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Championship!!!!
REGULAR SEASON GAME #12
ARIZONA CARDINALS (4-7) at DETROIT LIONS (4-7)
Sunday, December 5, 2004
11:00 AM (MST) – Ford Field
THIS WEEK’S GAME
The Cardinals travel to Detroit for a Sunday match-up of 4-7 teams fighting to stay in postseason contention. Thanks to Green Bay’s win over St. Louis on Monday night, both teams are just a game behind the final wild card spot. Arizona is coming off a 13-3 home loss to the Jets that snapped a three-game win streak at Sun Devil Stadium. The Cards will be looking for their second road win of the year while Detroit is hoping for its second home victory. The Lions are coming off a 41-9 home loss to the Colts on Thanksgiving Day. It was Detroit’s fifth straight loss and dropped the team to 4-7 for the season. The Lions began the year 3-1 but have lost six of their last seven, including four straight at Ford Field.
THE SERIES
The Cardinals & Lions have met 55 times dating back to 1930 when the Lions were known as the Portsmouth Spartans and the Cardinals were based in Chicago. The Lions hold a 29-21-5 advantage in the series. The Cardinals have taken five of the last six meetings between the two teams. The last time these teams met was last season’s opener with the Lions taking a 42-24 victory. The win snapped a five-game Arizona win streak. The two teams met twice a year for 15 years (1934-49) while divisional rivals. Here are the results from the last 11 meetings between the Cardinals and Lions, dating back to 1980:
Date Site Result
Sept. 7, 2003 @ Detroit L, 24-42
Dec. 8, 2002 @ Arizona W, 23-30 (OT)
Nov. 18, 2001 @ Arizona W, 45-38
Nov. 14, 1999 @ Arizona W, 23-19
Nov. 1, 1998 @ Detroit W, 17-15
Sept. 17, 1995 @ Detroit W, 20-17
Dec. 12, 1993 @ Arizona L, 14-21
Sept. 26, 1993 @ Detroit L, 20-26
Sept. 10, 1989 @ Detroit W, 16-13
Dec. 7, 1980 @ St. Louis W, 24-23
S t 21 1980 @D t it L 7 20
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TELEVISION
Network: FOX
Play-by-Play: Thom Brennaman
Color Analyst: J.C. Pearson
CARDINALS RADIO NETWORK
Flagship: 1060 KDUS (AM)
KSLX 100.7 (FM)
Play-by-Play: Dave Pasch
Color Analyst: John Mistler
Sideline: Mike Jurecki
CARDINALS SPANISH RADIO
Flagship: KMIA (710 AM)
Play-by-Play: Gabriel Trujillo
Color Analyst: Luis Zendejas
Halftime/Analyst: Felipe Coral
IMPROVEMENT BY THE NUMBERS
2003 through 2004 through
11 games 11 games
Point Differential -146 -37
Points Allowed/game 28.0 19.4
Home Game 24.0 15.4
Road Game 35.0 25.0
Points Scored/game 14.8 16.3
Home Game 16.3 18.8
Road Game 13.0 17.8
Takeaways 13 21
Plus/Minus -14 +2
Red Zone Def. (TD%) 41.7% 44.0%
Sacks 12/56 26/144
Touchdowns Allowed 36 24
Rushing TDs 9 7
Passing TDs 19 13
Return TDs 7 4
CARDS-LIONS SERIES NOTES
Largest Cardinals margin of victory: 36 (56-20, 11/7/48 at Chi.)
Largest Lions margin of victory: 39 (39-0, 9/27/36 at Det.)
Most points, Cardinals: 56 (56-20, 11/7/48 at Chi.)
Most points, Lions 45 (Twice, last 11/12/61 at St. Louis)
Most combined points: 83 (Cards 45, Lions 23 11/18/01 at Arizona)
Fewest combined points: 0 (twice, last 9/15/40 at Chi.)
NFL SACK LEADERS
This week’s game features two of the NFL’s leading sackers. Arizona’s Bertrand Berry is tied for the NFL lead with 10.0 and Detroit’s James Hall is tied for fifth with 8.5.
Player Team Sacks
1. Bertrand Berry Arizona 10.0
Robert Mathis Indianapolis 10.0
3. John Abraham NY Jets 9.5
4. Julius Peppers Carolina 9.0
5. Terrell Suggs Baltimore 8.5
James Hall Detroit 8.5
Patrick Kerney Atlanta 8.5
The Last Time:
Lions 42, CARDINALS 24
September 7, 2003 – Ford Field – (60,691)
Arizona’s 439 yards of total offense and a spectacular NFL debut by wide receiver Anquan Boldin could not overcome a rash of mistakes – 12 penalties (80 yards), 2 lost fumbles, 1 pass interception, 1 muffed punt, and 1 Lion punt return for a touchdown – that led to four Detroit touchdowns in a 7:22 second half span and a 42-24 season-opening loss. After playing to a 14-14 halftime draw, Boldin’s 71-yard touchdown reception on Arizona’s third play from scrimmage gave the Cards a 21-14 lead. Then the mistakes began. The Lions tied the score on a 57-yard Eddie Drummond punt return. Boldin muffed Detroit’s next punt, leading to an eight-yard Lion touchdown pass two plays later and a 28-21 Detroit lead. Two turnovers by quarterback Jeff Blake on Arizona’s first two fourth-quarter possessions led to two Lion touchdowns. On the first, Blake lost the ball attempting to throw, a fumble the Lions recovered and converted into a touchdown in six plays. Two plays later, Blake was intercepted by Detroit’s Dre Bly who returned the pickoff 48 yards for a touchdown. Boldin amassed an NFL first-game rookie record 217 yards that also ranked second in Cardinal single-game receiving annals (256, Sonny Randle vs. N.Y. Giants, Nov. 4, 1962). Running back Emmitt Smith contributed 64 rushing yards on 13 carries in his Cardinals debut, including bursts of 19 and 22 yards on Arizona’s second scoring drive. Detroit’s 42 points were the most by a Cardinal opening-day opponent since 1950 (45, Pittsburgh). Arizona recorded its first opening-drive touchdown in 95 games (Aug. 31, 1997 at Cincinnati) on a seven-yard pass from Blake to Boldin to take an early 7-0 lead.
TOP ROOKIE RECEIVERS
Sunday’s game will feature the top two wide receivers taken in the 2004 NFL Draft. Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald was the first receiver taken when the Cardinals selected him with the third overall pick. Four selections later, the Lions took University of Texas receiver Roy Williams at #7 overall. In all, 31 wide receivers were taken in the 2004 Draft, including seven in the first round. Here’s a look at those seven first rounders and their rookie year statistics to date.
Player (College) Team Overall Rec. Yds. TD
Larry Fitzgerald (Pittsburgh) Arizona 3rd 41 578 4
Roy Williams (Texas) Detroit 7th 35 529 5
Reggie Williams (Washington) Jacksonville 9th 22 195 0
Lee Evans (Wisconsin) Buffalo 13th 25 444 3
Michael Clayton (LSU) Tampa Bay 15th 60 828 3
Michael Jenkins (Ohio State) Atlanta 29th 1 46 0
Reshaun Woods (Oklahoma St.) San Francisco 31st 3 67 1
NAVARRE TO GET START
On Monday, Cards head coach Dennis Green announced that rookie John Navarre will start Sunday’s game at Detroit. "I think John has got some special qualities," Green said. "He's an extremely smart quarterback and he has had a chance to spend a lot of time in our system. He hasn't played but has practiced. He worked hard and has gained my confidence.” Navarre was selected in the seventh round of the 2004 draft out of Michigan and had been the third quarterback in all 11 games to date. In preseason action, he was 19 of 27 for 262 yards with a TD and an INT for a passer rating of 114.0. At Michigan, Navarre was 31-11 as a starter and became the first player in school history to top 9,000 career passing yards. He finished his Wolverine career ranked #1 all-time with 765 completions, 1,366 pass attempts, 9,254 yards and 72 touchdowns. A native of Cudahy, WI, Navarre was 33-4 as a high school QB and led the team to three conference titles. Navarre becomes the first rookie to start at QB for the Cardinals since Jake Plummer in 1997 and the third since the team moved to Arizona (Timm Rosenbach,
1989). Navarre becomes the third person to start at QB for the Cardinals this season joining Josh McCown (first nine) and Shaun King (last two). The last time the Cards had three different starting QBs in the same season was 1997 – Kent Graham (6), Stoney Case (1), Jake Plummer (9). Navarre will be the fifth rookie to make a start at QB in the league this season. He joins Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger, Chicago’s Craig Krenzel, the Giants’ Eli
Manning, and Dallas’ Drew Henson (also a former Wolverine QB). Navarre’s position coach with the Cardinals, Mike Kruczek earned acclaim as a rookie NFL quarterback. In 1976, Kruczek filled in for injured starter Terry Bradshaw and posted a 6-0 record. That stood as the NFL record for most consecutive victories by a QB to start a career until Roethlisberger surpassed it earlier this season.
BOLDIN RETURNS TO SCENE OF RECORD DEBUT
WR Anquan Boldin was a Pro Bowler and the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2003 and began his record-setting rookie campaign with a record-setting opening day at Detroit. In his NFL debut, Boldin caught 10 passes for 217 yards with a pair of touchdowns. The yardage total was the highest ever by a rookie in his first game and the aeception total ranked tied for second all-time. The yardage also ranked as the fourth-most ever by a rookie:
Most receiving yards, first NFL game
Anquan Boldin, Arizona 217 9/7/03
Hugh Taylor, Washington 212 9/28/47
Louis Lipps, Pittsburgh 183 9/2/84
Rich Upchurch, Denver 143 9/21/75
Joey Clinkscales, Pittsburgh 150 10/4/87
Most receptions, first NFL game
Sid Blanks, Houston 13 9/12/64
Anquan Boldin, Arizona 10 9/7/03
Earl Cooper, San Francisco 10 9/7/80
Several Players 9
Most receiving yards in a game by a rookie
Jerry Butler, Buffalo 255 9/23/79
Jerry Rice, San Francisco 241 12/9/85
Eddie Kennison, St. Louis 226 12/15/96
Anquan Boldin, Arizona 217 9/7/03
Harlon Hill, Chicago Bears 214 10/31/54
In that game against the Lions, he caught two passes for 27 yards in the first quarter, including a 7-yard TD from Jeff Blake that put the Cards up 7-0. He caught another two for 27 in the second quarter to give him four catches for 56 yards and a TD at halftime. On the third play of the second half, he and Blake connected on a 71-yard TD pass that put Arizona up 21-14. It was part of a five-catch, 134-yard third quarter. He added one catch for 29 yards in the fourth quarter to finish the day with 10 grabs for 217 yards and a pair of TDs. In 2003, he was the only first-year player selected to the Pro Bowl after he recorded 101 receptions for 1,377 yards and eight touchdowns. Boldin set the NFL record for receptions by a rookie (101), and most receiving yards by a rookie in his first NFL game (217) while tying the Cardinals single-season reception record. A second-round draft pick in 2003 out of Florida State, Boldin became only the 13th rookie in NFL history to record 1,000 receiving yards.
SMITH EXPECTED TO SIT OUT
After starting the first 11 games of the season at running back, Emmitt Smith is expected to miss this week’s contest due to a sprained toe suffered vs. the Jets. The injury interrupts what has been an excellent year for the NFL’s all-time leading rusher. Through 11 games in 2004, Smith leads the Cardinals in rushing with 679 yards (sixth in the NFC) on 184 carries and eight touchdowns (third most in NFC). Smith’s two rushing touchdowns against the Giants three weeks ago marked his first multiple touchdown game with the Cardinals and his 36th career multiple touchdown game. With eight rushing touchdowns in ’04 he has quadrupled his ‘02 total (2). At the time of his injury, Emmitt was on pace to finish with 1,053 yards which would have been the 12th of his career. Smith has topped 100 rushing yards twice (both wins). When he went over 100 rushing yards vs. Seattle, it was his 78th career 100-yard game and gave him sole possession of the NFL lead in that category (Walter Payton, 77). With 67 rushing yards in the game against the Giants on 11/14, Smith became the first person to NFL history to surpass the 18,000 career rushing yards milestone. His best game came vs. New Orleans (10/3) when he rushed 21 times for 127 yards and a 29-yard TD that put the Cards up 27-10 with five minutes to play in the fourth. On that same TD drive he also had an 18-yard reception and a key first down that moved the ball to the New Orleans 36. The 29-yard TD run was his longest run as a Cardinal. Smith also pulled off a career first when he completed his first career passing attempt for a 21-yard TD to fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo. The 127-yard rushing game vs. the Saints was his first 100-yard game as a Cardinal and his first since Thanksgiving of 2002 (11/28/02 Dallas vs. Washington when he was 23-144). The last player to top 100 rushing yards after his 35th birthday was Marcus Allen for Kansas City at Oakland on 12/3/95 (21-124). Emmitt topped 100 rushing yards for the second time in ‘04 with a 26-106-1 TD performance vs. Seattle on 10/24. He added another 30 yards on four catches. The TD was his fifth of the year and a pivotal play in the game. With the Cardinals clinging to a 1-point lead with two minutes to play, he raced 23 yards on a 3rd-n-nine play, putting the Arizona up by 8. In week one at St. Louis, the future Hall of Famer opened the 15th season of his NFL career/second with the Cardinals rushing 16 times for 87 yards (5.4 average) against the Rams with an 11-yard TD run in the third quarter. In week 2 vs. NE, he ran for just 31 yards on 13 carries but scored again on 1-yard TD jaunt marking the first time since December of 2001 that he had rushing TDs on consecutive weeks.
SMITH ON THE NFL’S ALL-TIME LISTS
Most Rushing Yards, Career
1. Emmitt Smith 18,087
2. Walter Payton 16,726
3. Barry Sanders 15,269
Most Rushing TDs, Career
1. Emmitt Smith 163
2. Marcus Allen 123
3. Walter Payton 110
Most 100-Yard Games, Career
1. Emmitt Smith 78
2. Walter Payton 77
3. Barry Sanders 76
4. Eric Dickerson 64
ODDS & ENDS
• With a win this week, the Cardinals would surpass their 2003 win total with four games remaining.
• The Cardinals could become the first team with consecutive 50-catch seasons by rookie wide receivers since the 1995-96 New York Jets (Wayne Chrebet, 66, 1995; Keyshawn Johnson, 63, 1996). Rookie Larry Fitzgerald now has 41 catches. Anquan Boldin set the NFL rookie record in 2003, posting 101 receptions.
• With 32 catches (307 yards) second-year WR Bryant Johnson needs four to surpass his rookie total of 35 (438 yards).
• Last week’s game vs. the Jets marked the Cardinals last match-up against an AFC opponent. The remaining five games are all within the NFC including three straight within the division.
• Including the Cardinals-Lions game, all 16 contests in the NFL this week will be intraconference showdowns.
• Cardinals kicker Neil Rackers leads the NFC with 13 touchbacks on kickoffs and trails only Denver’s Micha Knorr who holds the NFL lead with 15. The Cardinals single-season record for touchbacks on kickoffs is 17 by Joe Nedney in 1997.
• Cards MLB Ronald McKinnon will play in his 95th consecutive game this Sunday.
• This Sunday will be Bertrand Berry’s 100th career game in the NFL.
NFC STANDINGS WITH FIVE GAMES REMAINING
NFC East Record Remaining 5 games
Philadelphia 10-1 GB @ Was. Dal. @ St.L Cin.
NY Giants 5-6 @ Was @ Bal. Pit. @ Cin. Dal.
Dallas 4-7 @ Sea. N.O. @ Phi. Was. @ NYG
Washington 3-8 NYG Phi. @ SF @ Dal. Min.
NFC North Record Remaining 5 games
Green Bay 7-4 @ Phi. Det. Jax @ Min. @ Chi.
Minnesota 7-4 @ Chi. Sea. @ Det. GB @ Was.
Chicago 4-7 Min. @ Jax Hou. @ Det. G.B.
Detroit 4-7 Ariz. @ G.B. Min. Chi. @ Ten.
NFC South Record Remaining 5 games
Atlanta 9-2 @ TB Oak. Car. @ N.O. @ Sea.
New Orleans 4-7 Car. @ Dal. @ TB Atl. @ Car.
Tampa Bay 4-7 Atl. @ SD N.O. Car. @ Ariz.
Carolina 4-7 @ N.O. St. L @ Atl. @ TB N.O.
NFC West Record Remaining 5 games
Seattle 6-5 Dal. @ Min. @ NYJ Ariz. Atl.
St. Louis 5-6 SF @ Car. @ Ariz. Phi. NYJ
Arizona 4-7 @ Det. SF St. L @ Sea. TB
San Francisco 1-10 @ St. L @ Ariz. Was. Buf. @ NE
NFC NOTES:
• Just five teams of the 16 NFC teams have a winning record through 11 games.
• The Cardinals are one of 10 teams that has between four and six wins; only two teams have more than seven – Philadelphia (10) and Atlanta (9).
• The Eagles clinched the division title with their win over the Giants last week.
• The Falcons can clinch with a win or tie this week at Tampa Bay.
• All 16 NFC teams play conference games this week.
CARDS-LIONS CONNECTIONS
• Arizona special teams coach Kevin O’Dea was the special teams assistant coach for the Detroit Lions during the 2002-2003 seasons where he worked under Lions special teams coach Chuck Priefer.
• Arizona head coach Dennis Green and Detroit offensive coordinator Sherman Lewis coached together with the San Francisco 49ers from 1986-1988, Green with the receivers and Lewis with the running backs. They also worked together when Green was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and Lewis was his offensive coordinator from 2000-2001.
• Arizona cornerback Renaldo Hill grew up in Detroit and attended Chadsey High School where he was ranked the nation’s sixth best defensive back coming out of high school. He attended Michigan State where he started 35 consecutive games, finishing his career with 182 total tackles (135 solos), 11 stops for -21 yards, 9 interceptions, and 36 pass deflections.
• Arizona quarterback John Navarre played his college football at the University of Michigan where he complied a 33-4 record as a starting quarterback. During his 42 games that he started, Navarre threw for over 200 yards in 28 of them. He finished his career with 765 completions for 9,254 yards and 72 touchdowns.
• Detroit linebackers coach Richard Smith coached the LBs and special teams during the 1987 season at the University of Arizona.
• Detroit defensive assistant Don Clemons was the strength and conditioning coach for Arizona State from 1980-1984.
• Detroit assistant special teams coach and offensive assistant Stan Kwan was a special teams assistant/defensive quality control coach with the Cardinals from 2001-2003.
• Detroit offensive line coach Pat Morris coached the same position for Northern Arizona University during the 1978 season.
• Arizona head coach Dennis Green was the receivers coach for the San Francisco 49ers while Detroit running backs coach Tom Rathman played for the 49ers during the 1986-1988 seasons.
• Arizona offensive tackle L.J. Shelton attended Rochester High School where he was all-league as a junior. He also competed in basketball where he was named all-league, and all-county honorable mention as a junior and senior. He played his college football at Eastern Michigan where he was named a second-team all-America as a senior and a two-time first team MAC choice.
• Arizona safety Michael Stone was born and raised in Southfield where he attended Southfield-Lathrup High School lettering in football and track. His father, Michael played football at Michigan State.
• Arizona defensive end Calvin Pace was born in Detroit, but grew up in Douglasville, GA.
• Detroit defensive tackle Marcus Bell was drafted by the Cardinals in the 2001 draft and played three seasons with the team. In 42 games (14 starts) for the Cardinals, Bell had 108 tackles (57 solos), 3 sacks, and 7 pass deflections.
• Arizona offensive tackle Leonard Davis (2nd overall) and Detroit defensive tackle Shaun Rogers (50th overall) were teammates together at the University of Texas and were both drafted in the 2001 NFL Draft.
• Chris Melvin of the Cardinals media relations staff is a native of the Detroit area and attended Northville H.S. before moving on to Arizona State University and the Cardinals.
• Detroit punter Nick Harris is a native of Avondale, AZ and attended Westview High School, earning all-America honors as a senior.
• Arizona defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch (34th overall) and Detroit center Dominic Raiola (50th overall) were teammates together at the University of Nebraska and were taken 16 picks apart from each other in the 2001 draft.
• Detroit tackle Matt Joyce played four seasons (1997-2000) for the Cardinals starting in 28 games at guard and tackle.
• Detroit fullback Stephen Trejo is a native of Casa Grande, AZ where attended Casa Grande High and was a first team all state selection as a junior and a senior. He played his college football at Arizona State as a linebacker.
MAKE ROOM FOR CROOM
Another Cardinals rookie will crack the staring lineup this week when Larry Croom fills in for injured running back Emmitt Smith. A rookie free agent out of UNLV, Croom had one carry for 2 yards (10/24 vs. Seattle) before carrying it 10 times for 25 yards last week against the Jets following Smith’s injury. He was Arizona’s leading rusher in the 2004 preseason with 103 yards on 30 carries (3.4 average) with a touchdown. As a senior at UNLV, he rushed for 932 yards on 208 carries and three touchdowns on his way to earning honorable mention All-Mountain West status. The last rookie to start at running back for the Cards was also a free agent. Damien Anderson started in a 16-13 win at Carolina on 10/6/02.
UP NEXT
After visiting the Lions, Arizona will return home for two straight home contests against NFC West opponents. First up will be the San Francisco 49ers. The following week the Cards will host the St. Louis Rams. It marks the only time in 2004 the team will play consecutive home games. Arizona’s next two opponents face one another this week as the Rams host the Niners on Sunday in St. Louis.
http://www.azcardinals.com/news/news_details.html?iid=2445
ARIZONA CARDINALS (4-7) at DETROIT LIONS (4-7)
Sunday, December 5, 2004
11:00 AM (MST) – Ford Field
THIS WEEK’S GAME
The Cardinals travel to Detroit for a Sunday match-up of 4-7 teams fighting to stay in postseason contention. Thanks to Green Bay’s win over St. Louis on Monday night, both teams are just a game behind the final wild card spot. Arizona is coming off a 13-3 home loss to the Jets that snapped a three-game win streak at Sun Devil Stadium. The Cards will be looking for their second road win of the year while Detroit is hoping for its second home victory. The Lions are coming off a 41-9 home loss to the Colts on Thanksgiving Day. It was Detroit’s fifth straight loss and dropped the team to 4-7 for the season. The Lions began the year 3-1 but have lost six of their last seven, including four straight at Ford Field.
THE SERIES
The Cardinals & Lions have met 55 times dating back to 1930 when the Lions were known as the Portsmouth Spartans and the Cardinals were based in Chicago. The Lions hold a 29-21-5 advantage in the series. The Cardinals have taken five of the last six meetings between the two teams. The last time these teams met was last season’s opener with the Lions taking a 42-24 victory. The win snapped a five-game Arizona win streak. The two teams met twice a year for 15 years (1934-49) while divisional rivals. Here are the results from the last 11 meetings between the Cardinals and Lions, dating back to 1980:
Date Site Result
Sept. 7, 2003 @ Detroit L, 24-42
Dec. 8, 2002 @ Arizona W, 23-30 (OT)
Nov. 18, 2001 @ Arizona W, 45-38
Nov. 14, 1999 @ Arizona W, 23-19
Nov. 1, 1998 @ Detroit W, 17-15
Sept. 17, 1995 @ Detroit W, 20-17
Dec. 12, 1993 @ Arizona L, 14-21
Sept. 26, 1993 @ Detroit L, 20-26
Sept. 10, 1989 @ Detroit W, 16-13
Dec. 7, 1980 @ St. Louis W, 24-23
S t 21 1980 @D t it L 7 20
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TELEVISION
Network: FOX
Play-by-Play: Thom Brennaman
Color Analyst: J.C. Pearson
CARDINALS RADIO NETWORK
Flagship: 1060 KDUS (AM)
KSLX 100.7 (FM)
Play-by-Play: Dave Pasch
Color Analyst: John Mistler
Sideline: Mike Jurecki
CARDINALS SPANISH RADIO
Flagship: KMIA (710 AM)
Play-by-Play: Gabriel Trujillo
Color Analyst: Luis Zendejas
Halftime/Analyst: Felipe Coral
IMPROVEMENT BY THE NUMBERS
2003 through 2004 through
11 games 11 games
Point Differential -146 -37
Points Allowed/game 28.0 19.4
Home Game 24.0 15.4
Road Game 35.0 25.0
Points Scored/game 14.8 16.3
Home Game 16.3 18.8
Road Game 13.0 17.8
Takeaways 13 21
Plus/Minus -14 +2
Red Zone Def. (TD%) 41.7% 44.0%
Sacks 12/56 26/144
Touchdowns Allowed 36 24
Rushing TDs 9 7
Passing TDs 19 13
Return TDs 7 4
CARDS-LIONS SERIES NOTES
Largest Cardinals margin of victory: 36 (56-20, 11/7/48 at Chi.)
Largest Lions margin of victory: 39 (39-0, 9/27/36 at Det.)
Most points, Cardinals: 56 (56-20, 11/7/48 at Chi.)
Most points, Lions 45 (Twice, last 11/12/61 at St. Louis)
Most combined points: 83 (Cards 45, Lions 23 11/18/01 at Arizona)
Fewest combined points: 0 (twice, last 9/15/40 at Chi.)
NFL SACK LEADERS
This week’s game features two of the NFL’s leading sackers. Arizona’s Bertrand Berry is tied for the NFL lead with 10.0 and Detroit’s James Hall is tied for fifth with 8.5.
Player Team Sacks
1. Bertrand Berry Arizona 10.0
Robert Mathis Indianapolis 10.0
3. John Abraham NY Jets 9.5
4. Julius Peppers Carolina 9.0
5. Terrell Suggs Baltimore 8.5
James Hall Detroit 8.5
Patrick Kerney Atlanta 8.5
The Last Time:
Lions 42, CARDINALS 24
September 7, 2003 – Ford Field – (60,691)
Arizona’s 439 yards of total offense and a spectacular NFL debut by wide receiver Anquan Boldin could not overcome a rash of mistakes – 12 penalties (80 yards), 2 lost fumbles, 1 pass interception, 1 muffed punt, and 1 Lion punt return for a touchdown – that led to four Detroit touchdowns in a 7:22 second half span and a 42-24 season-opening loss. After playing to a 14-14 halftime draw, Boldin’s 71-yard touchdown reception on Arizona’s third play from scrimmage gave the Cards a 21-14 lead. Then the mistakes began. The Lions tied the score on a 57-yard Eddie Drummond punt return. Boldin muffed Detroit’s next punt, leading to an eight-yard Lion touchdown pass two plays later and a 28-21 Detroit lead. Two turnovers by quarterback Jeff Blake on Arizona’s first two fourth-quarter possessions led to two Lion touchdowns. On the first, Blake lost the ball attempting to throw, a fumble the Lions recovered and converted into a touchdown in six plays. Two plays later, Blake was intercepted by Detroit’s Dre Bly who returned the pickoff 48 yards for a touchdown. Boldin amassed an NFL first-game rookie record 217 yards that also ranked second in Cardinal single-game receiving annals (256, Sonny Randle vs. N.Y. Giants, Nov. 4, 1962). Running back Emmitt Smith contributed 64 rushing yards on 13 carries in his Cardinals debut, including bursts of 19 and 22 yards on Arizona’s second scoring drive. Detroit’s 42 points were the most by a Cardinal opening-day opponent since 1950 (45, Pittsburgh). Arizona recorded its first opening-drive touchdown in 95 games (Aug. 31, 1997 at Cincinnati) on a seven-yard pass from Blake to Boldin to take an early 7-0 lead.
TOP ROOKIE RECEIVERS
Sunday’s game will feature the top two wide receivers taken in the 2004 NFL Draft. Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald was the first receiver taken when the Cardinals selected him with the third overall pick. Four selections later, the Lions took University of Texas receiver Roy Williams at #7 overall. In all, 31 wide receivers were taken in the 2004 Draft, including seven in the first round. Here’s a look at those seven first rounders and their rookie year statistics to date.
Player (College) Team Overall Rec. Yds. TD
Larry Fitzgerald (Pittsburgh) Arizona 3rd 41 578 4
Roy Williams (Texas) Detroit 7th 35 529 5
Reggie Williams (Washington) Jacksonville 9th 22 195 0
Lee Evans (Wisconsin) Buffalo 13th 25 444 3
Michael Clayton (LSU) Tampa Bay 15th 60 828 3
Michael Jenkins (Ohio State) Atlanta 29th 1 46 0
Reshaun Woods (Oklahoma St.) San Francisco 31st 3 67 1
NAVARRE TO GET START
On Monday, Cards head coach Dennis Green announced that rookie John Navarre will start Sunday’s game at Detroit. "I think John has got some special qualities," Green said. "He's an extremely smart quarterback and he has had a chance to spend a lot of time in our system. He hasn't played but has practiced. He worked hard and has gained my confidence.” Navarre was selected in the seventh round of the 2004 draft out of Michigan and had been the third quarterback in all 11 games to date. In preseason action, he was 19 of 27 for 262 yards with a TD and an INT for a passer rating of 114.0. At Michigan, Navarre was 31-11 as a starter and became the first player in school history to top 9,000 career passing yards. He finished his Wolverine career ranked #1 all-time with 765 completions, 1,366 pass attempts, 9,254 yards and 72 touchdowns. A native of Cudahy, WI, Navarre was 33-4 as a high school QB and led the team to three conference titles. Navarre becomes the first rookie to start at QB for the Cardinals since Jake Plummer in 1997 and the third since the team moved to Arizona (Timm Rosenbach,
1989). Navarre becomes the third person to start at QB for the Cardinals this season joining Josh McCown (first nine) and Shaun King (last two). The last time the Cards had three different starting QBs in the same season was 1997 – Kent Graham (6), Stoney Case (1), Jake Plummer (9). Navarre will be the fifth rookie to make a start at QB in the league this season. He joins Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger, Chicago’s Craig Krenzel, the Giants’ Eli
Manning, and Dallas’ Drew Henson (also a former Wolverine QB). Navarre’s position coach with the Cardinals, Mike Kruczek earned acclaim as a rookie NFL quarterback. In 1976, Kruczek filled in for injured starter Terry Bradshaw and posted a 6-0 record. That stood as the NFL record for most consecutive victories by a QB to start a career until Roethlisberger surpassed it earlier this season.
BOLDIN RETURNS TO SCENE OF RECORD DEBUT
WR Anquan Boldin was a Pro Bowler and the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2003 and began his record-setting rookie campaign with a record-setting opening day at Detroit. In his NFL debut, Boldin caught 10 passes for 217 yards with a pair of touchdowns. The yardage total was the highest ever by a rookie in his first game and the aeception total ranked tied for second all-time. The yardage also ranked as the fourth-most ever by a rookie:
Most receiving yards, first NFL game
Anquan Boldin, Arizona 217 9/7/03
Hugh Taylor, Washington 212 9/28/47
Louis Lipps, Pittsburgh 183 9/2/84
Rich Upchurch, Denver 143 9/21/75
Joey Clinkscales, Pittsburgh 150 10/4/87
Most receptions, first NFL game
Sid Blanks, Houston 13 9/12/64
Anquan Boldin, Arizona 10 9/7/03
Earl Cooper, San Francisco 10 9/7/80
Several Players 9
Most receiving yards in a game by a rookie
Jerry Butler, Buffalo 255 9/23/79
Jerry Rice, San Francisco 241 12/9/85
Eddie Kennison, St. Louis 226 12/15/96
Anquan Boldin, Arizona 217 9/7/03
Harlon Hill, Chicago Bears 214 10/31/54
In that game against the Lions, he caught two passes for 27 yards in the first quarter, including a 7-yard TD from Jeff Blake that put the Cards up 7-0. He caught another two for 27 in the second quarter to give him four catches for 56 yards and a TD at halftime. On the third play of the second half, he and Blake connected on a 71-yard TD pass that put Arizona up 21-14. It was part of a five-catch, 134-yard third quarter. He added one catch for 29 yards in the fourth quarter to finish the day with 10 grabs for 217 yards and a pair of TDs. In 2003, he was the only first-year player selected to the Pro Bowl after he recorded 101 receptions for 1,377 yards and eight touchdowns. Boldin set the NFL record for receptions by a rookie (101), and most receiving yards by a rookie in his first NFL game (217) while tying the Cardinals single-season reception record. A second-round draft pick in 2003 out of Florida State, Boldin became only the 13th rookie in NFL history to record 1,000 receiving yards.
SMITH EXPECTED TO SIT OUT
After starting the first 11 games of the season at running back, Emmitt Smith is expected to miss this week’s contest due to a sprained toe suffered vs. the Jets. The injury interrupts what has been an excellent year for the NFL’s all-time leading rusher. Through 11 games in 2004, Smith leads the Cardinals in rushing with 679 yards (sixth in the NFC) on 184 carries and eight touchdowns (third most in NFC). Smith’s two rushing touchdowns against the Giants three weeks ago marked his first multiple touchdown game with the Cardinals and his 36th career multiple touchdown game. With eight rushing touchdowns in ’04 he has quadrupled his ‘02 total (2). At the time of his injury, Emmitt was on pace to finish with 1,053 yards which would have been the 12th of his career. Smith has topped 100 rushing yards twice (both wins). When he went over 100 rushing yards vs. Seattle, it was his 78th career 100-yard game and gave him sole possession of the NFL lead in that category (Walter Payton, 77). With 67 rushing yards in the game against the Giants on 11/14, Smith became the first person to NFL history to surpass the 18,000 career rushing yards milestone. His best game came vs. New Orleans (10/3) when he rushed 21 times for 127 yards and a 29-yard TD that put the Cards up 27-10 with five minutes to play in the fourth. On that same TD drive he also had an 18-yard reception and a key first down that moved the ball to the New Orleans 36. The 29-yard TD run was his longest run as a Cardinal. Smith also pulled off a career first when he completed his first career passing attempt for a 21-yard TD to fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo. The 127-yard rushing game vs. the Saints was his first 100-yard game as a Cardinal and his first since Thanksgiving of 2002 (11/28/02 Dallas vs. Washington when he was 23-144). The last player to top 100 rushing yards after his 35th birthday was Marcus Allen for Kansas City at Oakland on 12/3/95 (21-124). Emmitt topped 100 rushing yards for the second time in ‘04 with a 26-106-1 TD performance vs. Seattle on 10/24. He added another 30 yards on four catches. The TD was his fifth of the year and a pivotal play in the game. With the Cardinals clinging to a 1-point lead with two minutes to play, he raced 23 yards on a 3rd-n-nine play, putting the Arizona up by 8. In week one at St. Louis, the future Hall of Famer opened the 15th season of his NFL career/second with the Cardinals rushing 16 times for 87 yards (5.4 average) against the Rams with an 11-yard TD run in the third quarter. In week 2 vs. NE, he ran for just 31 yards on 13 carries but scored again on 1-yard TD jaunt marking the first time since December of 2001 that he had rushing TDs on consecutive weeks.
SMITH ON THE NFL’S ALL-TIME LISTS
Most Rushing Yards, Career
1. Emmitt Smith 18,087
2. Walter Payton 16,726
3. Barry Sanders 15,269
Most Rushing TDs, Career
1. Emmitt Smith 163
2. Marcus Allen 123
3. Walter Payton 110
Most 100-Yard Games, Career
1. Emmitt Smith 78
2. Walter Payton 77
3. Barry Sanders 76
4. Eric Dickerson 64
ODDS & ENDS
• With a win this week, the Cardinals would surpass their 2003 win total with four games remaining.
• The Cardinals could become the first team with consecutive 50-catch seasons by rookie wide receivers since the 1995-96 New York Jets (Wayne Chrebet, 66, 1995; Keyshawn Johnson, 63, 1996). Rookie Larry Fitzgerald now has 41 catches. Anquan Boldin set the NFL rookie record in 2003, posting 101 receptions.
• With 32 catches (307 yards) second-year WR Bryant Johnson needs four to surpass his rookie total of 35 (438 yards).
• Last week’s game vs. the Jets marked the Cardinals last match-up against an AFC opponent. The remaining five games are all within the NFC including three straight within the division.
• Including the Cardinals-Lions game, all 16 contests in the NFL this week will be intraconference showdowns.
• Cardinals kicker Neil Rackers leads the NFC with 13 touchbacks on kickoffs and trails only Denver’s Micha Knorr who holds the NFL lead with 15. The Cardinals single-season record for touchbacks on kickoffs is 17 by Joe Nedney in 1997.
• Cards MLB Ronald McKinnon will play in his 95th consecutive game this Sunday.
• This Sunday will be Bertrand Berry’s 100th career game in the NFL.
NFC STANDINGS WITH FIVE GAMES REMAINING
NFC East Record Remaining 5 games
Philadelphia 10-1 GB @ Was. Dal. @ St.L Cin.
NY Giants 5-6 @ Was @ Bal. Pit. @ Cin. Dal.
Dallas 4-7 @ Sea. N.O. @ Phi. Was. @ NYG
Washington 3-8 NYG Phi. @ SF @ Dal. Min.
NFC North Record Remaining 5 games
Green Bay 7-4 @ Phi. Det. Jax @ Min. @ Chi.
Minnesota 7-4 @ Chi. Sea. @ Det. GB @ Was.
Chicago 4-7 Min. @ Jax Hou. @ Det. G.B.
Detroit 4-7 Ariz. @ G.B. Min. Chi. @ Ten.
NFC South Record Remaining 5 games
Atlanta 9-2 @ TB Oak. Car. @ N.O. @ Sea.
New Orleans 4-7 Car. @ Dal. @ TB Atl. @ Car.
Tampa Bay 4-7 Atl. @ SD N.O. Car. @ Ariz.
Carolina 4-7 @ N.O. St. L @ Atl. @ TB N.O.
NFC West Record Remaining 5 games
Seattle 6-5 Dal. @ Min. @ NYJ Ariz. Atl.
St. Louis 5-6 SF @ Car. @ Ariz. Phi. NYJ
Arizona 4-7 @ Det. SF St. L @ Sea. TB
San Francisco 1-10 @ St. L @ Ariz. Was. Buf. @ NE
NFC NOTES:
• Just five teams of the 16 NFC teams have a winning record through 11 games.
• The Cardinals are one of 10 teams that has between four and six wins; only two teams have more than seven – Philadelphia (10) and Atlanta (9).
• The Eagles clinched the division title with their win over the Giants last week.
• The Falcons can clinch with a win or tie this week at Tampa Bay.
• All 16 NFC teams play conference games this week.
CARDS-LIONS CONNECTIONS
• Arizona special teams coach Kevin O’Dea was the special teams assistant coach for the Detroit Lions during the 2002-2003 seasons where he worked under Lions special teams coach Chuck Priefer.
• Arizona head coach Dennis Green and Detroit offensive coordinator Sherman Lewis coached together with the San Francisco 49ers from 1986-1988, Green with the receivers and Lewis with the running backs. They also worked together when Green was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and Lewis was his offensive coordinator from 2000-2001.
• Arizona cornerback Renaldo Hill grew up in Detroit and attended Chadsey High School where he was ranked the nation’s sixth best defensive back coming out of high school. He attended Michigan State where he started 35 consecutive games, finishing his career with 182 total tackles (135 solos), 11 stops for -21 yards, 9 interceptions, and 36 pass deflections.
• Arizona quarterback John Navarre played his college football at the University of Michigan where he complied a 33-4 record as a starting quarterback. During his 42 games that he started, Navarre threw for over 200 yards in 28 of them. He finished his career with 765 completions for 9,254 yards and 72 touchdowns.
• Detroit linebackers coach Richard Smith coached the LBs and special teams during the 1987 season at the University of Arizona.
• Detroit defensive assistant Don Clemons was the strength and conditioning coach for Arizona State from 1980-1984.
• Detroit assistant special teams coach and offensive assistant Stan Kwan was a special teams assistant/defensive quality control coach with the Cardinals from 2001-2003.
• Detroit offensive line coach Pat Morris coached the same position for Northern Arizona University during the 1978 season.
• Arizona head coach Dennis Green was the receivers coach for the San Francisco 49ers while Detroit running backs coach Tom Rathman played for the 49ers during the 1986-1988 seasons.
• Arizona offensive tackle L.J. Shelton attended Rochester High School where he was all-league as a junior. He also competed in basketball where he was named all-league, and all-county honorable mention as a junior and senior. He played his college football at Eastern Michigan where he was named a second-team all-America as a senior and a two-time first team MAC choice.
• Arizona safety Michael Stone was born and raised in Southfield where he attended Southfield-Lathrup High School lettering in football and track. His father, Michael played football at Michigan State.
• Arizona defensive end Calvin Pace was born in Detroit, but grew up in Douglasville, GA.
• Detroit defensive tackle Marcus Bell was drafted by the Cardinals in the 2001 draft and played three seasons with the team. In 42 games (14 starts) for the Cardinals, Bell had 108 tackles (57 solos), 3 sacks, and 7 pass deflections.
• Arizona offensive tackle Leonard Davis (2nd overall) and Detroit defensive tackle Shaun Rogers (50th overall) were teammates together at the University of Texas and were both drafted in the 2001 NFL Draft.
• Chris Melvin of the Cardinals media relations staff is a native of the Detroit area and attended Northville H.S. before moving on to Arizona State University and the Cardinals.
• Detroit punter Nick Harris is a native of Avondale, AZ and attended Westview High School, earning all-America honors as a senior.
• Arizona defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch (34th overall) and Detroit center Dominic Raiola (50th overall) were teammates together at the University of Nebraska and were taken 16 picks apart from each other in the 2001 draft.
• Detroit tackle Matt Joyce played four seasons (1997-2000) for the Cardinals starting in 28 games at guard and tackle.
• Detroit fullback Stephen Trejo is a native of Casa Grande, AZ where attended Casa Grande High and was a first team all state selection as a junior and a senior. He played his college football at Arizona State as a linebacker.
MAKE ROOM FOR CROOM
Another Cardinals rookie will crack the staring lineup this week when Larry Croom fills in for injured running back Emmitt Smith. A rookie free agent out of UNLV, Croom had one carry for 2 yards (10/24 vs. Seattle) before carrying it 10 times for 25 yards last week against the Jets following Smith’s injury. He was Arizona’s leading rusher in the 2004 preseason with 103 yards on 30 carries (3.4 average) with a touchdown. As a senior at UNLV, he rushed for 932 yards on 208 carries and three touchdowns on his way to earning honorable mention All-Mountain West status. The last rookie to start at running back for the Cards was also a free agent. Damien Anderson started in a 16-13 win at Carolina on 10/6/02.
UP NEXT
After visiting the Lions, Arizona will return home for two straight home contests against NFC West opponents. First up will be the San Francisco 49ers. The following week the Cards will host the St. Louis Rams. It marks the only time in 2004 the team will play consecutive home games. Arizona’s next two opponents face one another this week as the Rams host the Niners on Sunday in St. Louis.
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