Tag Archives: Cardinals

Biggest Risers and Fallers in Free Agency Thus Far

Risers

Cleveland Browns – This was a gimme. The Browns looked like they belong playing in college football, with winning only one game in two years. What does new GM and resident savior in Cleveland do? John Dorsey reshaped this whole team by trading for Jarvis Landry, Tyrod Taylor, and Damarious Randall, and signing seven free agents, most notably being Carlos Hyde, T.J Carrie, Chris Hubbard, and Darren Fells. They did take a hit with the retirement of Joe Thomas, though. With a transformed offense and still having two of the top five picks, the only way this team can go is up.

Photo Credit: theplayoffs.com

Chicago Bears – One of the most complete offseason so far, the Bears have acquired good players in all three aspects of the game. They signed two receivers and a tight end in Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, and Trey “Philly Special” Burton, which gives now second-year quarterback Mitch Trubisky some much-needed weapons on offense. They also signed OLBs Aaron Lynch and Sam Acho, along with resigning Prince Amukamara to bolster the defensive side of the ball. The Bears also contain a high draft pick to address the defense too. Along with the signing of kicker Cody Parkey, these Bad News Bears have the chance to change their name.

Photo Credit: dynastyleaguefootball.com

Tennessee Titans – Am I upset that two of my favorite players are on different teams? Absolutely. Do I wish the best for them? Absolutely, they deserve it. The Titans now boast a two-headed monster with the shifty Dion Lewis and powerful Derrick Henry. Malcolm Butler is going to a secondary that already boasts the interceptions leader and a very promising rookie. There isn’t a lot of weakness on the team. Linebacker is the biggest need and will most likely be addressed in the first round of the draft. Face it, Titans are going to be a scary team this year.

Photo Credit: theplayoffs.com

Other risers: Rams, Texans, 49ers

Fallers

Seattle Seahawks – Russell Wilson might as well scramble every play with that offensive line that’s “protecting” him. Seattle also lacks a real run game although potential standout Chris Carson is returning from injury, and they lost pass catchers Paul Richardson and Jimmy Graham. The breakup of the Legion of Boom and losses of Michael Bennett and Sheldon Richardson leaves this team with too many needs on both sides of the ball.

Photo Credit: worldstarhiphop.com

Detroit Lions – The Vikings got Cousins and Richardson, the Packers got Graham and Wilkerson, and the Bears got A-Rob and Taylor Gabriel (and more). All other teams in their division got better which leaves the Lions grasping for whatever leftovers they can get. They did sign LeGarrette Blount who will improve their otherwise nonexistent run game. However, the losses of Haloti Ngata, Tahir Whitehead, and Eric Ebron are drastic. Deshawn Shead and Devon Kennard can improve the team a little bit, but they are going to need a great draft, a couple more FA signings, and a bigger beard from a certain someone in their management.

Photo Credit: redandblack.com

Arizona Cardinals – The solution to losing an injury prone quarterback? Get another one. And better yet, pay him $20 million a year. Especially when your offensive line needs serious improvement. Why not cut one of your best defensive players while you are at it? This was a pretty easy one. Sam Bradford is a high-risk player and the loss of Tyrann Mathieu is devastating.

Photo Credit: onsizzle.com

Other fallers – It was hard to really say if a team was a faller because many teams lost notable free agents, but made signings that could make up for it. Those teams would be neutral or undecided until further notice.

51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XLIII

Arizona Cardinals 9 Years Ago

Former Steelers’ assistant Ken Whisenhunt was the head coach of the overachieving Cardinals. They had a solid offense featuring veterans Kurt Warner at quarterback and Edgerrin James at running back. They had two excellent young wide receivers, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.

The Cardinals had the worst history of any of the longtime franchises of the NFL. They had not even hosted a playoff game since 1947! The Cards got off to a solid start in ’08, but faltered down the stretch. Fortunately, they played in a weak division. But, nobody could have picked the Cardinals to make the Super Bowl especially after their embarrassing 47-7 loss to the Patriots at the end of the regular season.

Fitz Breaks Out

In the Wild Card round, Arizona bested Atlanta due to some huge plays by Boldin and Fitzgerald. Warner launched passes to Fitzgerald whether he was covered or not. Fitz responded with perhaps the greatest stretch of games a receiver has ever put together. He was awesome.

The trend continued in the Divisional round as the Cardinals stunned the 12-4 Panthers. Fitzgerald had 8 receptions for 166 yards. The next day, the Eagles upset the Giants which meant the 4th-seeded Cardinals would host the 6th-seeded Eagles.

Arizona exploded in the first half. They led 24-6 at the break as Fitzgerald scored three more touchdowns. However, the game Eagles fought back to take the lead 25-24 in the fourth. Kurt Warner put his team on his back for a thrilling go-head scoring drive. Tim Hightower scored the winning touchdown setting off a crazy celebration in the desert. The unbelievable Kurt Warner was headed back to his third Super Bowl as the Cardinals shocked the football world!

Pittsburgh Steelers 9 Years Ago

The Steelers were in the mix all season long. Dick LeBeau’s defense finished #1 across the board. The Steelers had two first-team All-Pros in Troy Polamalu and James Harrison. On offense, wide receiver Hines Ward had another excellent season.

Pittsburgh claimed two exciting home victories in the playoffs over the Chargers and Ravens. The AFC championship win over Baltimore was a nail-biter between the two best defenses in football. Harrison, Polamalu, Ed Reed and Ray Lewis in one game is about as good as defensive football gets. Polamalu snatched the game-clinching interception that caused Heinz Field to go ballistic. Mike Tomlin’s Steelers were off to the Super Bowl.

Harrison’s Miraculous TD

Al Bello

Arizona’s red-hot offense against Pittsburgh’s rock solid defense was a dream battle. Bruce Arians’ Steelers’ offense got off to the better start, however, as they went up 10-0 on two productive drives. The Cards answered with a huge catch and run by Boldin. One play later, Ben Patrick scored to cut the lead to 10-7. Arizona then got a late 2nd quarter interception to set them up to take the lead late in the half. That is when this game got straight up nuts.

The Cardinals had the ball on the two-yard line with 18 seconds left and no timeouts. Warner took the shotgun snap and fired a pass over the middle. Pittsburgh showed a blitz look, but at the last moment, Harrison dropped into coverage, picked off the pass at the goal-line and began his long trek the other way. Red and white jerseys fell all over the place as Harrison scooted along the near sideline. He just kept going! Finally, he was dragged down from behind by two hustling Cardinals’ wideouts as he hit the pylon. It was ruled a touchdown and remarkably, Pittsburgh took a 17-7 halftime lead. It has to go down as one of the greatest plays in football history.

Santonio for the Win

Arizona bounced back in the second half as Fitzgerald was all over the place. Warner completed passes at will against the highly rated Steelers’ defense. He ended up passing for 377 yards on this night. With just three minutes left, the Cardinals trailed by the score of 20-16. Then, Warner connected with Fitz over the middle on a 2nd and 10 from their own 36 and he was gone. He exploded past Harrison and Polamalu looking up at the big screen as he crossed the goal-line. It was the greatest moment in Cardinals’ history. Unfortunately for Arizona, Big Ben Roethlisberger had one more possession.

Steelers’ receiver Santonio Holmes had the possession of his life. He made 4 receptions for 73 yards, the last of which was a sensational grab in the back corner of the end zone. The throw, the coverage, the catch…it was a magical play.

The Cardinals’ last effort ended in misery. LaMarr Woodley strip-sacked Warner. Pittsburgh had won their sixth World Championship in a Super Bowl for the ages!

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

Week 17: Games to Watch

CAROLINA PANTHERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS

This clash of NFC South powerhouses is probably the biggest game of the week. For Carolina, it is an opportunity to win the division. However, this will be a tall task. Carolina has lost both games to New Orleans this year, so they will have to win in Atlanta and the Saints would have to lose in Tampa. Pretty unlikely but hey, we have seen crazier things. Carolina has already clinched a playoff spot and will likely be playing either the Rams or the Saints in the first round.

There is even more on the line for the Falcons in this game. At 9-6, a win or a Seahawks loss will give the last remaining seed in the NFC to Atlanta. It is impossible to know what to expect from this game as the Panthers tend to play like either a Super Bowl team or a division 3 high school team. It is difficult to know what to expect from them heading into this week. However, I do like Atlanta’s chances because they are at home. I also think Matty Ice and Julio Jones may be able to pick apart the Panthers secondary, which ranks 19th in the league in pass yards allowed per game.

CINCINNATI BENGALS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS

lockedonbengals.com

Cincinnati is playing for nothing but pride this weekend as their dreadful season has them eliminated from the playoffs. However, I do expect Cincinnati to give it a valiant effort this week as they would love to help eliminate their division rival from the playoffs. For Baltimore, all they have to do is win to make the playoffs, as they have a one game advantage on the rest of the teams fighting to get in. The Ravens could lose and still make the playoffs as they have own the tie breaker with the Chargers. If the Ravens, Bills, and Titans all finish 9-7 then they would be eliminated because Tennessee and Buffalo both own the tie breaker over Baltimore.

BUFFALO BILLS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS

The Bills have probably the slimmest chances to snag an AFC wild card spot. They do hold a tie breaker over the Ravens if both teams finish 9-7. This will be pretty unlikely as the Baltimore has a very winnable home game vs Cincy. If the Ravens win then Buffalo will need both Tennessee and the Chargers to lose. On paper, this looks like a pretty winnable game. However, much like the Panthers, both of these teams are rather inconsistent. It is hard to know what to expect in this match-up. I do believe that Buffalo is the superior team and that they will be able to win this game.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT TENNESSEE TITANS

atozsportsnashville.com

Jacksonville does not have much to worry about in this game as they will likely be AFC’s three seed. However, this is a huge game for the Titans. Luckily they own a tie breaker over all three of the other teams fighting to get in. A win would guarantee a playoff spot. If they lose, the Ravens win AND Buffalo or the Chargers win then the Titans would be eliminated. So they really need to win in order to avoid any risks. A win will be a tall task despite being the home team. Jacksonville’s defense is probably the best in the league. I expect starting corners AJ Bouye and Jalen Ramsey to completely shut down the passing game. It will be up to Demarco Murray and Derrick Henry to lead the Titans to this week 17 win

OAKLAND RAIDERS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

raiderswire.usatoday.com

The Raiders will be playing to spoil this weekend. As arguably the league’s biggest disappointment, Oakland has to be itching for next season. If it makes them feel better, they can drastically decrease their division rival’s chances of making the playoffs with a win. A win will not guarantee a spot in the playoffs for the Chargers. They will need a loss from the Titans as well because Tennessee own the tie breaker. However, if they end up with the same record as the Bills then they will have the tie breaker and earn the 6th seed. LA should win this game rather easily as Oakland has struggled on both sides of the ball this year. I do not think Oakland has the ability to stop Rivers, Melvin Gordon and Keenan Allen on the road. Advantage LA.

ARIZONA CARDINALS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Weird to imagine the Seahawks not in the playoffs. For Seattle to make it in, they will need to win and need Atlanta to lose against Carolina. Both things could happen of course, but the chances are not that high. Seattle cannot control what happens down in Atlanta this week, but they can help themselves by earning a win. At home I do expect Russell Wilson and company to get the win. But Arizona has quietly been playing some pretty solid football as of late. Even though I expect them to win, I also expect Atlanta to win which would eliminate Seattle due to a head to head tie breaker in Atlanta’s favor.

*Questions or comments? Find me on twitter @MLBfromNH (Kevin Civiello)*

*Feature pic credit goes to panthers.com*

Boston Sports Extra

By Boston Fans, For Boston Fans