Wow - i wish i shared the optimism being expressed here!
The Cardinals' 4-2 record is tied for 4th best in the NFC - with three other teams. They're 8th in the NFC in net points at +27.
The Cardinals are ranked 7th on offense, 9th on defense, and 8th in turnover differential in the NFC (by yards) - as thoroughly average as a team could be. Teams that rank higher in EVERY category include New Orleans, Green Bay, Philadelphia, and New York. Teams that rank higher in two out of three categories include Minnesota and San Francisco.
Based on scoring instead of yards, the Cardinals are 8th on offense and 3rd (tied with Seattle) on defense in the NFC. I'm really pleased that they're tied for 3rd in scoring defense, and that's a huge improvement over last year... but i don't see how that, coupled with an average offense, merits their being considered the #1 team in the NFC... or even one of the top three.
I think people are really getting overly caught up in the fact that the Cardinals won a big east coast road game that happened to be in prime time. It was a great win, but i think the Cardinals have a lot more to prove before being considered tops in the NFC.
I hope they succeed in proving themselves worthy by the end of the season. If the defense continues its improvement and the offense rises to the level at which it played last year, and the team stays relatively healthy again, it could very well happen. But we're not there yet - at this point, it's just potential.
...dave
I agree with almost everything you say Dave but the creampuff of our schedule is just now coming for us while most of the teams like the seahags & giants and most of the others have already played they're "Pad the stats" games.We have'nt.The colts game really hurt us in stats and we start Sunday fresh with a very confident but not overconfident team that is relatively healthy.
At this time last year Haggans was already out and he's already gotten many more tackles than last year and done much more in the pressuriing the passer department.Plus we have the emergence of a very fine DE in Calais' Campbell who is very hard to block and many are holding him.You can't double team Dockett every play like last year.Branch is starting to become he second round pick he was meant to be and the sky is the limit.
Our db's are getting so much better than last year that McFadden is second on the team in Tackles inbetween Dansby and Hayes.His tackling has been infectious.The rest of the db's are tackling as well and now we can use A-Dub in the way he was meant to be used.The quarterback hunter.He sure scared eli into a couple delay of games.
We are working on mixing in our running backs in different kinds of sets to confuse our opponents.Something we could'nt do in the second game against the colts.Now Beanie is even catching the ball and thats gonna lead to a touchdown before too very long.
Our special teams are proving to be special this year unlike how they lost us the giant game last year and have shutdown the best of the best so far.I can only think of the rookie from UF (percy harvin) who we really have to watch for the rest of the way out.Hixon should have been one of our biggest tests last week and he got nothing.
Our passing game is'nt dominant like its gonna be once we get the play action and I think Whiz likes keeping the passing game to the 20+ yard pass plays instead of the 40 yard plays that we will use later in the playoffs.He likes to give the defense a rest as the Offense moves down the field chewing up clock.
Now we have Patrick back and Becht is blocking well and Kreider is starting to open a few holes if only Beanie would follow his blocking instead of trying to find his own.Hightower is becoming a real stud inside the 10 and now we can add Wright and the HOWLER to our offense also to totally throw off any defense.
Since Early Doucet is getting 1st string reps due to limited action by Breaston & Boldin each week,coach says he's running crisp routes and going up for the ball like a real pro,and we'll be seeing him before the season is out also.
I like what I've seen out of Bridges when he comes in for Levi and we can always go that route if neccesary.
I'd say this team is VERY DEEP and with this month and the next five games we should really see some improvement in all aspects of our game and becoming CHAMPIONS again this season.We don't want to peak too soon.After the Vikes game we may go back under the radar till the next week when we play the 9ers on a Monday night game.Then we will know who won the NFC WEST for sure by then.We have a game with the rams and end with the Packers who will be fighting for their playoff lives in the very last game.Don't know how Whiz will treat that game.
Depends on if we are in the running for a by week as the second seed.I'm sure he'd want that over the vikings having it.
With the Saints most likely having the first seed due to no schedule at all.Even tho they just lost a key element in Heath Evans as their fullback from the Pats who has two SB rings and was mr. everything for their running game and pass blocking and now is on IR.They may slide a touch in the running game.
We'll probably have to beat the vikes and then the saints in the playoffs to win the NFC this year.Its almost too easy to see right now,without a certain collapse of any of the 3 teams mentioned above.They'll all be dome games for us so it'll be up to us.
Warner played in a playoff game with the saints in 2000 with the rams and lost by Hakim fumbling a punt return already in field goal position for the win. And he lost SuperBowl 36 to the Patriots right after 9/11 after tying the game up with 48 seconds to go and lead the game with 365 yards in passing to Brady's 135.Yet Brady gets the MVP while the kicker Vinatieri should have been the MVP.So Kurt Warner knows all to well the SUPERDOME in Nawlin's and its his time to correct his loses.
Now everyone can come jump on me.I can take it.We just need to stay healthy is the biggest key.The coaching will do the rest.