The Arizona Cardinals meet the Tennessee Titans this week in a pivotal week 12 matchup. The Titans 4-6 are on the rise after winning 4 in a row and are desperately trying to win out in order to maintain playoff hopes. By comparison, the Cardinals enjoy a cushy lead in their division and appear poised for a return to the playoffs after their 2008 Superbowl run.
When they are on their game and everyone is healthy, the Cardinals offense is simply unstoppable. They hurt you with the run, they hurt you with passes, even their kickers can hurt you with tricky squip kicks, onsides and deep coffin punts that pin opponents deep. They are getting better week by week and most observers can hardly wait to see the Cardinals offense take the field. They haven't even peaked yet but once they find that perfect combination of pass and run, the Cardinals will be thinking big for the rest of this season.
Trap game???
Not hardly. The Cardinals have taken their recent history and turned it on its ear with their play this season. After starting slowly, the Cardinals have won 6 out of 7 games and seem to be gaining momentum with every down they play. Barring time played without QB Kurt Warner, who by all accounts is healthy and will make his 32nd consecutive start against Tenn. on Sunday, the offense has appeared unstoppable in wins against the Rams, Bears and Seahawks. Their run defense is still ranked in the top 10 in the league and their secondary has awakened after a sluggish start. Not only that, but the Cardinals NEED this game. They are tired of the label of ‘pretender’ that is so recklessly applied to them the past two seasons and with a Playoff preview against Minnesota lingering in week 13, a team that beat them badly at home last season, the Cardinals are sure to have all the motivation they need to dispatch the Titans and move on to more important foes. Some might call that overconfidence, or overlooking a team. There's a difference however, between planning for success and hoping for success. Winners just call it planning for success. I believe this team is made up of winners.
This game has a familiar tone for the Cardinals though who before 2008 rarely had a shot at the playoffs this late in the season. However the roles are reversed this time. In the past the Cardinals were always the team either desperate to make a run at the playoffs or in their more familiar role as spoilers. This time it's the Titans who are desperate and for once, the Cardinals get to play the role of 'the big bad wolf'.
The Titans look hungry, there's no doubt about that. It appears clear however, that there were no bricks available when these little piggies built their house midseason. With the resurgence of QB Vince Young it seems as though that team hit the reset button after week 7. They aren't playing great, but they are winning and that's all that matters.
Just when all seems well, here comes that big bad wolf.... The Cardinals are a team with a single-minded goal right now. They are 5-0 on the road and haven't been seriously threatened by anyone. Wide Receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are in the prime of their careers and QB Kurt Warner is still playing at the highest of levels, though his career is in its twilight. This team is built to win now and it's going to take more than determination to knock them off their course.
The Titans formula for winning their past few games seems sound; run the ball. Titans RB Chris Johnson has averaged 161 yards rushing per game in the Titans 4 game winning streak but consider the opponents they have faced. The 49ers, Jags, Texans and Buffalo average out to be a paltry 20th in the league against the rush. Arizona’s defense not only comes into this game with confidence in stopping the run but they’ve been at their best this year when playing the best (see Frank Gore rushing for 30yards in week one). Regardless of what happens in the running game, Titans QB Vince Young has not shown anyone that he has the ability to win games by throwing the ball. Against an offense as potent as Arizona, he will most likely be forced to do just that in order to stage this upset.
You might ask; This all seems crazy, are you really talking about the Cardinals right now? That's right kids, the Arizona Cardinals are the team on top and the Titans are the ones looking for the upset. How will Arizona handle this new and unprecedented role? In the past you would have guessed that they'd fall flat on the road but this team is different... This team knows exactly where it wants to go and, with all due respect to the Titans, it's going to take more than motivation to beat them. That's what good teams are made of, that's what champions do, that's what the greats call playing with higher purpose.
The Cardinals are on a mission and they won’t be swayed by a 4-6 team hoping to make an unprecedented, never before accomplished, 10-0 run to the playoffs. The Cardinals ultimate destination is a return trip to Florida for Superbowl 44. Unfinished business if you will. Just a Huff from Kurt Warner and the WR's, a Puff from Beanie Wells, Tim Hightower and the running game,,, Adrian Wilson and the Defense should be able to BLOW the Titans playoff hopes down on Sunday.
Go Cardinals!
When they are on their game and everyone is healthy, the Cardinals offense is simply unstoppable. They hurt you with the run, they hurt you with passes, even their kickers can hurt you with tricky squip kicks, onsides and deep coffin punts that pin opponents deep. They are getting better week by week and most observers can hardly wait to see the Cardinals offense take the field. They haven't even peaked yet but once they find that perfect combination of pass and run, the Cardinals will be thinking big for the rest of this season.
Trap game???
Not hardly. The Cardinals have taken their recent history and turned it on its ear with their play this season. After starting slowly, the Cardinals have won 6 out of 7 games and seem to be gaining momentum with every down they play. Barring time played without QB Kurt Warner, who by all accounts is healthy and will make his 32nd consecutive start against Tenn. on Sunday, the offense has appeared unstoppable in wins against the Rams, Bears and Seahawks. Their run defense is still ranked in the top 10 in the league and their secondary has awakened after a sluggish start. Not only that, but the Cardinals NEED this game. They are tired of the label of ‘pretender’ that is so recklessly applied to them the past two seasons and with a Playoff preview against Minnesota lingering in week 13, a team that beat them badly at home last season, the Cardinals are sure to have all the motivation they need to dispatch the Titans and move on to more important foes. Some might call that overconfidence, or overlooking a team. There's a difference however, between planning for success and hoping for success. Winners just call it planning for success. I believe this team is made up of winners.
This game has a familiar tone for the Cardinals though who before 2008 rarely had a shot at the playoffs this late in the season. However the roles are reversed this time. In the past the Cardinals were always the team either desperate to make a run at the playoffs or in their more familiar role as spoilers. This time it's the Titans who are desperate and for once, the Cardinals get to play the role of 'the big bad wolf'.
The Titans look hungry, there's no doubt about that. It appears clear however, that there were no bricks available when these little piggies built their house midseason. With the resurgence of QB Vince Young it seems as though that team hit the reset button after week 7. They aren't playing great, but they are winning and that's all that matters.
Just when all seems well, here comes that big bad wolf.... The Cardinals are a team with a single-minded goal right now. They are 5-0 on the road and haven't been seriously threatened by anyone. Wide Receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are in the prime of their careers and QB Kurt Warner is still playing at the highest of levels, though his career is in its twilight. This team is built to win now and it's going to take more than determination to knock them off their course.
The Titans formula for winning their past few games seems sound; run the ball. Titans RB Chris Johnson has averaged 161 yards rushing per game in the Titans 4 game winning streak but consider the opponents they have faced. The 49ers, Jags, Texans and Buffalo average out to be a paltry 20th in the league against the rush. Arizona’s defense not only comes into this game with confidence in stopping the run but they’ve been at their best this year when playing the best (see Frank Gore rushing for 30yards in week one). Regardless of what happens in the running game, Titans QB Vince Young has not shown anyone that he has the ability to win games by throwing the ball. Against an offense as potent as Arizona, he will most likely be forced to do just that in order to stage this upset.
You might ask; This all seems crazy, are you really talking about the Cardinals right now? That's right kids, the Arizona Cardinals are the team on top and the Titans are the ones looking for the upset. How will Arizona handle this new and unprecedented role? In the past you would have guessed that they'd fall flat on the road but this team is different... This team knows exactly where it wants to go and, with all due respect to the Titans, it's going to take more than motivation to beat them. That's what good teams are made of, that's what champions do, that's what the greats call playing with higher purpose.
The Cardinals are on a mission and they won’t be swayed by a 4-6 team hoping to make an unprecedented, never before accomplished, 10-0 run to the playoffs. The Cardinals ultimate destination is a return trip to Florida for Superbowl 44. Unfinished business if you will. Just a Huff from Kurt Warner and the WR's, a Puff from Beanie Wells, Tim Hightower and the running game,,, Adrian Wilson and the Defense should be able to BLOW the Titans playoff hopes down on Sunday.
Go Cardinals!
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