azdad1978
Championship!!!!
by: Mike Jurecki
Observations
For the second week in a row, the Arizona Cardinals came away with a victory. This team has grown up over the last few games showing the ability to finish out games and make adjustments when they need to.
Case and point: On Sunday the Cardinals fell 14-3 to the Giants after New York drove eighty yards on their first two possessions, and most people were thinking that the potential was there for it to be a long afternoon. That’s when the Cardinals made some adjustments, starting on the defensive side of the ball. Arizona was having trouble in the first half when it came to stopping the run; the Giants had 110 yards on 17 carries, but were limited to only 37 yards in the second half.
Initially, what was occurring was that New York was running a toss sweep with running back Tiki Barber, who would stretch to the corner and then with his great vision, he would cut back. This led to the Redbirds over pursuing and missing tackles. You have to also consider that it is hard to arm tackle any ball carrier, let alone a player like Barber.
But, the Cardinals found a way to shut down the Giants, starting upfront with the defensive line, and in particular, free agent pick up Bertrand Berry. During the broadcast, I mentioned that in my opinion, Berry is the best free agent signing the organization has had since this team moved to the desert in 1988. Berry had a career high of four sacks which brings his season total to nine. Not only has he been a huge addition with his production, he is also a leader on and off the field. As a player, the former Denver Bronco spends a lot of time giving back to the community. He really gets it, he’s a professional and he appreciates what he has.
Besides Berry’s role on the defense, other players are stepping up like rookie defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, and rookie outside linebacker Karlos Dansby who had two sacks and a tipped ball late in the game which secured a victory.
Anyone can make a case that this Cardinals draft class is not only playing but also producing. At the end of the season they should get a high grade.
Offensively, this team is still experiencing a lack of continuity on the offensive line and the Cardinals tried to mix and match on Sunday by shuffling the deck a few times. Currently, the numbers aren’t anything to hang your hat on, but they did just enough not to lose the game. There were a couple key points in the game where the Redbirds picked up a few first downs that kept the chains moving and allowing them to chew some time off the clock in the second half. I know everyone’s into fantasy numbers, but quarterback Josh McCown will be measured on wins and losses. Here’s the important stat from Sunday’s game-- zero turnovers from this Cardinals offense.
Like I mentioned last week, when this team is at .500 ball, then we’ll mention the “P” word… So close…
Birdseed:
Update Time…. After ten weeks…(overall record)
When a team’s quarterback throws 300+ yards in a single game… 19-25 When a team’s wide receiver has 100+ yards in a single game… 40-56 When a team has a 100+ yard rusher in a single game… 77-18
When a team rushes 30+ times in a football game… 91-24
4th quarter rushing on Sunday
NY Giants four rushes for 2 yards
Arizona 12 carries for 25 yards
The point is that the Cardinals ran the ball twelve times to protect the lead in the final quarter and the defense was outstanding shutting down the running game. That’s impressive.
Random thoughts…
Even though the games have not been sellouts on paper but with a record of 3-1 at home this year, the fans sure have been loud. They are boisterous and have done their part to keep Sun Devil Stadium rocking. I know the players appreciate it and feed off it during the game. Just a reminder, there are only four more home games left.
Arizona cut down with shooting themselves in the foot as they had only 3 penalties for 15 yards against the Giants. That’s a big drop off from the previous two weeks where Arizona had 23 penalties.
The last time Arizona won three in a row: 2001 (finished 7-9). Arizona, with a win Sunday, can break a streak of 46 games.
Previous 3-in-a-row wins
November 18, Detroit, 45-38
November 25, at San Diego, 20-17
December 2, at Oakland, 34-31 OT
Info and Stats on “Bertrand Berry”
Drafted- 3rd round (86th overall, 13th Defensive end chosen)
School- Notre Dame
Year- Team……....Games/ Sacks
1997- Indianapolis…10........0
1998- Indianapolis…16……4
1999- Indianapolis…16……1
2000- out of football (released by the Rams- August 20)
2001- Denver………14……2
2002- Denver………16…....6.5
2003- Denver………16…...11.5
2004- Arizona………9…….9
Redbirds sack total
2004- Team sacks- 24.0 (after nine games)
2003- Teams sacks- 20 (16 games)
The last time Arizona had a double digit sack leader, it was in 1999 when Simeon Rice registered 16.5 sacks.
4-5 Teams
Arizona
Chicago
Cincinnati
Detroit
Houston
New Orleans
Teams at or .500 that have made the post season play in the league’s history
1999- Dallas Cowboy 8-8 (lost- Wildcard game to Minnesota 27-10)
1999- Detroit Lions 8-8 (lost- Wildcard game to Washington 27-13)
1991- New York Jets 8-8 (lost- Wildcard game to Houston 17-10)
1990- New Orleans Saints 8-8 (lost- Wildcard game to Chicago 16-6)
1985- Cleveland Browns 8-8 (lost- Division game to Miami 24-21)
1982- Cleveland Browns 8-8 (lost Wildcard game to L.A. Raiders 27-10)
In 1985- Cleveland won the division title finishing 8-8 in the old AFC Central.
PLAYOFF SEEDS IF THE SEASON ENDED AFTER WEEK 10
AFC
Seed…Team….Record
1-Pittsburgh (North Champions) 8-1
2-New England (East Champions) 8-1
3-Denver (West Champions) 6-3
4-Indianapolis (South Champions)6-3
5-Baltimore (Wild Card) 6-3
6-San Diego (Wild Card) 6-3
Jacksonville-6-3
N.Y. Jets-6-3
Houston-4-5
Cincinnati-4-5
Cleveland-3-6
Tennessee-3-6
Oakland-3-6
Kansas City-3-6
Buffalo-3-6
Miami-1-8
NFC
Seed Team Record
1-Philadelphia (East Champions) 8-1
2-Atlanta (South Champions) 7-2
3-Green Bay (North Champions)5-4
4-St. Louis (West Champions) 5-4
5-Seattle (Wild Card)...5-4
6-N.Y. Giants (Wild Card)...5-4
Minnesota-5-4
Arizona-4-5
Detroit-4-5
Chicago-4-5
New Orleans-4-5
Tampa Bay-3-6
Dallas-3-6
Washington-3-6
Carolina-2-7
San Francisco-1-8
• Indianapolis is AFC South Champion based on division record with
Jacksonville (3-1 to Jaguars' 2-2).
• Denver is AFC West Champion based on head-to-head with San Diego (1-0).
• Pittsburgh is first AFC seed based on head-to-head with New England
(1-0).
• Denver is third AFC seed based on conference record with Indianapolis (4-2 to Colts' 4-3).
• Baltimore is first AFC Wild Card based on conference record with San
Diego, N.Y. Jets and Jacksonville (5-2 to Chargers' 4-2, Jets' and Jaguars' 5-3).
• San Diego is second AFC Wild Card based on conference record with N.Y. Jets and Jacksonville (4-2 to Jets' and Jaguars' 5-3).
• Green Bay is NFC North Champion based on head-to-head with Minnesota
(1-0).
• St. Louis is NFC West Champion based on head-to-head with Seattle (2-0).
• Seattle is first NFC Wild Card based on conference record with N.Y.
Giants and Minnesota (5-3 to Giants' 4-4 and Vikings' 3-3).
• N.Y. Giants is second NFC Wild Card based on head-to-head with Minnesota (1-0).
Courtesy of CBS
The bottom line is that this team has put themselves in position to possibly be .500 (with a win on Sunday in Carolina) going into the final six games of the season.
http://www.azcardinals.com/news/col_details.html?iid=287
Observations
For the second week in a row, the Arizona Cardinals came away with a victory. This team has grown up over the last few games showing the ability to finish out games and make adjustments when they need to.
Case and point: On Sunday the Cardinals fell 14-3 to the Giants after New York drove eighty yards on their first two possessions, and most people were thinking that the potential was there for it to be a long afternoon. That’s when the Cardinals made some adjustments, starting on the defensive side of the ball. Arizona was having trouble in the first half when it came to stopping the run; the Giants had 110 yards on 17 carries, but were limited to only 37 yards in the second half.
Initially, what was occurring was that New York was running a toss sweep with running back Tiki Barber, who would stretch to the corner and then with his great vision, he would cut back. This led to the Redbirds over pursuing and missing tackles. You have to also consider that it is hard to arm tackle any ball carrier, let alone a player like Barber.
But, the Cardinals found a way to shut down the Giants, starting upfront with the defensive line, and in particular, free agent pick up Bertrand Berry. During the broadcast, I mentioned that in my opinion, Berry is the best free agent signing the organization has had since this team moved to the desert in 1988. Berry had a career high of four sacks which brings his season total to nine. Not only has he been a huge addition with his production, he is also a leader on and off the field. As a player, the former Denver Bronco spends a lot of time giving back to the community. He really gets it, he’s a professional and he appreciates what he has.
Besides Berry’s role on the defense, other players are stepping up like rookie defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, and rookie outside linebacker Karlos Dansby who had two sacks and a tipped ball late in the game which secured a victory.
Anyone can make a case that this Cardinals draft class is not only playing but also producing. At the end of the season they should get a high grade.
Offensively, this team is still experiencing a lack of continuity on the offensive line and the Cardinals tried to mix and match on Sunday by shuffling the deck a few times. Currently, the numbers aren’t anything to hang your hat on, but they did just enough not to lose the game. There were a couple key points in the game where the Redbirds picked up a few first downs that kept the chains moving and allowing them to chew some time off the clock in the second half. I know everyone’s into fantasy numbers, but quarterback Josh McCown will be measured on wins and losses. Here’s the important stat from Sunday’s game-- zero turnovers from this Cardinals offense.
Like I mentioned last week, when this team is at .500 ball, then we’ll mention the “P” word… So close…
Birdseed:
Update Time…. After ten weeks…(overall record)
When a team’s quarterback throws 300+ yards in a single game… 19-25 When a team’s wide receiver has 100+ yards in a single game… 40-56 When a team has a 100+ yard rusher in a single game… 77-18
When a team rushes 30+ times in a football game… 91-24
4th quarter rushing on Sunday
NY Giants four rushes for 2 yards
Arizona 12 carries for 25 yards
The point is that the Cardinals ran the ball twelve times to protect the lead in the final quarter and the defense was outstanding shutting down the running game. That’s impressive.
Random thoughts…
Even though the games have not been sellouts on paper but with a record of 3-1 at home this year, the fans sure have been loud. They are boisterous and have done their part to keep Sun Devil Stadium rocking. I know the players appreciate it and feed off it during the game. Just a reminder, there are only four more home games left.
Arizona cut down with shooting themselves in the foot as they had only 3 penalties for 15 yards against the Giants. That’s a big drop off from the previous two weeks where Arizona had 23 penalties.
The last time Arizona won three in a row: 2001 (finished 7-9). Arizona, with a win Sunday, can break a streak of 46 games.
Previous 3-in-a-row wins
November 18, Detroit, 45-38
November 25, at San Diego, 20-17
December 2, at Oakland, 34-31 OT
Info and Stats on “Bertrand Berry”
Drafted- 3rd round (86th overall, 13th Defensive end chosen)
School- Notre Dame
Year- Team……....Games/ Sacks
1997- Indianapolis…10........0
1998- Indianapolis…16……4
1999- Indianapolis…16……1
2000- out of football (released by the Rams- August 20)
2001- Denver………14……2
2002- Denver………16…....6.5
2003- Denver………16…...11.5
2004- Arizona………9…….9
Redbirds sack total
2004- Team sacks- 24.0 (after nine games)
2003- Teams sacks- 20 (16 games)
The last time Arizona had a double digit sack leader, it was in 1999 when Simeon Rice registered 16.5 sacks.
4-5 Teams
Arizona
Chicago
Cincinnati
Detroit
Houston
New Orleans
Teams at or .500 that have made the post season play in the league’s history
1999- Dallas Cowboy 8-8 (lost- Wildcard game to Minnesota 27-10)
1999- Detroit Lions 8-8 (lost- Wildcard game to Washington 27-13)
1991- New York Jets 8-8 (lost- Wildcard game to Houston 17-10)
1990- New Orleans Saints 8-8 (lost- Wildcard game to Chicago 16-6)
1985- Cleveland Browns 8-8 (lost- Division game to Miami 24-21)
1982- Cleveland Browns 8-8 (lost Wildcard game to L.A. Raiders 27-10)
In 1985- Cleveland won the division title finishing 8-8 in the old AFC Central.
PLAYOFF SEEDS IF THE SEASON ENDED AFTER WEEK 10
AFC
Seed…Team….Record
1-Pittsburgh (North Champions) 8-1
2-New England (East Champions) 8-1
3-Denver (West Champions) 6-3
4-Indianapolis (South Champions)6-3
5-Baltimore (Wild Card) 6-3
6-San Diego (Wild Card) 6-3
Jacksonville-6-3
N.Y. Jets-6-3
Houston-4-5
Cincinnati-4-5
Cleveland-3-6
Tennessee-3-6
Oakland-3-6
Kansas City-3-6
Buffalo-3-6
Miami-1-8
NFC
Seed Team Record
1-Philadelphia (East Champions) 8-1
2-Atlanta (South Champions) 7-2
3-Green Bay (North Champions)5-4
4-St. Louis (West Champions) 5-4
5-Seattle (Wild Card)...5-4
6-N.Y. Giants (Wild Card)...5-4
Minnesota-5-4
Arizona-4-5
Detroit-4-5
Chicago-4-5
New Orleans-4-5
Tampa Bay-3-6
Dallas-3-6
Washington-3-6
Carolina-2-7
San Francisco-1-8
• Indianapolis is AFC South Champion based on division record with
Jacksonville (3-1 to Jaguars' 2-2).
• Denver is AFC West Champion based on head-to-head with San Diego (1-0).
• Pittsburgh is first AFC seed based on head-to-head with New England
(1-0).
• Denver is third AFC seed based on conference record with Indianapolis (4-2 to Colts' 4-3).
• Baltimore is first AFC Wild Card based on conference record with San
Diego, N.Y. Jets and Jacksonville (5-2 to Chargers' 4-2, Jets' and Jaguars' 5-3).
• San Diego is second AFC Wild Card based on conference record with N.Y. Jets and Jacksonville (4-2 to Jets' and Jaguars' 5-3).
• Green Bay is NFC North Champion based on head-to-head with Minnesota
(1-0).
• St. Louis is NFC West Champion based on head-to-head with Seattle (2-0).
• Seattle is first NFC Wild Card based on conference record with N.Y.
Giants and Minnesota (5-3 to Giants' 4-4 and Vikings' 3-3).
• N.Y. Giants is second NFC Wild Card based on head-to-head with Minnesota (1-0).
Courtesy of CBS
The bottom line is that this team has put themselves in position to possibly be .500 (with a win on Sunday in Carolina) going into the final six games of the season.
http://www.azcardinals.com/news/col_details.html?iid=287
