Notes from the nest: Cardinals vs. Steelers
Game over
And that will do it, Steelers win 32-20. Will have more
from the locker
room, should be, uhh, fun.
2:59 left in 4th quarter
Steelers have the ball and are driving, though its all of
little consequence.
They are going to win this game and the Cardinals will
lick their wounds as
the 2011 season continues to slip away.
3:53 left in fourth quarter
Kolb hits Doucet for a two yard score after the team puts
a nice drive
together. Two point conversion fails, Steelers up 32-20.
Going to be too
little, too late I’m afraid.
6:46 left in fourth quarter
Steelers add another field goal and make it 32-14. This
game is over, folks,
but feel free to stick around and keep reading.
In all seriousness, this is just an all-around awful
effort, especially from the
offense. You’d have hoped for a better effort after the
bye but alas, no. This
team just isn’t good. Hot seat, Coach Whiz, Coach Whiz,
hot seat.
10:56 left in fourth quarter
An awful pass, a screen play gone awry (shocking, I know)
and an
underthrow to an open Fitz lead to the Cardinals punting
the ball away, and
a good return (aided by a non-called holding) gives the
Steelers the ball at
the Arizona 40. Fans are starting to head for the exits,
can’t say I blame
them.
11:25 left in fourth quarter
Stephens-Howling takes the kickoff from six yards deep in
the end zone to
the 13 yard line. Guy has been killing the team on returns
today.
Cardinals really need a touchdown here, preferably in a
timely manner. Do
they have it in them? Honestly, I doubt it. The Steelers
know Arizona will be
one dimensional and tee off on Kolb.
11:30 left in fourth quarter
Cardinals defense holds the Steelers to a field goal,
which makes the score
29-14 guests. Game isn’t over, but would take an
incredible fourth quarter
effort from the home team to even have a chance.
End of third quarter
The Steelers have the ball, a 26-14 lead and a chance to
put this game
away here on this drive. They are at midfield and, well,
look less awful than
Arizona.
Kolb looks bad, the defense looks mediocre and the
Cardinals, well, look
like a team ready to be 1-5.
3:42 left in third quarter
If some of the air was sucked out on that touchdown the
rest is now gone
due to a safety. Kolb is called for intentional grounding
in the end zone,
Steelers now lead 26-14 and will be getting the ball. This
one is
dangerously close to being blown wide open.
3:54 left in third quarter
The answer was no. Pittsburgh got the first down and,
aided by some
slipping Cardinals, scored on a four yard pass from
Roethlisberger to
Sanders. Steelers take a 24-14 lead with just under four
minutes left in the
third, kind of sucks some of the air out of the building.
6:20 left in third quarter
Steelers are driving, just past midfield, facing a 3rd and
5. Not picking up
huge chunks of yardage on this drive. Can the Cardinals
hold here?
9:26 left in third quarter
Kolb moves around in the pocket, hits Stephens-Howling,
who gets a block
from Jeff King and races 73 yards for the touchdown. PAT
makes it 17-14
Steelers, and the Cardinals get the shot in the arm they
so desperately
needed.
12:06 left in third quarter
Cardinals force the Steelers to punt, will begin their
first drive of the half
from at their own 11. Did the offense get something going
on the last drive
before the half? We’ll see.
Halftime
Steelers get a field goal at the end of the half as their
drive was slow,
sloppy and disturbing. Penalty after penalty helps
Pittsburgh drive down
the field, with Patrick Peterson looking like a confused
rookie.
Steelers lead the game 17-7 at the half and are set to get
the ball to begin
the third quarter.
1:20 left in the second quarter
Alfono Smith scores on the one yard touchdown run, as he’s
in the game
for an injured Wells. Wells, we found out, suffered a
sprained knee and is
questionable to return. That news makes my fantasy team
more
questionable to win today.
At any rate, Arizona gets a much needed touchdown and now
trails 14-7.
Team put together a good drive with the help of the
Steelers, taking
advantage of some penalties.
Still time left in the half, does Pittsburgh try to add to
their lead? We’ll see.
2:54 left in second quarter
The Cardinals still have the ball! Arizona’s drive has
been aided by a couple
of Steelers penalties on third downs, now it’s up to the
Cards to make
something happen. The ball is on Pittsburgh’s 10 and a
touchdown here is
a must.
Beanie Wells is on the sideline with some sort of injury,
so that’s not good.
5:50 left in second quarter
Kolb hits Fitz on 3rd and 2 for a first down, nice play as
the team is driving.
Arizona desperately needs a score here. Again.
8:09 left in second quarter
Roethlisberger hits Wallace down the sideline for a 95
yard TD, Richard
Marshall burned on the play. Talk about a swing, Kolb
misses what should
have been an easy TD and the Steelers score on the very
next drive. #SMH
8:30 left in second quarter
Promising drive ends after Kolb misses a WIDE OPEN Rob
Housler down the
seem, where a completion would have been good for six, and
then throws
to a not-looking Fitz on third down. Kolb really doing his
best Derek
Anderson out there, missing guys, showing frustration and
generally being
ineffective.
11:17 left in second quarter
Cardinals allow a first down but force a punt, holding
penalty on the return
means Arizona will start its next drive from the 25 yard
line. Offense
showed signs of life last drive but really needs to put
some points on the
board.
14:19 left in second quarter
Cardinals drive stalls after Kolb takes a sack on third
down. Had some time
but maybe nobody got open? Still would like to see him
step up in the
pocket and buy some time. The guy needs to learn some
pocket presence,
desperately.
Punt pins Steelers at their own six, defense really needs
to force a turnover
(or three and out).
End of first quarter
The first quarter ends with the Cardinals trailing 7-0,
though they have the
ball near midfield.
This drive has been aided by a great catch by Larry
Fitzgerald, who makes
me wonder how any QB can look as bad as Arizona’s have the
last year+
when he’s there to throw the ball to. Unreal.
As for the Cardinals, they don’t look too good. Need to
get something on
this drive to have some momentum, but the running game is
going
nowhere and the defense looks like it will give up some
points today.
2:53 left in first quarter
Steelers ultimately forced to punt, though the Cardinals
will begin the drive
on their own six yard line. Offense needs to do something
here, if only to
help with field position.
6:31 left in first quarter
Steelers are driving. Cardinals gave them the ball back
after Kolb overthrew
a wide open Fitzgerald, instead hitting Troy Polamalu in
the numbers. He
dropped it but the Cards still punted away, and a 3rd and
long is converted
by the Steelers when the Cardinals failed to cover Antonio
Brown.
Trainwreck, thy name is Cardinals.
9:39 left in first quarter
An Adrian Wilson facemask penalty combined with some nice
plays help
Pittsburgh drive, and the Steelers take a 7-0 lead on a
13-yard pass from
Big Ben to Heath Miller. The good news is no one seemed to
get beat in
coverage on the play. The bad news is nobody seemed to be
actually trying
to defend the tight end. There are great starts and then
there is this.
12:46 left in first quarter
Kolb gets blitzed, throws to Housler. Ball is tipped and
intercepted. Awful,
awful start for the Cardinals. Steelers take over at
Arizona’s 31. Oh boy.
10 seconds to kickoff
Cardinals win toss, elect to receive. Offense, which has
struggled, gets the
ball
first against a banged up Steelers defense.
10 minutes to kickoff
Steelers come onto the field to a chorus of…cheers?
Plenty of yellow towels
being waved inside University of Phoenix Stadium, meaning
this could be a
long day for Cards fans if the home team struggles.
