Payback is m@!#%^……….well, this is a family friendly webpage, so I will refrain from those comments from here on out. It’s week 11 and the Arizona Cardinals are welcoming the San Francisco 49ers into University of Phoenix stadium as the next victim of their second-half-of-the-season-surge towards the playoffs on Sunday. Simply put, there is no way we should lose this game, but I have to emphasize the word should. This is a trap game, and the Cards cannot look past this team no matter how bad they have been playing the last eight weeks. And you have to know that everyone on the Arizona sidelines wants to dominate the Niners after that fluke victory they pulled out in week 1.

Some quick game notes:

- Niners QB Alex Smith will sit this one out, still suffering from shoulder and arm pain. Trent Dilfer will get the start in his place…….grrmmbbbmm……….oh excuse me…..I just threw up a little bit in my mouth.

- Cards SS Adrian Wilson is still questionable for Sunday nursing an injury to his heel, but LB Karlos Dansby and DE Antonio Smith are expected to start despite shoulder and hand injuries, respectively.

- The Cards Defense has never allowed Frank Gore to break the 100 yard mark in 5 straight games.

- The Cards are 3-1 this season at home, with convincing victories over the Steelers, the Seahawks and the Lions.

The keys to this game are simple:

- Control the line of scrimmage.

Just because Frank Gore hasn’t had a big day against the Cards D doesn’t mean that it isn’t still looming on the horizon. We need to control the point of attack and get our running game back on track. We have won the last two games thanks to a great passing game and a resurgent defense that is causing turnovers in bunches. But Edgerrin James had a great game against the Niners in week one and we need to reestablish him in our offense this week against the reeling Niners.

- Dominate time of possession & score first.

Here’s the deal, the Niners have the worst offense in the league, the absolute worst. They have not scored a touchdown in the last three weeks. Their receivers can’t catch, their O-line can’t protect the QB, and Frank Gore is not anywhere near his 2006 form. We should control the time of possession and put up points early & often. If we force the Niners to play catch up, then they will have to go to the air, the weakest part of their team. Score early and eat up the clock, which will take away the San Francisco ground game, leading to our final point.

- Pressure Dilfer in the pocket (forcing him into turnovers).

Dilfer is nowhere near as mobile as Smith, and his accuracy is only slightly better. Dilfer is a pocket passer and does not throw well on the run. Cards Defensive Coordinator Clancy Pendergast needs to dial up blitz packages against the Niners similar to the ones he threw at the Detroit Lions. If we go up by two scores early, then San Fran will start throwing on first and second down, something they are not built to do. They have no deep threat, they have no money receiver, they have no air game. So that means Dilfer will spend extra time in the pocket trying to find an open receiver, leading to a coverage sack or a fumble. If we flush him out of the pocket, he will make an errant throw and possibly give Antrel Rolle a chance to make some more highlight reels.

Prediction:

Cardinals domination!! We get our third win in a row, go to 6-5 and hopefully get a little help from the newly improved Rams to take care of the Seahawks. Cards win in a 38-10 beatdown of the Niners. Payback is a …………… well you already know what I’m gonna say. GO CARDS!!!!

Mike Duggan
AZCardsfan4life