal but for now we're winning more often than not and getting into the post season is the first step.
Kurt Warner is still the same quarterback that he's been for the past decade or so. He's going to have his "dud" games and if his history is any indication, he'll have another four or five turnover game before the season ends. The good news is that he'll also have a handful of games where's he virtually unstoppable. Best in the league? Not even close but he's the best chance that this team has of returning to the promised land and I wouldn't bet against him in a gun fight.
The Cardinals won't ever be mistaken for the Jets or Titans but our league worst rushing attack is improving. The duo of Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells are leading that improvement and it's more than just their 149 yard performance against the Bears. Through the first five games Beanie and Timmy accounted for 292 yards (at 3.4 ypc) but in the past three games they've racked up 311 yards (at 5.0 ypc). The Cards don't have to lead the league in rushing but any success they have on the ground takes pressure off of KW and the passing game.
The defense isn't great but more often than not, it's going to be good enough. They are a better defense when they're playing with a lead and they're going to have their mental lapses that lead to big plays but overall this is an above average defese. With this offense, most of the time, that's going to be good enough to win.

For now that's all. The Cardinals hold a two game lead in the division (if you don't count the tie-breaker with the 49ers) and they've got two very winnable in the upcoming weeks (Hawks and Rams). The West is ours to lose and in a couple weeks we should be talking about playoff positioning.

Newest Arizona Cardinal: Jed Collins

Bezekira — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:40:18 -0000

Newest Arizona Cardinal: Jed Collins

The Arizona Cardinals filled their practice squad when they signed fullback Jed Collins, a former UDFA, who has spent time with the Chiefs, Eagles and Browns. As far as practice squad players go, he's a great guy to have around considering that he played fullback, tight end and linebacker in college (Washington State).