Billy Flynt
Pirate, 300 yrs too late
FanBoy's Game Blog
Fourth quarter
0:00 : Navarre could not make the long pass happen and the Broncos win.
:10 : Navarre is leading two-minute drill downfield, trying to get a win in the final minute. And Deuce Lutui grabs a deflected pass and turns illegal receiver.
2:38 : Mike Bell gets a 38 yard carry late in the fourth. Bell has won the battle of the backs tonight. He just has cut better and found the holes. Coach Shanahan should consider bringing him out the game with so little time left.
3:54 : LB Patrick Chukwurah, the player who sprained Leinart's shoulder, has hurt his right ankle during a blitz on Navarre. Deuce Lutui has to do a better job pass protecting, he's been beat several times tonight.
3:58 : Defensive end Tyler King makes a sack on 3rd and 18. The Cardinals will take over after a good bounce for Denver. Navarre gets a pass of to Leonard Pope, who was very quiet tonight after grabbing a touch down pass last week.
7:18 : The attendance of tonight's game was 62, 927. The fans are dwindling as the preseason finally coming to a close. This stadium is amazing when you pause and take your eye off the game play. Last impressions to be made and the Broncos should run the ball and try to eat up as much time as possible on this drive.
10:06 : Deeper in the roster, the Broncos have taken the upper hand. Tatum Bell is running hard against a sloppy Cardinals defense. The Broncos get back the lead.
10:53 : A quick three and out gives the ball back to the Broncos. The defense needs to shore up on this possession or Van Pelt will continue to push downfield. With the score tied, this match up of a lot of player that may be cut this weekend has gone decidedly to the Broncos.
The Leinart injury was pointless. He has to get his looks, but engineering two long drives for a TD and a field goal should have satisfied Green. He should not have been in this sloppy game of third stringers.
Francisco gets called for an illegal tackle and the Broncos are within in the red zone with in seconds. Tatum Bell is getting some long runs against a incoherent defense.
12:28 : Navarre completes his first pass to Todd Watkins. There was a lot of fan interest in the rookie Watkins and after turning in a decent camp has not had much of chance to make an impression during game play.
13:48 : Van Pelt led his team down field for the score. As we get deeper into the defensive roster, the Cardinals are not putting up a big fight to open the fourth quarter. Denver gets the two-point conversion and it is now tied.
John Navarre will take the field with Leinart down with the right shoulder sprain. Navarre has had a atrocious preseason after a promising camp. Let's see if he can keep a cool head tonight.
Third quarter
0:00 : Matt Leinart has suffered a right shoulder sprain and will not return to the game. Preseason injury is never a good thing, but with the regular season around the corner, Matt needs to be healthy.
2:29 : Bradlee Van Pelt is in for Denver and he airs it out big. Safety Jack Brewer closes big and knocks it down. Brewer has not been a big factor this preseason, but even if his year is over on Saturday, that big play will be a good memory.
3:24 : After the Cardinals last big drive, this one is a little off. Flags are flying against both sides and their have been a few dropped passes. Denver LB Patrick Chukwurah blindside Leinart for a big sack after Gorin got smoked on the blitz. This drive is over early and Scott Player makes his first punt of the game.
5:47 : Tatum Bell is in for this possession. The Broncos are running the I with Cecil Sapp playing full back. Tatum just is not getting the yardage Mike has been tonight. The Broncos go three and out.
A duck of a punt bounces downfield. Spurlock bobbles the pick up and causes a live ball. Spurlock has had problems with ball handling during his return game this preseason. The Cardinals recover and take over from their 33 yard line.
7:00 : The drive took 7:44 over 13 plays. The Cardinals have dominated time of possession and Rackers is still kicking off. Nick Novak has yet to see any action tonight.
7:16 : Big play: Four receiver set from the shotgun. Leinart tries to force it to Johnson in the corner. Rackers hits another field goal. Neil's money. The drive itself was a good one, but the Cardinals have a tough time finishing.
7:25 : It is a third and long situation within the 20. The Cards have to be able to convert in the red zone. They have been held to one TD in the three times they have got within sniffing distance.
11:00 : Rookie Leonard Pope makes his first contribution to the game - Unfortunately, it's a false start.
11:36 : Nick Lekey pulls on an outside run with Marcel Shipp. He gets a great down field block. That is a properly run play, if we saw more of those the Cardinals run game might get stronger legs.
14:22 : Michael Spurlock is back to receive to start the second half. We still see Spurlock in a uni after this weekend's cuts. Broncos kicker Jason Elam has not seen any action tonight. Spurlock gets 27 yard return. We cannot help rooting for the guy after his impressive camp.
Second quarter
:00 : Leinart kneels out the half for the Cardinals. It was successful offensively, both Warner and Leinart were commanding. The Cards' Corners continue to be picked on, they need to provide better coverage this season.
:06 : Denver is burning their time outs to try to punch it in before half. They are first and 10 on the Cardinals 24 yard line. Big stop here would be good to go into the locker room with. The Bell saga will likely continue next half. So much for the stop, the corners continue to struggle as Tate gets beat by Devoe for the TD.
:42 : Mike Bell is back in the game and makes a reception. Calvin Pace comes on a SAM blitz and gets to Cutler as big man Langston Moore comes in for a nasty looking clean up. That one hurt a little.
Todd Devoe burns by Eric Green only to drop the pass. Devoe will remember that one when he's off the squad this weekend.
1:51 : Robert Tate gets a give pick and returns it for a touchdown after the two minute warning. Tate is a player on the bubble and that was just the impression he wanted to make tonight.
2:00 : Cedric Cobbs get stood up by Darryl Blackstock. Blackstock made an impression at WILL this preseason and has really improved during his second year.
The battle of the Bells was won by Arizona alum Mike Bell. Tatum was held to four yards over three carries. Mike will get the nod early in the season, but Tatum will always be breathing down his neck.
2:40: My man with the best name on the squad, Diamond Ferri, makes the stop on the kick off. Ferri will mostly likely be getting a call this weekend, so this will be the last time you'll see him suited up this season.
3:18 : It's fourth and 1 and the Cardinals convert. A preseason move maybe, but Green shows confidence in his team letting them go for it.
Leinart completes to Troy Walters who easily jogs into the end zone for the touch down. Number 7 continues to impress. He showed a cool head and lead his team of second stringers downfield for the first Cardinals touchdown tonight. He was 4/5 for 67 yards for the drive.
5:06 : Elvis Dumervil gets by Deuce Lutui and sacks Matt Leinart. His pocket collapses the next play and Leinart looks to take off again, but he instead uses some patience and find Troy Walters downfield for the first down. Leinart is little too ready to run and it is good that he waited for his receiver to come back to him. Development.
6:39 : Marcel Shipp gets his first touch and has now where to go as the hole never exists to collapse. We would like to see Shipp get some numbers and make a case for more time this season.
Leinart picks on the weak side and gets a big second effort from Carlyle Holiday. This second year-men is making an impression while LeRon McCoy is hurt.
8:40 : Cardinals defense end the Broncos drive at mid field. Little big man, Troy Walters, makes the fair catch and Matt Leinart takes the field. The crowd goes crazy, first for Leinart then for free t-shirts.
Warner ends the night 10-12 for 132 yards. A good night for Kurt although his offense could not convert in the red zone.
10:10 : Langston Moore hits Cutler hard in the backfield and causes a fumble. The turnover is nullified by a holding call on Eric Green. The corners are just not playing well tonight.
10:46 : Tatum Bell is in on the drive and powers his first touch for a gain of six. It's a battle between the Bells.
Jonathon Lewis gets the encroachment call.
Lamont Reid and Eric Green have taken over at the corner spots, as the starters come out early.
12:36 : Francisco is impressing on kick off. He gets rocked on a block, pops up and tackles Clark. He is slides by the wedge time and time again and has a nose for the tackle.
They'll be throwing to Macklin's side - he's got to makes some plays.
12:41 : Warner hits Adam Bergen over the middle, but the holding call put them too far back to convert. Rackers kicks another field goal. The Cardinals are not doing it inside the 20 yard line.
The tight end pass over the middle could be a big play this season for the Cards. It is consistently open in the three receiver set and could mean big things for Leonard Pope.
13:11 : Another Boldin catch gets taken back after Bridges gets caught for holding. Anyone else miss Oliver Ross? It is time for Brandon Gorin to get in this game.
13:50 : Offensively, the Cardinals look good with Warner hitting Boldin up again, pushing it into the red zone. Defensively they are lacking tonight. The line is not putting enough pressure on Jay Cutler. The big men up front for Denver are doing a great job of pass protection. David Macklin is getting picked on like a little kid with head gear. He needs to shore up.
First quarter
0:00 : Larry Fitz gets his first catch to convert from third down. The Cards' receivers are chewing up the Denver secondary. Unfortunately, David Macklin by Denver's receiving corps.
Arrington continues to pound it in for short gain. Jeremy Bridges is in at right tackle and the line is giving Warner a lot of time.
4:21 : David Macklin gets burned by three receiver David Kircus for an 84 yard TD. Macklin is getting manhandled tonight by Kircus. Macklin will be picked on all year and he must not make mental errors like that.
Cutler is getting too much time. He has only been rushed once tonight so far.
4:34 : Aaron Francisco comes down on the kickoff and lays a big hit on Brian Clark. Francisco has made his case for the roster by his special teams play alone. He hits big, pure and simple.
4:38 : The Cards are held to a field goal within the 10 yard line and images of last year's inability to seal the deal in the red zone come streaming back. The drive was all Q, who accounted for 47 yards on the drive. Edge looked promising coming out of the backfield and the line gave Warner good protection. A good starting drive.
4:56 : Edge corrals two short passes and gets a first down. The crowd cheers as he takes off his helmet and trots off field. He is done for the night and looked good on his two plays.
Q continues to slide by Denver's defense runs down a defender. Arrington runs a stretch play and gets pushed out three yards from the promise land.
The Cardinals still have to be able to pound it in from this distance.
7:36 : Kurt Warner takes the field and immediately gets things started with a bullet to Anquan Boldin for a nine yard gain. Q goes for the extra effort and shows he's ready for the season to start.
Q gets another, the line is giving Warner a great pocket and plenty of time so far.
9:01 : James Darling is in at WILL and breaks up a big pass to stop the Denver offensive. Micah Knorr knocks it between the uprights from 35 yards as Mike Shanahan and company settle for a field goal.
The scoring drive five minutes and fifty-three seconds over 12 plays.
Another kicker, Paul Ernster, kicks to Arrington, he gets a solid return for 25 yards.
9:15 : Mike Bell is looking uncomfortably strong against the Cardinals defense and Macklin has been picked on now three times. Macklin has also accounted for a defensive holding call. The Broncos are staying away from Rolle and continue to march down the field.
Gerald Hayes comes up and smacks Mike Bell in the mouth. This will be the first of his undoubtedly several tackles tonight.
13:09 : Rackers starts it off with a booming kick to kick returner Brian Clark. Coach Zauner's special teams had a shaky game last week- they have to get back to business as usual according to Zauner's extensive playbook and verbal preparation. Clark kneels for the touchback.
Jay Cutler is under center with Mike Bell in the back field. Cutler completes his first two passes, exploited the weak side and David Macklin at corner.
Mike Bell gets his first touch on an outside run for four yards.
Ummm, Novak was cut on Tuesday... He might have seen some action but it wasn't going to be in the game...
