Cardinals-Bears 2006 Flashback: They Are Who We Thought They Were

They are who we thought they were.

That all-time classic Cardinals’ collapse is one of the most painful sports memories in my life to date. In case you have been living under a rock, let me reminisce a bit and break down the circumstances of that 2006 Cardinals-Bears game for you.

I followed the Dave McGinnis-coached Cardinals (2000-2003), who always seemed to be a couple of star players away from being able to turn the corner. Sound familiar?

Yes I know, that adequately describes just about every team the Cardinals had fielded in the history of the franchise.

Still, if you are a fan you are a fan, you are stuck with your team through thick and thin no matter what.

Anquan Boldin had his phenomenal rookie campaign in McGinnis’ final season, the same season that undrafted fan favorite Marcel Shipp led the team in rushing. Shipp and Boldin were two of my favorites, and they helped carry the torch of hope into the Dennis Green era (2004-2006).

Green’s Minnesota Vikings teams were routinely one of the teams to beat in the NFC. His hiring brought heaps of hope to a region starved for success. In his first draft he nabbed WR Larry Fitzgerald, LB Karlos Dansby, and DT Darnell Dockett in the first three rounds, players that are now cornerstones of the franchise five years later.

His first season he helped the team improve by two wins to reach 6-10, but in the second, despite continuing to bring in more pure talent than Arizona football was used to, they stalled at 5-11.

At the beginning of his third season in 2006, the Cardinals seemingly had everything in place to finally turn the corner. They had drafted QB Matt Leinart in the first round and acquired Pro Bowl RB Edgerrin James in free agency, they had a brand new state of the art stadium, and their “meaner cardinal” helmet logo and new uniforms only had one year of mileage on them.

Maybe, just maybe, this Cardinals’ excruciatingly long history of futility could be reversed.

They started the season with a victory, but entered the Bears game on a four-game skid with a 1-4 record. The Bears meanwhile were the darlings of the NFL, the best team in the league with a 5-0 record. They weren’t just unbeaten, they were annihilating opponents, winning an astonishing 26-0 on opening day in Lambeau Field no less!

There were other wide margins like 34-7, 37-6, and 40-7. Coming into the game, absolutely no one gave the poor Cardinals a chance. Only die hard Cardinals fans knew what vast potential lay just underneath the surface ready to be roused. To most of America, Arizona was a pathetic franchise with no hope.

That fateful night on Monday Night Football in front of all of America, the Cardinals got more than roused. They were amped, primed, and suddenly dangerous even.

Wow, I thought, I told you so! I knew this team had it in them! I knew that they could sooner or later put it all together and lay the smack down on some unsuspecting opponent, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

They were for once firing on all cylinders. Nothing could stop them. The Bears’ intimidating defense was being shredded. Anquan Boldin looked like the best WR in the game and finished with 12 catches for 136 yards and a TD.

The Cardinals were completely dominating the best team in football and took a 20-0 lead into halftime.

Unfortunately the success must have been too much for Arizona to take. In the second half, the same old Cardinals reared their ugly heads, and literally fumbled the win away.

The Bears returned two stripped fumbles for TDs and then-rookie Devin Hester returned a punt for another TD to give the Bears a one-point lead with two minutes to go. Somehow Arizona was trailing in a game where they had limited the Bears to three offensive points and collected six turnovers.

Despite the colossal collapse, the game was still salvageable. Matt Leinart calmly drove the Cardinals down the field to set up Pro Bowl kicker Neil Rackers’ 41-yard game winning attempt.

You know how this story ends. Yep, wide left.

Which leads us to the now famous Dennis Green post-game rant.

“The Bears are what we thought they were. They’re what we thought they were. We played them in preseason—who the h^@# takes a third game of the preseason like it’s bull%$*&? Bull%$*&! We played them in the third game—everybody played three quarters—the Bears are who we thought they were! That’s why we took the damn field. Now if you want to crown them, then crown their a#@! But they are who we thought they were! And we let ’em off the hook!”

The Bears used the win to further propel themselves towards the Super Bowl. The Cardinals went on another underachieving season which led to Green’s firing, and yet another regime change.

The Cardinals are currently searching for ways to cultivate and sustain intensity , and it is my hope that this memory will serve as the catalyst for a strong rebound game from the Cardinals this week.

This article also appears on NFLTouchdown.com

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Arizona Cardinals Need Their A-Game to Ward off a Carolina Panthers Attack

This game for the Cardinals is down right scary. It has classic let-down game written all over it.

Arizona has had a long, painful past of underachieving once expectations have risen. Remember, this team became media darlings when they bolted out to an impressive 7-3 record last season, only to go 2-4 the rest of the way once they were expected to win.

Now they are high from the afterglow of having beaten the Giants on their turf when hardly anyone gave them a chance—well of course I pegged them to win —but they were seven point underdogs coming in. The Cardinals sit atop their pedestal in first place in the NFC West, primed to have their smirks slapped off of their faces.

To make matters worse, the Cardinals have reversed their field location fortunes from last year. Now they can only seem to muster away-field advantage and are only 1-2 at home.

The Panthers are not playing good ball. Their $42.5 million investment in Jake Delhomme has proved to be a horrendous decision to date, and now the consensus is coach John Fox is on one of the hottest seats in the game.

The Carolina defense is not what it once was. Although they are an impressive first against the pass, this stat is slightly misleading. They have been thrown against the least amount of times in the league.

Their rush defense is where they have really slid downhill, ranking 26th currently. Not to mention starters FS Charles Godfrey and LB Thomas Davis are banged up.

Sure, on paper this looks to be a lopsided victory for the Cardinals, and it very well may be. I am expecting, and hoping for complete Arizona domination.

However there is an elephant in the room that needs to be addressed.

January 10th, 2009. The Cardinals embarrassed the Panthers in their house, where Carolina had been undefeated en route to their 12-4 2008 regular season record. They were heavy favorites, yet Arizona hammered them so badly it sent Delhomme into a tailspin he has still not recovered from nine months later.

I believe this year’s Cardinals have turned the corner, and they are on their way to becoming not only a playoff team for this season, but also a mainstay as one of the best teams in the NFL for the foreseeable future. I think Ken Whisenhunt is building something really special in the desert.

Even then, no opponent should be taken lightly. These Cardinals need to be warned repeatedly: it is exactly this kind of situation, a team playing poorly with an agonizing memory fresh in their minds, that can propel a bad team to suddenly play well.

The Panthers are out for redemption, and Arizona needs every bit of their A-game to ward off the surprise attack.

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Arizona Cardinals and Bill Davis: Evolution Of A Defense

The Arizona Cardinals’ season began with a lot of question marks. One of the biggest was how would their defense respond with a new coordinator and a new scheme?

Despite reaching their first ever Super Bowl, Ken Whisenhunt fired Clancy Pendergast afterwards. To those outside of the organization it may have come as a bit of a surprise, since the outstanding play of the defense was no doubt one of the main ingredients in their playoff run. Creating confusion with a lot of movement and offering an endless amount of looks, all of Pendergast’s clever ideas came together at the most opportune time.

Until the final drive of the last game. Ben Roethlisberger’s two-minute drill ending with Santonio Holmes’ perfect catch is now legendary, and perhaps the most glaring example of the weaknesses in Pendergast’s schemes.

Yet, Whisenhunt didn’t fire him for that. This parting of ways has been in the works since the day he took over as the Cardinals’ head coach on January 14, 2007. Pendergast was a leftover from the Dennis Green regime, but Whisenhunt kept him on in the name of continuity.

Whiz prefers a 3-4, but Clancy ran a 4-3. Last season, their second together, they decided upon a 3-4/4-3 hybrid that was likely a friendly compromise, which also held a two-fold purpose: a convenient transition towards this year’s full on 3-4, and preparation for life without Clancy Pendergast.

Enter Bill Davis. He was hired to coach the linebackers in Whisenhunt’s first year, and has combined his knowledge in the 3-4 with a thorough schooling at the University of Pendergast.

Although his first stint as defensive coordinator did not go so well, as he was fired after two seasons in San Francisco for failing to lift their defense out of the cellar, Davis, like the Cardinals, is putting all of the pieces of the puzzle together now.

Davis’ defense shares many of the same characteristics as last year’s Cardinals—they are at their best when they are swarming, ball hawking, blitzing, and turnover creating and their athleticism can be intimidating.

Yet there are marked improvements to Davis’ squad that can be quantified. They are ranked an impressive seventh in points allowed, compared to 28th last season. In fact that may have been Whisenhunt’s biggest complaint with Pendergast , whose defenses were ranked in the bottom third in points allowed annually.

Perhaps even more telling is the Cardinals’ third down conversion percentage, currently ranked third in the NFL whereas last year they were a dismal 28th.

They are remarkably No.1 in rush defense, something usually reserved for the Ravens, Vikings, or Steelers. Critics will point to the Cardinals’ 29th ranked pass defense, claiming that is the main reason for their rushing D being ranked so high, that teams choose to pass on them instead of run for obvious reasons. Yet they have shut down two Pro Bowl quarterbacks in back to back games.

But stats can only explain so much. What we are witnessing from the Cardinals this year is a team with more focus, more consistency, and more confidence that is growing by the game.

Against the Giants, their tactics were simple yet bold: contain the run by stacking the line, and daring, even bating Eli Manning to try and beat their man-to-man coverage with the pass and he couldn’t do it. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie showed us why with his acrobatic, superstar interception in the end zone of a long Eli pass with the score still tied at 0-0. That play set the tone for the game, and perhaps for the rest of the season.

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NFL Week Seven: The Chosen

Season prediction tally: 61-29

What an ego-bruiser Week Six was as I went 6-8—my worst offering to date. Well at least I was right about it being a tough week. By my count there were seven toss-ups to dissect.

It doesn’t necessarily get any easier from here on out. The only thing that may help me is that there is one less outcome to predict for Week Seven, with six teams on bye instead of four.

 

Indianapolis at St. Louis

Who predicted the Raiders win over the Eagles? Exactly. No one. That is why the Rams have a chance here. They took it to the Jaguars and almost pulled it out in overtime, but that was Jacksonville.

Can you look me in the eye and tell me you think the Rams are going to beat the Colts, undefeated, coming off a bye week, and maybe getting the leader of their secondary Bob Sanders back for this game ? Exactly. Neither can I.

Pick: Colts

 

New England at Tampa Bay

What’s that sound? Smells like 2007. Tastes like juggernaut.

Pick: Patriots

 

San Francisco at Houston

I’m gonna do it. I’m going to quote Deion Sanders, that’s right: “Never bet against a team coming off a bye week.” Good advice.

I just can’t shake this feeling about the Texans that is likely the same feeling you non-Cardinals fans had about the Cardinals last year, and rightfully so, that you just can’t trust that they are for real. As soon as they are approaching for-real-dom, they implode again.

I’m going to, again, put stock in Mike Singletary’s ability to motivate, and I am really excited to see Michael Crabtree play a football game.

Pick: 49ers

 

Minnesota at Pittsburgh

Could be a repeat final score as last week’s Vikings-Ravens game except the Steelers are getting better play from their secondary and take this one at home.

Pick: Steelers

 

San Diego at Kansas City

KC got their first win, but the Chargers offense is a lot better than the Redskins’.

Pick: Chargers

 

Green Bay at Cleveland

Cleveland isn’t very good, and the Packers corrected some issues and blanked the Lions last outing.

Pick: Packers

 

N.Y. Jets at Oakland

After all the bad mouthing I have given to the Raiders, I was stunned when they put together that great game last week. I’m going to roll with the black and silver, and give them the nod in this winnable game.

The Jets are reeling and have now lost one of their best defensive players in Kris Jenkins. The Raider defensive front is learning how to play together thanks to Richard Seymour.

Pick: Raiders

 

Buffalo at Carolina

DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart going up against the worst rush defense in the league.

Pick: Panthers

 

Chicago at Cincinnati

I like Cedric Benson against the team that drafted him—and subsequently released him for poor play and conduct. He is playing the best football of his career by far.

Pick: Bengals

 

New Orleans at Miami

I like Miami’s defense but after witnessing what Drew Brees and the Saints did against the Giants, I am not sure it matters.

Pick: Saints

 

Atlanta at Dallas

I just quoted Deion, who said that when referring specifically to this very game. And yet I am going to contradict myself, what can I say I like to keep things interesting.

Dallas is coming off a bye week, but I just don’t see the glue on this team to stick together. The Falcons are a complete team, and fully understand the team concept.

Pick: Falcons

 

Arizona at N.Y. Giants

Huge game for the Cardinals. They body slammed Seattle, and their defense flashed the dominant force it can be when they are firing on all cylinders.

Tough matchup against one of the best teams in the league coming off a disappointing loss, but the Giants secondary looked highly vulnerable. I’ll take Warner and the trio.

Pick: Cardinals

 

Monday Night Football:

Philadelphia at Washington

Hall of Fame receiver Steve Largent said it best so that I don’t have to.

“The formula that the Redskin owner and the Redskin general manager have for producing a winner on the field is not a winning formula, meaning that they can’t make all the decisions on the coaches and on the personnel and then hire some guy off the street to be the head coach and win with what they put on the field, because it doesn’t work,” Largent said.

“And that has been proven for 10 years in a row. … So the failure of the Redskins is not about Jim Zorn. The failure of the Redskins starts above him, above his level.”

Pick: Eagles

 

Byes: Baltimore,Denver,Detroit,Jacksonville,Seattle,Tennessee

Baltimore is in an unusual state. Just when they finally put together a top ten offense, their defense drops out. They can still be a decent defense, but it cannot be understated the effects of losing Rex Ryan, Bart Scott, and Jim Leonhard. Their secondary in particular is not playing well.

Denver, wow. Kyle Orton’s level of play has surprised many, but not me . Eventually this team will lose though right?

Detroit has improved, but losing Matthew Stafford has been a big blow. Hopefully, Jim Schwartz is not pulling a Bill Belichick and Stafford’s knee isn’t so serious that they need to shut him down for the year, and no one is letting on?He has more than a big arm, he has shown the leadership they need to move the ball. Losing playing time has interrupted the groove the team was finding.

Jacksonville has really impressed me offensively.

David Garrard and Maurice Jones-Drew are willing them to some success. They are a mediocre team, something I didn’t expect. I thought for sure they would be mixed in with the Rams and Browns as one of the worst teams in the league.

Seattle is really going to miss their leader Lofa Tatupu if he is indeed lost for the year . Even if he isn’t gone for the entirety, he surely will mist a lot of time regardless.

Bad news for a team that seems to be short on leadership.

Tennessee’s mess is well chronicled. Still, “Any team coached by Jeff Fisher has the ability to gather themselves and rattle off eight wins in a row. Not saying they will, just saying it’s a possibility .”

Pretty comical to quote myself, but hey I already said it.

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Why The Arizona Cardinals Will Beat The New York Giants

Last week, the Cardinals played one of the most dominating games in their Arizona history. Can they repeat that performance?

I think they can, and here is why.

Much was made of Drew Brees and the Saints shredding the New York Giants defense, which came into the game ranked No. 1 versus the pass and overall. There is no doubt the Saints opened some eyes with their level of play, as Brees picked apart a Giants secondary that was out of position and late to swarm all game long.

Yet, an even more pronounced truth was unveiled—Many of the Giants’ previous opponents were offensively challenged. Maybe their ranking was misleading?

Washington, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, and Oakland don’t exactly strike fear into opposing defenses. Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston however, do.

After a spotty start to the season, the Cardinals appear to have their swagger back. The offensive line has rebounded nicely from an embarrassing manhandling by the Colts, putting together two straight solid efforts. While Arizona did allow two sacks to the Seahawks, this was a Seattle team that had just handed David Garrard five the week before.

When Warner has time to throw, he can slice and dice with the best. Fitzgerald seems to be getting warmed up, with a career-tying 13 receptions and league lead-tying fifth TD last week.

While fellow Pro Bowler Anquan Boldin is iffy for the Giants game with a high ankle sprain, Steve Breaston continues to improve. In the Seattle game, he did his best Fitzgerald impersonation on an acrobatic catch in the end zone.

Last week I wondered if the real Arizona Cardinals defense could rise up and play to their potential, and and they did so in dramatic fashion. In contrast to the Giants, their Achilles’ heel had been their last-ranked pass defense. You couldn’t have convinced Matt Hasselbeck of that, as he only managed 112 yards through the air and suffered five sacks.

Maybe their ranking was misleading?

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Arizona Cardinals’ Rushing Attack and What It Means For Their Success

Just enough. That is all the Arizona Cardinals need out of their rushing attack.

They don’t have to have one of the best ground games in the business. They need to be able to rush the ball just enough to pose a threat in order to keep defenses honest, and let their top notch passing game do the rest.

When you have what former Ravens’ coach Brian Billick calls the best receiving trio in the NFL in Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston, and future Hall of Famer Kurt Warner playing arguably the best football of his career throwing them the ball, the team’s yards per carry average running the ball is not all that important.

What is important is that they try.

Today against the Seattle Seahawks, that is exactly what the Cardinals did. Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells combined for a season-high 25 carries for 61 yards and a TD.

While the total yardage is low even by Cardinals standards—in fact they only eclipsed their 31st ranked yards per game average by 4.5 yards—the 25 attempts is what stands out.

I had said, if they can manage to hand the ball off 25-30 times , they would win this game in a tough environment. If they didn’t, they would lose.

Why?

In 2008 the Cardinals were second in the NFL in passing, and last in rushing during the regular season. They attempted a league-low 21.2 runs per game and averaged three and a half yards per carry en route to a 9-7 record.

In the postseason, when they increased their attempts to 28 runs per game, they found themselves two minutes and one heart-wrenching defensive collapse away from claiming the Lombardi trophy, despite their yards per carry average dipping to 3.3.

Like last season, this running attack has lots of room to improve. The difference is that now the Cardinals are blessed with two young downhill runners in Hightower and Wells.

Today they only averaged 2.4 yards per carry, but that production should improve over time if they get enough practice. The only way to practice is to give them both the rock.

Run to set up the pass, or pass to set up the run. It doesn’t really matter how the Cardinals decide to go about it. What is essential is that they run the ball just enough.

It is the difference between staring mediocrity in the face versus becoming a dominant offense that can contend for a championship.

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St. Louis Rams WR Danny Amendola: Bookmark Him Now

The Bookmark Him Now series is all about research and attention to detail. Granted, most of the players featured here will not become every week starters or even significant fantasy contributors this year.

These players are however, one or two small steps away from having their situation swing in their favor, at which time they would have the opportunity to become fantasy relevant. Bookmark them now, and be ready to pounce.

Many of you that follow my football analysis know of my affinity for undrafted players. So much so, it is the namesake for my blog, Undrafteds.com .

Knowing that, it doesn’t take a genius to realize I am a big fan of Wes Welker , one of the undrafted NFL heroes of all-time.

Like Julian Edelman , Danny Amendola is another Wes Welker clone. Danny is probably sick of hearing about the comparison, but the similarities cannot be denied. He is 5′11″ and 183, or two inches taller and a tad lighter than the now immortal Welker.

Where did he go to school? You guessed it, Texas Tech, Welker’s alma mater. What position did Amendola play there? Why ,of course, slot receiver and return specialist, where else?

To ice it, after a stellar college career—including his senior season when he caught a whopping 109 balls for 1,245 yards and six TDs—Amendola went on to be, yes, undrafted.

WR Amendola is now a St. Louis Ram, but he first gained a small degree of notoriety when he was highlighted on HBO’s Hard Knocks series, trying to make the 2008 Dallas Cowboys. He was cut and signed to their practice squad, where he stayed for the entirety of the season.

The Eagles picked him up this past January, only to waive him during final cuts and place him on their practice squad. The Rams swooped in and signed him away on September 22nd.

In Week Three, five days later, they made him their primary punt and kickoff returner. He turned his first NFL touches into 206 yards, including a 42-yard kickoff return and an 11-yard punt return. If you are in a league that rewards points for return yards, this gives him an automatic fantasy boost.

In Week Four, Amendola was the recipient of his first NFL reception, and added 88 return yards.

In Week Five—only his third NFL game—he caught five balls for 43 yards, and added 138 return yards.

These things make him one to watch:

• He plays on one of the worst teams in the league, that will be behind by a lot of points in most games. This will allow him to get a lot of practice returning kicks, so much so it is fathomable that he could develop into one of the most reliable fantasy return men in the NFL, if he holds onto the job.
• See above. St. Louis will have more opportunities to pass the ball than most. The Rams are noted for being thin at the receiver position. It is why they went out and grabbed Laurent Robinson in the offseason to begin with. Now that Robinson is on IR, they are even thinner, and actively looking for players to step up.
• The Rams’ O-line is shaky. No matter who is playing QB, the short passing game will need to be utilized if they are to have any success whatsoever. Remember, they are going to be down by a lot of points, and opposing defenses are going to be blitzing and teeing off for the better part of the second half in most cases. Amendola is the classic slot receiver, and should benefit from quick outlet passes.

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Will The Real Arizona Cardinals Defense Please Rise?

Confession time here. I rarely predict a Cardinals loss. It’s not a very professional practice I know, to let my devotion to my team get in the way of honest commentary and analysis.

Thing is, I really do expect the Cardinals to win a lot of the time, even if my reasoning is emotionally charged. This week I chose the Seahawks in my weekly picks column, The Chosen .

Now calm down Arizona faithful, I am not guaranteeing a Seattle win. In fact I honestly (no, really ) feel this game is a toss-up.

Eventually Arizona will be doing more than giving lip service to wishing for more balance in the play calling. Eventually, this team will utilize the rushing game and that is where things get really exciting from my perspective.

Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower could form one of the best tandems in the league, if they could only get enough carries. If they get enough carries, who is going to hang with the Arizona receivers with Kurt Warner throwing them the ball then? No one.

Rewind the Super Bowl to see that not even the Steelers, the No. 1 ranked defense in the NFL last year, could contain the Cardinals passing attack once their rushing attack got involved.

Seattle has been revitalized by the return of Matt Hasselbeck , that much is certain. Their effectiveness against Arizona’s D-line is less so, with fourth-string left tackle Kyle Williams now in the starting lineup.

While the Cardinals have not registered a sack in two games, Calais Campbell and Darnell Dockett in particular have been close consistently. Maybe this is the opening they need to put enough pressure on Hasselbeck to alter the course of the game in their favor.

Anything is possible, but it would be unwise to expect the Seahawks to be able to win this game rushing the ball, given that the Cardinals are No. 1 in rushing defense. That said, David Garrard and Matt Schaub have proved that even in a loss the Arizona secondary is vulnerable, putting it as nicely as I can.

The reason there is hope for us fans is that we all know how much talent they have on defense, it’s only a matter of time before they put it all together. DRC showed us a glimpse last weekend, but they’ll need to do much better than just a few nice plays here and there to win this one.

Being ranked dead last in passing defense does not invoke respect. Still, the Cardinals seem to prosper when no one expects them to, so maybe this is the game that they play up to their potential in defending the pass. If the secondary plays well, the real Cardinals defense will rise.

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The Chosen: NFL Week Six

Season prediction tally: 55-21

For me personally, forecasting this week’s winners is the stiffest challenge yet. By my count, there are seven toss-ups.

 

Carolina at Tampa Bay

Let the toss-ups begin. Once more, I’d like to stand up for Josh Johnson . Say what you will, in my opinion he has fared no worse than Matthew Stafford in his first two NFL starts. For me it is not hard to see his tremendous upside.

He is the NCAA’s all time leader in passer efficiency, so don’t give me that line about him being a “great athlete playing QB.” That’s nonsense. J.J. is a quarterback that happens to be athletically gifted. Still, as much as I like J.J., I am not sure about his team.

Nor am I sure about Carolina.

I’ll take Carolina if for no other reason than I need DeAngelo Williams to start tearing it up for my miserable fantasy squad. Wait that is not a good enough reason.

The Buccaneers need a win, and this is one of their best chances to do so. Hows that? Better than flipping a coin. I think.

Pick: Buccaneers

 

Detroit at Green Bay

Come on Green Bay. Protect Aaron Rodgers and he can pass for at least three TDs every game. Coming off a bye week, if they can’t put it all together and find a way to win this one, they are in trouble.

Luckily for the Packers, an improving Lions team is 27th versus the pass, the Packers’ strength.

Pick: Packers

 

St. Louis at Jacksonville

The Jaguars are a mediocre, inconsistent team.

You can’t convince me that Mike Sims-Walker’s absence from last weekend’s game made that much of a difference in Jacksonville’s inability to score. He has talent but he is not a dominating force. The Jags just stunk, period.

This is an opportunity for the Rams to break through. Getting Marc Bulger back healthy should help, but not enough to win. The Rams are dead last in points scored and second to last in points allowed.

Pick: Jaguars

 

Baltimore at Minnesota

Minnesota is rolling at 5-0, but three of those wins are versus Cleveland, Detroit, and St. Louis. The Ravens are 3-2 with both losses coming from teams with winning records.

I think the Vikings will get a much needed reality check, because the Ravens have dropped two straight and need this win more.

Pick: Ravens

 

Houston at Cincinnati

I just don’t have enough faith in the Texans defense to expect them to shut down the Bengals rushing game. Somehow Cedric Benson has more rushing yards than Adrian Peterson and everyone else this year. Houston is in fact 26th in rushing defense.

Houston has the ability to pass all over the Bengals and take this one, but I’ll side with the home team because they have learned how to close out games.

Pick: Bengals

 

Kansas City at Washington

The Chiefs are winless but have played Baltimore and Dallas tightly, losing in OT versus the ‘Boys. The Redskins have won two but against winless teams. Who is worse?

Statistically it is Kansas City, as the Redskins defense is actually quite good, so they get the home field advantage nod.

Pick: Redskins

 

N.Y. Giants at New Orleans

Two undefeated squads square off in the game of the week. Both teams are rolling, but the Giants have faced three weak opponents in a row. I think the Saints ride the support of the fan base to a win.

Pick: Saints

 

Cleveland at Pittsburgh

Cleveland did not inspire confidence despite getting their first win last weekend in a miserable game in Buffalo.

The Steelers are getting Troy Polamalu back for this game, which is huge for them since they just lost DE Aaron Smith for the season.

Pick: Steelers

 

Philadelphia at Oakland

The Raiders are horrible, and the Eagles’ DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin look like one nasty receiving duo developing in Philly.

Pick: Eagles

 

Arizona at Seattle

This one has huge divisional implications for both, and is a fierce rivalry to boot. Both teams have been inconsistent so far, so it is hard to predict who will show up for long enough to secure the win.

Arizona is capable of putting together a complete game, but they haven’t done it yet. With Matt Hasselbeck back in the fold, it’s hard to bank on the Cardinals pulling this one out in a hostile environment.

Pick: Seahawks

 

Tennessee at New England

It could be that when I finally pick against the Titans, they will find a way to win their first game. This is a test. Only testing here, nothing to see, move along.

Pick: Patriots

 

Buffalo at N.Y. Jets

Dick Jauron is on his way out and perhaps should have been for years. The T.O. experiment has not gone well. Is it too early to say I told you so ? If not me, maybe Trent Dilfer can sway you.

Either way, the Jets are a playoff caliber team coming off of two straight losses, coming back home.

Pick: Jets

 

Chicago at Atlanta

Chicago is a good team, but Atlanta is out to prove they are one of the top teams in the NFC.

I made the mistake of picking against Matt Ryan and the Falcons’ improved defense last week, and I’m not doing that again after they schooled a good San Francisco team.

Pick: Falcons

 

Monday Night Football

Denver at San Diego

The come back down to Earth game for the Broncos. They are not as good as their 5-0 record in my not so humble opinion. I think defensive coordinator Mike Nolan is the MVP, but now they have to contain one of the best offenses in the league, coming off of a bye week at home.

Pick: Chargers

 

Byes: Dallas, Indianapolis, Miami, San Francisco

• Dallas is a mystery team. They have the talent to be one of the best but lack the cohesiveness and the fire to put it all together. You can’t tell me there is a team with a better trio of running backs in the league, for starters.

Can they become a playoff team? I have no idea.

• Indianapolis may be the best team in the league, and they haven’t had the services of one of their best players yet, Bob Sanders. With one of the best QBs in league history playing some of his best ball, this team has the talent to run the table.

I am enamored with Pierre Garcon, but you can’t deny how strong Austin Collie looks. Add Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Donald Brown, and Joseph Addai…this team is scary good.

• Miami is running one of the more entertaining offenses the league has seen in years, with one caveat: I’d like to see them do more from the wildcat. I’d like to see them dare to run more than sweeps, end-arounds and two or three hole straight runs.

Granted, what do I know? They lead the league in rushing yards, so why mess with success? I say because if they don’t, they will slowly lose that grip on best rushing team as opposing D’s will learn how to stop them.

Mix it up more, and perhaps they can prevent that from happening.

I can’t say enough about how impressive Chad Henne was the other night. If he plays like that consistently, go ahead and reserve a playoff spot for Miami.

• San Francisco is experiencing some growing pains, but I have faith in Mike Singletary’s ability to get their minds right and compete for the NFC West title.

 

This article also appears on Undrafteds.com .

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Arizona Cardinals Need To Protect the Nest, Regain Home Field Advantage

Out of all of the critical components of the Arizona Cardinals’ upcoming home game versus the Houston Texans, the most important may be to regain home field advantage.

University of Phoenix Stadium was the Cardinals’ mecca last season, where they rode the fan noise to a 6-2 regular season home mark, and concluded it there with a historical NFC Championship victory over the Eagles in front of an emotional crowd.

Sitting at 1-2, Arizona desperately needs to recharge its fan base and regain this asset. The Cards have lost both home games so far, and with another loss they are sure to lose all of the electricity they worked so hard to generate there.

Houston (2-2) comes in with many of the same burning questions the Cardinals face: Who are the Texans?

Is Houston the team that was totally dominated by the Jets, who field a rookie head coach (Rex Ryan) and a rookie QB (Mark Sanchez)? Or, are they the team that handily  beat the Raiders 29-6?

Similarly, are the Cardinals the team that was blown out by the Colts before the Bye Week, or the one that dismantled the Jaguars in Week Two?

The teams also share strengths. When QB Matt Schaub is on his game he can be deadly, having the luxury of passing to Andre Johnson, who many consider to be the best receiver in the NFL.

You can’t sleep on any of the Texans’ other receiving options either, because Schaub is so effective in spreading the wealth. Tight End Owen Daniels and Wide Receivers Kevin Walter, David Anderson, and Jacoby Jones are all capable targets, let alone Steve Slaton out of the backfield. They are currently ranked ninth in passing offense.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, are fourth in passing offense, and boast the “other” best receiver in the game today, Larry Fitzgerald. It is no secret what Kurt Warner will do if given the time to throw.

He has WRs Anquan Boldin, Steve Breaston, and Jerheme Urban to compliment Fitzgerald, and RB Tim Hightower has developed into a reliable check-down option.

Don’t let the high ranking fool you, however, as Arizona’s passing offense still has issues.

The Cardinals operate best when they are connecting on deep balls, particularly to Fitzgerald, yet so far this season his longest reception went for 25 yards. The long ball may not be effective until they can establish a running threat and protect Warner.

Despite all of the lip service to the contrary, the Cardinals have not improved their rushing attack this season, currently ranking 31st in the league. Furthermore, in two out of three games Warner has had to endure constant duress, as tackles Mike Gandy and Levi Brown have underachieved.

Look for Ken Whisenhunt to come into the game seeking more balance. You can’t expect to improve your running game without a legitimate fair chance to. So far Arizona has called 130 pass plays and only run the ball 57 times.

If Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells are given more of an opportunity, it could help take the pressure off of their struggling O-line to pass protect, and open up more passing lanes for Warner.

If they can find a way to strike more of a balance, the Cardinals can own long clock-eating drives and regain their most potent desert weapon-the rabid support of their fan base.

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