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Championship!!!!
Notebook: Warner sacked just once this season
By DARREN URBAN
Receiever Anquan Boldin (center) hopes he can finally be in uniform this Sunday after missing two games with a hip injury.
Anquan Boldin was walking off the practice field Thursday – after sitting out yet another session – when suddenly he went WWE on rookie wide receiver Steve Breaston.
Boldin needed just a few seconds to get Breaston pinned.
“Ya’ll got to give me a task. That was too easy,” Boldin said. “I told him we fold rookies up like towels. He didn’t believe me so I had to prove it to him.”
So did it mean Boldin is physically fit to play Sunday against Carolina?
“That’s the thing, it wasn’t a challenge so it doesn’t determine where I am physically,” Boldin said.
Where Boldin is is “about 80 percent.” Eighty percent of Boldin is good, but it still doesn’t mean Boldin will finally return to the field when the Panthers visit. Coach Ken Whisenhunt said he was happy with the progress Boldin is making, but Boldin was getting another MRI Thursday afternoon to officially judge where he stands.
He won’t know until Friday morning if he will practice Friday, but it would be almost a must to see him play. Even Boldin acknowledged he wants to practice at least one time before playing again. Besides, Boldin said, there is still risk to factor in.
“I feel we will be in the playoffs and I would really be (ticked) off if I was sitting on the sideline for a playoff game,” Boldin said with a chuckle.
MAX PROTECT
From 2002 to 2006, Kurt Warner was sacked almost three times a game on average. This season, Warner has been sacked just once in the 70 times he has dropped back to pass.
That’s a big deal to a player who has been plagued by fumbles in the past. Last season, Warner was sacked 12 times in his first four starts, which helped lead to 10 fumbles in those games.
“I can tell you I have been better protected this year than the last three that I have played, maybe more,” Warner said. “To me, that is the biggest difference. It’s hard to drop the ball when you’re not getting hit.”
The positive reinforcement just underscores the improvement the offensive line has made this season.
“He trusts us more,” guard Deuce Lutui said. “He has that faith in us. I think that is great. It is good that he said that.”
TO PLAY OR NOT TO PLAY?
Elton Brown made it through a second straight practice Thursday with his sore knee and he believes he will be able to play Sunday. That’s important, because after suffering a setback with his ankle sprain Wednesday, Levi Brown sat out Thursday and is unlikely to play again this weekend.
“As a football player, this is the job. (Levi) is down, and someone has to step in and play,” Elton Brown said. “Why not be me? If I can’t go, I can’t go, but I feel like I can give it a shot.”
The Cardinals hope Bryant Johnson can do the same. Johnson is nursing a sore quadriceps muscle, although he did take part in all of practice and even pulled down a nifty-one handed sideline catch over cornerback Ralph Brown. For the official injury report, look here.
HONORING WEHRLI
New Cardinals Hall of Famer Roger Wehrli is going to be inducted into the franchise’s ring of honor at halftime of Sunday’s game. Wehrli will also be presented with his Hall of Fame ring and his bust from the Hall will be flown in from Canton for the occasion.
“I am really looking forward to it, obviously,” Wehrli said. “To be up there with all the Cardinal greats, it is something I never really dreamed of.”
EXTRA POINTS
General manager Rod Graves said the Buccaneers, who have had a rash of injuries at the running back position, called to inquire about the availability of either J.J. Arrington or Marcel Shipp. Graves told the Bucs the Cards were content to keep both. …
Whisenhunt, on the lack of carries for anyone but Edgerrin James: “If it came to that point where (Edge) is at 30 or 35 carries a game, then we would want to get Marcel or J.J. in there. But as long as he is in the mid-20s and not having a lot of carries in a row, it’s not a problem. I think you’d have a hard time getting carries from Edge right now.”
James, who leads the NFC in rushing with 442 yards, is averaging only 21.4 carries a game. Shipp has three carries total, Arrington eight.
Contact Darren Urban at [email protected]. Posted 10/11/07
http://www.azcardinals.com/news/detail.php?PRKey=1989
By DARREN URBAN
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Receiever Anquan Boldin (center) hopes he can finally be in uniform this Sunday after missing two games with a hip injury.
Anquan Boldin was walking off the practice field Thursday – after sitting out yet another session – when suddenly he went WWE on rookie wide receiver Steve Breaston.
Boldin needed just a few seconds to get Breaston pinned.
“Ya’ll got to give me a task. That was too easy,” Boldin said. “I told him we fold rookies up like towels. He didn’t believe me so I had to prove it to him.”
So did it mean Boldin is physically fit to play Sunday against Carolina?
“That’s the thing, it wasn’t a challenge so it doesn’t determine where I am physically,” Boldin said.
Where Boldin is is “about 80 percent.” Eighty percent of Boldin is good, but it still doesn’t mean Boldin will finally return to the field when the Panthers visit. Coach Ken Whisenhunt said he was happy with the progress Boldin is making, but Boldin was getting another MRI Thursday afternoon to officially judge where he stands.
He won’t know until Friday morning if he will practice Friday, but it would be almost a must to see him play. Even Boldin acknowledged he wants to practice at least one time before playing again. Besides, Boldin said, there is still risk to factor in.
“I feel we will be in the playoffs and I would really be (ticked) off if I was sitting on the sideline for a playoff game,” Boldin said with a chuckle.
MAX PROTECT
From 2002 to 2006, Kurt Warner was sacked almost three times a game on average. This season, Warner has been sacked just once in the 70 times he has dropped back to pass.
That’s a big deal to a player who has been plagued by fumbles in the past. Last season, Warner was sacked 12 times in his first four starts, which helped lead to 10 fumbles in those games.
“I can tell you I have been better protected this year than the last three that I have played, maybe more,” Warner said. “To me, that is the biggest difference. It’s hard to drop the ball when you’re not getting hit.”
The positive reinforcement just underscores the improvement the offensive line has made this season.
“He trusts us more,” guard Deuce Lutui said. “He has that faith in us. I think that is great. It is good that he said that.”
TO PLAY OR NOT TO PLAY?
Elton Brown made it through a second straight practice Thursday with his sore knee and he believes he will be able to play Sunday. That’s important, because after suffering a setback with his ankle sprain Wednesday, Levi Brown sat out Thursday and is unlikely to play again this weekend.
“As a football player, this is the job. (Levi) is down, and someone has to step in and play,” Elton Brown said. “Why not be me? If I can’t go, I can’t go, but I feel like I can give it a shot.”
The Cardinals hope Bryant Johnson can do the same. Johnson is nursing a sore quadriceps muscle, although he did take part in all of practice and even pulled down a nifty-one handed sideline catch over cornerback Ralph Brown. For the official injury report, look here.
HONORING WEHRLI
New Cardinals Hall of Famer Roger Wehrli is going to be inducted into the franchise’s ring of honor at halftime of Sunday’s game. Wehrli will also be presented with his Hall of Fame ring and his bust from the Hall will be flown in from Canton for the occasion.
“I am really looking forward to it, obviously,” Wehrli said. “To be up there with all the Cardinal greats, it is something I never really dreamed of.”
EXTRA POINTS
General manager Rod Graves said the Buccaneers, who have had a rash of injuries at the running back position, called to inquire about the availability of either J.J. Arrington or Marcel Shipp. Graves told the Bucs the Cards were content to keep both. …
Whisenhunt, on the lack of carries for anyone but Edgerrin James: “If it came to that point where (Edge) is at 30 or 35 carries a game, then we would want to get Marcel or J.J. in there. But as long as he is in the mid-20s and not having a lot of carries in a row, it’s not a problem. I think you’d have a hard time getting carries from Edge right now.”
James, who leads the NFC in rushing with 442 yards, is averaging only 21.4 carries a game. Shipp has three carries total, Arrington eight.
Contact Darren Urban at [email protected]. Posted 10/11/07
http://www.azcardinals.com/news/detail.php?PRKey=1989
is DUMB!!!
