Arizona Cardinals Football - Burton Report

Derek Anderson's love of Favre

2010-11-08T10:42:00.002-07:00

“I told (Favre), ‘I can’t get you once before you’re done?’ ” -Derek Anderson after losing a game of 17 unanswered points.

Resounding "no" obviously - as Derek should be selling cell phones at the mall.

And what was all the arse kissing and smiling from Anderson all about when he's face to face with Favre?

Cardinals vs Vikings... what a JOKE this team is

2010-11-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

What a joke... was that a 14pt lead we peed away in the 4th quarter? Derek Anderson was so gun shy in the 4th quarter you could see it coming late in the 3rd quarter. Lost his job for forcing the ball early in the season... now he's too sissy to play football when he has the lead. All he knew was that no interceptions = get the start next week. Forget playing to win, crushing thy enemy and hearing the lamentation of the women. It was all about saving his own ass for next week.

Weak. Pathetic football in the 4th and overtime.

Weak like Ukraine. Weak like Obamacare.

Bucs 38, Cardinals 35 = Whatevs

2010-11-01T08:26:00.006-07:00

REALLY?

I will be trying out for AZ Cardinals QB slot this Spring. Stay tuned. I have some effing "moxie", too.

So why isn't someone begging a UFL team for a QB?

You're telling me Dante Culpepper couldnt make better decisions out there?

Derek "Force the Ball" Anderson is quite the joke. Max Hall... as easy as it is to like the guy, he doesn't ...shouldn't be calling shots for the Arizona Cardinals at this time of his career. Period, end of story.

It BEGS the question: What does Skelton have? Who cares about all the "what ifs"... give him a SHOT. Everyone else got a shot... and failed. Why not?

Max Hall: Sportsmanship

2010-10-29T13:16:00.003-07:00

Haha! If this vid was to make Max Hall look like an arsehole, it failed. A glimpse as to why his current teammates are behind him? Now...if we could get Max to say this about the 49ers.... I'll dress my kids in Hall #6 jerseys.

Max Hall highlights

2010-10-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

Hey Red Sea... let's channel some of this in UoP on Sunday.

You know what...this is it, Max

2010-10-29T12:50:00.004-07:00

The Cardinals NEED Max Hall to show up and score his first touchdown. Will likely need 4 touchdowns, 2 in the air please.

Looking around, I'd say that an overwhelming number of Cardinals fans (all 12 of us in Sierra Vista) have been behind this Max Hall guy - having just lost a Hall of Famer and watched Matt Leinart thrown out with the chopped liver. Outsiders looking in probably see the whole situation as something worth pity... how does AZ go from Warner to Max Hall in a year's time? How is it that "moxie" trumps the ability to get the ball into a WR's hands? I have no idea. Got a feeling that this game is going to be a sign of what's to happen with Max's future in the NFL.

I think what the Red Sea will channel on Sunday is this: "jeezus christ, BYU guy... take care of business today ok? get it done today and we'll forgive more 'rookie' mistakes later..."

Ultimate Adrian Wilson Highlights

2010-10-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

Steve Breaston Highlights 2009

2010-10-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

Cleared

2010-10-27T11:02:00.005-07:00

Max Hall cleared for Sunday's start against the Bucs at home. Hoping for big things this week at home, crowd behind him, etc. Rookie or no, it's time to Take Care of Business... TCB, Maximus.

Ok, so anyway I'm alt-tabbing to see about the chances for McNabb to come to Glendale next season.

Wolfley's Neighborhood Grill

2010-10-26T15:07:00.004-07:00

Ron Wolfley, the greatest sports radio color commentator ever (that's right, I said it), has a place for the unwashed to eat and drink!

Guys at the Cardinals forum claim it's the best place for wings. This will be a "must stop" for my next trip to Phoenix.

Majerle's just isn't that good for food (Big Red Rage radio show location)... maybe they'll move the show to Wolfley's next season?

No Quarterback

2010-10-26T12:42:00.003-07:00

I'm just going to ask. You guys think Jamarcus Russell would hear us out and hear our offer to come to Glendale? Kk... how about Flutie? Testeverde?

Wait, is that Leinart snickering over there in the corner? Hey F.U., buddy.

Goalline Blitz

2010-10-26T12:10:00.005-07:00

So I'm still playing Goalline Blitz (Free!) with Loudawg (from the AZ Cardinals official forum boards). Maybe you should come join us. PM "Dusk883" and "DaWeezel" for more info. Goalline Blitz is the game that the NFL mocks with the "no more dots" thing television commercials... yet, in my opinion, GLB still blows away anything that the NFL or other fantasy games offer.

Where else can YOU set the game plan, build your player, coach the game. Don't let the shiny trophies of mine blind you as you walk in the door. Use my link so I get a little credit for your newfound replacement for traditional fantasy football!

Bucs next in Glendale

2010-10-26T11:59:00.003-07:00

Beanie Wells as starter, finally. Everytime Hightower touches the ball it's a nailbiter, "will Timmy hold onto the ball on this time?"

Will Maximus Hall start at QB? Or will we suffer another Jamarcus Anderson game? Wait...Max hasn't done anything either. Difficult to say it but that's the elephant in the room isn't it?

With Leinart thrown away with the chopped liver, all we hear for 3 weeks now is "Max Hall is a rookie, we can't lose sight of that." Hall is certainly easy to pull for; but jeezus... the division is just sitting there, waiting for the Cardinals to take the division title... all we have to do is just play with fewer errors than the rest of the division. How hard is that? 5 turnovers hard in the game vs Seattle last week.

And the next trick for the Arizona Cardinals is... we'll find one, trust me.

Porter

2010-10-26T11:55:00.002-07:00

Say wha?

2010-10-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

“If there is a new way to shoot ourselves in the foot,” Whisenhunt said, “we obviously have found that this year.”

Direct Link to the latest show

2010-10-26T11:44:00.003-07:00

Direct link to the latest Big Red Rage radio show, guest Kerry Rhodes.

http://www.azcardinals.com/photos-videos/audio/The-Big-Red-Rage-with-Wilson-and-Rhodes/6d24292f-f463-48ff-a53a-705b726819ea

Just one week after the Wolfley's, "MAXIMUS HALL... Are you not entertained??!"

Big Red Rage with Adrian Wilson

2010-10-26T11:36:00.002-07:00

If you're a Cardinals fan and you haven't heard The Big Red Rage radio show, you're missing out. So here's a link for you to catch up on the show:

http://www.azcardinals.com/photos-videos/radio-show-big-red-rage.html

Wolfley, Calvisi, and Adub are doing well with the show after B-train's retirement and keeping the show alive. Best way to meet the players in my opinion, beer in hand during a commercial break.

Really Timmy?

2010-10-26T11:12:00.002-07:00

Way to go, Timmy.

Cards lose the ball 3x in the red zone against the Seahawks last Sunday. 5x total.

REALLY? Is this the product we need to get used to again? REALLY?

Another Adrian Wilson shot

2009-06-11T23:05:00.003-07:00

Poor Rams. Adrian Wilson's got 10 more games to go vs these guys.

Adrian Wilson. Cardinal Forever.

2009-06-11T22:59:00.002-07:00

Adrian Wilson signs for 5 more. He could have left years ago for bigger money. Wanted to finish a job he signed up for as a rookie. Huge part of taking us to the show last year. This is the best off season story I've heard this year. Kids today could learn volumes from ADUB.

It's TIME. Sophomore time baby

2009-05-19T20:48:00.002-07:00

Early Doucet. Calais Campbell. Tim Hightower. I'm so freakin' ready.

Anquan Boldin & Leverage

2009-05-19T20:43:00.002-07:00

I'm so tired of hearing about Drew Rosenhaus & Anquan Boldin's demands for a re-work of his contract. Tell me. Exactly WHAT is Q's "leverage" outside of the organization's good will to get a new deal done again? 2 more full seasons to go for chrissakes on the current contract. Won't Q be 30 before the Cards would be forced to work a contract? Seems a little more good faith should be the approach and maybe setting a precedent of a showing at the OTAs? Why not? Then why should the Cardinals set a new precedent of signing what is already signed?

It's Chris "Beanie" Wells baby!

2009-04-25T17:41:00.001-07:00

NFL Field Pass...what a joke this is

2009-03-29T14:34:00.002-07:00

You can't Cancel your account online. NICE! Can't find any phone numbers to call, either! This is a great way to do business. Sign em up, don't let them know how to contact you. What a business plan.

Let this be forewarning if you ever thought of using their subscription for yourself.

It lags, you can't "download" anything... you can merely stream the games online and have to wait through commercials even if the game happened last year. The same looping 10 second music clip over...and over... and over.

NFL... you FAIL at subscription services.

/rant off

Adrian Wilson, Darnell Dockett, and Karlos Dansby 08 Highlights

2009-03-08T21:10:00.001-07:00

Cardinals block Cowboys punt for the WIN

2009-03-08T21:01:00.003-07:00

Remember this? I almost pee'd myself.

Cardinals beat the 49ers.

2009-03-08T20:57:00.001-07:00

1 of 2 victories last season. Always the best wins of the year.

You thought YOU were a Darnell Dockett fan?

2009-03-08T20:49:00.001-07:00

This Ref here...now he's a fan.

McFadden INKED. Leinart NOT asking to be traded.

2009-03-08T20:47:00.002-07:00

Does it get any better than this? Sign ADUB and the B-TRAIN and we're set as far as I'm concerned. Where's my time machine, let's get to the preseason already.

Larry Fitzgod

2009-03-08T20:46:00.002-07:00

You Gotta Hit Harder Than THAT. I'm A Grown Man.

2008-12-13T16:33:00.002-07:00

2008 NFC WEST DIVISION CHAMPS

2008-12-08T21:45:00.007-07:00

Made these for anyone who wants to use them. Notice the one perfect for the local 49er boards:

Cardinal Fever is picking up even in Sierra Vista

2008-10-22T21:34:00.004-07:00

Saw this beauty at the Cardinals' forum. 4-2 and in first place feels good.

Noticed that I'm getting more "hey! Cardinals!" from people after I get out of my Cardinals car which is plastered in Cardinals vinyl logos. Guards at the Ft Huachuca gate are even saying, "How bout them Cards!" when I go to work.

The fever is spreading...

Can we survive the Carolina game when the West Coast NFL teams are 0-12 when going East for Sunday football?

Big Red Rage

2008-10-22T21:25:00.009-07:00

As an avid listener of the Big Red Rage show via the team podcast, I finally decided to make the 230 mile (or so) drive to go be a part of the audience. Was a ton of fun. Jeff and I showed up in our Cardinals jerseys and met B-Train again and were able to get a few words in with Larry Fitzgerald. I actually had the most fun meeting Ron Wolfley who I’ve always thought to be the best radio personality in the NFL.

Marjerle’s is a great place to hold the show although I can see that it’s going to get really crowded if the Cardinals keep winning. Recommend making reservations as far out as possible so you get a table in the porch area. Marjerle’s is new to making reservations (according to one of the waitresses) and recommended that you talk directly to a manager when making them.

…from the KTAR website, it always takes me a few minutes to find the info below so I’ll paste it here for use later:
Bertrand Berry Show - Live at Majerle's (LINK)

Join Sports 620 KTAR's Ron Wolfley, Arizona Cardinals player Bertrand Berry and Cardinals Sideline reporter Paul Calvisi each week as they discuss Cardinals football on The Big Red Rage radio show. Each week features a special guest on the hour-long radio program and broadcasts from Majerle's Sports Grill in Chandler.

The Big Red Rage broadcasts from 6:00pm-7:00pm unless noted otherwise. Majerle's and Budweiser offer great food and drink specials during the show with great prize giveaways to the gathered audience. Email your questions for the hosts to answer to ask92@cardinals.nfl.net.

Here's the full 2008 Season line up:

Thursday, October 9
Thursday, October 12
Thursday, October 16 – Guest: Larry Fitzgerald
Wednesday, October 22 -Guest: Anquan Boldin
Wednesday, October 29
Thursday, November 6
Thursday, November 13
Thursday, November 20
Tuesday, November 25
Wednesday, December 3
Thursday, December 11
Thursday, December 18
Tuesday, December 23

Halftime

2008-09-14T14:42:00.002-07:00

Just saw this at the Cardinals forum, had to post this shot of Darnell Dockett for posterity.

Redheart points out, "That is a neutron-star he is holding over his head...roughly the mass of the moon."

Cardinals 2-0 WOOOOO!

2008-09-14T14:21:00.002-07:00

Cardinals handily beat the 49ers in week 1; here in week 2 I'm watching the Cardinals spank the Dolphins 17-0 in the second quarter now.

2 TDs for Boldin/Warner, Rod Hood denying the TD pass from Pennington, Hightower and Edge making the plays... and ADUB laying the wood.

As Rod Hood's Myspace page has been saying since the offseason, "expect big things from the Cardinals this year!"

Goal Line Blitz - the Game

2008-03-31T20:43:00.005-07:00

Someone at the Cardinals board posted a link to Goal Line Blitz ... a stats based game where you create a few football players and see where he goes in a virtual player run league. I tried it out and by day 2, I was hooked. Dumped $40+ into it so I could buy my own team and run my own version of the Cardinals.

You don't get to "play" in the games... it's actually quite simple. After you make your guys... you get on either a CPU or Human owned team and wait for the games to be simulated. After the simulation, you can review the replays. Sort of old school looking but really cool at the same time.

My "Tricity Cardinals" are 2-0... another game in 8 hours or so. Smash mouth football against a wannabe passing team. We'll be 3-0 when I wake up tomorrow and check out the game replays.

Fun stuff. Built to hook football nerds like me. Here's a replay from our last game where the opposing team gets miracle #2 for a Touchdown:

Make a free account! Try it out! Use my stinkin' link so I get credit for you!

Oh... and I pay Arizona Cardinals fans more than non-fans if you're looking for a team. My team is the Tricity Cardinals, you can send a PM to "dusk883" and tell me you saw this thread and wanted to join up. I have about 6 guys on the team that I know from the AZ Cardinals message board, we're always looking for players. You may not start but you'll get time on the field as a backup for sure.

Anyway, back to being a nerd and setting up my game plan for tomorrow's game. Lllllater.

Coach John Lott and me!

2008-03-20T16:54:00.003-07:00

Finally got the pictures onto my laptop. Here I am with Coach John Lott. Next time I'll have to ask for a nickname.

Coach John Lott's Get Your Mind Right Camp

2008-03-15T20:55:00.003-07:00

My buddy Jeff and I took our kids and went to Coach John Lott's GET YOUR MIND RIGHT Football Camp. An unreal experience to be so up close with Coach Lott, Anquan Boldin, Adrian Wilson (he's going to destroy Bryant Johnson next year), and the B TRAIN Bertrand Berry.

In the pic is Jeff with Anquan, all of the guys were all class.

Briefly chit chatted with the QB Coach for the Arizona Cardinals, the mighty Coach Rutledge. I listened in on a few sessions with the kids and all the things I never heard before added 15 or so yards to my long ball when I tried it all out at home :D

Coach Lott was awesome with the kids. Gave them a few life lessons to live with and my kids really enjoyed it. When Coach speaks, the kids were glued to him.

Anquan, Bertrand, and Adrian really gave the kids something to think about when it comes to working hard and attaining your goals. I hope this happens again next year... guys like these guys make it real easy to cheer for them as Arizona Cardinals.

Why the Cardinals should keep 2 Elite Wide Receivers

2008-03-13T18:48:00.006-07:00

The question is raised at the boards, "why should we keep both Boldin and Fitzgerald when Whisenhunt wants to establish the RUN in the salary capped world of the NFL?"

Just keeping the Defensive Backs honest adds yardage for the Cardinals running backs. Show me a defensive back set that cheats for the RUN when Fitz and Q are out there on opposite ends and I'll show you a bunch of guys who get burned alive in the flats, over the middle and everywhere else.

We have Coach Grimm. Legend of the Trenches. It'll all come together. I believe the Cardinals can get it done this year. Year 2.

I'm not the first to point out that the Colts run an offense with 2 elite WRs and succeed. We can do it, too.

I hope Leinart is armed with both Q and Fitz this year. We can cram it down their throats or gun it for the show. Leave it to the Defenses to choose their poison.

Let go of Boldin and Fitz eats double coverage. Rely on Urban to pick up the slack? Too much at this point. Bryant Johnson is leaving. We need the double threat.

I'll betcha most teams would kill to have 2 elite Wide Receivers in their roster. We got 'em. Now lets keep them! The trick, of course, is keeping them happy on payday.

San Francisco Martz Madness? Right on!

2008-03-13T18:30:00.008-07:00

Mike Martz is now part of the NFC West and division rival to my beloved Arizona Cardinals. Quaking in my boots? Well... not really. Excited as hell to be honest.

Coach Pendergast broke an NFL record in last year's matchup between the current 49ers OC and the Cardinals. Was it negative 18 total rushing yards for the Lions? Something equally pathetic.

Now we get to face him twice a year. As a 49er. The one team I truly despise... the Folsum Street hippie team.

The Cardinals swept the 49ers for 2 straight years in recent history (or was it 3?) Last year, the streak ended. Does the streak begin again in 08? I think so, sports fans.

Alex Smith - the new Mike Martz biometrics experiment? I think not! Frank Gore was touted to be the new center of Mike Martz's offense? Yeah, tell that to the Detroit plethora of Running Backs of last year.

Welcome to the NFC West, Coach Martz. I welcome you with open arms, sir!

Will Kurt Warner be the QB to light up Martz's new team as Mike formulates how to make up the point difference? Wouldn't that be cool to see? I believe this is Matt Leinart's team but, god forbid, if Kurt gets to start those games vs the 49ers, it'll be magic to watch.

It's done. Larry Fitzgerald to remain a Cardinal.

2008-03-13T18:14:00.002-07:00

I don't remember how long the whole process was to restructure Larry Fitzgerald's contract but it's finally over. I know I was only one of many who were biting fingernails and hoping for a swift end. There were thoughts that Larry might be traded. Blasphemy.

As an addict of the Arizona Cardinals' message board, it was a little frustrating to see the Eagle fans coming over acting as if they were the GM and wanting to execute a trade.

WTF.

Dream on, Eagle fans. I hear Big Mike Williams and Charles Rogers are more than happy to come play in Philadelphia. Larry? Not this 4 year rotation anyway. Thank God.

Of course, there's an all new crisis for the drama induced fans (sometimes including myself). The new hotness? The ANQUAN PHENOMENON is vastly underpaid relative to Fitz's new contract. You can add Adrian Wilson to that situation as well. Karlos Dansby? Franchised... how do we get him long term?

Gotta keep Anquan Boldin somehow. I'm just a fan so the salary numbers are only a note of interest for me and quickly forgotten. No fun to keep track of that stuff as it seems you always lose when you have to worry about such things as a fan. The telling fact, however, is that Anquan was denied the big money once already. Will they do it again? Is it even possible to give Mr. Boldin the money that the stats claim he deserves?

What do you do?

I don't know but if Rod Graves can figure out this little gem, I believe he deserves a temple in his honor if we can restructure Anquan Boldin AND Adrian Wilson to keep them happy before the start of the season. They deserve it. We need them. Both. 1 down, 2 to go. We can always figure out Dansby later.

Couldn't Resist... not Cardinals related

2008-02-18T20:15:00.003-07:00

As we all wait to see how the Larry Fitzgerald deal goes down (it better go down)...

It's the off-season (pre-Flagstaff anyway)... this video is a must see. Frank does Bush:

Torturing a Rams fan in Oregon

2008-01-13T16:59:00.000-07:00

Before the season began, you may remember my bet with a friend of mine. A St Louis Rams fan to be more exact. The bet? A "who is going to sweep who" bet. If the Rams beat the Cardinals twice this year, I would have to suffer. The suffering begins when he sent me a 49ers t-shirt that I would have to wear each and EVERY Sunday for 52 weeks (or the anniversary of the second Rams vs Cards game?). Of course, the reverse was true also. The bet was made preseason.

Guess what? The Rams fell TWICE to the Cards. He just "knew" what was going to happen before the season began. He KNEW that the Rams would SMITE the Cardinals down.

Ironically, it would be KURT WARNER (his idol) that would, in fact, smite the Rams without mercy.

Shall I have mercy upon Shale the Rams fan? Should I just have him send me a Cardinals souvenir that I can remember this bet with? I informed him that I was considering this lesser punishment. He doesn't contact me after the bet or until 4 days after my email asking about my payout!

His reply:

It’s up to you bro … I can pick you up a cool little Cardinals item if you like that better. Just let me know.

A "little" Cardinals item? Hmmmm...

Call me strange but I would have reacted much differently knowing my Sundays are ON THE LINE. I'd have FED EX'd a helmet before you can say "I Submit".

I replied back with an email that I am considering options now and opened the gates for his ideas... I am leaning 80% to punishment however. Reap what we sowed. Claim my glory and collect my bi-weekly photograph of Shale in a 49er t-shirt.

... I am currently contemplating your future. Your Sundays anyway. Considering the "cool little Cardinals" comment as well! It hit me later... perhaps he should provide ME with ideas... especially since Shale is the one who would like to be treated with mercy. Would Shale have mercy upon me? Hmmm.

A "little" keychain is nowhere near as cool as Shale wearing a "I'm a 49ers Fan" shirt now is it. If it was remotely close... I could consider it!

Would Shale force this doom upon me? You bet your ass he would.

Passing the Time

2007-12-16T18:10:00.001-07:00

Back where we're comfortable. It's the running joke that this is the time of year where the Cardinals are usually talking about where to spend their winter vacation. The Saints walk away with a win and I don't know why but this video is about how serious I'm taking the rest of the season.

Nimcomf@#$kingpoop!

Cardinals Hire New Performance Coach... Exclusive Video Here

2007-12-14T18:30:00.000-07:00

Game Over, thanks for playing. See ya in 08.

2007-12-09T20:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks for playing. Those girly men in Washington walk away with another division title.

Well, at least we beat them at home early in the year.

More commentary when I'm less fumed about today. WOW I despise the overdone "pride" the Seahawks fans have for their "12th man".

WHY? Because I lived in Seattle for 4 years or so. 1998-2002. Met ONLY ONE Seahawks fan in my day to day life. ONE. Russ Latham was his name. Still the only freakin Seahawks fan in the world so far as I'm concerned. I remember back just 8 years ago being able to walk up to the stadium on game day and able to buy just about ANY ticket in the Kingdome.

Let me say it again. In 4 freakin' years of living in the Seattle area. I knew ONE freaking guy proud enough to declare that he was a Seahawks fan during my 4 years of living in the gloomy city.

WAIT... I know ONE guy in my Arizona hometown that calls the Cardinals his favorite team. I DIGRESS.

Last Play... it's ok, there's no Karma to pay for later

2007-12-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

In my last entry, I mentioned the push out of the endzone. I suppose it all equals out, here's Winslow just before the ball arrives.

Better post this now in case my Browns' friends wants "proof".

Now, as far as I'm concerned, the Browns' fans can cry knowing your team *did* lose.

...courtesy of this post at the Cardinals' board.

Cards WIN - to the PLAYOFFS?

2007-12-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

No Adrian Wilson. No Larry Fitzgerald. Boldin in then out (for how long??). Cards win another nailbiter!

Maybe I'm wrong and need to check the standings but this ties the Lions for the Wildcard race.

PLAYOFF bound? I think so!

The bonehead penalties are still happening but the first quarter play of the Browns was a great equalizer. If I were Romeo Crennel, it's time to open a can of whoopass on some of his players.

Last play of the game. Was that Brown (who was it, I forgot... it was only 3 minutes ago) pushed out? Yeah, I think so. Whatever, how many calls have gone against the Cardinals.

Seattle won today. Had they lost, we could be looking at a strong run for the division title. I suppose it's still possible to win the division but relying on someone else to lose just isn't something I am going to waste time with. In Coach Whisenhunt's first year, we could be heading to the playoffs. Ken Whisenhunt took those 2005 Steelers to the Superbowl in his first year as the Offensive Coordinator. Why not as Head Coach? We won, why am I asking so many questions right now?

My Pep Talk for the Browns vs Cardinals Game Today

2007-12-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

I have TWO words for the Arizona Cardinals this week. "FUKING GONUTS" already. Well, that's advice for the Defense without the hit man Adrian Wilson.

The Cardinals' Offense went nuts and had their lobotomy a few weeks ago.

Gooo Cards Gooo!

SMART, DISCIPLINED Football is what we were promised before the year began. Give it to us this week, Coach! Gimme a donut already.

Browns vs Cardinals 2 DEC 07

2007-12-02T11:32:00.001-07:00

HEY Romeo! Can you start Brady Quinn please?

The Browns are on the move and the Cardinals just dropped a Havana Omelet on the field last week against the 49ers. Anything could happen. Game time in just over an hour.

Cardinals T-shirts - an appropriate one

2007-12-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

Here's a shirt I wish I had right now from the Daikonz shop. Probably more applicable this week than ever before.

The Seahawks just ripped the Eagles a new one with a 14 point lead in the first quarter. I do believe we can start getting excited about 2008.

Alright. Let's start over.

2007-12-02T11:20:00.000-07:00

I'm a week late and won't say much about the last game against the 49ers. Absolutely ridiculous football all around. The Cardiac Cards never stop. I'm trying out next year as the new Cardinals' field goal kicker.

Adrian Wilson is out for the year. I think we're finished for the year, too.

Cardinals Offense Naps on the Field

2007-11-05T06:49:00.001-07:00

Chucky's Buccanneers win 17-10. I'm sure you read all about it. Kurt was throwing bullets to receivers and everyone forgot (or was scared) to finish their route. Hello, Leonard Pope. Fitzgerald caught lightning in a bottle, had an open field on the sidelines and stepped out of bounds. Urban was pathetic... again. How he has an NFL job is beyond me. Next week, the Lions.

In other news, check out this t-shirt for sale.

Cardinals T-shirts & Gear

2007-10-29T04:30:00.000-07:00

The Arizona Cardinals on a Bye week? Let's go make some T-shirts! Well, that's what I did anyway.

Then I got all into it and opened up a CafePress shop. Made a bunch of T-Shirt designs, some Cardinals related and some not.

<<< That's a mean lookin' Boldin ain't it? The bottom tag says, "Spanking 49er cornerbacks since 2003"

Cardinals lose, so here's Seattle losing.

2007-10-23T05:01:00.000-07:00

We lost a heartbreaker to the Redskins. I could say a lot but you can read more crazy theories than I could dream up at the official forums. At least I wasn't complaining about bootlegs.

Kurt Warner will be a Gametime decision

2007-10-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

Smoke and mirrors? I think so. Cards are heading to Washington and then a bye week arrives. Unless it gets embarrassing out there (which could happen now that Adrian Wilson is questionable), I'll be surprised to see the Magic Man take more than one series of snaps this Sunday against the Redskins.

As a fan, I can say that it doesn't make a lot of sense to start Kurt Warner this week. It's a long season. Amazing things happen when he's in there but we still have more than 10 games to go.

Tim Rattay... I think he can do it. Last week he threw 3 interceptions but none were his fault. Leonard Pope and Urban were hit in the hands but failed to catch the ball. The third interception? A hail mary attempt as a last ditch effort. Like a recent KTAR.com article suggests, the wide receivers didn't show up last week.

Brooke... AZ Cardinals Cheerleader

2007-10-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

Kurt Warner - 102.3 Rating

2007-10-11T01:47:00.000-07:00

You know what. I really like Matt Leinart. I really do. Glad he's a part of the team. It really sucks that he's out for the year.

You know what's freaking irritating? Its the Lienart Lovers at the official Cardinals boards who STILL trash Kurt Warner...

As a Cards fan, how can you possibly question whether or not Kurt is the man for 2007? HOW? You can't... yet you can find it daily.

3 touchdowns this Sunday and a Victory on the road isn't enough, huh? Some "fans" would rather bury their face in Matt's jockstrap than pull for the guy who's stepped up and led the Cardinals to victory.

O Tim Rattay

2007-10-10T08:06:00.000-07:00

Tim Rattay is the new backup quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals. Odds are, we'll see him on the field at some point this year as Magic Man Kurt Warner hasn't completed a full season since he was in a Rams uniform back in 2000, I believe.

Positive history from Wiki:

To date, in 34 games, including 16 starts, Rattay has completed 385-of-634 passes in his career for 4,292 yards with 27 touchdowns and 19 interceptions for a passer rating of 82.6.

Re-post... Cardinals vs 49ers, 2006

2007-10-09T07:45:00.000-07:00

Re-post of a video I made at the end of last season. Matt Leinart buries the 49ers in the second meeting of 2006. Hey, will someone hand Matt some of Barry's "flax seed" oil? He might not have opened the floodgates in the first few games of 2007, but Matt is capable in my opinion. Here's to a speedy recovery, Matt!

(Forewarning: over 8 minutes long...)

Up the Ladder, the Cardinals Climb

2007-10-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

Don't look now but the Arizona Cardinals just hit #12 for the Fox Sports "power rankings". Doesn't mean squat but it's sure nice to see. In any event, I'm just excited about the possibility of a Testeverde/Warner combo schooling the NFC in the playoffs.

Kurt Warner returned to St. Louis as the backup quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals. After Matt Leinart went down with a broken collarbone late in the first half, Warner entered the game and did what he did best in his years as a Ram — he led his squad to victory. The defense kick-started Sunday's comeback win, though, as Rod Hood picked off a Gus Frerotte pass and ran it back 68 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. Both Warner and Edgerrin James ran for scores in the win, as Larry Fitzgerald exploded for nine catches, 136 yards, and a touchdown. The Cardinals, now 3-2, are above .500 for the first time all year.

Vinny Testeverde - Arizona Cardinal?

2007-10-09T07:23:00.001-07:00

Azcentral delves into the possibility of Vinny Intercepde coming to Arizona. To be honest, I like it. The man is durable, he's experienced (lol). The combined experience for Arizona's quarterbacks would then surmount almost 4 decades or something. I have no idea what that means but I do know that Cardinals receivers are wide open on most plays so far in Coach Whisenhunt's offense... an old gunslinger like Vinny might be a good idea. It's working for Kurt.

Who else is there, really?

Tim Rattay? Jeff George? Aaron Brooks? I'd rather put my eggs in Vinny's basket.

Realization #1

2007-10-09T07:07:00.001-07:00

Just realized that Kurt Warner will be the guy who makes Shale miserable when the Cards play the next game against the Rams in Glendale. Win or lose... Shale, the die-hard Rams fan, will be freaking out after every Warner completion. Win or lose this game, Shale will be praying for Kurt to remove his magic gloves after every play. The very man who took the Rams and Shale to the Promised Land in 1999.

Oh, I think realization #2 is that I also beat Shale in Fantasy Football this week. With Matt Leinart as my starter. Thanks Rod Hood! Everyone laughed when I drafted you as my first CB... noone's laughing now!

*evil laughter echoes in the hall*

My bet with a Rams fan

2007-10-09T06:48:00.001-07:00

I posted this fella over at the boards before the first 49ers game. The Cardinals lost but I'll be coming back to it for the second game.

The bet I made with my buddy Shale over at Voices says he's going to look just like this kid if the Cardinals can get a second win from the Rams this year. If the Cards win the next Rams game, my diehard Rams buddy has to wear a 49ers T-shirt for the next 52 weeks... every stinking Sunday.

We made the bet before the season began. Little did he know that half the Rams would be in the infirmary before our first game. I didn't care who was playing for the Rams, I drink the Cardinals Kool Aid so we're going 16-0 before the first snap of the ball. The bet was that if the Rams or the Cards sweep the other team, the loser has to wear a 49ers t-shirt every Sunday for ONE FULL YEAR.

Best part... I get a digital photograph of this event at least every other Sunday. All built into the bet.

So the Cardinals walked out of the Ed Dome with a victory... I have no chance at losing this bet now. However, Shale could lose his sanity when the Rams come to Arizona. We're division rivals and we could have made each other wear the other team's jersey for a year but that's boring... we both agreed that the 49ers are the gayest and most despicable NFL team to ever play football. What's more fun than forcing your friends to wear the hippie 69ers logo? Nothing. So the bet is ON.

WOW is it going to suck to be him.

Arizona Cardinals Avatars

2007-10-09T06:41:00.001-07:00

Over the last year or two, I've made a ton of "custom avatars" for Cardinals fans. The one on the left was never claimed by anyone which took my a little by surprise as it features Arizona's new Grimm Boys who are kicking serious ass out there. It's somewhat surprising to think after each game that I can't remember our quarterback getting sacked.

Anyway... the avatar is animated but not until you click it. My small homage to the new offensive line.

Animated Cardinals vs Seattle Seahawks

2007-10-09T06:38:00.001-07:00

Why won't animated gifs load "right" with Blogspot? Click to see it animated. Posting it here for my own archives. I think I created this in week 2 before the Seahawks game...

Arizona Cardinals Wallpaper

2007-10-09T06:32:00.001-07:00

One of about 8 desktop wallpapers I made today for my laptop. Posted them at the message boards today located here. Maybe I can go a week without changing desktops again.

The photos were all from the game this week against the Rams.

Here We Are at 3-2

2007-10-09T06:23:00.000-07:00

Haven't posted a thing in months. Sucks not being able to access the site from work anymore :D

It's been all about the Quarterback in Arizona. Kurt Warner is on freakin' FIRE with this Arizona offense; Matt Leinart is out with a fractured collarbone. The question on every Cardinals fan's mind is: Who is the backup? A lot of people at the official Cardinals message board says it'll be either Testeverde or Rattay.

Kurt hasn't finished a full season since 2000 (if memory serves me right). Something tells me that we better get someone quick.

We're 3-2 and tied for FIRST place in the division. The Seahawks just lost Mack Strong and Shaun just isn't going to be the same without him. I stick by it, we're going to the Playoffs.

Anquan Boldin Highlights

2007-06-29T11:26:00.001-07:00

49ers spanked by Cards 06

2007-06-14T02:02:00.001-07:00

A video I put together to entertain all the 49er fans who can't stop coming to the Cards board.

Here's Why Miami Passed on Brady Quinn

2007-05-07T01:37:00.000-07:00

Here's to gripping another man's footballs.

Enjoy, Cleveland Browns fans.

Monday Morning Quarterbacking the Draft of 07

2007-05-05T01:57:00.000-07:00

This year's draft was more fun than any draft I've ever watched. Half of the good time may have been from watching Brady Quinn fall to 22 (or was it 24?... who cares). I was hoping that the Browns would pass him up but when Miami passed him, that was priceless. Enough of Quinn and the doomed Cleveland Browns...

Alan Branch... DT from the University of Michigan. Mel Kiper doesn't believe in him and apparently this has given Alan a chip on his shoulder. Pissed off Cardinals defensive tackle? Works for me.

This year's jersey for me will be a Branch jersey.

Last year's draft had Ernie Sims, WLB Florida Seminole go to the Detroit Lions. This year's MLB Ernie Sims-equivalent (small, mean, fast and agile) Florida State Seminole goes to the Cardinals. Welcome to Arizona, Buster Davis. I sure hope you can fly around and crash into people like Ernie does.

Overall... great draft. All needs filled, on paper anyway.

With Branch drafted, it's pretty easy to make the prediction that the Cardinals will convert to the 3-4 defense sooner than later. As much as I hoped that somehow the Cardinals would switch to the Tampa 2 system someday, this is going be very different than expected.

I suppose different is good for the Cardinals. We need to beat more than just the 49ers on a regular basis.

Levi Brown - Arizona Cardinal

2007-04-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

We can run right and left now. Always great to see a Penn State Nittany Lion make the NFL ranks.

Smashmouth Cardinals football is becoming a reality.

Round 2 coming up...

Welcome to Arizona, Levi!

Maybe We Don't Need Adrian

2007-04-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

"I don't have to throw the ball, just put me in the backfield a couple of times and let me run it, I'll be OK," Boldin said with a smile.

Would he be all right with running behind a fullback?

"Who me? Running behind a fullback? I wouldn't mind, extra blocker, but just put me in the 'I' by myself and I'll be OK."

...link

Nailed!!!

2007-04-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

I love the East Valley Tribune. And I realize it's the NFL "off season" which means we're all digging for news. But for almost a week, the headlines for the Cardinals has been:

"Cameras nail Cardinals' Leinart speeding on Loop 101"

NAILED!

First it was Pacman, now Matt Leinart!

Come on...

The Pre-Season can't come fast enough.

They're catching on...

2007-04-22T19:30:00.000-07:00

Adrian in the same backfield as Edge? While giving light to the idea, Michael Smith doubts it will work. Direct quote:

"If Peterson becomes a Cardinal, either he or James is going to spend an awfully long time on the bench in 2007."

Michael Smith clearly has no idea who Ken Whisenhunt is nor how the 2005 Steelers won the Superbowl.

Planet Cardinals and Draft Day

2007-04-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

There have been two draft day camps developing at the Arizona Cardinals message boards as far as "who should we draft in Round 1?" goes. It'd be safe to say that most campers love this Joe Thomas guy out of Wisconsin. It's hard to resist when you've lost your starting left tackle who was inept to begin with.

Joe Thomas is an awesome prospect. We have a history with a turnstile offensive line. Only Barry Sanders has ever been able to work with such ineptitude. Edge is a premiere running back... but he's no Barry Sanders. The Joe Thomas lovers of the world have asked the proponents of Adrian Peterson, "what planet are you on?"

I'm not on this Joe Thomas bandwagon. How can this be?

Here's how. The Arizona Cardinals have picked up a few offensive linemen since Leonard Davis high-tailed for Dallas. Men that Coach Russ Grimm probably considers capable for the job. And so if we give a little faith in Coach Grimm, maybe there are other issues to look at as fans. Particularly, I'm speaking of the new Arizona Cardinals' offensive scheme.

We're absolute nooblets to the idea of a smashmouth power running game but it's here nonetheless. And we're in a "2 back" system... meaning we're going to be running TWO guys on a regular basis. With a lead blocking fullback, this is going to be fun to watch.

We're supposedly finished with passing the ball 49x a game. Whatever wins works for me.

Edge is our running back. He's a top notch talent and he ran hard for us all year long. He's also human and will need to share the football. Can M. Shipp be #2? Absolutely. I love the idea. So then, who's the backup? We're definitely going to need at least one backup for the two regulars on the field. JJ Arrington? Really?

I don't personally remember this moment but allow me to quote a fan's recollection (ARZCardinals from the official boards) of a JJ Arrington moment. Whether I saw this particular play or not, it does reflect my sentiment on whether or not we should worry if he's our 2007 backup:

"I'll never forget him diving to the ground...4th down and 3 to go. Everyone goes right and they sweep the ball to the left - pitch to JJ. He's one on one with Sean Taylor...there's NO ONE TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT of him. No cut, No juke, NO slamming into Taylor, NA' fool dove to the ground....landing at Taylor's feet. Taylor didn't even have to tackle that MF'er. :thumbsdown: is what I said then."
Two Starter-quality running backs, folks. That's what we need. Adrian Peterson can be that guy because JJ ain't it.

The 2007 Arizona Cardinals' Schedule

2007-04-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

Here we go, the 2007 Arizona Cardinals' schedule.

CARDINALS 2007 SCHEDULE

PRESEASON

Aug. 11* at Oakland TBA

Aug. 18* Houston TBA

Aug. 25* San Diego TBA

Aug. 30* at Denver TBA* -- tentative date

REGULAR SEASON

Sept. 10 at San Francisco 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 16 Seattle 1 p.m.

Sept. 23 at Baltimore 10 a.m.

Sept. 30 Pittsburgh 1:15 p.m.

Oct. 7 at St. Louis 10 a.m.

Oct. 14 Carolina 1 p.m.

Oct. 21 at Washington 10 a.m.

Oct. 28 BYE

Nov. 4 at Tampa Bay 11 a.m.

Nov. 11 Detroit 2:15 p.m.

Nov. 18 at Cincinnati 11 a.m.

Nov. 25 San Francisco 2 p.m.

Dec. 2 Cleveland 2 p.m.Dec. 9 at Seattle 2 p.m.

Dec. 16 at New Orleans 11 a.m.Dec. 23 Atlanta 2 p.m.Dec. 30 St. Louis 2:15 p.m.

2007 "Best" Games of the NFL

2007-04-12T12:57:00.000-07:00

Jason Coles at wrote a story at Yahoo Sports that gives the Cardinals a bit more attention than I'm used to. Check out a few snippets:

WEEK 2

Best game: Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals. Yeah, yeah, I can hear some of you saying it already: San Diego at New England is a much better game. I'm not arguing that, but the point is that I can put the Chargers in this spot just about every week and they'd fit. Considering that, the Seahawks and Cardinals figure to be really fun because this is a matchup of teams that will throw and score all game long. Neither team is going to be great on defense, so a really fun, 38-35 thriller could be in the offing.

Unfortunately, Ken Whisenhunt has already said the Cardinals are going to be running and we're running all game long. Then again, Denny Green said the same not so many years ago. But I'll believe Coach Whisenhunt anyway since he's proven that he can turn a team's rushing game around. The Steelers were ranked 31st in rushing when he showed up and then won the Superbowl the next year (ending up 3rd in the NFL). So will this Week 2 game be a 38-35 thriller? Unlikely. But thumbs up to Jason Coles for giving the Cardinals credit as an exciting football team anyway.

WEEK 4

Best game: Pittsburgh Steelers at Arizona Cardinals. Revenge is a dish best served hot, meaning this would be a great game to play outdoors in Phoenix this time of year. The Steelers and new coach Mike Tomlin are lucky the Cardinals have a roof now because Arizona head coach Ken Whisenhunt and offensive line coach Russ Grimm are going to have plenty ready for their former team. Both Whisenhunt and Grimm thought they should have been hired over Tomlin. In fact, Grimm was reportedly offered the job at first before the Steelers reneged and went with Tomlin.

Amen! You want to see some Steeler fans lose faith? Watch this game. Pittsburgh pretty much took their team and threw it in the toilet. Given this, why would they keep Roethlisberger? A Cardinals win here will probably be a huge morale boost for the team's outlook for the rest of the year.

WEEK 10

Best game: Detroit at Arizona. Before I am mocked merciless for overlooking the Colts-Chargers game, listen to my logic. The Colts really don't match up with the Chargers. In other words, that game is overrated. The other part is that while the Lions and Cardinals aren't really that great, they can be fun. With Mike Martz running the Lions offense, they're going to throw it about 45 or 50 times in this game. Expect the Cardinals to wing it, too, in a game that should be pretty competitive.

Agree on the fun, it's always fun to see Martz Madness. But the Cardinals to "wing it"? Again unlikely! Either way, it's pretty easy to see that Jason Coles is a closet Cardinals fan. Well, besides the fact that he originally wrote that the "St. Louis Cardinals" are going to be fun to watch.

Lion's Holt lands in Arizona

2007-03-08T17:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks to former college teammate Adrian Wilson, Terrence Holt inked a 5 year deal with the Cardinals. Why the Lions let him go is a mystery. He did well with the infant Tampa 2 system before getting injured. Not many did well at all last year on the defensive side of the ball in Motown.

The two NC State teammates are now the deep coverage guys for Arizona. The chemistry is clearly there since Adrian pushed hard for his recruitment.

For a nano-fraction of the cost that the 49ers spent on Nate Clements, we're getting about the same quality player in Terrence Holt.

Speaking of Clements and the 69ers, here's a quote from the SF boards,

"Cards had our number the last couple years because we couldn't cover their wr's. Now that we got Clements their receivers are a NON-FACTOR baby. I cant wait to see Clements pound Boldin into the ground."

I am no longer worried that I drink too much Cardinal Kool Aid.

So easy...

2007-03-05T18:38:00.000-07:00

Go Jake Go

2007-03-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

I despise the Broncos and the Buccanneers. So the day couldn't get any better when I read that these two teams came to an agreement with a trade of former Cardinal Jake Plummer.

But when Jake the Snake got word of this, he not only says "hell, no"... he announces his retirement.

He didn't get the call from head coach Shanahan... he gets the news from the quarterback coach. LOL

Crumpackers in San Francisco

2007-02-25T19:42:00.000-07:00

I was randomly surfing to see what the division rivals have to say about Arizona and our football team. Found this gem from John Crumpacker (coincidence that a guy with this name ends up writing for a San Fran publication?) of "the Chronicle Staff" at www.sfgate.com who writes:

"While the city of Phoenix and its environs is all atwitter over the Arizona Cardinals' new stadium, brilliantly called Cardinals Stadium, a dirty little secret was contained therein, hiding in plain sight. That's right -- the Cardinals trotted out a squadron of cheerleaders appallingly lacking in diversity. Blonde must be the official hair color of the Grand Canyon State. It's as if the Cardinals walked into a sorority at Arizona State and walked away with a couple dozen Sweethearts of Sigma Chi and put them to work."

Here's the link. He may be an idiot but it gives me an excuse to post a pic of this Cards hottie anyway.

Karlos to the WLB?

2007-02-19T21:14:00.000-07:00

According to the Sporting News, explosive Karlos Dansby might be moved to the WLB side for the 2007 Cardinals. At least this ends the never-ending Leonard Davis news.

Last year wasn't as explosive in his second year as he was in his first due to injuries and "behavioral" (Rotoworld's words) issues. Will he be the same quality linebacker that he was as a rookie?

BIG LD is off to Free Agency

2007-02-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

It happened. The Cards didn't franchise BIG Leonard Davis and will let him go to Free Agency. Big surprise? I don't think so. The Cards have the heaviest line in football (according to a few sources anyway.)

Although Davis is more mobile than you'd think when you see his size, the trend has been lighter and faster for the NFL and especially at the Offensive Tackle position. The two lightest Offensive Lines were in this year's Superbowl. This being the case... best of luck to you, Leonard!

Ron Aiken...hired from Iowa

2007-02-17T17:51:00.000-07:00

Iowa D-line coach... hired by the Arizona Cardinals! I don't know a damn thing about him so I guess it's time to read up.

The Daily Iowan didn't have much to say about it, either.

If Coach Whisenhunt says he's the man, then he's the freakin' man.

Ken Whisenhunt

2007-02-05T15:32:00.000-07:00

Been a while since I've posted anything about football and amazing things have happened for the Arizona Cardinals. Denny Green has been fired and the search was on for a replacement. I had whipped up some best case scenarios in my head as to what was best for Arizona - little did I know that much bigger things were about to happen and the Bidwill family really gave us something to behold. The Cards announced that they hired Ken Whisenhunt. Not long after, we hear that Russ Grimm is coming as well.

Before all of this, many cards fans such as myself had hoped to see Coach Rivera come to Arizona. We had a "realistic" shot at him. Personally, I wanted to see a Tampa 2 system employed with the Cards and then would be anxious to see who he'd bring in as Offensive Coordinator. How would Rivera create a consistent O line was something we could answer later. My thoughts were, "bring in Rivera, the D will be established within 2 years and we're off to the races once we figure out how to protect Matt and give Edge a shipping lane."

Ken Whisenhunt was an intangible, or so I thought. Why would Pittsburgh give him any reason to wander off and be courted by other teams, I wondered. They did and the football gods smiled upon Arizona. They weren't finished with us, however. Russ Grimm, owner of 4 Superbowl rings... has landed in Glendale to fight alongside Ken Whisenhunt. I am happy to say it, "...and that was the story of the Pittsburgh Steelers."

These are dangerous times for Cardinals kool aid chuggers like myself. Throughout most of 2006, most Cards fans could easily monday-morning-quarterback the Offensive line as the weakest link, "We have talented players at all postitions, why is this line so ineffective at the ends?" This topic has been a big point of discussion at the official forums for a long, long time.

Now we have Russ Grimm. Can anyone name a better candidate to fix the offensive trenches? No, we can not. I have a list of runner-ups but who cares now, eh?

The 2007 Cardinal Recipe

The Arizona Cardinals have a lethal passing game. This isn't debateable, check out any stat compilation for the past 5 years or so. Now examine this offensive roster for a moment: we have Matt Leinart, Edge, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald just to name a few of the talents. We have a previously unused (for the most part) Leonard Pope who will surely be a weapon for the Cards.

Throw in Ken Whisenhunt, running game innovator. He took a weak Steeler running game (ranked 31) and turned them into a top 3 powerhouse rushing machine - he did this within a year. The year they win the Superbowl.

If we put this all together, we're possibly looking at an '07 Cardinal team that can kill from the air and/or impose its will upon you on the ground. Am I excited? Damn right. Is it time to end the Seahawk's parade over the NFC West? It's already over, folks.

Rivera's Tampa 2 in Arizona?

2007-01-05T16:21:00.000-07:00

pasting my post at the Cardinals forum:

It's probably way too early to be as excited as I am with the prospect of Coach Rivera coming to Arizona. But, because its fun to do, why not take a look at what *might* happen in 2007 to our Cardinal Defense. I think it will work and work well. I am a nooblet student to the Tampa 2 scheme but feel like I have enough to share with someone who might not know anything about the Tampa 2.

Why do I like the Tampa 2 so much? It is simple by design (relatively speaking) and a lot of fun from the viewpoint of the fans in that we can clearly see who is doing well and who is not. The scheme allows for big plays and the opportunity for our defense to hit a ball carrier simultaneously from several angles. Smothering. Flexible. Downright intimidating when your front 4 pass rushers can apply pressure to the QB without the help of any blitz packages.

We all know that the Tampa 2 is a deviation of the ol' Cover 2 defense. Jon Gruden took Tony Dungy's Tampa 2 system and crushed the Raiders in the Superbowl with it (lets forget that Callahan didnt change a thing with Gruden's old offensive playbook lolz). With the right personnel as defined by Coach Dungy... the system is hard to beat.

The Detroit Lions use the system for the first time in 2006 and didn't do all that bad with it as a first year Tampa 2 system. It had some shining moments for sure. When the Lions got their front 4 to perform, they were downright dominating in games such as the loss to Seattle 9-6 in game 1. Hasselbeck said after the game that he couldn't do a damn thing, that he felt like he was in a fight and lost (they did win however... no touchdowns, 3 FGs to the Lions measly 2 FGs).

The Minnesota Vikings employ an aggressive Tampa 2 system. They blitz often. By design, they shouldn't have to. Coach Dungy says that the Front 4 guys should provide enough pressure to the QB that no blitz is required. You should blitz only because you want to, not because you have to. If you have to blitz... the scheme will not be effective.

The Bears play the Tampa 2. We all know about the Bears Defense even if it has been "mediocre" in a couple of games lately. They are in year 4 (or is it 5 now) and it's really beginning to show isn't it?

The Colts employ the Tampa 2. Always a good choice for a fantasy football Defense, eh?

So what is it and why is it different?

I'll be looking a lot at the Lions because I had a lot of interest in their rookie year with the Tampa 2. We could be in their position next year. I think we can learn a lot from their mistakes and sporadic success with the system so far.

Forgive me as I paste some from my blog about 8 months ago:

I suppose a look at the standard Cover 2 is in order first. The "Cover 2" defense involves having 4 linemen (typically) rushing the passer, the cornerbacks covering the passing flat area, the linebackers covering the middle of the field, and the safeties providing deep coverage on each half of their respective zones. While the Cover 2 defense is not a new concept, the personnel needed to employ the Tampa 2 version of Cover 2 uses in this defense is very specific.

The men used in the Tampa 2 are specific in position and required abilities. All positions in the Tampa 2 place a premium on speed, and often the result is that they are all undersized by league standards.The defensive linemen in the Tampa 2 have to be quick and agile enough to create pressure on the quarterback without the aid of a blitz from either the linebackers or the secondary, with the defensive tackle in the nose position having above-average tackling skills to help stop the run.

The three linebackers and two cornerbacks are responsible for covering the middle of the field. The outside linebackers general zone is between the cornerbacks covering the area of the field from the line of scrimmage to 10 yards back. The middle linebacker must have better-than-average speed, and additional skills (for Madden and NFL Head Coach players, this would be the Awareness attribute!) to be able to read the play and either maintain his central position to help the outside linebackers cover short passes, drop behind the linebackers in coverage and protect the zone of the field behind the outside linebackers from 11-20 yards out, or run up to the line of scrimmage to help assist in stopping the run. The cornerbacks protect the sidelines of the field from the line of scrimmage to anywhere between 15-20 yards out. An additional requirement for all Tampa 2 linebackers and cornerbacks is to be above-average tacklers, as they are usually the primary tacklers in the defense.

The two safeties are responsible for covering their respective halves of the field from 20 yards out and more. The safeties in Dungy's system are expected to be above-average cover men with the ability to break up passes, but each safety also is expected to have additional specific skills. The strong safeties, while not expected to
be great tacklers, are expected to be hard hitters. The hard hitting strong safety protects the middle of the field from being exploited by small, fast wide receivers, and running backs on 'Wheel' routes, by intimidating them to not run their routes in that direction. The free safety in Dungy's system will be called upon to do one of two things in certain situations, either blitz the quarterback, requiring him to have the skills necessary to beat a blocking running back or fullback, or to assume the coverage zone left by a blitzing cornerback.

When executed properly, Dungy's Tampa 2 defense is difficult to beat, which speaks for its longevity that it has fundamentally not changed since first introduced when he came to Tampa in 1996. Teams that have been successful against this defense have managed to run the ball up the middle past the defensive tackles, or throw passes in the seams between the outside linebackers and the cornerbacks (often the most effective receiver against a Tampa 2 defense is a Tight End, since they often line up against this seam).

Other tactics that have shown to be effective on occasion are misdirection plays that take advantage of the defensive speed and rely on the defense overrunning the play (such as the middle linebacker rushing to the line of scrimmage on a play-action pass), or overloading the safeties by having multiple receivers running deep routes, creating more targets in a zone than defenders. Recently, certain teams have also been able to exploit the seam between the cornerbacks and the safeties, when the quarterback can throw a pass to a receiver in that seam faster than the safety can rush up to close it and cover the receiver.

"If you like cheeseburgers, the Tampa 2 is OK because the cheeseburger's going to be the same everyday, all the time, whatever city you're in, ask for a cheeseburger and fries, it's going to be the same." —Colts coach Tony Dungy.

With Urlacher, the Bears are in good shape. Who's going to take on this role in Arizona? It might not be who we think! Detroit experimented and, I suspect, will continue to experiment until they find their MLB for the job. Even Paris Lenon was given several shots to claim the job. Ernie Sims is their answer whether they see it or not, in my humble opinion. He's the fastest linebacker on the team. Have you seen how large the MLB zone is for this scheme? But enough about the Lions even if they make a great example for us to look at because they just finished their "rookie" year under the Tampa 2.

I think we're already ok with the current roster as far as linebackers and defensive backs go. Rolle will shine because his responsibilities will be fewer and this will allow him to crash into other bodies more often. Eric Green, Macklin, Rolle, *insert whoever!* can take even more risks... plow into ball carriers and/or go for more interceptions because they'll have ADUB or Griffith behind them to finish anything they started. I believe ADUB will have even more confidence as the enforcer for this defensive scheme.

Where I am most curious is how the front 4 will apply pressure. Dockett will need another man to step up and help him apply the pressure on the QB. Both inside linemen must be monsters to avoid constant double teaming. Looking at Detroit again, when Shaun Rogers AND at least one other lineman was penetrating, they were very successful at stopping everything. Shaun took a game off and was suspended for 4 (or was it more?) games. They fell apart on Defense.

Would I cry if we drafted a Defensive Lineman in the first round? NOPE. I'd love to see Joe Thomas come but any help up front on the Defensive side is going to really help our team. It's that important for the success, in my opinion, of our 2007 Cards. I like Kendrick Clancy next to Darnell Dockett. I just don't know if he's enough, all game long, to be the guy to help Dockett.

Our outside defensive ends? We got it. Under the Tampa 2, the Cards are going to shine here. With two monsters in the middle (maybe we need to grab 1 or 3 Free Agent inside defensive lineman... I don't know whos going to be available), our Cardinal DE's are going to get some serious sacks, I believe.

So that's what I think, off the wall or not. And this is also why I think Rivera can get this team to win the division in his first year. We only need to improve the pressure in the middle, I believe.

Coach Clancy? If Rivera is our new HC, I hope he'll get an interview and a chance to work under Rivera's tutelage for the Tampa 2, I love his intensity and aggression. When it comes to Defense, calling Ron Mexico a bizatch to his face is a man I like to cheer on.

Speed, awareness, and hard hitters are the requirements to a successful Tampa 2 system in Arizona or wherever it's employed... we got it, gentlemen. Rivera very well could bring us the division title in 2007.

Pass me some more Rivera Kool Aid! I'm ready for this guy!

Farewell Denny!

2007-01-03T09:32:00.000-07:00

So Long Dennis Green, "You're FIRED"

Another video from Don.

My First Cardinals Video Highlights Film

2006-12-27T23:14:00.000-07:00

The game was so much fun that I had to try my first highlights reel.

Anquan Boldin... "Imma Grown-Ass Man!"

2006-12-16T15:32:00.000-07:00

Who's the 5th MOST FEARED man in the NFL? None other than our own... Anquan Boldin. Don't take my word for it, check out Sport's Illustrated view on this.

Noone believes that Randy Moss can actually strike fear into another man's heart. Sure, he can burn you deep for 6 but so can Chad Johnson. Only Anquan can trample and embarrass a linebacker.

This week he'll probably break 1,000 yards receiving for the year. Here's a record for the non-believers. The players who reached 300 receptions in the fewest career games played:

PLAYER GAMES TO 300 CATCHES
Lionel Taylor, Chicago-Denver, 1959-63 54
Kellen Winslow, San Diego, 1979-83 57
Isaac Bruce, St. Louis, 1994-98 58
Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis, 1996-99 59
Three tied 60
Anquan Boldin, in, Arizona 46

Seahawks vs Cardinals highlights

2006-12-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

Normally I don't like to link to any youtube.com vids on my blog but this is a must see for all Cards fans. Game highlights of Denny's Cards manhandling the overrated Seahawks. Thanks, SundevilDon!

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Denver Broncos vs Arizona Cardinals 2006

2006-12-15T15:28:00.000-07:00

It's the Denver Broncos vs. Arizona Cardinals game! It's Test Week for the 2006 April draft class and time for Matt Leinart to show us why the Arizona Cardinals were all over him like a rat on a cheetoh. Or, in our case, perhaps a coach on a chili dog. Coach Denny was glowing when Matt fell to Arizona's pick. Weren't we all? To be honest, the game isn't as important as I'd like to believe. Some believe that Evil Shanahan gave up on the 2006 season and has begun early preparation for 2007 with the decision to take out Jake the Snake for Jay Cutler. He has been dubbed as the future of Denver. Some believe that Cardinal Matt Leinart replaced Kurt Warner because it was the best chance to win now and to win next year. As I sip my weekly cherry Kool-Aid, I know that this will be the reason that the Cardinals win tomorrow. The football gods will smile (the refs won't be calling ridiculous phantom interceptions this week) and the Cardinals will be looking at three straight wins.

Crazy? That's a negative, Sports Illustrated agrees. As if that's validation. It's progress anyway. When was the last time that Cardinals were favored to beat Denver in the national press? Could the Cardinals have hit the turnaround bend a few weeks ago and we're already looking at the new *winning* tradition for Arizona? Behold the future, Cards fans!

So long, Shaun!

2006-12-10T19:43:00.000-07:00

After 2 weeks of reading how the Seahawks are going to stomp on the Arizona Cardinals at the Cards forums, the trolls eat crow. The hawks were overrated going into the Superbowl last year and they're certainly overrated this year. At the same time, Matt Leinart showed us again why he was our number 1 pick in April. Everyone and their mother knew that Holmgren was going to blitz but Matt showed them that if you're going to blitz...

BLITZ like a man.

We had guys show up at the Cards forums with signatures like, "How are you going to stop Shaun this time??"

Here's how:

Shaun Alexander 77 yards, 0 Touchdowns.

See ya next year, Mr. Alexander!

Ron Wolfley... audio archives...

2006-12-03T00:31:00.000-07:00

The Arizona Cardinals lose, lose, and lose some more. Why watch/listen to the games? I've got three words for you: Ron Wolfley.

"Larry Fitzgerald.... JAPANESE FIGHTING FISH!!"

Fan of the Cards or not, you've got to listen to some of these highlights.

"Adrian just came in there and turned him into a human twizzler!"

"What do you do with 3rd and Tucson?"

2006-11-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

There haven't been many bright spots for the Arizona Cardinals' offensive line this year. Rookie Deuce Lutui may help change that. Having already started 3 games straight, this Sunday will make 4 and he's done well so far.

I've whined for months that the Cardinals need Tackles vs Guards but an improvement is an improvement. Perhaps the perfect compliment will come in April, 2007 with a draft pick of tackle Thomas out of Wisconsin. With Lutui playing the rest of this year, Thomas could be the only rookie in the trenches next year.

The team has won two games this year. With the O line holes plugged, the team could be unstoppable which makes this year even more heartbreaking to watch the Cardiac Cards.

The AZ Cards website forums has several new threads a day reference "who's the next head coach?" Mooch? No thanks. Jon Gruden? Double no thanks. The retread coaching list goes on and on. Martz Madness? I can't see him leaving Detroit with the mess he's made of the Detroit Lions receiving corps. Any concious at all would have him stay and make them a winner before jumping ship.

What's the solution? There's only a few. One is to throw about 3x the average salary offer to Charlie Weiss. He's not leaving Notre Dame for chump change and he's made that clear with talk about winning lottery ticket numbers as incentive. Desperate times call for desperate measures! The Bidwills could make it happen if they want to... if they want a winner in Glendale, I can't think of a faster or better way of taking Arizona from league's worst to league's best than with Weiss at the helm.

Crystal Ball reveals Arizona Cardinals to outscore Detroit Lions

2006-11-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

The Arizona Cardinals host the Detroit Lions tomorrow in a battle of “Who Wants It More”. Although I may believe (with some bias!) that both teams are only minutely away from becoming great NFL teams, it has been an awful year for fans of both teams. Three wins combined between the two.

You don’t have to be an insider to see the lack of effort in the last two games on the Cardinals part. Not all of the players, of course. When there’s passion on the field, you can see it. You won’t find it in the tape of the last 2 Cardinals games, that’s for sure. This certainly, in turn, becomes their biggest challenge tomorrow if they hope to win against a team who’s improving quickly.

The Lions will be charging hard for early scores in an attempt to break the hearts and courage of the Cardinals. If the Lions can strike twice before the Cardinals strike once, doom is certain. The Cardiac Cards are in no shape to make any comebacks this year... they lack the desire and courage to impose anything on the W-L column.

Coach Pendergast is tasked to stop an offense headed by Coach Mike Martz and led by a confident Jon Kitna / Roy Williams combo punch. It ain’t going to be pretty.

End result?

In my crystal ball, I have seen Matt Leinart reminding us once again why he was the wise choice on Draft Day. Tomorrow, he will find the seams of Detroit’s young Tampa 2 defensive scheme. Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald will be open in the middle of Motown’s zone coverage. Tomorrow, we may not see Edge break rushing records… but I believe we’ll see much improved receiving yards (YAC anyway) from him.

Like every game for the rest of the year, this is a must-win situation when they take the field. Matt Leinart needs to find his winning rhythm before the season ends to get 2007 off to a head start.

Ron Wolfley, the most entertaining NFL radio announcer ever to hit the airwaves is always a good read when you can’t catch him on the mic:

...Big Red fans might want to recognize the future is here and hope their future plays well and wins games – like he did at USC. Pavlov’s dog salivated when they rang a bell, believing he was going to get fed. Matt Leinart does the same when he walks onto a football field, believing he’s going to win games. It’s important that this conditioning happens before the end of the season. It’s important that Leinart, heading into the off-season, knows he’s a winner, knows he can win at the NFL level, expects to win and passes this expectation along to his teammates.

Eyes Downfield

2006-11-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

Eight straight losses for the Arizona Cardinals became a reality yesterday. Early in the 1st quarter, it sure felt as if Matt Leinart was almost automatically looking for the hot read receiver to dump it off to. I remember one play, in particular, where Anquan Boldin was wide open about 20 yards over the center but Matt seemed to read a script for a dump to Edge.

The Warner-ites (especially at the Cardinals’ official forums) will say, “at least Kurt keeps his eyes downfield for the big play”. While this is entirely true, the first two Leinart starts showed that Matt is ready for the big bombs as well. I’ve supported the start of Leinart since it was announced because Matt just doesn’t fumble like Warner does on a regular basis. After 2 more starts, it appears that the beatings and blindside sacks have already taken its toll. I hope I’m wrong, but yesterday’s game versus the Dallas Cowboys really seemed to shut down a rising star’s willingness to see the entire field and make the big play.

Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald are going to be open frequently. We’re talking about two of the best receivers to hit the field. Once defenses (Oakland and Chicago already has) anticipate Leinart’s hot dumps to the short receivers… we’re not only going to continue losing but it will be inevitable.

This is reason 433 why we need huge improvements in the O line… I hope the coaches point it out to Matt that he just might be giving up on the big play a little too soon. This is understandable but needs correction before it becomes a habit, it’s almost suicide to take a snap as a quarterback for the 2006 Arizona Cardinals.

Cardinals host the Cowboys

2006-11-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

We've suffered through two weeks of sub-par QB play by Matt Leinart... this has to be the week it all ends. This has to be the week that the Cardinals perform. Of course, if Denny Green takes over the play-calling, all bets are off.

Kickoff in a few hours!

Warner keeps his eye on the big play possibilities but fumbles as if he's collecting two checks. Matt has had to rely on the dump off hot read because the Cardinals' O Line has been a pathetic work in progress. Let's hope that Matt doesn't make the hot read a habit out there. Opposing teams like the Bears have expected dumps to the hot reads already and made him pay dearly with interceptions.

Fitz is expected back this week. Anquan Boldin and Fitzgerald are back on the field and Leinart once again has a double shotgun threat. Edge may even have a few holes to run through. Some are screaming at the Arizona Cardinals' official message boards about "twinkle toes" but until the film shows otherwise, I'll agree with Edge that it's not easy to run through brick walls.

A reported successful players' meeting has brought some fire back for the players, we'll see the results today!

Go Cardinals!