Cardinals Win Finale

The Cardinals season ended on a good note as they defeated the Seahawks on Sunday.  With the win, Arizona finished with an 8-8 record and a 6-2 record at home.  After an abysmal start to the season where they started 1-6 including a 6 game losing streak.  They finished 7-2 with their only two losses coming from playoff teams in San Francisco and Cincinnati.  There was a lot of encouraging performances from the team this year, but the biggest concern going into the offseason is at the Quarterback position.  After handing a big contract to Kevin Kolb after trading a first round pick and starting CB Rodgers-Cromartie for him, he did not perform as well as expected.  He had trouble staying on the field through injuries, and when he was playing he struggled much of the time.  In eight games, he had just under 200o yards with 9 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.  He compiled a 2-6 record in those starts (not including SF where he threw just one pass before leaving with a head injury).  I doubt Arizona will give up on Kolb after just one year, but he will certainly have a shorter leash next season.  John Skelton is likely to return as the backup after a fairly solid season.  He threw for just over 1900 yards with 11 TD’s and 14 INT’s. The turnovers are concerning, but he proved he was able to win.  In the eight games he played in, he won 6.

Beanie Wells broke out in a big way, rushing for over 1000 yards and 10 touchdowns.  Not surprisingly, he had his fair share of injuries throughout the season.  When he was able to play though he was very effective and proved he has the ability to be a feature back.  Losing Ryan Williams so early hurt the depth at RB, so having him back should help tremendously.  Larry Fitzgerald didn’t skip a beat despite the QB carousel.  He had 1411 yards, which was his 4th season of over 1400 yards and just 20 yards short of his career high.  Early Doucet had a bit of a breakout year, with nearly 700 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns.  Losing Breaston turned out not too hurt Arizona too much, as Andre Roberts had a good season as well.  Todd Heap couldn’t stay healthy and his first season in Arizona was disappointing.

Patrick Peterson was incredible his rookie season, but not necessarily as most expected.  He played solid defense, but earned a pro bowl trip because of his return game.  He had 4 returns for scores, including a game winner.  He has a very bright future as a Cardinal.

The Cardinals found ways to win close games, with 4-0 record when the game went into overtime, including Sunday against Seattle.  Playoffs were obviously the ultimate goal for this team, but fans can’t be too disappointed considering the start of the season.  Kevin Kolb wasn’t what everyone hoped for, but there is still time for him to improve.  He certainly has the weapons to succeed, so it is completely in his hands to work on his game.  If the passing game does start to improve, this team has some serious potential.  The defense really came along towards the end of the year, and the running game is very effective when Wells is in the lineup.  If the 49ers take a step back from their 13-3 record of this year, the Cardinals can easily be contenders in the NFC West.

360 News | Ben King | January 4, 2012 10:10 pm | Comments (0)

Cincy Crushes Playoff Dreams

Considering how unlikely it was for the Cards to slip into the playoffs, I guess it shouldn’t be too big of headline that the Bengals dashed those hopes on Sunday.  Even if Arizona were to win, Detroit handled the Chargers and would have eliminated the Cardinals anyways.  Still, the loss snapped a 4 game winning streak and they will play their final game on Sunday against the Seahawks.  A large reason for their struggles this year has been their record on the road.  With this loss, they finished with a 2-6 record on the road.  That doesn’t give much room for error at the home front.

Arizona didn’t show up to play in the first 3 quarters which put them in a 23-0 hole before the 4th quarter started.  The Cardinals offense came alive in the 4th but it was a little too late.  Skelton connected with Fitzgerald and Jeff King for scores, and a Feeley FG with a little over 3 minutes left made it a one score game.  They were able to get the ball back with just under a minute left, but couldn’t drive down quick enough to tie the game.

Kevin Kolb missed the game once again, and seems a bit unlikely to make the start next week unless he is perfectly healthy.  John Skelton had a similar line to what we have become a custom to.  He threw for nearly 300 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions.  The 3 interceptions in the first half, and even was almost benched for Bartel.  His big second half though salvaged much of his performance, but as long as he continues to throw more interceptions than touchdowns he won’t be considered a long term solution.  Of course, Kevin Kolb hasn’t done much to warrant the big money contract he received earlier this year, so Skelton may get a decent look next year.  With their current record, they will likely be out for most of the top quarterbacks in next years draft class.

Beanie Wells didn’t have a great game, but with his 53 yards, he eclipsed 1000 yards for the first time this season with 10 touchdowns to go with it.  If Beanie can stay healthy, he has a future as a lead back for the Cards.  Fitzgerald had another 100 yard receiving game and caught his 8th touchdown pass of the season.  He has had yet another 1000 yard season (actually nearly 1300 thus far) despite the quarterback struggles.

The Cardinals finish off the season next week at home against the Seahawks.  Both teams are 7-8, so at least one will finish with a .500 record.  Last year remember, no teams from the NFC West finished with a record of .500 or above.  This year at least two will.  Neither have much to play for, so it will be interesting to see how this one plays out.

360 News | Ben King | December 30, 2011 12:01 am | Comments (0)

Cardinals Keep Playoff Hopes Alive

In third OT win of the year, the Arizona Cardinals defeated the Browns to improve to 7-7.  They are currently in a 4 way tie for the last spot outside of the playoffs in the NFC.  Arizona will need a lot of help to get into the postseason, but it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility.  The Giants have a tough schedule including the Cowboys, the Seahawks have to face this very Cardinals team, and Chicago has been a shell of their former selves since Cutler and Forte went down with injuries.  Of course that all does not matter unless the Lions lose both of their games.  They face a red hot Chargers team and the best team in the league in their final two games.  I’ll go over the possibilities if Arizona can win this weeks game which is something that shouldn’t be looked over.

The Cards struggled much of the game against the Browns, but scored the final points to take the game in OT.  John Skelton has started a QB controversy for sure, as he threw for 313 yards and a TD.  He spread the ball to several different receivers, 3 of which eclipsed 60 yards.  Surprisingly, the top receiver was oft-injured Todd Heap, who had 7 catches for 69 yards in his best game in a Cardinal’s uniform. Fitzgerald had 65 yards, including a big 32 yard gain in OT that helped set up the game winning field goal.  Roberts had the one TD of the game and managed 60 yards himself.  John Skelton may throw some picks, but he is airing the ball out much better than Kolb so far this season.  His record is much more impressive too at 5-1, with the only loss coming from San Francisco.  Skelton may not be a long term option, but it certainly has addressed concerns about whether Kolb is.  If Kolb can’t beat out Skelton then it doesn’t seem likely that Kolb’s salary will be picked up next year.

Up next is a huge game on the road against the Bengals, who are also clinging to playoff hopes.  They have had a lot of success from their well balanced defense.  They also have a great rookie combo in Andy Dalton and AJ Green.  Green suffered a shoulder injury in last weeks game, but should be good to go.  He is a serious deep threat and should be matched up against fellow top 10 pick Patrick Peterson.  This is certainly going to be a challenge and the most interesting headline coming into the game for Arizona will be who is under center.  Kolb has said he feels great after his concussion two weeks ago, but that may not be in the best interest of the Cards.  Skelton has proved that they can win, but of course his stats don’t exactly blow anyone out of the water, especially the turnovers.  The biggest game of the season for Arizona is on Saturday at 1.

360 News | Ben King | December 21, 2011 10:12 pm | Comments (0)

Cardinals Shock 49ers

We are in December and the Cards continue to play their best football of the year.  Arizona won 21-19 on Sunday to beat the NFC West Champion 49ers, who lost for just the third time all year.  After starting the year off 1-6, they now have won 5 of their last 6 to improve to 6-7 and still alive in the NFC wildcard race.  Now, it will still take a lot of work, but back to back wins against Dallas and San Francisco have given this team enough confidence to feel like they can beat anyone.  They have Cleveland up next, followed by Cincy before they finish the season off at home against the Seahawks.  If they can win out, they would stand at 9-7 and would have a head to head win over Dallas which could come into play.  Chicago is falling off the map with injuries to Cutler and Forte, Detroit has struggled after a red hot start, and Dallas is going through their typical December swoon.  Arizona isn’t it out of it yet, but they need to keep winning.

As for the game Sunday, it wasn’t how you would expect the Cards to win a game.  They lost the turnover battle 3-0, and even trailed by double digits in the 2nd half.  Kevin Kolb left the game early in the first with a head injury and Beanie Wells was essentially a non factor.  What they did do was pressure Alex Smith, bringing him down 5 times.  When Alex Smith is running for his life, he is mostly the ineffective QB we have seen so much in the past.  He completed less than half of his passes for 175 yards.  He was kept out of the end zone, and in true game manager fashion he threw zero interceptions.  It has been enough for much of the year, but they couldn’t score enough to support the defense in this one.  A big reason why was the lack of carries for star RB Frank Gore.  He was limited to 10 carries, which was apparently because he wasn’t at 100%.  He racked up 72 yards and a TD in those limited carries, so it is likely a bit lucky for Arizona that Gore couldn’t take  bigger load.

On the offensive side of the ball, John Skelton was forced in very early in the game.  Kolb managed just one pass before taking a blow to the head that forced him out of the.   Skelton was much of the turnover prone QB we have seen earlier in the year, as he threw two INTs and a fumbled the ball once.  That is not much of a surprise considering the dominance of the Niners defense, especially in turnover margin.  The big surprise is how he was able to air it out for some big plays and huge scores.  He had a 60 yard score to Doucet, a 46 yard score to Fitzgerald, and added a 3 yard strike to Andre Roberts to put the team up for good.  He finished with 282 yards in the air, and Fitzgerald had perhaps his best game of the season with 7 catches and 149 yards.  Very impressive performance from Skelton, considering the defense he was playing, his struggles just a few weeks ago, the lack of help from the running game (Wells had just 27 yards, Skelton managed 25 himself), and that he was forced into duty early in the first quarter.

Like I said earlier, Arizona stands at 6-7 now, and have a decent shot to reach 9 wins this year.  They are 4-2 at home on the year, and have 2 of their last 3 games at home to finish off the season.  Next up is Cleveland who is really struggling lately.  They have lost 6 of 7 and stand at 4-9.  They have done a good job at stopping the pass, but that is about it.  Peyton Hillis is back, so their running game should improve and will be a decent threat.  Colt McCoy took a brutal hit from James Harrison last week and seems unlikely to play this game with a concussion.  Seneca Wallace should be the starter, but that may even be an upgrade.  Either way the QB situation in Cleveland isn’t exactly intimidating.  With how well Arizona is playing, this shouldn’t a problem for them, but nothing is guaranteed in the NFL.

360 News | Ben King | December 15, 2011 12:42 am | Comments (0)

Stephen-Howlings Shocks Cowboys

The game was a defensive battle for the most part, but had an ending nobody could expect.  Going into the fourth quarter, it was just a 13-6 game, with the only touchdown coming in the second quarter on a Romo to Bryant connection.  Then Kevin Kolb led his team down the field and Beanie Wells finished it with a 4 yard score to tie it up.  The Cowboys had the ball at the end of regulation to seal the deal.  Dan Bailey was given a long field goal attempt to lead the Cowboys back home with their 8th victory of the season when the unimaginable happened.  He was iced by his own coach.  Jason Garrett took an ill advised timeout as Dan Bailey put it through the uprights.  His second try didn’t go so well.  I don’t have any idea what Garrett was thinking, but the Cardinals certainly didn’t mind.

The Cardinals started with the ball in OT and never let the Cowboys touch it. 5 plays and 80 yards into the extra period,  LaRod Stephens-Howlings finished off the game with an outstanding catch and run for 52 yards.  Looking just like the return man he is, he took a screen from Kolb and dodge several defenders on his way to pay dirt.  The Cowboys were playing hot, winning 4 in a row before this game, but continued to struggle on the road.

This game was extremely efficient on both sides.  There were a total of zero turnovers by both teams.  Each team had 5 sacks as well, so the defense pressure was on all game.  Romo had a solid game, throwing for 299 yards, but could only get the ball into the end zone once all game.  The running game had one its most ineffective games all season as Demarco Murray could only manage 38 yards on the ground and now spell back Felix Jones added 36.  An overall solid defensive performance from the Cards to stop a high powered offense.

Kevin Kolb made his long anticipated return, trying to redeem his woes from earlier in the season.  He looked much better this game, but did not excel.  He was held out of the end zone until the over time period, and even that one was purely because of the amazing run after the catch from Stephens-Howling.  Still, he performed well for the most part.  After Skelton had thrown 6 interceptions in the last 2 games, it was a welcome sight to see zero thrown from Kolb.  He finished the day with 247 yards passing with the one score.  Beanie Wells couldn’t really get it going, managing only 67 yards on 20 carries.  He couldn’t break any down field, his long for the day was just 9.  The big breakout performer for the day was Andre Roberts.  He was the leading receiver with much of the focus on Larry Fitzgerald, and even Doucet was shut down.  Roberts had 111 yards on 6 catches.  He brought in every ball that went his way.  I’m sure he was glad to see Kevin Kolb under center again.

So the Cardinals now sit 5-7, tied for second in the NFC West.  If this were last year, they would be in the thick of things for the NFC title, but San Francisco has run away with it this year.  Still, this team has a lot of talent and would love to bring some momentum into next year.  Despite some key injuries, they have now won 4 of their last 5.  Their only loss in that stretch?  The Niners, who they have again next week.  This time they will get them at home, so maybe this hot team can pull an upset.  Having Kolb back is big, because the 49ers do not give up many points.  The Cardinals will need all of the weapons they can get.

360 News | Ben King | December 6, 2011 1:34 am | Comments (0)

Cards Ride Beanie to Victory

It was the Beanie Wells show on Sunday, but it almost didn’t happen.  The RB came into the game listed as questionable, however he still managed to carry the ball 27 times for a grand total of 228 yards.  That included a 71 yard run and took another one in for a score.  His lone hiccup was a fumble, but he more than made up for it.  His effort was well needed with John Skelton struggling mightily again.  He finished with just 114 yards in the air and two interceptions.  That’s five picks in the last two games for anyone counting.  In fact, his throwing yards in the last two games is less than Beanie’s rushing yards yesterday.  Alright I think you get how poorly Skelton has performed these last two games, but the Cards have won 3 of those games.  Of course I have to mention Fitzgerald’s production in the game as once again he was the leading receiver, hauling in 3 passes for 55 yards.  Not spectacular, but most of the blame should be put on the signal caller.

The scoring started with an 88 yard punt return by Nick Miller of the Rams.  He was picked up just a few days before the game and made his impression felt in a big way.  Not to be outdone, Patrick Peterson did it once again with another punt return for a touchdown, this one going for 80 yards near the end of the third quarter.  At that point the score was 20-10, before St. Louis came roaring back.  A Bradford connection with Brandon Lloyd gave tied the game halfway through the 4th quarter.  With just over 4 minutes left, however, Jay Feely chipped in his 3rd field goal of the game to give the Cards the lead for good.

The effective running game was a welcoming sight for Card’s fans.  Beanie had been hampered by knee injuries coming into the game and even tweaked it during.  However, when he is on his game, he is a very strong back.  His 228 almost wasn’t enough with the ineptness of John Skelton.  Kevin Kolb needs to come back in a hurry.  Even though the starter hasn’t been amazing, he can at least produce better than Skelton has in the last two games.  As I mentioned earlier, the Cards have won 3 of 4, but still stand at 4-7 for the year.  They will get Dallas next who have won 4 straight games.  Tony Romo has been productive, but still mistake prone.  Demarco Murray has taken over the lead back role and has already gained over 800 yards on the ground.  His last two games haven’t been as solid though without his lead blocker.  Dallas is a solid team throughout, so this will be quite a challenge.  Getting Kolb back would be a huge boost.  The Boy’s have struggled a bit on the road.  They are only 2-3, but have faced some pretty stiff competition.  The two face off at 4:15 at University of Phoenix Stadium.

360 News | Ben King | November 28, 2011 10:28 pm | Comments (0)