SB Nation User Blog: RedBirds to the SB

Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals: Playoff Game Thread

RedBirds to the SB — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:34:34 -0000

Ahhh....I love the smell of playoff football. At least I think that's what I smell (I'm not exactly an expert on the subject. There is one thing I know though, this game is huge (classic understatement). The Arizona Cardinals are very capable of winning this game but they can't come out of the tunnel like a deer in the headlights and they can't play timid. This is a game that they have to take control of early and they have to keep the right foot planted squarely on the gas. As always.....GO CARDINALS!!!

Next Game

Atlanta Falcons
@ Arizona Cardinals

Saturday, Jan 3, 2009, 2:30 PM MST
NFC Wildcard Game - University of Phoenix Stadium

Arizona Cardinals Defense Must Slow Down the Falcons' Triplets

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Arizona Cardinals Scout the Atlanta Falcons: Via The Falcoholic

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ESPN's preview of Saturday's match-up between our very own Arizona Cardinals and the Atlanta...

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Arizona Cardinals Defense Must Slow Down the Falcons' Triplets

RedBirds to the SB — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:39:58 -0000

The Atlanta Falcons went through unprecedented turmoil last season, including seeing their starting quarterback/face of the franchise go to prison and their head coach leave mid-season, and they ended up as one of the worst teams in the NFL during 2007. This season was supposed to be similar with a rookie quarterback, a rookie head coach and a newly signed running back who would be a starter for the first time in his career. Instead of struggling though the Atlanta Falcons flew to an 11-5 record and are in the playoffs for the first time since 2004. When the Falcons travel west to face the Arizona Cardinals, the burden will be on the offense to put some points on board and most of that burden will fall on three players, triplets if you will: Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and Roddy White.

Matt Ryan has been everything that the Falcons could have hoped for and more this season. He's passed for over 3,400 yards, completed over 60% of his passes and only turned the ball over 12 times (11 Ints and one fumble) all season. He's taken every single snap for the Falcons this season while passing for 250 yards or more five times and has had five games in which his yards per attempt has been 10 yards or more. His biggest contribution to this team though has been his quick decision making and ability to protect the football. The trio of Joey Harrington, Chris Redman and Byron Leftwhich combined to throw 15 interception and be sacked 47 times last season but Ryan's lowered those numbers to 11 and 17, respectively. Here's a quick scouting report on Ryan from Dave the Falconer, of The Falcoholic:

Matt Ryan is no mere rookie quarterback. He remains calm through most situations, rolls out well to avoid the pass rush and throws darts all over the field. It's his pocket presence that has really made Ryan a successful rookie. Against the Cardinals, he's likely to lean on Roddy White and Michael Jenkins heavily as he's done much of the year. Ryan's greatest weaknesses are his sometimes questionable decision making, especially on passes into coverage, and his tendency to overthrow some of his passes. If he's on his game, he'll do very little of either.

Traditionally defenses try to confuse rookie quarterbacks with unique looks and exotic blitzes but does that same philosophy work with Matt Ryan? In games that he's struggled (1st meeting with TB and CAR, PHI, MIN and STL), which include three of the team's five losses, he combined to complete 49.1% of his passes for 889 yards, four touchdowns, six interceptions and he was sacked 11 times. So what was the difference? Well whether or not it made a difference, four of those games were on the road. Outside of that, it's obvious that most of his sacks came in these games and they included more than half of his interceptions. Conclusion? The Arizona Cardinals need to put pressure on Matt Ryan. Clancy Pendergast is considered, in some circles, as a good young defensive mind and the Cardinals need him to devise a game plan that can put some pressure on Matt Ryan to disrupt him timing and make him uneasy in the pocket.

Fast Fact: The Atlanta Falcons are 5-5 when Ryan is sacked at least once, but 6-0 when he isn't.

Bonus Fast Fact: The Falcons offense averaged 31 points per game when Ryan wasn't sacked but just 20.3 ppg when he was sacked at least once.

Check out the rest of the triplets after the jump......

Michael Turner was one of the bigger free agent signings last off season but not even the biggest Falcon-homer could have predicted that he'd break the franchise record with 17 touchdowns and just under 1,700 yards rushing. The Falcons went from 26th in rushing yards per game in 2007 (95.0) to 2nd this season (152.7), thanks to Turner's breakout season. He started the season with up and down performances that included games of over 200 yards followed up by just 42 yards. Through the first seven games, he had three games over 100 yards and four games under 60 yards, but as the season progressed he become more consistent and more productive. Through the final nine games he averaged 116 yards per game with a low of 61 yards and a high of 208. Turner was not only productive though, he was the definition of a workhorse back with 377 carries on the season, including eight games with 25 carries or more. Here's what Dave the Falconer had to say about Turner this season:

Michael Turner is unstoppable. Early in the season, many of us questioned whether he could only run against defense which collectively put their helmets on backwards, as he seemed to slow down against quality defenses. While that remains a factor to some degree, Turner is a bruising back with surprising speed who is very comfortable running through the heart of the line. In goal line situations, that combination makes him remarkably effective. Turner isn't much of a pass catching back, but he doesn't have to be. The Cardinals will need to get a particularly strong effort from their front seven to keep him under 100 yards, or he'll control the tempo of the game.

It's clear that Turner and Falcons can run the ball with the best in the NFL. The Cardinals though have seen their fair share of top rushing attacks considering that they've faced six of the top ten rushing offenses in the league this season, with varied results. They held the Giants and Jets to under 90 yards rushing but also allowed the Patriots to gain 183 yards and the Vikings to rack up 239 yards. The Cardinals will obviously have their hands full, but they've slowed down great running teams this season and if they maintain gap control and get a good game from Adrian Wilson in run support, they can keep The Burner from running rough shot over them. If they can slow down Turner, it'll be up to a rookie quarterback to carry the offense and so far this season, that hasn't been a recipe for success.

Fast Fact: In Atlanta's five losses, Turner's averaged 59.6 yards per game, but in their 11 wins, he's averaged 127.4 yards.

The last but certainly not least of the Falcons' triplets this season has been Rowdy Roddy White. He set a franchise record this year with 1,382 yards this season and he caught seven touchdowns. To say that White is Ryan's favorite target is a bit of an understatement considering that 56% of his passes go to White. He threw 148 passes in White's direction and second on the team in terms of 'targets' is Michael Jenkins with 81. White is obviously Ryan's security blanket and he's a good mix of size (6'0 208) and speed, although he's more of a down field threat than he is a possession receiver. Here's what Dave the Falconer had to say:

Roddy White is having one of the best two season stretches in team history. The once chronically dropsy receiver has struggled at times with his old problem, but he's also busted the team record for receiving yards in a season and offers a great target for Ryan. His speed and size have always been touted, but it's only in these last two years that the light bulb went on for White when it comes to route-running. He'll challenge Rod Hood all game long.

Just to clarify, I'd be surprised if they locked Hood up on White. DRC has played much better in recent weeks and Whites speed would match up better the rookie.

White is a receiver that can hurt a defense at any point in the game because he's got the speed to simply run by a defender and the shiftiness to turn a short pass into a long, long touchdown. He's had four receptions of 40 yards or more and 69.3% of his receptions end up in first downs. Whoever the Cardinals decide to lineup over White, they'll have to play a smart game and get help from the safeties at times. The Falcons will try some double moves on play action passes and DRC and Hood will have to concentrate on smothering White and leave the run support to someone else.

Fast Fact: As you'd expect, White has better numbers in Falcon's losses with an average of 105 yards per game. He averages just 77.6 yards per game in their 11 wins.

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Well that was obviously a long-winded breakdown the three members of the Falcons' offense but these big three with play significant roles in Saturday's showdown with the Cardinals. How well the Cardinals handle this trio could very well be the deciding factor in a game that will end someone's season. Who worries you the most? How would you handle the triplets?

Arizona Cardinals Scout the Atlanta Falcons: Via The Falcoholic

RedBirds to the SB — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 16:33:28 -0000

Dave the Falconer, from our Falcon's blog (The Falcoholic), put together a fantastic scouting report on his beloved team. He covers the running game, passing game and overall defense with the kind of detail that a truly obsessive fan could provide. I also provided him with a scouting report on the Cardinals running game and defense (check it out right here) so enjoy and let us know what you think.

The Atlanta Falcons are a team annihilating expectations.

No one at the beginning of the season could have possibly predicted a playoff berth for the Falcons, who were widely panned as the most woeful team in the NFL. They've gotten this far through excellent scheming, a potent run game, a terrific rookie quarterback and a better-than-expected defense. I'll take a brief look at all of them here, to give you guys a better idea of what you're up against.

Start with the coaching. Mike Smith was largely unknown when he was hired from Jacksonville, but he proved his mettle very early on. The defensively-minded coach proved in his gruff, cursing way that he could relate well to his players and knew how to delegate to a talented team of coordinators. He also presides over an aggressive game plan that pulls no punches early on, allowing the Falcons to become one of the league's most successful teams in the first quarter. If Smith has a weakness, it's that he often lets up when the Falcons have a lead and turns over to a conservative scheme that often lets opponents back in. That may not happen against the Cardinals, who are likely to keep the game close because of their big-play potential. Smith is a legitimate coach of the year candidate for the way he's turned around the culture, attitude and play of the Falcons.

The Falcons have lived and died by the run over the last six or seven years. With Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett in the backfield, they used to regularly put up huge rushing totals and take pressure off of Michael Vick or whoever was replacing him at QB. This year, Michael Turner has dominated while Jerious Norwood provides a change of pace and handles pass-catching duties. The combination has been extremely successful and will be in the spotlight in Arizona. The only concern for Falcons' fans is that Turner's workload may be too heavy; he's almost certain to hit the 400 carry milestone in this game or (if they advance!) in the next round of the playoffs.

Then there's the passing game. Look no further than Matt Ryan and Roddy White. I booed the selection of Ryan fiercely, burned as I was by years of franchise quarterback talk that turned sour for our team. I can now say that I'm a big fat dummy who doesn't deserve to talk. Ryan has been a complete revelation, putting up one of the best seasons ever by a rookie quarterback and making everyone around him look better. The lone exception to that rule has been Roddy White, who already looked as though he'd be awesome this season. That tandem carried the passing game through much of the first half of the season, where White simply couldn't be stopped by mortal corner backs. In the latter half of the season, the Falcons began to see contributions from second receiver Michael Jenkins, who is a huge target, and young speedster Harry Douglas. Still, Ryan is always looking for White, which can be a problem when he forces throws or lofts one of his occasional excruciating rainbows. Keep an eye on those two.

Finally, the defense. The D will determine whether the Falcons win this game. They've been bad at times, good at others, but they always allow quite a bit of yardage at the expense of touchdowns. When the Falcons are truly on their game, John Abraham is a sack machine and they get solid pass rush from everyone involved. When the Falcons are at their best, the secondary limits receivers effectively. Against the Cardinals, they're going to have to be superb at minimum. I have nothing but respect for Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald and even Steve Breaston, and I know it's going to take harrying Warner to really slow any of them down. The offense will get out there and do their job, but if we can't stop you we just can't win this game.

Should be a terrific match-up, and I hope we enjoy it a little more than you do. Good luck out there, Cards fans!

Many thanks to Dave. What do you think of the Falcons and their dream season?

ESPN's preview of Saturday's match-up between our very own Arizona Cardinals and the Atlanta...

RedBirds to the SB — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:40:02 -0000

ESPN's preview of Saturday's match-up between our very own Arizona Cardinals and the Atlanta Falcons.

Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals: Injury Report

RedBirds to the SB — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 21:03:17 -0000

The Arizona Cardinals' injury situation is pretty good but there is still one concern as they prepare for Saturday's game with the Falcons. Travis Laboy, who was held out of practice on Wednesday, was limited in practice yesterday. He's missed the last two games with a gimpy ankle and it appears obvious that won't be at full strength on Saturday, if he's able to play at all. Leonard Pope and Anquan Boldin are the only other players who were limited today, but both are expected to play. A good sign for the Cardinals is that Gabe Watson was able to fully participate in practice. Watson missed the game last week after he experienced some swelling in the same knee that he fractured in the off season. The Cardinals don't have to officially list the 'status' of players until later today so we'll have to wait and see how LaBoy is listed, but my guess would be questionable.

Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals: What the Offense Must Do to Win

RedBirds to the SB — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:59:39 -0000

The offense, and more specifically the passing offense, has been the breadwinner of the Arizona Cardinals this season and this Saturday should be no different. It's probably safe, and fair, to assume that the running game isn't going to explode for 150 yards and the defense isn't going to pitch a shutout. Knowing that leads us to the next obvious assumption, the Cardinals chances of advancing rest squarely on the right shoulder of #13. His ability or inability to move the offense, protect the football and keep the ball away from Matt Ryan and Michael Turner will be a huge factor in determining whether the Cardinals are making travel arrangements to either New York or Carolina or trying to get a good tee time at their local course. So what does Kurt Warner and the offense as a whole have to do take pressure off the defense and help ensure a Cardinal victory?

1. Get off to a quick start: I can not stress the importance of this enough. The Cardinals offense needs to get ball first and they need to score first. If the Cardinals can put points on the board first, the effects will be felt by the Cardinals' defense and the Falcons' offense. For starters, the Arizona defense isn't greatness, we all know that, but they are a significantly better unit when they're playing with a lead. It would take pressure off of our defense and put pressure squarely on Matt Ryan and an offense that is built to play with a lead or in a tight game. So how do they jump out to any early lead? Be Aggressive. We saw the offense start slow last week and they didn't get on a roll until Warner started taking shots down the field. He'll have a full arsenal this week with Boldin returning and it's time to open it up and let this offense fly.

Fast Fact: Atlanta is 11-1 when they score first but 0-4 when they do not.

2. Control John Abraham: It seems simple, shut down their best pass rusher and keep KW upright, but I can't help but think about how they handled (or didn't handle) Jared Allen. We talked about it leading up to the Vikings game that Mike Gandy would need help with Allen but the Cardinals' gameplan seemed to center around leaving Gandy alone on an island. Allen ended the game with two sacks and if they don't give Gandy some help this week, John Abraham will have the same type of game. Allen and Abraham are pretty similar players both in size and style of play, although Allen is obviously more accomplished. Abraham is the primary pass rusher for the Falcons with 16.5 of their 34 sacks and he likes to get his sacks in bunches. Eleven of his sacks came in four games this season. The Cardinals will have to commit to helping Gandy on passing downs with either a back or a tight end.

Fast Fact: Atlanta is 9-1 when Abraham gets at least half a sack.

3. Protect the football: We know that Kurt Warner and company can put points on the board and they should be able to put up a 'winnable' number of points against the Falcons defense. Atlanta's secondary shouldn't be able slow down the passing game very much but one thing that every Cardinal fan should be worried about is, can Kurt Warner protect the football for four quarters. The Falcons aren't the most prolific team in terms of creating turnovers with just 10 interceptions (27th) and eight recovered fumbles (20th) but their offense also doesn't turn the ball over very much. KW will have to make smart decisions in order to keep Atlanta from getting a short field and putting unecessary pressure on the defense.

Fast Fact: Atlanta is 4-0 when creating multiple turnovers and 1-3 when not creating a turnover.

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All of that may seem very simple and obvious but if the Cardinals can play smart, fundamentally sound football for four quarters they should beat the Atlanta Falcons. There isn't a huge talent gap between these two teams and as Hawk said earlier in a comment, "the game will simply come down to who makes the fewest mistakes." Any other keys? Can the Cardinals accomplish these three goals?

Arizona Cardinals Can Start the Countdown with Karlos Dansby

RedBirds to the SB — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:02:35 -0000

You know the old saying that you learn something new everyday? Well today I learned that the Arizona Cardinals were able to start negotiating with Karlos Dansby and his agent on Monday of this week (12/29). As we know, once a player is franchised, they can't be resigned or extended until after the season, but the one word that is often left out of that statement is that it's the end of the 'regular season' not the end of the team's season.

		Sacks		Interceptions			Tackles
	G	Sacks	YdsL	Int	Yds	IntTD	Solo	Ast	Total
2008 - Karlos Dansby	16	4.0	39	2	47	0	95	24	119

Dansby had the best season of his career in 2008, leading the Cardinals in tackles and tied for second on the team in sacks, forced fumbles (2) and interceptions. We all know that Dansby saw his buddy Calvin Pace (how will he feel watching AZ in the playoffs this year?) get paid last season and it's expected that Dansby is looking for a similar contract (6 years for $42 million with $22 million in guarantees). We'll get much more into the Dansby situation once the Cardinals finish their season by winning the Super Bowl but for now, pay him or let him walk?

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie Should be the Defensive Rookie of the Year

RedBirds to the SB — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:45:01 -0000

I know the Arizona Cardinals aren't in their off season mode yet but the post season awards are starting to pop up (props to Matt Ryan) and it's only fair the Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie should get consideration as the defensive rookie of the year. Rodgers was supposed to have a steep learning curve to the NFL level and as recently as week six we were talking about him struggling, but he's turned it on as a starter. DRC finished his rookie year by starting the final 9 games after picking up a couple of spot starts early in the season when teams started the game in spread formations. DRC finished the season by leading all rookies with 23 pass breakups and tied for the league with four interceptions. He also ranked in 13th among rookies with 42 tackles and was the only rookie to block a field goal. To help his case, three of his interceptions came in the closing minutes of games to seal a victory for the Cardinals, including the 99 yard 'pick-six' that finished off the Rams.

His competition includes some note able players:

Jerod Mayo: Mayo started every game for the Patriots and finished with 128 tackles and a forced fumble. Outside of that though he didn't register a sack, a pick and he only broke up four passes. His best game was a 20 tackle game against the Jets that included 16 solo tackles.

Chris Horton: If we were talking about best value in the entire draft, Horton would win by a unanimous decision. He was the 249th player selected in the draft (only 252 were picked) and he went on to play in 14 games with 10 starts at strong safety for the Redskins. He finished with 76 tackles, a sack and three interceptions. He twice recorded ten tackles or more but his best game was the second week of the season when he recorded a fumble recovery and two interceptions including one in the final minutes to seal a victory over the Saints.

Curtis Lofton: Lofton's season is much line Mayo's but with not as many tackles. He finished the season with 94 tackles, a sack and three passes defended. He played in all 16 games with 15 starts for the Falcons. He didn't have a truly great game but he recorded at least six tackles is 11 games this season.

Aqib Talib: Talib played in 15 games, just two starts, but that didn't stop him from tieing DRC for the lead in picks among rookies with four. He only recorded 23 tackles though and he only defended 13 passes. He didn't have a really breakout game either considering that his picks were spread out among four games and he never recorded more than three tackles in a single game.

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We'll look at DRC's season in more depth when the season is actually over but for now, this kid deserves his props. He's been the best play-making, game-changing defensive rookie in the NFL this season and especially over the second half of the season. Agree? Are there any other worthy candidates that I missed?

2010 Pro Bowl Moved to Week Before the Super Bowl

RedBirds to the SB — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:45:14 -0000

In a move that should effect quite a few Arizona Cardinals next year (hehe, see how I tied that in), the NFL has decided to move the date and the location of the 2010 Pro Bowl. Instead of being in Hawaii the week after the big game, the PB will be in the 'dead week' between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl in the host city of Miami. It'll be the first time the PB hasn't been in Hawaii since 1980, although the move isn't a permanent one, yet. So far it's being billed as a one year 'test' to guage interest and as you'd expect, players who are playing in the Super Bowl will be excused from the game. Do you like the move? Does it make you any more or less interested in the game?

Poll

Are you more likely to watch the 2010 Pro Bowl now?

I couldn't care less about this glorified flag football game.

9 votes

Sure, I'm still in football mode during that week, so I'll watch.

10 votes

With no other options on the TV, I might tune in for a bit.

9 votes

What's the Pro Bowl?

5 votes

33 votes | Poll has closed

Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals: At First Glance

RedBirds to the SB — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:06:05 -0000

We all know what this Saturday will mean for the Arizona Cardinals franchise, it's fans and the community, but what do we know about the Atlanta Falcons? The two teams played at the end of last season and in fact they've faced each other three times in past four seasons but that doesn't mean that either team will look familiar. The Falcons of 2008 don't resemble the team finished 4-12 last season while going through three quarterbacks and two head coaches. A new head coach, a rookie QB and a big free agent running back turned the Falcons from a laughing stock into playoff contenders seemingly overnight. So what can the Arizona Cardinals expect to see on Saturday?

Atlanta Team Stats - Game Averages

	Pts	Yrds	Pass	Rush
Off	24.4	361.2 (6th)	208.5 (14th)	152.7 (2nd)
Def	20.3	347.9 (24th)	220.4 (21st)	127.5 (25th)

Atlanta Offense: Overall the Falcons are pretty balanced. They're led by the running game and Michael Turner. Turner's 1,699 yards this season were the most by a Falcon runner since Jamal Anderson's 1,846 in 1998 and his 17 touchdowns set a new franchise record. Backing up Turner is the speed demon known as Jerious Norwood who's also had a good season with nearly 500 yards on less than 100 carries. When the Falcons pass, Matt Ryan has been as good a rookie quarterback as anyone could have expected. His 3,440 yards ranked 6th all-time on the Falcons' franchise record book and his 87.7 QB rating also puts him in the top 10. Ryan hasn't been prolific this season but he has led a couple of fourth quarter comebacks and he led a 55 yard drive in overtime to beat Tampa Bay. When Ryan throws the ball, he normally finds Rowdy Roddy White and his 1,382 yards set a new franchise record (noticing a pattern here). White is Ryan's primary target most of the time considering that no other receiver had over 800 yards and third on the receiving list is Norwood with 338 yards. The Falcon offensive line is very good considering that they've got the #2 ranked rushing attack and Ryan has only been sacked 17 times.

Atlanta Defense: The Falcons run a 4-3 defense and you've probably never heard of most of them. The defensive line and pass rush is led by John Abraham and his 16.5 sacks set another franchise record. The middle of the defensive line is anchored by Jonathan Babineaux (6'2 284) and massive Grady Jackson (6'2 345). Babineaux is a decent pass rush threat from the defensive tackle spot but Jackson is a two down player who can get worn down towards the end of games at his age (35). The linebackers are an interesting group headlined by long time Falcon, Keith Brooking. He's been a Falcon since 1998, hasn't missed a game in eight seasons and has had at least 100 tackles in each of those eight years. Next to Brooking in rookie Curtis Lofton, a rookie from Oklahoma. Lofton isn't the best athlete on the field but he's simply a football player who knows how to get the job done. In the Falcon secondary, the corners are young and athletic but undersized. Chris Houston (24 yrs old) is the bigger of the two corners at 5'11 and he's finishing up his second season. Brent Grimes (25 yrs old) is opposite of Houston and his 5'10 185 pound frame should make him a favorable matchup against either Larry Fitzgerald or Anquan Boldin. At safety the Falcons have long time veteran Lawyer Milloy (although his status for the game is in question) and Erik Coleman. Milloy is hard hitting, sure tackler and the Falcons missed his presence last week when the Rams ran for 202 yards.

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The Cardinals will certainly have their hands full with the Atlanta Falcons, both offensively and defensively. The Falcons are a balanced team with an interesting mix of proven, established veterans and young rookie or first year starters. It'll certainly take a solid, all around effort from the Cardinals to send the Falcons home with a loss. All that being said, we talked the past couple of weeks about who we wanted the Cardinals to face in the first round and the Falcons were seen as a favorable match-up. Do you still feel the same way? What worries you the most about these Falcons?