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Championship!!!!
Notebook: Hood, Wilson make timely picks in St. Louis victory
By DARREN URBAN
Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson lets Rams running back Brian Leonard know he's made a big interception during Sunday's 34-31 win in St. Louis
For three games, the Cardinals couldn’t make an interception.
The last two games, the Cards have managed five – all with significant implications.
“That’s usually how it works,” said safety Adrian Wilson, whose acrobatic pick in Sunday’s 34-31 win over the Rams not only prevented a St. Louis score but set up Arizona’s game-clinching touchdown drive.
Cornerback Rod Hood had the other two interceptions Sunday, including one he returned 68 yards for a touchdown, the first score of his NFL career. The play came early in the fourth quarter with the Rams driving in a 20-20 game.
“(Rams receiver) Torry Holt made a nice play on me for a touchdown and I said ‘I got to make a play some way somehow,’ ” Hood said.
He did it by hiding on a Ram attempting a clearing route and then jumping the out route on a throw intended for tight end Randy McMichael. Rams quarterback Gus Frerotte threw it behind McMichael and right to Hood, who had nothing but open field in front of him.
“I don’t think he saw me,” Hood said.
Wilson’s play came after the Rams had closed the score to 27-23 and the Cardinals had punted the ball away. Frerotte tried to jam a deep throw into triple coverage to Drew Bennett. Wilson came from behind, jumped around Bennett while knocking the ball upward with his left hand, and then waited to catch it after he came down on the ground.
Wilson also managed to avoid stepping out of bounds on a play near the sideline.
“I was trying to tip it so I could have a chance to make a play with it when it came down,” Wilson said. “I couldn’t get two hands on it because I didn’t want to hit the receiver and get a pass interference call.”
Hood’s first interception should have led to points, after his return (plus a penalty) set the Cards up at the St. Louis 14-yard line. But quarterback Kurt Warner eventually threw an interception himself in the end zone.
O-LINE SHUFFLE
With right tackle Levi Brown (ankle) still sidelined, the Cardinals suffered a blow when backup Elton Brown had to leave the game with a sore knee. That forced left guard Reggie Wells to play right tackle, with rookie Lyle Sendlein coming in to play Wells’ spot.
“We had some problems in the second half because we had to put Lyle at guard which he has not done a lot of and we moved Reggie to tackle,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “It’s a two-position switch, which is difficult.”
Whisenhunt said the Rams put former Pro Bowl defensive lineman La’Roi Glover head up on Sendlein to try and take advantage. Sendlein is a natural center.
“I knew going in this week and last week I would be the guy if anything happen at the guard position,” Sendlein said. “With Chukky (Okobi) here I have been getting a lot of reps with the scout team at guard. I felt I was pretty well prepared … well, as prepared as I could be.”
Said Wells, “Obviously we didn’t get as many reps as we should have. But you never know where you will have to go. I take it as an honor they would have that confidence in me to move me out there in the middle of the game and be successful.”
WELLS THE SCORING MACHINE
Before Sunday, Wells hadn’t scored a touchdown since high school, when one of his highlights was recovering a fumble in the end zone on defense after his brother had sacked the opposing quarterback and forced the loose ball.
“Did some good things for our fantasy fans out there,” Wells said, adding with a chuckle, “Hey, if they’re not going to put me in positon to score, you have to do it yourself sometimes.”
NOT HAPPY
Defensive end Darnell Dockett was not happy with what he felt were dirty tactics by Rams offensive lineman Richie Incognito. The Cardinals have had problems in the past with how Incognito plays, and Dockett brought it up after the game although he would not mention Incognito by name.
“I have a lot of respect to some of those guys on the line but that one guy everybody knows, he’s been playing that way since college,” Dockett said. “The league will have to do something about it because one day he is going to really hurt somebody’s career. We got the win and we did it overcoming obstacles and one of those obstacles was one guy trying to hurt our guys.”
EXTRA POINTS
Rams running back Brian Leonard had 102 yards rushing on 18 carries. He became the first back in 10 games to gain 100 yards against the Cardinals, since Minnesota’s Chester Taylor did it Nov. 26 of last season. …
On his interception return, Hood slowed down near the goal line and all but stopped before finally taking a backward step across the line, drawing boos from the crowd. Hood said the coaches told him to instead “finish with class.”
Contact Darren Urban at [email protected]. Posted 10/7/07
By DARREN URBAN
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Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson lets Rams running back Brian Leonard know he's made a big interception during Sunday's 34-31 win in St. Louis
For three games, the Cardinals couldn’t make an interception.
The last two games, the Cards have managed five – all with significant implications.
“That’s usually how it works,” said safety Adrian Wilson, whose acrobatic pick in Sunday’s 34-31 win over the Rams not only prevented a St. Louis score but set up Arizona’s game-clinching touchdown drive.
Cornerback Rod Hood had the other two interceptions Sunday, including one he returned 68 yards for a touchdown, the first score of his NFL career. The play came early in the fourth quarter with the Rams driving in a 20-20 game.
“(Rams receiver) Torry Holt made a nice play on me for a touchdown and I said ‘I got to make a play some way somehow,’ ” Hood said.
He did it by hiding on a Ram attempting a clearing route and then jumping the out route on a throw intended for tight end Randy McMichael. Rams quarterback Gus Frerotte threw it behind McMichael and right to Hood, who had nothing but open field in front of him.
“I don’t think he saw me,” Hood said.
Wilson’s play came after the Rams had closed the score to 27-23 and the Cardinals had punted the ball away. Frerotte tried to jam a deep throw into triple coverage to Drew Bennett. Wilson came from behind, jumped around Bennett while knocking the ball upward with his left hand, and then waited to catch it after he came down on the ground.
Wilson also managed to avoid stepping out of bounds on a play near the sideline.
“I was trying to tip it so I could have a chance to make a play with it when it came down,” Wilson said. “I couldn’t get two hands on it because I didn’t want to hit the receiver and get a pass interference call.”
Hood’s first interception should have led to points, after his return (plus a penalty) set the Cards up at the St. Louis 14-yard line. But quarterback Kurt Warner eventually threw an interception himself in the end zone.
O-LINE SHUFFLE
With right tackle Levi Brown (ankle) still sidelined, the Cardinals suffered a blow when backup Elton Brown had to leave the game with a sore knee. That forced left guard Reggie Wells to play right tackle, with rookie Lyle Sendlein coming in to play Wells’ spot.
“We had some problems in the second half because we had to put Lyle at guard which he has not done a lot of and we moved Reggie to tackle,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “It’s a two-position switch, which is difficult.”
Whisenhunt said the Rams put former Pro Bowl defensive lineman La’Roi Glover head up on Sendlein to try and take advantage. Sendlein is a natural center.
“I knew going in this week and last week I would be the guy if anything happen at the guard position,” Sendlein said. “With Chukky (Okobi) here I have been getting a lot of reps with the scout team at guard. I felt I was pretty well prepared … well, as prepared as I could be.”
Said Wells, “Obviously we didn’t get as many reps as we should have. But you never know where you will have to go. I take it as an honor they would have that confidence in me to move me out there in the middle of the game and be successful.”
WELLS THE SCORING MACHINE
Before Sunday, Wells hadn’t scored a touchdown since high school, when one of his highlights was recovering a fumble in the end zone on defense after his brother had sacked the opposing quarterback and forced the loose ball.
“Did some good things for our fantasy fans out there,” Wells said, adding with a chuckle, “Hey, if they’re not going to put me in positon to score, you have to do it yourself sometimes.”
NOT HAPPY
Defensive end Darnell Dockett was not happy with what he felt were dirty tactics by Rams offensive lineman Richie Incognito. The Cardinals have had problems in the past with how Incognito plays, and Dockett brought it up after the game although he would not mention Incognito by name.
“I have a lot of respect to some of those guys on the line but that one guy everybody knows, he’s been playing that way since college,” Dockett said. “The league will have to do something about it because one day he is going to really hurt somebody’s career. We got the win and we did it overcoming obstacles and one of those obstacles was one guy trying to hurt our guys.”
EXTRA POINTS
Rams running back Brian Leonard had 102 yards rushing on 18 carries. He became the first back in 10 games to gain 100 yards against the Cardinals, since Minnesota’s Chester Taylor did it Nov. 26 of last season. …
On his interception return, Hood slowed down near the goal line and all but stopped before finally taking a backward step across the line, drawing boos from the crowd. Hood said the coaches told him to instead “finish with class.”
Contact Darren Urban at [email protected]. Posted 10/7/07
