The onus for beating the Atlanta Falcons is on Carson Palmer and the Arizona Cardinals offense. Palmer and co. must play better in order for the Cardinals to even their record at 4-4. The offense must possess the ball, move the chains, convert third downs, take time off the clock and, most of all, score […]
There are some that believe the Arizona State Sun Devils’ victory over the Washington Huskies last weekend was the most impressive of Todd Graham’s time at ASU. I wouldn’t disagree with that sentiment but would add Colorado to that statement. Yes, Colorado. It’s easy to get a team’s attention and prepare them when they know […]
David Freese did it again for the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of the NLDS. This time it was the Pittsburgh Pirates that were victimized. Even though Adam Wainwright was the story of Game 5, little did he know that David Freese’s 2-run bomb in the 2nd inning would prove to be the coup […]
Carson Palmer’s interceptions are cause for concern but not panic. After all, the Cards are 3-2 on the season and that will always be the bottom line for a team in transition. Are you winning games? The Cardinals never promised Carson Palmer they were going to build their franchise around him for years to come. […]
Defense was the word in Tampa and although the Buccaneers started a rookie quarterback Todd Bowles’ unit did what they should have done to an offense that had been struggling: dominate. The Bucs scored 10 points, turned it over 3 times, and RB Doug Martin averaged 1.7 yards/carry. Defense is why the Cards were able […]
One of the more interesting stories of the 2013 NFL season is Arizona Cardinals safety/cornerback/badger Tyrann Mathieu. I continue to be amazed at this rookie’s football acumen and ability to make plays on the field. In the first week of the season he made one of the best plays a player could make, punching the […]
Carson Palmer did not play well in New Orleans. Although he has only played three games for the Cards, this was his worst showing. Palmer completed just over 50 percent of his passes, threw for only 187 yards and two picks. And the offense responded to his performance in kind. Big Red scored only seven […]
I hated to see Patrick Corbin get lit up against the Dodgers on Tuesday. Here’s a guy that appears to be the ace of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ staff going into 2014. And you want to see guys that are cornerstone players finish strong and play well against division rivals. Unfortunately, the Diamondbacks ace has not […]
I’m so impressed with Tyrann Mathieu. I’m not alone. Cardinals fans, players, coaches and members of the front office have been raving about Honey Badger since training camp opened. But he did it again. His tackle on Nate Burleson on fourth down to clinch Big Red’s first victory of the 2013 season showed his playmaking […]
The read option has created a buzz in the NFL and it is all the rage, changing the game as we know it. But some wonder whether or not it is fatally flawed, a tragedy of sacrificial talent subjected to the whimsical ways of powers, rulers and authorities. With under seven minutes to go in […]
The Cardinals played so well in certain areas and so poorly in others, but in the end couldn’t make enough plays to beat the Rams in Bruce Arians’ debut. Although they will be at home this week against the Lions, the struggles of St. Louis and the prowess of Detroit are a combination to be […]
Bob Golic once described playing nose guard in the National Football League like being a fire hydrant in the middle of a dog kennel. You’re the object of unwanted attention and treated with indignation and scorn; and it stinks. Cards 1-Technique, Dan Williams, can empathize. Dumpster Dan has been in the middle of the maelstrom […]
We’re going to find out what kind of team the Cardinals have and the prospects for the season early. They play the Rams in St. Louis this Sunday. I do not mean to say that should the following go awry the season is lost, even though I discovered there is a 75 percent mathematical chance […]
The news on Jonathan Cooper is both sobering and surprising. On one hand, losing your best offensive lineman when there is a premium on improving your offensive line seems to be a disaster; on the other hand, the news of his successful operation and possible return in 2013 was encouraging. The Cardinals think he might […]
Bruce Arians is not very happy with the Cardinals’ offense in the red zone. Missed opportunities are not the way a football team wins games, and there is no better example of a missed opportunity than having possession of the football inside the opponent’s 20-yard line and not scoring a TD. But the preseason is […]
The Cardinals are desperately looking for receivers. Although they feel very good about their top three, they aren’t very confident about what follows. It’s one of the reasons why the Cards are using Patrick Peterson on the offensive side of the ball. Peterson as a receiver brings the one element to the Cardinals offense that […]
Two NFL players with connections to the Basin got into a boot parade last week, and it got downright nasty. Antonio Smith, former Cardinal and one of my favorite players, and Phoenix product, Richie Incognito, were throwing haymakers at each other in a preseason game between the Dolphins and Texans. Richie Incognito and Antonio Smith […]
Patrick Peterson made his debut on offense and I’m excited because of the lack of chicanery. Peterson ran a go-route, a curl-route and caught a pass on a wide-receiver screen, gaining 6-yards. His appearance may have seemed ordinary and benign, but this will allow him to do extraordinary things in the regular season. Peterson will […]
Bruce Arians has really impressed me. Although I wonder how some of his policies will fly in today’s NFL, he is unique, convicted and unafraid. One example of his out-of-the-box policies involves his application of an “Accountability Board.” The Accountability Board, as reported by Darren Urban of azcardinals.com, is present at every team meeting. Coaches […]
Dez Bryant has a point. The NCAA’s investigation into whether or not Johnny Manziel took money for autograph sessions with brokers just went viral. For Dez Bryant it just became volatile. Dallas’ mercurial wide receiver is watching what the NCAA does to Johnny Football within the context of fairness; and others are watching. Bryant was […]
I keep talking about this and I know I’m starting to sound redundant but I’m just amazed by what I’m seeing at University of Phoenix Stadium. The hammer just keeps falling at Cards Camp. Big Red worked out in full gear again Tuesday and the tempo was downright dirty. Live tackling broke out from play-to-play […]
Trying to evaluate preseason football is a dangerous proposition. Having said this, everything that follows is said with the hope that springs eternal during preseason. Also, keep in mind one of my favorite mantras: It’s only preseason, but it sure beats the alternative. The quarterbacks played very well at Lambeau Field. Carson Palmer looked like […]
Big Red’s training camp might be the most physical camp since the turn of the century. Whether the Cardinals are in shells (helmets, shoulder pads and shorts) or full gear, they are practicing at a high tempo and the intensity level is bellicose. These practices remind me of old school football. Bill Parcells and Jimmy […]
Over the weekend I experienced something that I’m still having a hard time wrapping my mind around. Hardcore NFL scouts and coaches are raving about Tyrann Mathieu, the Cardinals’ third-round pick out of LSU. Mathieu has always been an excellent football player, but his adjustment — mentally — to the National Football League has been […]
