azdad1978
Championship!!!!
REGULAR SEASON GAME #15
ARIZONA CARDINALS (5-9) at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (7-7)
Sunday, December 26, 2004
2:15 PM (MST) – Qwest Field
THIS WEEK’S GAME
After snapping a four-game losing streak with an impressive 31-7 home win over the Rams, the Cards head to Seattle for a key divisional game vs. the Seahawks. The Cardinals win over the Rams, combined with Seattle’s 37-14 loss last Sunday to the Jets, means Arizona’s hopes for a division title are still alive. The Cards would need to win their final two games while Seattle and St. Louis would have to lose both of theirs. Here’s a chronological listing of what has to happen for the Cardinals to win the NFC West:
FIVE THINGS NECESSARY FOR CARDINALS TO WIN DIVISION
1. Cardinals win this Sunday at Seattle (Dec. 26)
2. St. Louis loses next Monday night (Dec. 27) vs. Philadelphia
3. St. Louis loses Jan. 2 vs. NY Jets (11:00 AM, MST)
4. Cardinals win Jan. 2 vs. Tampa Bay (2:05 PM, MST)
5. Seattle loses Jan. 2 vs. Atlanta (2:05 PM, MST)
Arizona could also still earn a Wild Card berth. That would require the team to finish 2-0 and receive help from a number of other teams. Entering this week’s action, the 49ers are the only NFC team eliminated from playoff contention. Ten NFC Teams currently have either five wins (7 teams) or six wins (3 teams).
THE SERIES
The Seahawks and Cardinals have met 11 times since 1976 with the Cardinals holding a 7-4 advantage in the match-up. The two teams have met twice annually since the 2002 season when Seattle joined the NFC West. The last time these two teams met was earlier this season when the Cardinals claimed a 25-17 victory on October 24th.
Date Site Result
Oct. 24, 2004 @ Arizona W, 25-17
Dec. 21, 2003 @ Seattle L, 28-10
Sept. 14, 2003 @ Arizona L, 38-0
Nov. 10, 2002 @ Arizona L, 27-6
Sept. 15, 2002 @ Seattle W, 24-13
Sept. 13, 1998 @ Seattle L, 33-14
Oct. 29, 1995 @ Arizona W, 20-14 (OT)
Dec. 19, 1993 @ Seattle W, 30-27 (OT)
Sept. 17, 1989 @ Seattle W 34-24
Nov. 13, 1983 @ St. Louis W, 33-28
Sept. 12, 1976 @ Seattle W, 30-24
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TELEVISION
Network: FOX
Play-by-Play: Curt Menefee
Color Analyst: Tim Green
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
CARDINALS CATEGORY SEAHAWKS
5-9 Record 7-7
251 Points Scored 319
291 Points Allowed 326
28 Touchdowns Scored 36
15 Rushing TDs 12
11 Passing TDs 21
2 Return TDs 3
31 Touchdowns Allowed 36
9 Rushing TDs Allowed 17
17 Passing TDs Allowed 19
5 Return TDs Allowed 0
35/292 Sacked/Yards Lost 28/153
29/11 Fumbles/Lost 17/9
15 Had Intercepted 16
18/22 Field Goals Made/Attempted 22/24
286.5 Total Yards Per Game 362.9
327.9 Opp. Total Yards Per Game 353.6
104.6 Rushing Yards Per Game 131.2
133.4 Opp. Rushing Yards Per Game 123.6
181.9 Passing Yards Per Game 231.6
194.5 Opp. Passing Yards Per Game 230.0
-1 Turnover Ratio +7
30:34 Average Time of Possession 29:24
25 / 23 / 23 NFL Rank-Total Offense/Run/Pass 7 / 8 / 10
15 / 27 / 11 NFL Rank-Total Defense/Run/Pass 26 / t21 / 23
BROTHERS IN ARMS
Both starting QBs in this week’s game - Arizona’s Josh McCown and Seattle’s Matt Hasselbeck - have younger brothers who are also NFL quarterbacks. Matt’s younger brother Tim is in his second season with the Washington Redskins and third in the NFL while Josh’s younger brother Luke is a rookie with the Browns. In addition to the McCowns and Hasselbecks, there are three other sets of brothers playing quarterback in the NFL, including Seattle QB Brock Huard (Injured Reserve) and brother Damon (Chiefs #3). The other two brother pairings are Koy (Eagles) and Ty (Atlanta) Detmer and Eli (NY Giants) and Peyton Manning (Colts. That total of five brother-QB sets eclipses the previous benchmark of three established in 2002. For the past two weeks, two sets of the brothers have been starting: Josh McCown for the Cardinals and Luke
for the Browns and Peyton Manning for the Colts and Eli for the Giants. It marks the first time two sets of
brothers have started in the same weekend in the NFL. Aside from the five current sets of QB brothers in the
league, in the history of the NFL there have been just two other brother tandems at the QB position. Craig (Oilers, 1980) & Terry Bradshaw (Steelers, 1970-1983) and Ed (Decatur Staleys/Chicago Bears, 1920-27) & Joey Sternamen (Bears, 1922-25, 1927-30, also played with Duluth Eskimos, 1923). In other brother-related news, Cards fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo watched his brother Brendon make a pivotal play in Miami’s Monday night upset of the Patriots. The Dolphins linebacker intercepted Tom Brady late in the game to set-up the game-winning TD.
CARDS DEFENSE RAM TOUGH
Last week against the Rams, Arizona’s defense held the St. Louis offense without a touchdown (only Rams score was on defense off a turnover) and turned in one of their best performances of the season. Arizona limited St. Louis to just 185 total yards of offense, including just 22 on the ground. It was the fewest rushing yards allowed by the Cardinals since surrendering 18 vs. Minnesota on 10/2/94 (a span of 169 games). The last time the Rams offense was held without a touchdown was 12/1/02 vs. Philadelphia (35 games).
McCOWN’S REBOUND
Cards QB Josh McCown returned to the starting lineup two weeks ago against the Niners after a three-game absence and has responded with the two best outings of his career. Last week, he ran the offense nearly flawlessly in the Cardinals 31-7 win over St. Louis. He completed 22 of 34 passes for 287 yards with no INTs and a pair of touchdowns to rookie WR Larry Fitzgerald. He also ran for two more scores and finished the day with 33 rushing yards on 9 attempts Against San Fran (12/12) he nearly led the team to a record comeback. Trailing the 49ers by 25 in the second half, the McCown-led offense erased the deficit with three unanswered TDs and a FG that forced overtime but ultimately fell in the extra period. Still, McCown finished that day with career highs in pass attempts (44), completions (26) and yardage (307). It marked his first career 300-yard passing day and was the Cardinals second 300-yard passing day this season (Shaun King, 343 at Carolina on 11/21). McCown became the 17th QB in team history to top 300 passing yards in a game. The others: King, Jeff Blake, Jake Plummer, Kent Graham, Boomer Esiason, Jay Schroeder, Dave Krieg, Steve Beuerlein Tom Tupa, Timm Rosenbach, Neil Lomax, Jim Hart, Charlie Johnson, Buddy Humphrey, Paul Christman, and Pat Coffey. This season marks the fifth time the Cardinals have had two different passers top 300 yards in a season (Shaun King vs. Carolina). Three other NFL teams have had two different QBs throw for 300+ yards in a game this season: Cleveland (Garcia and Holcomb), Tampa Bay (B. Johnson and Griese) and Oakland (Gannon and Collins).
BERRY LEADS SACK ATTACK
Defensive end Bertrand Berry, who signed with Arizona this past offseason from Denver, has proven to be the best free agent acquisition in team history. He is tied for the NFC lead with 12.5 sacks (Simeon Rice, TB) and is looking to earn his first career Pro Bowl selection. That sack total also ranks second in the NFL behind only Indianapolis’ Dwight Freeney (see box at right). No Cardinals player has ever led the NFL in sacks. Berry has participated in a sack in four straight contests after a half-sack of Chris Chandler on the opening drive vs. St. Louis. The week before it was a sack of Ken Dorsey in overtime vs. SF (12/12) and at Detroit (12/5) he recorded one of Joey Harrington at Detroit. Against the Jets (11/28) he recorded a pair of half sacks to give him 10.0 and his second straight double-digit sack season. This year marks the 14th time a Cardinal has recorded 10+ sacks. Berry becomes just the 8th different player to do so and the first since Simeon Rice in 1999.
Cards All-Time 10-Sack Seasons
16.5 Simeon Rice, 1999
16.0 Curtis Greer, 1983
14.0 Curtis Greer, 1984
14.0 Freddie Joe Nunn, 1988
13.5 Al Baker, 1983
12.5 Bertrand Berry, 2004
12.5 Simeon Rice, 1996
12.0 David Galloway, 1983
11.0 Freddie Joe Nunn, 1987
11.0 Clyde Simmons, 1995
10.0 Al Baker, 1984
10.0 Al Baker, 1986
10.0 Ken Harvey, 1990
10.0 Simeon Rice, 1998
His 4.0 sacks of Giants QB Kurt Warner on 11/14 were a career-high and matched the best single-game total in the NFL this season. For the performance, he was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week. That four-sack effort vs. the Giants was also just shy of the Cardinals team record and made him just the second player in team history to record four in a game.
Cards Record Book - Sacks/Game
4.5 Curtis Greer, 12/18/83 vs. Phi
4.0 Bertrand Berry, 11/14/04 vs. NYG
3.0 10 players tied with 3.0 sacks
A year ago, the team’s season leader in sacks finished with 3.0 (shared by two players). The last time the team’s leading sacker finished the year with more than 4.0 was 2000 (Simeon Rice, 7.5). Thanks largely to the 12.5 from Berry, the Cardinals have a total of 33.0 sacks through 14 games. They finished with just 21.0 in 16 games last season.
NFL’S 2004 SACK LEADERS
Through 14 games, Cards DE Bertrand Berry is tied for the NFC lead with 12.5 sacks and is just 2.5 behind NFL leader Dwight Freeney of the Colts.
Player Team Sacks
1. Dwight Freeney Indianapolis 15.0
2. Bertrand Berry Arizona 12.5
Simeon Rice Tampa Bay 12.5
4. James Hall Detroit 11.5
5. Robert Mathis Indianapolis 10.5
6. Lance Johnstone Minnesota 10.0
Patrick Kerney Atlanta 10.0
Julius Peppers Carolina 10.0
Kevin Williams Minnesota 10.0
NFL SACK LEADERS OVER LAST TWO SEASONS
With 12.5 sacks this year and 11.5 last season for Denver, Berry has 24.0 totals sacks of the last two campaigns. That ranks him third among all NFL players over the same span.
Player/Team ’03 ’04 Total
1. Simeon Rice, TB 15.0 12.5 27.5
2. Dwight Freeney, Ind. 11.0 15.0 26.0
3. Bertrand Berry, Den/AZ. 11.5 12.5 24.0
4. Michael Strahan, NYG 18.5 4.0 22.5
5. Terrell Suggs, Balt. 12.0 9.5 21.5
The Last Time:
CARDINALS 28, Seahawks 17
October 24, 2004 – Sun Devil Stadium - (35,695)
The Cardinals moved to 2-4 and handed the Seahawks their third straight loss with a 28-17 home victory. The win avenged a 38-0 home loss to the Seahawks the year before. Arizona led by 13 late in the third quarter but for the second straight game lost a double-digit second half lead. This time, though, they stormed back to re-take the lead thanks to major contributions from the offense, defense and special teams. Along the way, RB Emmitt Smith and K Neil Rackers earned spots in the NFL record books. The Arizona defense harassed Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck throughout the game, forcing him to go 14-41 passing for just 187 yards and 4 interceptions. CB Renaldo Hill came up with the first INT on Seattle’s initial drive, setting up a 25-yard TD pass from Josh McCown to Larry Fitzgerald. After Seattle hit a 54-yard FG to make it 7-3, Rackers made the first of two 55-yard FGs in the span of two minutes late in the second quarter that put the Cards up 13-3 at the half. The Rackers boots were separated by an INT from rookie LB Karlos Dansby. The Arizona lead increased to 16-3 late in the third quarter on a 50-yard FG by Rackers, who tied the NFL record for most 50-yard FGs in a game with three (Morten Andersen, 1995). Trailing by 13, the Seahawks made it a one-score game on their next possession when Hasselbeck capped a 72-yard drive with a 1-yard scoring pass to WR Darrell Jackson. The key play on the series was a 34-yard run by Shaun Alexander, who would finish the game with just 31 yards on his other 11 carries. Early in the fourth, CB Ken Lucas gave Seattle a 17-16 lead when he intercepted McCown and returned it 21 yards for the go-ahead score. When Seattle next got the ball, the Cards kept them pinned deep in their own territory and forced a punt with a 3-n-out. LB Gerald Hayes then blocked the punt out of the end zone for a safety that gave Arizona the lead back. At the 2:00 warning, the Cards clung to a 1-point lead and faced a 3rd-n-9 at the Seattle 23 when Smith raced down the left side for a TD. The jaunt put him over 100 yards for the 78th time in his career giving him sole possession of that NFL record.
MR. TOUCHBACK
Kicker Neil Rackers leads the NFL with 19 touchbacks on kickoffs, a two more than Micah Knorr, who had 15 for Denver. That total also ties the team’s single-season touchback record held by Joe Nedney, who had 17 in 1997. The NFL record for touchbacks in a season may be out of reach. Brad Daluiso had 52 for Denver in 1992.
MEETING OF ALL-TIME GREATS
For the second time this season, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher and receiver will both be in action this Sunday. Cardinals running back Emmitt Smith holds the top spot on the NFL’s all-time lists for career rushing yardage, attempts and touchdowns while Seattle wide receiver Jerry Rice is #1 all-time in career receiving yards, receptions and touchdowns. The pair of first-ballot Hall of Famers also rank 1-2 in NFL history in total touchdowns. Rice has found the end zone 208 times in his career while Smith is second with 174 scores (Marcus Allen is #3 with 145 career touchdowns).
Most Rushing Yards, Career Most Receiving Yds, Career
1. Emmitt Smith 18,221 1. Jerry Rice 22,895
2. Walter Payton 16,726 2. Tim Brown 14,856
3. Barry Sanders 15,269 3. James Lofton 14,004
Most Rushing Attempts, Career Most Receptions, Career
1. Emmitt Smith 4,353 1. Jerry Rice 1,549
2. Walter Payton 3,838 2. Cris Carter 1,101
3. Jerome Betis 3,342 3. Tim Brown 1,087
Most Rushing TDs, Career Most Receiving TDs, Career
1. Emmitt Smith 164 1. Jerry Rice 197
2. Marcus Allen 123 2. Cris Carter 130
3. Walter Payton 110 3. Steve Largent 100
When these two met in Arizona earlier this season on 10/24 it marked the first time the NFL’s all-time leading rusher and receiver played in the same game since 12/3/84. That day it was San Diego’s Charlie Joiner vs. Chicago’s Walter Payton. Entering the game, Joiner had 651 receptions and Payton had 12,980 rushing yards.
ODDS & ENDS
• Dating back to their match-ups in the old NFC Central, Dennis Green has a 10-5 record against Mike Holmgren.
• The Cardinals defense ranks #1 in the NFC and #5 in the NFL in red zone efficiency. They’ve held opponents to just 20 TDs in 47 trips for a 42.6 red zone TD percentage.
• CB David Macklin recorded his fourth INT of the season last week, establishing a new career high (3 in 2001 with Indy. He also has a career-best 16 pass deflections (13 in 2001). He needs one more tackle to tie his career-high of 64 set in 2002.
• RB Emmitt Smith needs 197 rushing yards over the last two games to record an NFL record 12th career 1,000-yard season. His next rushing TD will give Emmitt 10 in 2004. It would be his ninth career season with 10+ and his first since 1999.
• It was against the Seahawks on 10/27/02 that Emmitt Smith became the NFL’s all-time leading rusher (107 yards for Dallas).
• S Adrian Wilson needs 10 tackles for the second 100-tackle campaign of his career (110 in ’02).
• The Cardinals scored a touchdown in every quarter last week. The last time that happened was 11/22/98 at Washington.
• DT Russell Davis recorded the 300th tackle of his career last week against the Rams. It was his 86th career game.
• WR Bryant Johnson needs 56 receiving yards for 1,000 in his career.
• RB Josh Scobey set a career high with 562receiving yards last week and tied his career high with 23 rushing yards.
CARDS-SEAHAWKS CONNECTIONS
• Seattle General Manager Bob Ferguson worked in the personnel department for the Cardinals from 1996-2002, serving as General Manager during the 1999-2002 seasons.
• Seattle running backs coach Stump Mitchell played for the Cardinals from 1981-1989 ranking as one of the team’s all time great running backs and kick returners. He is the Cardinals’ all-time leader in combined yardage with 11,988 yards and ranks second with 4,649 yards rushing on 986 attempts and 32 touchdowns. After his playing days, Mitchell coached Casa Grande H.S.
• Seattle Director of Player Administrations Jay Nienkark worked 12 seasons (1992-2003) for the Cardinals, including the last 10 as the Cardinals “capologist.” Nienkark was the Director of Player Administration during the 2002-2003 seasons.
• Arizona linebacker James Darling is a Kettle Falls, Washington native who played his college football at Washington State and was a two-year starter at linebacker. He attended high school at Kettle Falls High School lettering as a three-year starter in football as a defensive back and running back.
• Arizona offensive coordinator Alex Wood was the tight ends coach at Washington State during the 1987-1988 seasons.
• Arizona defensive quality control coach Rick Courtright was an assistant offensive line coach at the University of Washington during the 1991-1992 seasons.
• Seattle defensive backs coach Teryl Austin coached Cardinals safety Quentin Harris at Syracuse in 1998
• Arizona Head Coach Dennis Green (receivers), Seattle Head Coach Mike Holmgren (quarterbacks), and Seattle defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes (defensive backs) were assistants together with the San Francisco 49ers during the 1986-1988 seasons.
• Seattle linebacker Solomon Bates played his college ball at Arizona State where he started 34 of 43 games recording 248 tackles (133 solos) with five sacks for a loss of 25 yards, 29 stops for losses of 79 yards, six fumble recoveries, five forced fumbles, three interceptions, and 18 passes defensed.
• Arizona defensive tackle Darnell Dockett and Seattle strong safety Micheal Boulware were defensive teammates together at Florida State and were both selected in the 2004 NFL Draft (Dockett-3rd Round, 64th overall) (Boulware-2nd Round, 53rd overall)
• Arizona free safety Ifeanyi Ohalete and Seattle cornerback Kris Richard were teammates together at USC and played in the same secondary.
• Arizona strong safety Adrian Wilson and Seattle wide receiver Koren Robinson were teammates together at N.C. State and both entered the NFL in the 2001 draft (Wilson-3rd Round, 64th overall) (Robinson-1st Round, 9th overall)
• Arizona fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo and Seattle quarterback Trent Dilfer both grew up in Santa Cruz, CA
UP NEXT
The Cardinals will close the 2004 regular season with a home game against Tampa Bay at Sun Devil Stadium on January 2. Like the Cardinals, the Bucs are 5-9 and host Carolina this week in a game with wild card implications for many NFC teams. Seattle plays next week at home vs. Atlanta.
http://azcardinals.com/news/news_details.html?iid=2515
ARIZONA CARDINALS (5-9) at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (7-7)
Sunday, December 26, 2004
2:15 PM (MST) – Qwest Field
THIS WEEK’S GAME
After snapping a four-game losing streak with an impressive 31-7 home win over the Rams, the Cards head to Seattle for a key divisional game vs. the Seahawks. The Cardinals win over the Rams, combined with Seattle’s 37-14 loss last Sunday to the Jets, means Arizona’s hopes for a division title are still alive. The Cards would need to win their final two games while Seattle and St. Louis would have to lose both of theirs. Here’s a chronological listing of what has to happen for the Cardinals to win the NFC West:
FIVE THINGS NECESSARY FOR CARDINALS TO WIN DIVISION
1. Cardinals win this Sunday at Seattle (Dec. 26)
2. St. Louis loses next Monday night (Dec. 27) vs. Philadelphia
3. St. Louis loses Jan. 2 vs. NY Jets (11:00 AM, MST)
4. Cardinals win Jan. 2 vs. Tampa Bay (2:05 PM, MST)
5. Seattle loses Jan. 2 vs. Atlanta (2:05 PM, MST)
Arizona could also still earn a Wild Card berth. That would require the team to finish 2-0 and receive help from a number of other teams. Entering this week’s action, the 49ers are the only NFC team eliminated from playoff contention. Ten NFC Teams currently have either five wins (7 teams) or six wins (3 teams).
THE SERIES
The Seahawks and Cardinals have met 11 times since 1976 with the Cardinals holding a 7-4 advantage in the match-up. The two teams have met twice annually since the 2002 season when Seattle joined the NFC West. The last time these two teams met was earlier this season when the Cardinals claimed a 25-17 victory on October 24th.
Date Site Result
Oct. 24, 2004 @ Arizona W, 25-17
Dec. 21, 2003 @ Seattle L, 28-10
Sept. 14, 2003 @ Arizona L, 38-0
Nov. 10, 2002 @ Arizona L, 27-6
Sept. 15, 2002 @ Seattle W, 24-13
Sept. 13, 1998 @ Seattle L, 33-14
Oct. 29, 1995 @ Arizona W, 20-14 (OT)
Dec. 19, 1993 @ Seattle W, 30-27 (OT)
Sept. 17, 1989 @ Seattle W 34-24
Nov. 13, 1983 @ St. Louis W, 33-28
Sept. 12, 1976 @ Seattle W, 30-24
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TELEVISION
Network: FOX
Play-by-Play: Curt Menefee
Color Analyst: Tim Green
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
CARDINALS CATEGORY SEAHAWKS
5-9 Record 7-7
251 Points Scored 319
291 Points Allowed 326
28 Touchdowns Scored 36
15 Rushing TDs 12
11 Passing TDs 21
2 Return TDs 3
31 Touchdowns Allowed 36
9 Rushing TDs Allowed 17
17 Passing TDs Allowed 19
5 Return TDs Allowed 0
35/292 Sacked/Yards Lost 28/153
29/11 Fumbles/Lost 17/9
15 Had Intercepted 16
18/22 Field Goals Made/Attempted 22/24
286.5 Total Yards Per Game 362.9
327.9 Opp. Total Yards Per Game 353.6
104.6 Rushing Yards Per Game 131.2
133.4 Opp. Rushing Yards Per Game 123.6
181.9 Passing Yards Per Game 231.6
194.5 Opp. Passing Yards Per Game 230.0
-1 Turnover Ratio +7
30:34 Average Time of Possession 29:24
25 / 23 / 23 NFL Rank-Total Offense/Run/Pass 7 / 8 / 10
15 / 27 / 11 NFL Rank-Total Defense/Run/Pass 26 / t21 / 23
BROTHERS IN ARMS
Both starting QBs in this week’s game - Arizona’s Josh McCown and Seattle’s Matt Hasselbeck - have younger brothers who are also NFL quarterbacks. Matt’s younger brother Tim is in his second season with the Washington Redskins and third in the NFL while Josh’s younger brother Luke is a rookie with the Browns. In addition to the McCowns and Hasselbecks, there are three other sets of brothers playing quarterback in the NFL, including Seattle QB Brock Huard (Injured Reserve) and brother Damon (Chiefs #3). The other two brother pairings are Koy (Eagles) and Ty (Atlanta) Detmer and Eli (NY Giants) and Peyton Manning (Colts. That total of five brother-QB sets eclipses the previous benchmark of three established in 2002. For the past two weeks, two sets of the brothers have been starting: Josh McCown for the Cardinals and Luke
for the Browns and Peyton Manning for the Colts and Eli for the Giants. It marks the first time two sets of
brothers have started in the same weekend in the NFL. Aside from the five current sets of QB brothers in the
league, in the history of the NFL there have been just two other brother tandems at the QB position. Craig (Oilers, 1980) & Terry Bradshaw (Steelers, 1970-1983) and Ed (Decatur Staleys/Chicago Bears, 1920-27) & Joey Sternamen (Bears, 1922-25, 1927-30, also played with Duluth Eskimos, 1923). In other brother-related news, Cards fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo watched his brother Brendon make a pivotal play in Miami’s Monday night upset of the Patriots. The Dolphins linebacker intercepted Tom Brady late in the game to set-up the game-winning TD.
CARDS DEFENSE RAM TOUGH
Last week against the Rams, Arizona’s defense held the St. Louis offense without a touchdown (only Rams score was on defense off a turnover) and turned in one of their best performances of the season. Arizona limited St. Louis to just 185 total yards of offense, including just 22 on the ground. It was the fewest rushing yards allowed by the Cardinals since surrendering 18 vs. Minnesota on 10/2/94 (a span of 169 games). The last time the Rams offense was held without a touchdown was 12/1/02 vs. Philadelphia (35 games).
McCOWN’S REBOUND
Cards QB Josh McCown returned to the starting lineup two weeks ago against the Niners after a three-game absence and has responded with the two best outings of his career. Last week, he ran the offense nearly flawlessly in the Cardinals 31-7 win over St. Louis. He completed 22 of 34 passes for 287 yards with no INTs and a pair of touchdowns to rookie WR Larry Fitzgerald. He also ran for two more scores and finished the day with 33 rushing yards on 9 attempts Against San Fran (12/12) he nearly led the team to a record comeback. Trailing the 49ers by 25 in the second half, the McCown-led offense erased the deficit with three unanswered TDs and a FG that forced overtime but ultimately fell in the extra period. Still, McCown finished that day with career highs in pass attempts (44), completions (26) and yardage (307). It marked his first career 300-yard passing day and was the Cardinals second 300-yard passing day this season (Shaun King, 343 at Carolina on 11/21). McCown became the 17th QB in team history to top 300 passing yards in a game. The others: King, Jeff Blake, Jake Plummer, Kent Graham, Boomer Esiason, Jay Schroeder, Dave Krieg, Steve Beuerlein Tom Tupa, Timm Rosenbach, Neil Lomax, Jim Hart, Charlie Johnson, Buddy Humphrey, Paul Christman, and Pat Coffey. This season marks the fifth time the Cardinals have had two different passers top 300 yards in a season (Shaun King vs. Carolina). Three other NFL teams have had two different QBs throw for 300+ yards in a game this season: Cleveland (Garcia and Holcomb), Tampa Bay (B. Johnson and Griese) and Oakland (Gannon and Collins).
BERRY LEADS SACK ATTACK
Defensive end Bertrand Berry, who signed with Arizona this past offseason from Denver, has proven to be the best free agent acquisition in team history. He is tied for the NFC lead with 12.5 sacks (Simeon Rice, TB) and is looking to earn his first career Pro Bowl selection. That sack total also ranks second in the NFL behind only Indianapolis’ Dwight Freeney (see box at right). No Cardinals player has ever led the NFL in sacks. Berry has participated in a sack in four straight contests after a half-sack of Chris Chandler on the opening drive vs. St. Louis. The week before it was a sack of Ken Dorsey in overtime vs. SF (12/12) and at Detroit (12/5) he recorded one of Joey Harrington at Detroit. Against the Jets (11/28) he recorded a pair of half sacks to give him 10.0 and his second straight double-digit sack season. This year marks the 14th time a Cardinal has recorded 10+ sacks. Berry becomes just the 8th different player to do so and the first since Simeon Rice in 1999.
Cards All-Time 10-Sack Seasons
16.5 Simeon Rice, 1999
16.0 Curtis Greer, 1983
14.0 Curtis Greer, 1984
14.0 Freddie Joe Nunn, 1988
13.5 Al Baker, 1983
12.5 Bertrand Berry, 2004
12.5 Simeon Rice, 1996
12.0 David Galloway, 1983
11.0 Freddie Joe Nunn, 1987
11.0 Clyde Simmons, 1995
10.0 Al Baker, 1984
10.0 Al Baker, 1986
10.0 Ken Harvey, 1990
10.0 Simeon Rice, 1998
His 4.0 sacks of Giants QB Kurt Warner on 11/14 were a career-high and matched the best single-game total in the NFL this season. For the performance, he was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week. That four-sack effort vs. the Giants was also just shy of the Cardinals team record and made him just the second player in team history to record four in a game.
Cards Record Book - Sacks/Game
4.5 Curtis Greer, 12/18/83 vs. Phi
4.0 Bertrand Berry, 11/14/04 vs. NYG
3.0 10 players tied with 3.0 sacks
A year ago, the team’s season leader in sacks finished with 3.0 (shared by two players). The last time the team’s leading sacker finished the year with more than 4.0 was 2000 (Simeon Rice, 7.5). Thanks largely to the 12.5 from Berry, the Cardinals have a total of 33.0 sacks through 14 games. They finished with just 21.0 in 16 games last season.
NFL’S 2004 SACK LEADERS
Through 14 games, Cards DE Bertrand Berry is tied for the NFC lead with 12.5 sacks and is just 2.5 behind NFL leader Dwight Freeney of the Colts.
Player Team Sacks
1. Dwight Freeney Indianapolis 15.0
2. Bertrand Berry Arizona 12.5
Simeon Rice Tampa Bay 12.5
4. James Hall Detroit 11.5
5. Robert Mathis Indianapolis 10.5
6. Lance Johnstone Minnesota 10.0
Patrick Kerney Atlanta 10.0
Julius Peppers Carolina 10.0
Kevin Williams Minnesota 10.0
NFL SACK LEADERS OVER LAST TWO SEASONS
With 12.5 sacks this year and 11.5 last season for Denver, Berry has 24.0 totals sacks of the last two campaigns. That ranks him third among all NFL players over the same span.
Player/Team ’03 ’04 Total
1. Simeon Rice, TB 15.0 12.5 27.5
2. Dwight Freeney, Ind. 11.0 15.0 26.0
3. Bertrand Berry, Den/AZ. 11.5 12.5 24.0
4. Michael Strahan, NYG 18.5 4.0 22.5
5. Terrell Suggs, Balt. 12.0 9.5 21.5
The Last Time:
CARDINALS 28, Seahawks 17
October 24, 2004 – Sun Devil Stadium - (35,695)
The Cardinals moved to 2-4 and handed the Seahawks their third straight loss with a 28-17 home victory. The win avenged a 38-0 home loss to the Seahawks the year before. Arizona led by 13 late in the third quarter but for the second straight game lost a double-digit second half lead. This time, though, they stormed back to re-take the lead thanks to major contributions from the offense, defense and special teams. Along the way, RB Emmitt Smith and K Neil Rackers earned spots in the NFL record books. The Arizona defense harassed Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck throughout the game, forcing him to go 14-41 passing for just 187 yards and 4 interceptions. CB Renaldo Hill came up with the first INT on Seattle’s initial drive, setting up a 25-yard TD pass from Josh McCown to Larry Fitzgerald. After Seattle hit a 54-yard FG to make it 7-3, Rackers made the first of two 55-yard FGs in the span of two minutes late in the second quarter that put the Cards up 13-3 at the half. The Rackers boots were separated by an INT from rookie LB Karlos Dansby. The Arizona lead increased to 16-3 late in the third quarter on a 50-yard FG by Rackers, who tied the NFL record for most 50-yard FGs in a game with three (Morten Andersen, 1995). Trailing by 13, the Seahawks made it a one-score game on their next possession when Hasselbeck capped a 72-yard drive with a 1-yard scoring pass to WR Darrell Jackson. The key play on the series was a 34-yard run by Shaun Alexander, who would finish the game with just 31 yards on his other 11 carries. Early in the fourth, CB Ken Lucas gave Seattle a 17-16 lead when he intercepted McCown and returned it 21 yards for the go-ahead score. When Seattle next got the ball, the Cards kept them pinned deep in their own territory and forced a punt with a 3-n-out. LB Gerald Hayes then blocked the punt out of the end zone for a safety that gave Arizona the lead back. At the 2:00 warning, the Cards clung to a 1-point lead and faced a 3rd-n-9 at the Seattle 23 when Smith raced down the left side for a TD. The jaunt put him over 100 yards for the 78th time in his career giving him sole possession of that NFL record.
MR. TOUCHBACK
Kicker Neil Rackers leads the NFL with 19 touchbacks on kickoffs, a two more than Micah Knorr, who had 15 for Denver. That total also ties the team’s single-season touchback record held by Joe Nedney, who had 17 in 1997. The NFL record for touchbacks in a season may be out of reach. Brad Daluiso had 52 for Denver in 1992.
MEETING OF ALL-TIME GREATS
For the second time this season, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher and receiver will both be in action this Sunday. Cardinals running back Emmitt Smith holds the top spot on the NFL’s all-time lists for career rushing yardage, attempts and touchdowns while Seattle wide receiver Jerry Rice is #1 all-time in career receiving yards, receptions and touchdowns. The pair of first-ballot Hall of Famers also rank 1-2 in NFL history in total touchdowns. Rice has found the end zone 208 times in his career while Smith is second with 174 scores (Marcus Allen is #3 with 145 career touchdowns).
Most Rushing Yards, Career Most Receiving Yds, Career
1. Emmitt Smith 18,221 1. Jerry Rice 22,895
2. Walter Payton 16,726 2. Tim Brown 14,856
3. Barry Sanders 15,269 3. James Lofton 14,004
Most Rushing Attempts, Career Most Receptions, Career
1. Emmitt Smith 4,353 1. Jerry Rice 1,549
2. Walter Payton 3,838 2. Cris Carter 1,101
3. Jerome Betis 3,342 3. Tim Brown 1,087
Most Rushing TDs, Career Most Receiving TDs, Career
1. Emmitt Smith 164 1. Jerry Rice 197
2. Marcus Allen 123 2. Cris Carter 130
3. Walter Payton 110 3. Steve Largent 100
When these two met in Arizona earlier this season on 10/24 it marked the first time the NFL’s all-time leading rusher and receiver played in the same game since 12/3/84. That day it was San Diego’s Charlie Joiner vs. Chicago’s Walter Payton. Entering the game, Joiner had 651 receptions and Payton had 12,980 rushing yards.
ODDS & ENDS
• Dating back to their match-ups in the old NFC Central, Dennis Green has a 10-5 record against Mike Holmgren.
• The Cardinals defense ranks #1 in the NFC and #5 in the NFL in red zone efficiency. They’ve held opponents to just 20 TDs in 47 trips for a 42.6 red zone TD percentage.
• CB David Macklin recorded his fourth INT of the season last week, establishing a new career high (3 in 2001 with Indy. He also has a career-best 16 pass deflections (13 in 2001). He needs one more tackle to tie his career-high of 64 set in 2002.
• RB Emmitt Smith needs 197 rushing yards over the last two games to record an NFL record 12th career 1,000-yard season. His next rushing TD will give Emmitt 10 in 2004. It would be his ninth career season with 10+ and his first since 1999.
• It was against the Seahawks on 10/27/02 that Emmitt Smith became the NFL’s all-time leading rusher (107 yards for Dallas).
• S Adrian Wilson needs 10 tackles for the second 100-tackle campaign of his career (110 in ’02).
• The Cardinals scored a touchdown in every quarter last week. The last time that happened was 11/22/98 at Washington.
• DT Russell Davis recorded the 300th tackle of his career last week against the Rams. It was his 86th career game.
• WR Bryant Johnson needs 56 receiving yards for 1,000 in his career.
• RB Josh Scobey set a career high with 562receiving yards last week and tied his career high with 23 rushing yards.
CARDS-SEAHAWKS CONNECTIONS
• Seattle General Manager Bob Ferguson worked in the personnel department for the Cardinals from 1996-2002, serving as General Manager during the 1999-2002 seasons.
• Seattle running backs coach Stump Mitchell played for the Cardinals from 1981-1989 ranking as one of the team’s all time great running backs and kick returners. He is the Cardinals’ all-time leader in combined yardage with 11,988 yards and ranks second with 4,649 yards rushing on 986 attempts and 32 touchdowns. After his playing days, Mitchell coached Casa Grande H.S.
• Seattle Director of Player Administrations Jay Nienkark worked 12 seasons (1992-2003) for the Cardinals, including the last 10 as the Cardinals “capologist.” Nienkark was the Director of Player Administration during the 2002-2003 seasons.
• Arizona linebacker James Darling is a Kettle Falls, Washington native who played his college football at Washington State and was a two-year starter at linebacker. He attended high school at Kettle Falls High School lettering as a three-year starter in football as a defensive back and running back.
• Arizona offensive coordinator Alex Wood was the tight ends coach at Washington State during the 1987-1988 seasons.
• Arizona defensive quality control coach Rick Courtright was an assistant offensive line coach at the University of Washington during the 1991-1992 seasons.
• Seattle defensive backs coach Teryl Austin coached Cardinals safety Quentin Harris at Syracuse in 1998
• Arizona Head Coach Dennis Green (receivers), Seattle Head Coach Mike Holmgren (quarterbacks), and Seattle defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes (defensive backs) were assistants together with the San Francisco 49ers during the 1986-1988 seasons.
• Seattle linebacker Solomon Bates played his college ball at Arizona State where he started 34 of 43 games recording 248 tackles (133 solos) with five sacks for a loss of 25 yards, 29 stops for losses of 79 yards, six fumble recoveries, five forced fumbles, three interceptions, and 18 passes defensed.
• Arizona defensive tackle Darnell Dockett and Seattle strong safety Micheal Boulware were defensive teammates together at Florida State and were both selected in the 2004 NFL Draft (Dockett-3rd Round, 64th overall) (Boulware-2nd Round, 53rd overall)
• Arizona free safety Ifeanyi Ohalete and Seattle cornerback Kris Richard were teammates together at USC and played in the same secondary.
• Arizona strong safety Adrian Wilson and Seattle wide receiver Koren Robinson were teammates together at N.C. State and both entered the NFL in the 2001 draft (Wilson-3rd Round, 64th overall) (Robinson-1st Round, 9th overall)
• Arizona fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo and Seattle quarterback Trent Dilfer both grew up in Santa Cruz, CA
UP NEXT
The Cardinals will close the 2004 regular season with a home game against Tampa Bay at Sun Devil Stadium on January 2. Like the Cardinals, the Bucs are 5-9 and host Carolina this week in a game with wild card implications for many NFC teams. Seattle plays next week at home vs. Atlanta.
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