SB Nation User Blog: Hawkwind

Chatting with Arizona Cardinals Expert Darren Urban: Mid-Season Edition

Hawkwind — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:22:23 -0000

by Matt York - AP

The Arizona Cardinals are halfway to their goal of adding a third banner to the rafters at University of Phoenix Stadium. (AP Photo/Matt York)

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The Arizona Cardinals have reached the midway point of their season and currently sit atop the NFC West with a 5-3 record. They're undefeated on the road (4-0), but have struggled at home (1-3). The offense, while still very good, hasn't quite lived up to the expectations garnered from last year's impressive showing. They currently rank 14th in yards per game and 12th in points per game. The defense has been somewhat up and down through eight games but overall they are preforming better than last year's unit. They're currently 21st in yards per game but a much improved 11th in points per game. In order to get more than just statistical rankings though we turn to Darren Urban, web manager for the Cardinals. If you're unfamiliar with his fine work (is that really possible?), check out the Cards' official site where he posts daily stories, blog entries and podcasts. Needless to say he's an expert on all thing Arizona Cardinals and that's why we asked him for a mid-season report.

ROTB: The Cardinals obviously sit atop the NFC West at 5-3 and they're currently the only team in the division that has scored more points than they've allowed. Despite the season opening loss to the Niners, are the Cardinals the best team in the division in your mind and how surprised would you be if they somehow squandered the division lead down the stretch?

Darren Urban: I don't think there is any question they are the best team in the division. I think the Niners are still finding themselves and building, and the Seahawks simply have been hammered by injuries again. The Seahawks are also going through a transition right now. But I thought the Cardinals were the best team before camp started too. They have the most talent and the most experience. I also think, if that opener was played again, the Cards would win, which would change the division even more. The Cards' schedule is obviously favorable down the stretch as well. If they didn't win the division -- and I think they will -- it would be a incredible disappointment.

ROTB: The offense is still potent at times but they're not in the top ten in yards per game or points per game. What are the major differences between this year's squad and last year's, and are their current problems correctable?

DA: Well, I do think there was a transition after Todd Haley left. I definitely think teams have cracked down on Fitz, and I think the lingering injuries to Breaston and Q have hurt. Don't forget, when the Cards were really building up their stats in the middle of last season, Boldin was having some big days. That's missing. I think the offensive line has been more inconsistent than I expected and Kurt Warner hasn't always been super-sharp. But more than anything, I think the Cards set a bar last year that might have been tough to reach. Sometimes, an offense just has a magical run. I think that's part of last season (and don't forget, they had clunkers last year too -- Minny, NE).

ROTB: There was a great deal of off season chatter about the change at defensive coordinator and the move to a more traditional 3-4 defense. Considering the defense is ranked 11th in points per game, it would seem like the transition to Bill Davis' scheme has been successful. What grade would you give the defense for their first half performance and is the key area that they need to improve upon in the remaining eight games?

DA: Grades are always tough. It simplifies something that is very complex. But if forced, I'd give this defense a B right now. I think there was a learning curve to what they had to do. I think they learned that if they played smart and stayed in their gaps, they could be tough. They won't be the 2000 Ravens, but they can be a top-10 defense. Fans get mad with the off coverages at the line, but the decision was made that it was better to surrender an 8-yard pass on 3rd-and-9 than get burned for a 40-yarder. Sometimes teams will convert, but overall I think it has helped. I don't know how much they can improve given the players they have, but they must remain consistent. They can't forget what got them here (that happened against the Panthers, I think). They need to keep up some sort of pass rush too, but again, they don't have that one dynamic guy who can get to the quarterback consistently. They do have a few guys who can get pressure though, and those guys can't let up.

ROTB: Since the day he was drafted there was a certain segment, some might even say a majority, of fans and media alike who thought it would just a matter of time before Beanie Wells took over the starting job. After a slow start, he's gradually learning more of offense and in the past three games he actually has more carries than Tim Hightower, despite not starting. Considering how equally the carries have been split, does it really matter who starts at tailback or will Beanie continue getting more and more carries as the season progresses?

DA: No it doesn't matter who starts. And while I am very aware the fans want Beanie to start, I think Hightower has been good this season. Beanie is improving in all aspects but Hightower is better in everything but running, and even then the gap isn't that big. That block Hightower had on the blitzing Bear to give Warner time to throw his first TD pass in Chicago to Fitz was textbook. If the offense is doing what it should, it'll be a lot like Chicago, with equal carries. The only time I think Beanie gets a chunk more is if Hightower just looks bad and Beanie doesn't. But usually, if one is running well, they both are.

ROTB: Last question, who has been the most surprising player on offense and on defense so far (good or bad)?

DA: Defensively, I will go with Calais Campbell. I wasn't sure he'd be this good this fast, but it seems to me he is already playing as well as Antonio Smith did and you can argue he is already better. That's been huge for this team. Offensively, that's more difficult. Honestly, I expected Levi Brown to take a step forward this season but he hasn't yet, and that's something this team needs. Overall, I thought the entire offense would be playing a bit better, although now we are picking at nits when you realize they are 5-3 and are coming off a 41-point game. In the end, everyone needs to realize these guys aren't machines. They are people, they are going to go through bad patches, and we can't just expect that, if the Cards just play Player X, call Play Y, or give the ball more to Player Z, they'd be 8-0 and whipping everyone. It doesn't work that way.

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Many thanks to Darren Urban for taking the time and once again, go check out the team's official site. He does great work over there and it should be a daily visit for any Cardinals fan. Thoughts?

Grading the Defense: Arizona Cardinals vs. Chicago Bears

Hawkwind — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:22:08 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

3 days ago: Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, bottom left, sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) in the second quarter of an NFL football game in Chicago, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. In the background is the Cardinals' Gabe Watson (98). (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

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Coming off a disappointing loss against the Carolina Panthers, Kurt Warner wasn't the only Arizona Cardinals' player with something to prove this past weekend. The Cardinals' defense, namely the front seven, had some serious questions to answer after allowing the Panthers to run rough shot over them just seven days prior. Standing in their way would be a Chicago Bears team that was undefeated at home and one of the league's more complete running backs in Matt Forte. Needless to say the Cardinals defense had their work cut out for them and here's a breakdown of how they performed.

Overall Defensive Performance: Depending on how you look at it the Cardinals defense was anywhere from very good to very marginal. From the "very good" department, the defense only allowed two drives of 45 yards or longer but the two "very bad" drives were both 90+ yards and resulted in touchdowns. From the "very good" file, with roughly one minute left in the third quarter the defense had allowed just 200 yards on the Bears' first seven drives, 90 of which came on their opening drive, but the Bears also racked up another 180 yards on their final four drives (including a 93 yard TD drive). One thing is pretty clear, the defense either started to fail or relaxed in the fourth quarter resulting in most of their overall numbers looking very average. it is worth mentioning however that portions of the fourth quarter were played with backups like Will Davis and Kenny Iwebema. By the time the game was over the Bears' offense had racked up 417 yards from scrimmage (averaging 6.6 yards per snap) and had scored 21 points.

Rush Defense: It's pretty fair to say that the Bears' abandoned their run game early in the game considering that they played at least 3/4 of the game from a two touchdown deficit. For the game they attempted just 12 rushes, although they did average 5.8 yards per carry. Forte led the way with 33 yards on five carries while (the other) Adrian Peterson and Jay Cutler added another 40 yards on the ground with their five combined carries. Their running game simply never had a chance to get on track and was limited to draw plays out of shotgun for most of the game, a scenerio the Cardinals are quite familar with.

Pass Defense: Normally when a team gets behind early they are forced to air it out for the rest of the game and that was certainly the case for the Bears. Cutler set season highs in completions (29), attempts (47), yards (369) and touchdowns (3) and posted a very respectable 98.6 QB rating. Most of his completions were a result of their short passing game where YAC receivers like Devin Hester and Johny Knox could excel, although two of his most successful deep balls were to tight end Greg Olsen. The Cardinals registered four sacks but more importantly they continously pressured and knocked down Cutler. Pressure from guys like Darnell Dockett, Calais Campbell, Chike Okeafor and Clark Haggans were a big reason why the Bears were limited to short passes for most of the day.

Honor Roll:

Karlos Dansby and Ali Highsmith: Thanks to a back injury that prevented Gerald Hayes from suiting up, Highsmith got his first start as a pro and the defense didn't seem to miss a beat. There were times that he got pushed around but his energy and athleticism also made him an asset once the Bears turned pass-happy. Dansby did what he normally does, leading the team in tackles despite the Bears lack of a running game.

Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell: There may be better 3-4 defensive ends in this league but the way DD and CC are playing right now, I don't know that I'd trade them for any other pair. Dockett was his normal disruptive force and his second sack of the season. Campbell, regardless of what the boxscore says, recorded at least half a sack, if not a full sack (the sack that was awarded to Okeafor). One thing that really stands out about Campbell though is that he never gives up on a play. At least once a game it seems like he'll make a tackle ten yards down field while a back tries to wiggle through the secondary.

Matt Ware: We haven't talked much about Ware this season but if you me, that's a good thing. Ware has stepped into Aaron Francisco's role and has been a moster upgrade. He's not a great cover safety but he does alot of things well and so far the Cardinals are using him in a way that allows him to succeed. He registered his first career pick late in the fourth quarter.

Will Davis: Welcome to the NFL rook! Davis recorded his first career sack and don't look now but he's starting to get a couple of snaps a week with the defensive unit. He's already proving that he has the athletic ability to play in this league and his relentless motor and ability to get off blocks led to his fourth quarter sack on Cutler.

Overall Defensive Grade: C+

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Overall the Cardinals defensive effort can classified as good with plenty of room for improvement. One thing that will stick with me for a while is how dejected Jay Cutler looked after he continually got hit by the Arizona Cardinals. Very rarely do you visibly see a player quit, especially a quarterback, but he was very close on Sunday. As the game wore on he got up slower and slower as the hits kept coming and quaterbacks in the future will recognize that on tape. The Cardinals feel like they're building something special here and there were glimpses of that on Sunday. What's you're grade for the defense?

Poll

How would you grade the Cardinals defensive effort on Sunday?

Wabbit Season Is Over: Pick'em Week 9 Results & Week 10 Picks

Hawkwind — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:33:07 -0000

Hunting season is over. Starting this week and running through Week 15 there will be Thursday games on the schedule; to qualify for that week's Pick'em all eight games have to be picked before kick-off of that Thursday game (or the Friday game in the case of Week 16's schedule, a mandatory pick week). You're welcome to change your picks later in the week as breaking news happens, but your last pick selection is locked upon the kick-off of those respective games.

Another rough week was had by many as the Raven and Eagles disappointed most. The Eagles' pick was the sole blemish on kj197728's week. After spending a portion of the year dwelling near/in the cellar, kj is steadily extracting himself out of the basement and earns the Week Won Point in full. Congratulations, kj197728!

This is an elimination week; those participants (tigg, Undrafteds, Xquizyt) that have only picked one week thus far will be dropped from the Overall Rankings unless they pick this week and every week through the end of the season.

Overall Pick'em Standings Through Week 9 (Part 1)

Username	Correct	Wrong	%	Weeks Picked	Week Won Pts
Drullin'OverDaCards	19	5	.792	3	0
SenSurround	24	8	.750	4	0
Phil7178	12	4	.750	2	0.06
Undrafteds	6	2	.750	1	0
Bezekira	41	15	.732	7	0.26
robloosli	51	21	.708	9	0.18
TBru	45	19	.703	8	0.2
b0rdrline	50	22	.694	9	0.56
card-deville	44	20	.688	8	0.56
blank_38	22	10	.688	4	1.2
hevchv	49	23	.681	9	1.12
bclairao	48	24	.667	9	0.26
Cuckoo for Coco Puffs	48	24	.667	9	0
GIannaros	16	8	.667	3	0.06
CARDSxFAN32	37	19	.661	7	0.2
Carddan	42	22	.656	8	0
StuckinColorado	47	25	.653	9	1.32
Pyromnc	47	25	.653	9	0
sc464	26	14	.650	5	0.06
KDean75	31	17	.646	6	0.06
Desert_Bird_Watcher	36	20	.643	7	0.12

Overall Pick'em Standings Through Week 9 (Part 1)

Username	Correct	Wrong	%	Weeks Picked	Week Won Pts
Andrew602, Travis23	41	23	.641	8	0.06
Tim V	41	23	.641	8	0
Hibernian	46	26	.639	9	0.2
azcardswinez	45	27	.625	9	0.18
Hawkwind	45	27	.625	9	0
wongy	35	21	.625	7	0.32
RottPhiler	25	15	.625	5	0.12
CARDstuckinVA	10	6	.625	2	0
tigg, Xquizyt	5	3	.625	1	0
kj197728	44	28	.611	9	1
JoeCB1991	44	28	.611	9	0.06
jallred350	44	28	.611	9	0
Chg91	39	25	.609	8	0.06
Red Reign	43	29	.597	9	0.06
CardsIrish	43	29	.597	9	0
AJ Birdwatcher	38	26	.594	8	0.2
Irishcardinal	38	26	.594	8	0.12
don f	14	10	.583	3	0
boogatt66	9	7	.563	2	0
Thomaldo	40	32	.556	9	0.26
thereallacardsfan	8	8	.500	2	0

Week 10 Pick'em Selected Games

Away	Home	Day/Time (ET)	Network	DirecTV
CHI	SF	Thu, 8.20 PM	NFLN	212
ATL	CAR	Sun, 1 PM	FOX	708
CIN	PIT	Sun, 1 PM	CBS	705
KC	OAK	Sun, 4:05 PM	CBS	712
DAL	GB	Sun, 4:15 PM	FOX	714
SEA	ARI	Sun, 4:15 PM	FOX	713
NE	IND	Sun, 8:20 PM	NBC
BAL	CLE	Mon, 8:30 PM	ESPN	206

RotB Pick'em: Week 8 Results & Week 9 Picks

Hawkwind — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:23:42 -0000

((My apologies for the delay; the movers arrived yesterday with the household items and internet finally started working today so I can wrap this up on my "real" PC!))

As much as we would like to forget the Cardinals' game against Carolina, many of us would like to forget our performance in the eighth week of the Pick'em League. Many finished with three or four correct picks (myself included) and are feeling the hurt in the overall standings; some weathered the wild week well with six wins (AJ, bclairao, blank_38, Thomaldo, and wongy) and share the Week Won Point evenly (0.20 each). Congratulations to y' all.

This is the last week new participants can get in on the action and meet the eligibility requirements. To be eligible for the Pick'em Championship, participants need to have picked a total of nine weeks of the season (minimum) with the last two weeks being mandatory. The highest qualifying winning percentage takes home the title and some Cardinals prize swag.

Pick'em Overall Standings Through Week 8 (Part 1)

Username	Correct	Wrong	%	Weeks Played	Week Won Points
Drullin'OverDaCards	19	5	.792	3	0
Bezekira	36	12	.750	6	0.26
blank_38	18	6	.750	3	1.2
SenSurround	18	6	.750	3	0
Phil7178	12	4	.750	2	0.06
Undrafteds	6	2	.750	1	0
robloosli	46	18	.719	8	0.18
TBru	40	16	.714	7	0.2
hevchv	45	19	.703	8	1.12
b0rdrline	44	20	.688	8	0.56
bclairao	44	20	.688	8	0.26
CARDSxFAN32	33	15	.688	6	0.2
card-deville	38	18	.679	7	0.56
Carddan	38	18	.679	7	0
Pyromnc	43	21	.671	8	0
Giannaros	16	8	.667	3	0.06
StuckinColorado	42	22	.656	8	1.32
azcardswinez	42	22	.656	8	0.18
Cuckoo for Coco Puffs	42	22	.656	8	0
RottPhiler	21	11	.656	4	0.12

Pick'em Overall Standings Through Week 8 (Part 2)

Username	Correct	Wrong	%	Weeks Played	Week Won Points
sc464	26	14	.650	5	0.06
Desert_Bird_Watcher	36	20	.643	7	0.12
Andrew602	36	20	.643	7	0.06
Tim V	36	20	.643	7	0
JoeCB1991, Travis23	41	23	.641	8	0.06
CardsIrish, jallred350	41	23	.641	8	0
Hibernian	40	24	.625	8	0.2
Red Reign	40	24	.625	8	0.06
Hawkwind	40	24	.625	8	0
wongy	30	18	.625	6	0.32
KDean75	25	15	.625	5	0.06
CARDstuckinVA	10	6	.625	2	0
tigg, Xquizyt	5	3	.625	1	0
AJ Birdwatcher	34	22	.607	7	0.2
Irishcardinal	34	22	.607	7	0.12
Chg91	33	23	.589	7	0.06
don f	14	10	.583	3	0
kj197728	37	27	.578	8	0
Thomaldo	36	28	.563	8	0.26
boogatt66	9	7	.563	2	0
thereallacardsfan	8	8	.500	2	0

Week 9 Pick'em Selected Games

Away	Home	Day/Time (ET)	Network	DirecTV
BAL	CIN	Sun, 1 PM	CBS	704
ARI	CHI	Sun, 1 PM	FOX	709
MIA	NE	Sun, 1 PM	CBS	707
DET	SEA	Sun, 4:05 PM	FOX	712
TEN	SF	Sun, 4:15 PM	CBS	714
SD	NYG	Sun, 4:15 PM	FOX	713
DAL	PHI	Sun, 8:20 PM	NBC
PIT	DEN	Mon, 8:30 PM	ESPN	206

Arizona Cardinals vs. Chicago Bears: An Early Look

Hawkwind — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:49:40 -0000

When the Arizona Cardinals travel north the windy city of Chicago to face the Bears it'll be an interesting match of two similar teams. Both squads are 4-3 this season and are 3-2 in their past five games. The Bears haven't lost at home (3-0) while the Red Birds haven't lost on the road (3-0). The points for (CHI-159, ARI-157) and points against (CHI-150, ARI-143) are eerily similar. Needless to say both teams are sitting somewhere around mediocrity and are hoping to keep themselves in the race for the NFC post season. Here's a look at some of things the Bears are talking about this week:

Jay Cutler's history in November and December: As the NFL heads into the second half of the season, the weather will start getting cold and rainy, and things can become challenging for a lot of teams. With that said, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at how Jay Cutler has fared in the months of November and December during his career.
A Detailed Breakdown of the Bears' Offense: Here's an interesting exert...."On running back carries, the Bears went left 18 times for 107 yards, an average of 5.9 per run. Take away Garrett Wolfe's 36-yard run to the left at the end of the game if you wish, and they still averaged 4.2. On 13 running back carries to the right, the Bears had 36 yards, an average of 2.8."
Chicago's Pass Protection: More often that not when you see a QB get sacked fans quickly jump to the conclusion that one of the offensive lineman blew an assignment. While that may be true, it's not always the fault of the specific lineman that was beat on the sack. Seeing as how I'm not privy to the actual O-Line meeting for the Bears at Halas Hall, I'll just make my educated guess on some of the things going on with their pass protection.
Bears' Offense Too Complicated: Offensive coordinator Ron Turner said he's ready to start paring back the playbook with the Bears clearly struggling seven games into the Jay Cutler era. At this point, following Sunday's 30-6 victory over the Cleveland Browns at Soldier Field, it's fair to say the Bears aren't doing much of anything very well with the possible exception that Cutler is doing a decent job of getting the ball to Devin Hester on a regular basis.

With that out of the way, here's a look some interesting Bears' stats through the first seven games.

The Bears are 0-3 when Cutler throws for 250 yards or more and 4-0 when he does not.
In the Bears' three losses Cutler has thrown nine interceptions and in their four wins he's thrown just two picks.
Matt Forte has averaged 54.7 total yards in their three losses and 107.3 total yards in their four wins.
Forte has only crossed the goal line three times this season but none of them have come in a losing effort.
Devin Hester, the team leading WR not returner, averages 91.3 yards in the team's losses but just 45 yards in the team's victories.
The Bears are 1-3 against teams with a winning record and their four victories have come against opponents with a combined record of 9-20.

Arizona Cardinals Fly Around the NFC West: Roster Move Addition

Hawkwind — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:49:13 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

10 days ago: St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo, left, is congratulated by linebackers coach Paul Ferraro after beating the Detroit Lions 17-10 in an NFL football game in Detroit, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Browse more photos »

The Arizona Cardinals weren't the only team in the NFC West that made some roster moves this week, but even mid-season roster moves aren't the lead story this week. First it's worth mentioning that the Cardinals will make one more roster move in the upcoming couple of days because the Bengals have signed fullback Fui Vakanpuna off the Cardinals practice squad. It'll be interesting to see who the Cardinals sign to fill the vacant practice squad spot.

St. Louis Rams: Normally we list the teams in order of division standings but when a team breaks a 17 game losing streak, they deserve some recognition. It had literally been 378 days since the Rams last won a regular season game and Steven Jackson (149 yards rushing) did most of the heavy lifting against the equally hapless Lions. Despite the win the Rams still have major questions at quarterback and some are starting to think that Marc Bulger's career is very near the end. One bright spot, outside of Jackson of course, is the development of the offensive line though, especially first round pick Jason Smith. The Rams also made a roster move, releasing wide receiver Tim Carter and signing cornerback Danny Gorrer.

San Francisco 49ers: The Niners lost a game to the Colts that was closer than just about everyone expected (18-14) but the Niners aren't waving the "moral victory" flag either. Not only does this loss push their current losing streak to three but they also lost three significant starters during the game. Joe Staley (MCL and PCL strain) is expected to miss six weeks, Nate Clements (fractured scapula) is expected to miss six to eight weeks and Demetric Evans (AC sprain) is expected to miss at least three weeks. These injuries forced the Niners to make a couple of moves, signing cornerback Keith Smith (formerly of the Lions) and releasing seldom used wide receiver Michael Spurlock. Their also expected to make at least one more roster move (possibly pulling up an OT from their practice squad). Considering that Sunday's game was Alex Smith's first start since 2007, here's also a complete breakdown of his peformance and Niner's fans have also determined that the NFC West will come down to a dog fight (we can still say "dog fight" right?) between their team and the Cards.

Seattle Seahawks: Following thier second consecutive lopsided loss, which dropped them to 2-5, the Seahawks seem to be cleaining house. In the past two days they've made nine roster moves including the release of veteran running back Edgerrin James. Also included in the released/cut department include Travis Fisher and C.J. Wallace. New to the 53 man roster will be Mike Hass (WR), Roy Lewis (CB) and Jamar Adams (S), all of whom were on their practice squad. Filling thier now vacant practice squad spots will be Trae Williams (CB), DeAngelo Willingham (CB) and Devin Moore (RB). Needless to say roster cleaning like this is indicative of a team that has given up on any hopes of competing this season and moving on with the hopes of allowing younger players to grow during the remaining nine games. One interesting thought is that some Hawks fans are wondering if it's time to pass the torch from Matt Hasselbeck to Seneca Wallace (part I and II). Needless to say we're watching the demise of the Hawks and it could turn into quite a show over the next couple of seasons.

NFC West Standings

	W	L	PF	PA
Arizona	4	3	157	143
San Francisco	3	4	147	140
Seattle	2	5	135	147
St. Louis	1	7	77	221

(updated 11.3.2009 at 3:44 AM CST)

Arizona Cardinals Roster Moves: Keilen Dykes to IR and Antoine Holmes to Practice Squad

Hawkwind — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:49:01 -0000

The Arizona Cardinals made some roster moves today moving Keilen Dykes to Injured Reserve and signing Antoine Holmes to their practice squad. Dykes, who has spent time on the active roster and practice squad this season, tore a biceps muscle during practice last and will require surgery. Dykes started the season on the practice squad but was activated after Lance Long was cut. He was moved back to the practice squad once Ben Patrick's suspension was lifted. Dykes, an undrafted defensive end/tackle from West Virginia, has spent the past two seasons dealing with various injuries.

Taking Dykes' spot on the practice squad will be Antoine Holmes, an undrafted free agent from this season. Holmes transferred to North Carolina State as a junior and moved into the starting lineup as a senior where he totalled 35 tackles, nine for loss and two sacks. He played both defensive tackle and end at NC State but his size (6-2, 278) will limit him to defensive end with the Cardinals. He's decent athlete, especially for his size, but his upside is limited and he was too often controlled by a single blocker in college. He spent time with the Vikings during camp but has been a free agent ever since.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Carolina Panthers: Injury Report

Hawkwind — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:48:33 -0000

While the Arizona Cardinals still have some players battling through some nagging injuries they are still in a much better situation than most teams in the league seven weeks into the season. The team had just three players who sat out of yesterday's practice, but Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was able to participate in the full practice. DRC, who estimated himself at about 85%, said that he was surprised at how well he felt after injuring his ankle against the Giants. The biggest name who missed practice was Antrel Rolle, who's dealing with a foot injury, but he is expected to play on Sunday. Kenny Iwebema (knee) also missed practice although it's not considered serious and Stephen Spach is still being held out as well. Steve Breaston (knee) and Anquan Boldin (ankle) were also limited and Reggie Wells is still listed on the injury report (broken thumb) but he participated fully.

Here's quick look at the Carolina Panthers report:

Landon Johnson (LB) - Shoulder - DNP
Jonathan Stewart (RB) - Achilles - DNP
Dante Rosario (TE) - Knee - DNP
Muhsin Muhammad (WR) - Knee - DNP
Charles Godfrey (S) - Ankle - DNP
Thomas Davis (LB) - Hamstring - LP
Rhys Lloyd (K) - Ankle - FP
Brad Hoover (FB) - Back - FP

Godfrey, Davis, Muhammad and Hoover are all starters and we all know that Jonathan Stewart is a big part of that offense as their backup running back. Godfrey, starting free safety, hurt his ankle last week and showed up at the team facilities on crutches and a cast although head coach Jon Fox said that there isn't anything broken. He would be a significant loss for this Panthers' defense is he can't go on Sunday. Muhammad is still a starting wide out but at 36 he's slowing down very quickly but he's one of only two wide receivers with over three receptions so far this season. Davis, an underrated linebacker who's leading the team in tackles, would be a significant loss but he's expected to play. Hoover has been dealing with back issues all season so his status could change at any time.

Arizona Cardinals Fly Around the NFC West and Watch the Turmoil

Hawkwind — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:48:18 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

Seattle Seahawks coach Jim Mora,quickly passes the torch to Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt the Hawks lost 27-3. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

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The Arizona Cardinals stumbled out of the gates but they've seem to find their stride in the past three weeks while the rest of the NFC West is crumbling all around them. The Niners have lost two straight (with bye sandwiched in the middle) by a combined 38 points while the Hawks dropped a game to the Cardinals after what they hoped was a momentum building blowout against the Jaguars. Meanwhile the Rams are still looking for their first win and their current losing streak has been stretched to 17 games.

San Francisco 49ers: The Niners had two big news items this week with Alex Smith being re-inserted into the starting lineup after a mind blowing second half against the Texans that included three touchdown passes to Vernon Davis and they also lost their new starting right tackle, Tony Pashos, for the rest of the season. The good news with Pashos is that he didn't have a very good first start anyways but of course the bad news is that former starter, Barry Sims, (who lost his job for a reason) is most likely moving back into the starting lineup. Coming off back to back losses to the Falcons and Texans, the Niners' road won't get much easier as they travel to Indianapolis to take on Peyton Manning and the undefeated Colts. Needless to say it's very likely that their losing streak won't end this week. But it's not all bad news for the Niners because they're keeping a close eye on the Carolina Panthers (they own their first round pick next year), so they might actually become Cardinals fans this week.

Seattle Seahawks: The Seabags have had a long bye week to savor the 27-3 beatdown at the hands of the Cardinals and our buddies over at Field Gulls have used that time to turn their attention to the future. You can find stories on why they want Jason Campbell, a full breakdown of Washington Huskies QB Jake Locker and other colliegate prospects that they're targeting for next April's draft. One thing is clear, these guys know that their team isn't going anywhere this season. They've got problems at running back, center, left guard and left tackle and those problems won't be fixed anytime soon. With Dallas, Arizona and Minnesota making of three of their next four opponents, I would expect that they haven't hit rock bottom just yet.

St. Louis Rams: As we all know the Rams are in the midst of a complete tear down and rebuild and injuries aren't helping them at all. They've traded away another veteran player (Will Witherspoon) and they've had to put four guys on IR during the past month, including three starters. Things can't get much worse for a team that averaged over 11 wins from 1999 to 2003 but at least they play another team mired in a tremendous losing streak this week. Both the Rams and Lions have lost 17 of 18 games and 25 of their last 27.

Grading the Defense: Arizona Cardinals vs. New York Giants

Hawkwind — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:47:57 -0000

More photos » by Tim Larsen - AP

17 days ago: Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Alan Branch (78) celebrates with teammate Chike Okeafor (56) after sacking New York Giants' Eli Manning (10) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Cardinals won the game 24-17. (AP Photo/Tim Larsen)

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To say that the Arizona Cardinals defense was impressive Sunday night against the New York Giants is quite an understatement. While the box score might not blow you away (327 yards allowed and 17 points), the play on the field told a different story. The Cardinals defense played a game of cat and mouse that had Eli Manning and the Giants off balance for most of the game.

Eli doing his best Peyton Impersonation: From the beginning of the game it was clear that the Cardinals' defensive game plan was to make Eli think before the snap. Bill Davis had Adrian Wilson and Antrel Rolle moving all over the defensive front and Eli spent most of his pre-snap audibles trying to make sure that he accounted for their presence. The problem though is that Eli isn't quite Peyton when it comes to pre-snap audibles and he took two delay of game penalties because of it. To make matters worse, both penalties came on third downs.

Pressure leads to Success: Despite the Giants' previous success protecting Eli the Cardinals were able to harass and rattle him. The constant pressure led to three sacks and three interceptions, both numbers doubled his season totals coming into the game. The Cardinals supplied most of the pressure with blitzes although two of the three sacks were simply a result of a player beating their man. By the end of the game Eli was left with his worst statistical since last year's playoff loss to the Eagles (47.5 QB rating and 51.4 completion percentage).

Banged Up Secondary Still Does the Job: The biggest beneficiary of the pressure supplied by the front seven was the Cardinals secondary and they needed all of the help that they could get. With Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie spraining his ankle and A-dub dealing with cramps, the secondary was forced to lean on some young guys including Michael Adams and Greg Toler. While neither finished with gaudy stat lines, it's a testiment to the depth of this team that the Giants weren't able to capatilize on the absense of DRC and A-dub.

Short Scoring Drives: Despite giving up over 300 yards and 17 points the Cardinals defense did a tremendous job on the Giants offense. Exactly half of their drives (7 of 14) were 'three-and-outs' and their two "legitimate" scoring drives both started in Cardinals territory. I'm using the word "legitimate" because the 62 yard touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks was about as fluky as they come. Had DRC's batted ball fallen harmlessly to the ground, as most do, that 75 yard TD drive would have been a four play drive that resulted in a punt. If you throw out the drive that included the fluke TD, the Giants didn't have a single drive that was longer than 30 until the fourth quarter.

Honor Roll

Calais Campbell: Campell continued his outstanding play with two tackles, a sack and a tipped pass that resulted in Eli's second pick. To make a long story short, he's playing a like a mad man.
Alan Branch: Wait this can't be right, we're praising Alan Branch? Many of us, myself included, were hoping that Branch would be shown the door this off season but for the second straight game he's been a true force. Not only did he notch the first sack of his career but he also picked up the second sack. His move to defensive end is looking like a genuis idea.
Karlos Dansby: Dansby's been under some fire lately for his lack of big plays (and his one tackle game against the Seahawks) but his first double digit tackle game of the season should ease some tension.
Adrian Wilson and Antrel Rolle: I'm listing them together because they were equally impressive Sunday night. They both danced all over the formation causing Eli to jump from audible to audible, but they also produced some decent stat lines to boot. Together they accounted for 13 tackles and two picks.
DRC: His intereception was nothing short of spectacular and his day would have been even better had it not been for that batted ball and his gimpy ankle.

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All in all despite the yardage and points that the Giants put up, this was the best defensive performance of the season in my mind. Who else stood out and who deserves a game ball?