Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said it was time to move on from yesterday’s game and start focusing on the Sunday Night Football on NBC match up against Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings.
I couldn’t agree more. Coach Whiz also said that the defense still played well in spots, even taking into account the 532 yards the Tennessee Titans racked up yesterday in Nashville. Well, they did put pressure on Vince Young quite a bit yesterday, including four sacks. The Titans had only allowed seven all season going into the game. However, it is a tough sell to me to say the Cards defense played well when they allowed Young to march the Titans down the field 99 yards in less than two minutes. A very tough sell to say the least.
Cards quarterback Kurt Warner sat out the game with what was described as a sensitivity to light, unsure if it was a result of last week’s concussion. So Warner as we know sat out. Probably the best move for him. For all it’s worth, back up quarterback Matt Leinart played well enough to win. Nothing spectacular can be taken away from his performance, but it was manageable and he didn’t turn the ball over.
A look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from yesterday’s game:
The Good:
LaRod Stephens-Howling – this man is a beast. Not only was he downing punts inside the 10, he also returned a kickoff 99 yards to keep the Cardinals close and gave them the boost they needed to take the second-half lead.
Ben Graham – rarely do you talk about the punter, however this guy may be the MVP of the Cardinals. His ability to pin opponents multiple times a game inside the 10, you would think he has been doing this since birth. He should be your NFC punter in the Pro-Bowl.
The Bad:
The Cardinals offense, although they didn’t turn the ball over, couldn’t get any sustained drives going. Three points in the first half is uncharacteristic of this team and could have had many more points, even with Leinart in the game. Hard to say it was “bad”, however when you score 3 points with as potent as this offense is, it certainly can’t be categorized as “good”.
The Ugly:
Forget what Whiz said. The Cards defense was bad. This league is all about numbers. 532 yards, including 99 on the last drive of the game is what this loss is all about. Tennessee is not a real potent passing team, primarily known for running. However when Vince Young lights you up for 389 yards and the winning touchdown with no time remaining, you’d be lying if you weren’t like me and felt like we were watching a re-run of the Super Bowl.
So, Warner’s status is up in the air for next week. If he is medically cleared, he needs to play. This week’s game will be tough and the Vikings don’t show any signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Scott Allen