March 2009 - Arizona Cardinals Wiretap

Saints Get Home Field, Eagles Could Get Bye

Oct 12, 2014 5:47 AM

We know what six teams will represent the NFC in the playoffs, but positioning is to be determined. With Minnesota's loss to Chicago on Monday night, New Orleans clinched the first overall seed and home-field throughout. Philadelphia can clinch the second bye, with the Saints getting the first, if they beat Dallas on Sunday and win the NFC East in the process. The Vikings can grab the bye if the Eagles lose and they win this Sunday. Arizona can take the bye if both Philadelphia and Minnesota lose and they win. The Packers will be either a No. 5 or No. 6 seed, but the Cowboys can jump all the way to No. 2 with a win over the Eagles and a loss by both the Vikings and Cardinals.

NFL.com

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Misc Rumor

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Fitzgerald Will Face Lions Despite Knee

Jun 6, 2014 8:57 PM

Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is expected to play against the Lions on Sunday despite a knee injury. He has a bone contusion in his knee, but its only a matter of playing through pain as further injury isn't a concern.

NFL.com

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Injury

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Fitzgerald Has Bruised, Sprained Knee

Aug 26, 2014 6:06 AM

Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has a bruised and sprained right knee. His status for Arizona's game against Detroit on Sunday is in question. An MRI on Tuesday determined the extent of the injury, but showed no significant damage. Fitzgerald was hurt on the third play of the third quarter of Monday night's game. He left the game briefly, but returned late. He has 85 receptions for 991 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.

Yahoo! Sports

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Injury

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Fitzgerald To Have MRI On Bum Knee

Nov 16, 2014 7:28 AM

Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald left the team's loss to the 49ers on Monday night with a knee injury. He sprained his right knee in the second half and is scheduled to have an MRI on Tuesday. Fitzgerald returned after suffering the injury, but finished with just two catches for 22 yards. "When he hurt his knee, we thought that there was a big scare, it might be something long-term," coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "But obviously it was encouraging to see him come back. We'll get him checked out."

ESPN

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Injury

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Warner Understands Why Pundits Doubted Cardinals

Jun 6, 2014 7:02 PM

Many pundits predicted a letdown this season by the Cardinals, but they are on the verge of winning another NFC West title. "I understand why everybody was looking for us to collapse, waiting for it," Kurt Warner said Thursday in a phone interview. "We hadn't done anything. We were a 9-7 team [last season] that was very inconsistent, that got on a roll at the right time and played some great football. We had some talent, but we've had some talent here for a long time. The biggest question has always been consistency."

Los Angeles Times

Tags: Arizona Cardinals

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Risdon's $.10 For Week 13

Jul 31, 2014 4:45 AM

$.01--Twelve games in and we still have two undefeated teams. And for the first time in at least a month, the Colts have a legit argument that they are the best team and not the Saints. Indy successfully blunted all of the Titans? momentum, getting out quickly and never really being threatened on their way to 12-0. Meanwhile, the Saints needed some fluky luck and a crazy overtime to beat the lowly but game Redskins. If not for Robert Meacham?s spectacular strip TD after an interception and late-game TD reception, the perfect season would be lost. This begs the question--can either of these teams go 16-0? We?re to the point now where the opponents almost don?t matter, as the Redskins proved on Sunday. It?s all about the Colts and Saints and if they can handle the adversity, the bulls-eyes on their backs, the pressure to stay perfect. Even though they had very different Sundays, I think both teams got exactly what they needed in Week 13. Indy needed to come out and flash the real greatness against a very good opponent, proving they can turn it up if needed, while the Saints needed a close shave to keep them focused, and to let them realize just how precarious any game can be. So will either team go unbeaten heading into the playoffs? I say yes. I think the Saints will pull it off, in part because they must keep winning to hold off the Vikings for the #1 seed in the NFC, even with Arizona beating them Sunday night. The Colts can wrap up the #1 seed in the AFC next week (if Cincy and SD lose, and both will be underdogs), and Coach Caldwell has already said he?ll follow former coach Tony Dungy?s philosophy of resting down the stretch instead of going full bore into the playoffs. I find that to be a colossal mistake, but sometimes people just have to learn that for themselves. $.02--The Pittsburgh Steelers are most certainly not playing like defending Super Bowl champs, and this week?s loss to the Raiders almost ensures there will be no repeat. In dropping their fourth in a row, Pittsburgh once again blew a late lead to a team with no business hanging around so closely. A lot of fingers, some of them of the middle variety, will be pointed in Pittsburgh, but it?s pretty easy to diagnose what ails the Steelers. They are simply not a playoff-caliber defense without Troy Polamalu, and their offense is too heavily reliant on big plays and not able to reliably grind out long drives. They?ll bounce back Thursday against the hopeless Browns, but will almost certainly have to sweep their final three games to have any shot at the playoffs. The final two games are against Baltimore and Miami, two of the teams they are fighting with to catch Denver and Jacksonville (yes, you read that right) for the Wild Card spots. I would point out that since long-time national broadcaster and die-hard Steelers fan Papa Joe Chevalier?s radio show in Las Vegas was pulled off the air, Pittsburgh has yet to win. I was a regular guest on the show and it was always great fun, with Papa Joe a consummate pro and a genial talent. He deserves a radio presence, if only to snap his beloved Steelers out of their funk. $.03--That giant sigh you heard about 7:40 PM Eastern on Sunday was Cowboys fans seeing d?j? vu all over again. If it?s December, it?s time to talk about the Cowboys collapsing, and true to the calendar, Dallas is well on their way to another monumental choke job. The Giants have never been more beatable in the Coughlin era, with a shaky OL and a shakier secondary, but both had strong games against a Dallas team that was rolling heading into the game. The sense of inevitable failure was tangible in the body language of Tony Romo and some others late in the game, not a good sign for Cowboys fans. The remaining schedule is also not a good sign--San Diego, at New Orleans, at rival Washington, and the finale against the Eagles. Honestly, I thought this team just might have the gumption to break the dubious string of seven consecutive Decembers with a losing record, but this loss wipes that hope away. This is a team that clearly doesn?t believe in itself and just doesn?t mesh well enough in too many places. Here?s a stat that Jerry Jones will not tolerate: since Dallas last won a playoff game, every team in the NFC except the Detroit Lions has won at least two playoff games, and all but those two and the Redskins have won at least two in the same season. $.04--I have no rooting interest in either team, but I must say I found myself very happy for how well Ken Whisenhunt?s Cardinals played in the Sunday nighter against the Vikings. For years (decades?) the book on the Cardinals has been that they fold their pocket queens as soon as an ace gets flopped. Minnesota came in playing with pocket aces in their hand every week, but Arizona didn?t flinch a bit. Kurt Warner looked comfortable, Larry Fitzgerald looked unstoppable, the defense looked confident and physical, and the whole team appeared to very much believe they belong in the NFC elite. That represents a major cultural change in Arizona, and it gives hope to those of us long-suffering Lions fans that it can be done. Trust me, nobody wants to play Arizona in the playoffs. $.05--5 quickies: 1. I was genuinely happy for Michael Vick having a strong game in his return to Atlanta. The man made some tragic mistakes but paid his price with humility and maturity. He deserved a nice taste of personal redemptive success, and he got it. Too often people confuse a good person making a bad decision with a bad person. 2. Gary Kubiak of the Texans officially took over the role of ?hottest seat? on the coaching carousel with their flat loss to the Jaguars that all but ends their playoff aspirations. 3. Class move by LaDanian Tomlinson to salute Jim Brown in the Browns/Chargers game. Classy response from Mr. Brown too, which is something you never know if you?ll get from him. 4. I know Jim Schwartz wants his Lions to win and I know Matt Stafford wants (and needs) the experience, but Detroit is better off sitting him down for a week or two and letting him heal. With Gosder Cherilus at RT apparently the latest 1st round flop, there is no sense in risking further injury to the future of the franchise. 5. A wise little birdie tells me that toasts were exchanged when the barely half-full stadium in Jacksonville was shown on certain television screens in Los Angeles. Stay tuned... $.06--The slumping Patriots are tough to get a read on right now. In their losses to New Orleans and Miami, it seems that those opponents figured out what the Patriots plan of attack was going to be and devised countermeasures that worked. The New England pass rush has not been good, which exposes a secondary that is young and doesn?t yet have much cohesiveness or quickness in coverage. Running back is another problem area. Teams know that Laurence Maroney is going to sprint as fast as he can to the B-gap, almost always on the right side. Teams know that Kevin Faulk is going to chip and release, and if he goes in motion he runs curls and quick outs. Sammy Morris has decent vision but little wiggle. Fred Taylor is out of rhythm, perhaps permanently. With the offensive line not great, teams aren?t respecting the run as much as needed, and that means the safety help closes down Wes Welker and Randy Moss. Tom Brady hasn?t been sharp, forcing balls like he hasn?t since he couldn?t beat out Brian Griese at Michigan all those years ago. Will they snap out of it? Hard to bet against them, but the deficiencies are legitimate and there?s only so many fingers to fit in the leaky dyke. Expect them to win three of their last four and make the playoffs, but the ongoing road woes won?t go away once postseason starts. Much like USC in the college ranks, even the mighty Patriots need a retooling year every so often. It just so happens that, like the Trojans, their ?off? year is still good enough to make most teams green with envy. $.07--5 college quickies: 1. The Pittsburgh/Cincinnati game was one of the best college football games I?ve ever seen. It also underscores the importance of having veteran leadership and great special teams. When they?re provided by the same guy, as Mardy Gilyard did for the Bearcats, it makes for a great story. Without Gilyard, the Panthers win by at least two touchdowns. Of course if Pittsburgh could have snapped the ball properly on the extra point (must be something in one of the three rivers!), the Panthers still might have pulled it out. 2. Hypothetical debate in my head late Saturday night: Had Nebraska held on to beat Texas, which big loser on Saturday would have fallen further, Texas or Florida? Alabama?s complete undressing of the Gators confirmed my suspicion that Florida?s cakewalk schedule--which needed help from refs that got suspended for incompetence in handing them not one but two victories--made them a faux power. Texas is the better team, even if they would have lost to the Cornhuskers. 3. The fantastic finish to the Fresno State/Illinois game deserves the ?highlight of the week?, normally reserved for the NFL. 350+ pound lineman Devan Cunningham?s stab of a desperation chuck, deflected back from the end zone and into his meaty hands, is every lineman?s dream. It also helped Fresno?s bowl outlook and further proved Ron Zook is one of the least-effective coaches in the country. 4. Ndamukong Suh?s absolutely stunning dominance against Texas should cement his standing as the best player in the country and atop every draft board. He deserves a trip to NYC for the Heisman finalists, with Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow, Mark Ingram, and Toby Gerhart. 5. Kudos to Notre Dame for voting to not go bowling after a season that was such an embarrassment that Charlie Weis was fired. Special tip of the hat to Weis, not noted as the most humble or gracious guy, for handling the firing with class. Now about all those ?reporters? spreading falsehoods about the next coach... $.08: Non-football thought of the week--A couple of NBA stories caught my attention this past week. The New Jersey Nets set a record for futility by starting the season with 18 consecutive losses, then finally broke through for a win. I can only imagine the humbling experience of being on such a non-competitive team; it must just break the spirit and erode the confidence. One guy who has a lot of experience with teams like that also made the news last week. Zydrunas Ilgauskas became the Cavaliers all-time leader in games played. I make no secret of my lifelong love of the Cavs, and Big Z is my favorite Cavalier of all time. It would have been very easy for him to throw in the towel after so many painful surgeries to his feet and all those seasons missed, but Z stayed strong and never gave up. He was there in the pre-Lebron doldrums, where one of those teams lost 18 in a row and 32 of 35. Z never let it affect his play, never demanded a trade, never sat out a game to rest his weary feet. He?s the perfect athletic representation of my home city, a hard-working, fundamentally sound, quietly but fiercely proud, woefully underappreciated player who deserves better than so many ?winners? that have no clue. Remember that when you?re hearing all the noise about LeBron leaving his two-bit hometown. $.09--The Denver Broncos made a statement against the Chiefs, one that likely has lasting repercussions for both teams. Denver reestablished their run game, getting almost six yards per carry on 45 attempts; just six of those 45 went for less than three yards, one of those a 2-yard TD by Knowshon Moreno, who looked fresh and hungry. The Broncos defense was flying all over the field, treating the KC O-line like my daughter treats her diaper and blanketing the Chiefs receivers all day. In short, Denver looked very much like a legit playoff team, even given the weak competition. Ah yes, that competition. Kansas City got blown out for the second week in a row, but this one is particularly troubling. Matt Cassel looked shell-shocked from his opening two passes, both of which were dropped and both of which resulted in Cassel looking for his mouthpiece. The Chiefs made a major investment in Cassel, yet for the second time this year he rightfully got yanked, then watched Brodie Croyle step in and run the same plays much better. Their last two first round draft picks, Tyson Jackson and Glenn Dorsey on the D-line, were routinely blown backwards off the line--many times in one-on-one blocking in Jackson?s case. Dorsey did recover two fumbles and provided sporadic pass rush, but Jackson looks overwhelmed and not all that concerned about it, a lethal package that scuttled the similar Courtney Brown. There is less building-block talent on this roster than any other, and the two centerpieces of the rebuild, Cassel and Jackson, both consistently fail to impress. $.10: Scouting Report--Jon Asamoah, G, Illinois. 6?4.5?, 305, 40 time est. 4.95. Positives: Very strong natural base strength. Powerful drive blocker with great upper body strength and strong hands. Long arms and he extends them quickly and sturdily. Has the nastiness most teams want from their guards. Great feet for a taller blocker, quick enough to make short steps to adjust and reset capably. Fires off the snap and dictates the action in the run game. Gets out to the second level and locates targets well, engages in space with power and balance. Faster than most guards. Plays to the whistle on every snap. Has the athleticism to play either side and could potentially slide outside to tackle. Smart student, had the highest GPA of any Illini player two years in a row. Well-liked leader with good maturity. Negatives: Not a natural knee bender, though he generally gets low. Had trouble run blocking shorter, stouter defensive tackles, gets caught with his pads too high. Not as aware of blitzes and stunts as he could be. Better in space than in tight quarters in pass protect, which could be to his advantage if moved to tackle. Forecast: Scouts I?ve talked to increasingly see Asamoah as an NFL left tackle with his quickness and long arms. He?s shorter than ideal for a tackle, but he stylistically fits with a power-based/play-action offense on the blind side. Late 1st-early 2nd if he insists on sticking at guard, where he could start right away for many teams, but could sneak into the top 20 if he shows he is willing and able to slide outside. Jeff.Risdon@RealGM.com

Jef Risdon/RealGM

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints

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Agent Would Be Surprised If Warner Sat

Nov 16, 2014 7:39 AM

Agent Mark Bartelstein would be surprised if Kurt Warner didn't start for the Cardinals on Sunday. Warner has been dealing with a concussion and missed last week's game with symptoms. "Kurt Warner's agent, Mark Bartelstein, said QB feeling much better and would be surprised if he didn't start today," NFL.com's Jason La Canfora wrote on his Twitter page.

Twitter (Jason La Canfora)

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Injury

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Risdon's Football Meteorology For Week 13

Jun 13, 2014 10:20 AM

Last Week: 13-3, pushing the season forecast to 125-51. Concussions are the topic du jour in the NFL these days. I applaud the increased safety measures, including the prohibition of a player returning to the field the same day he suffers a concussion, even just a potential one. I have a little bit of experience to draw upon here. I?ve had three concussions in my life, two from volleyballs off the head, and even though I felt mostly right, I still really needed to rest more than just a few minutes. The third one I suffered lingered for several days. Nothing major happened, just a mild dullness and a little vertigo when I turned my head quickly, but I knew something wasn?t copacetic. I tried playing through it, a non-contact sport no less, but it never really got better until I took a week off. I can only imagine getting hit the way Jamal Lewis or Big Ben did and trying to play football at such a high speed against all those incredible athletes trying to bury me. It?s a smart move to protect these players from themselves, and macho men like Hines Ward illustrate that they do in fact need that protection. Game of the Week Minnesota (3) at Arizona (9): Right now the Vikings are playing extremely well in all facets of the game, looking very much like a team that can win a Super Bowl. Arizona was doing much the same until stumbling last week at Tennessee without Kurt Warner. Warner may or may not be back this week, but I?m really hoping he is so this game morphs into the greybeard battle between him and Brett Favre. The key to this game (aside from Warner?s health) is Arizona?s ability to contain the Minnesota running game. They couldn?t do it last year, when the Vikings rolled up 239 rushing yards on them, and last week Chris Johnson ran wild. Safety Adrian Wilson must play smart, because too often he got caught running in and filling the wrong lane or exposing his track too easily. The Vikings behemoth tackles, Phil Loadholt and Bryant McKinnie, can have trouble blocking in space and getting out to the second level, but the Cardinals must force that issue by attacking outside-in, but that leaves the middle wide open for quick Favre audibles, not to mention Peterson. Because the Cardinals (like everyone) will struggle to run the ball against the woefully underappreciated Vikings defense, that defense will be battling fatigue and perhaps field position. It?s all a troubling mix, and without Warner at 100% I?m not sold that the high-flying Cardinals offense will be able to outscore the Vikings. Minnesota 32, Arizona 24. Upset of the Week Tennessee (10) at Indianapolis (2): I believe that the recipe for beating the Colts is to have playmakers on offense that can turn a routine play into a big play. Chris Johnson and Vince Young, check. You also have to be able to use your LBs and safeties in coverage to close off Peyton?s hot reads, which almost invariably mean Dallas Clark on a short check or quick slants. Keith Bulluck and a healthy Michael Griffin, check. An offensive line that can protect the QB is a must. Michael Roos & Co., check. A coaching staff and defensive scheme that won?t be in awe of Peyton Manning, check--the Titans were the last team to beat the Colts in the regular season. The ingredients are there for the Titans to pull the upset and keep their momentum rolling. The Colts have been merely squeaking by lately; four of their last five wins have been by four points or less, and last week they fell behind 17-0 to Houston before flipping the switch. That just won?t fly against the Titans. I would absolutely take the six points the Titans are getting, but I?ll go a step further and pick them straight up. Tennessee ends Peyton?s perfect season in a 33-27 Titans win. Well worth the time Dallas (5) at New York Giants (18): This is a battle that tests your faith in preconceptions. The common notion is that the Cowboys can?t win in December, Tony Romo can?t handle big games, can?t win on the road. The G-Men have the perception of being a team built for cold weather football, with tough lines, power running, smart defense, and playing mistake-free ball. But if you?ve watched these two teams over the last six weeks, Dallas has consistently done everything to disprove those notions, while the Giants have not even been close to the team we thought they were, to steal from Denny Green. I?ve seen nothing from the Giants over the last month that indicates they can handle the Dallas defense, which has turned up the pass rush and also greatly improved their tackling. Brandon Jacobs is running sideways and not getting up to full speed, which essentially makes him worthless. New York has little chance to cover Miles Austin, but they can?t cheat LB help into the intermediate routes because Marion Barber is running great, Jones and Choice are making things happen, and the tight ends are too much of a weapon. Balanced offenses have given the Giants fits all year, and Dallas? will in this game--provided Cowboys OC Jason Garrett doesn?t get too clever for his own good. Cowboys 30, Giants 20. Philadelphia (12) at Atlanta (15): Both of these teams are badly wounded, so this becomes a test of depth and adjustment. I was impressed with how Chris Redman handled his business in forced relief of Matt Ryan, but the minor injuries to two Falcons linemen (particularly LT Sam Baker, who may not play) make a repeat of that more difficult. The Eagles defensive front is playing quite well lately, and not having Michael Turner at full burner means Atlanta won?t be able to ease that with interior running. I like Jason Snelling, but he?s no Michael Turner. Philly has their own problems, namely the loss of their top two offensive weapons, Desean Jackson and Brian Westbrook. They?ve adequately compensated for Westbrook, but losing Jackson (and Kevin Curtis) means the receiving corps is thin and must shuffle spots. That?s asking a lot of rookie Jeremy Maclin to move inside, and it might even mean some of Michael Vick at wide receiver. Their ravaged secondary must step up, but I like the concept of a veteran thief like Asante Samuel baiting the inexperienced backup into a bad throw or two. Atlanta is a much better team at home, but with so many core offensive players slowed, I just don?t think their iffy defense can hold the Eagles to fewer points. Breaking in a new kicker, albeit an experienced one in Matt Bryant, won?t help matters. Philadelphia 23, Atlanta 13. Houston (16) at Jacksonville (21): These two teams each remind me of my adventures making chili. I always use a similar base that I can rely on to give me a good chance for tasty success. Sometimes the extra stuff I add in (cinnamon, tequila, black beans) makes for a real yummy batch that overwhelms everything else I?ve cooked for weeks. Sometimes it just doesn?t come together and winds up a disaster, like the great chorizo/key lime debacle of October 2005. Not even my dog, who used to chow down his own feces, would touch that fiasco. These teams are just like that. Some weeks everything blends harmoniously and you wonder, why can?t every game be like this awesome orgy of flavor and excellence?!? Houston has proven that with their wins against Cincinnati, Oakland, and Buffalo. Then you get the emetics like last week or the Jets game. Jacksonville does it to even greater extremes; they nicely handled the Texans in their first meeting, pounded the Titans the next week, and then followed that up by losing 41-0 at Seattle, squeaking past the lowly Rams, and getting pummeled by the Vince Young-led Titans. Houston?s inability to churn out yards with the run is troubling, but so is Jacksonville?s almost comedic inability to rush the passer. I favor the home cooking, and I do think the Jaguars are poised for a nice little run here: their next three are at home, two of which are chances to knock out fellow Wild Card contenders (HOU this week, MIA next), followed by a date with the Colts that means nothing to Indy. They must have this one, and I think they will rise to the occasion. Jaguars 26, Texans 24. Baltimore (13) at Green Bay (8): Classic letdown game for the Ravens, who left their hearts and a lot of wounded body parts on the field in their emotional triumph over Pittsburgh. The Ravens haven?t scored more than 20 points in over a month, and right now Green Bay?s defense is playing with a great deal of confidence and opportunism. With Joe Flacco slowed with a sprained ankle, those designed moving pockets won?t be as effective. It?s not just the Green Bay defense that poses problems. Baltimore has proven mighty vulnerable to strong-armed QBs that aren?t afraid to spread the ball around to different receivers. Sounds like Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense, eh? Rodgers has become more aware of getting rid of the ball quicker, and the plays themselves are designed to help foster that. The OL is still subpar but at least they?re playing like a cohesive unit lately. Green Bay in December is a rough place to play, and the Ravens haven?t strung together consecutive wins since winning their first three. The pattern of alternating a win after a loss continues for the Ravens. Green Bay 27, Baltimore 14. New England (7) at Miami (17): The biggest lesson I took from the Monday Night beat-down by the Saints is that the Patriots are very vulnerable to teams with a vertical passing attack. The safeties just aren?t good at over-the-top coverage and the CBs are adequate but beatable. New Orleans has the kind of offense to exploit that, but I just don?t see Miami being able to do those things. I?ve been fairly impressed with Chad Henne at QB, though he?s coming off an uneven outing where the Bills completely shut him down late in last Sunday?s loss. The Patriots OL tends to fare better when playing fellow 3-4 defensive fronts like Miami?s, and you can bet the New England defense is looking to make a statement that they are capable of getting the job done. It?s a bad week for Miami, which hasn?t beaten a team currently over .500, to catch the Pats, even though New England?s work week is short. Dolphins hang tough as always, but New England prevails 26-21. Better than most alternatives New Orleans (1) at Washington (26): About 10 years ago I got a magic 8-ball as a gag gift from a member of my extended family. Little did she know how much I cherish that prognostication aid! I?m using it right now to forecast this game...Is this the week that New Orleans loses its first game? Shake it up a bit...?My answer is no?. There you go! Saints 31, Redskins 13. New York Jets (19) at Buffalo (22): There are lots of reasons to like the Bills here. The game is in Toronto, which means loads of football-hungry fans waiting to exhort the ?home? team. Toronto is not-so-subtly trying to prove its merit as a future NFL city, so the crowd should be raucous but also forgiving when the offense sputters or a DB misses a tackle. Mark Sanchez has hit both the rookie wall and the sharp turn in the learning curve, and the Bills already had great success against him earlier (remember the five INT game?). It took Carolina beating itself for the Jets to snap a 1-6 slide, and for all the myriad problems in Buffalo, they have played smart, fundamentally sound football under interim coach Perry Fewell. Buffalo makes Jets coach Rex Ryan?s homecoming trip to Toronto (he grew up there) unpleasant as the Bills win at ?home?, 27-17. Denver (14) at Kansas City (27): Denver righted the ship last week, thanks to the return of their defensive vigor. That bodes well against a Chiefs offense that is basically Jamaal Charles and Chris Chambers during the past two weeks. Kansas City is showing real improvement, but they just don?t have the horses on defense to keep up with the Broncos. I think the Broncos will set out to make a real statement here. Denver 30, Kansas City 16. Christmas Shopping time Detroit (29) at Cincinnati (6): As much as I respect how Jim Schwartz has started to change the culture in Detroit, this game shapes up as a perfect window into how far the Lions still have to go. Cincinnati is perfectly built to pound Detroit; the Bengals? strengths (OL and DL play, inside running, strong secondary, active and versatile LBs, smart QB with a big arm) are tailor-made to take advantage of the Lions? weaknesses. If by chance you haven?t used Cincy in survivor fantasy games, this is the perfect time to do so. Bengals 37, Lions 10. Tampa Bay (30) at Carolina (23): No Jake Delhomme for Carolina makes this game a lot more difficult to forecast. I?ve never been high on Matt Moore, who will get the start. With DeAngelo Williams also nicked up and iffy to play, these Panthers are eminently beatable. The question becomes, can these Bucs get it together and beat them? The signs are positive that they can. Last week they lost a heartbreaker to another backup QB, and they hung tough with the Dolphins a week after stunning the Packers in recent weeks. Only the undefeated Saints have thoroughly overmatched Tampa in the last month. Their run defense has improved, but what really stands out is the shot in the arm rookie QB Josh Freeman has given the offense. He?s confident, he?s fearless, and he?s not afraid to try...much like a young Jake Delhomme. Like the current Delhomme, Freeman will turn the ball over, which makes this a real toughie. Every time you think the Panthers are dead in the water, they play a game that reminds you why they earned a playoff bye last season. This is far removed from that unit, but that potential is still there. Carolina is a very unconfident pick, 20-17. San Diego (4) at Cleveland (32): I hate to say it, but the more I see of Brady Quinn, the less I think he?s going to be a quality NFL quarterback. The way the Chargers have been playing defense lately, that impression is not likely to improve this week. December in Cleveland often means cold wind, which is exacerbated by literally building the stadium in Lake Erie. The likely foul weather might keep the score down, but probably not as much as how much better San Diego is than the home team. Chargers 27, Browns 3. San Francisco (20) at Seattle (24): This is the last stand for the 49ers if they harbor any glimmer of playoff hope. The emergence of Justin Forsett at running back for Seattle puts a big damper on those hopes, but what makes it even dimmer is how the Seattle defense handled Steven Jackson and St. Louis? offense last week. Frank Gore is the primary and secondary weapon for the Niners, just as Jackson is for the Rams, and the linebackers and safeties did a great job slowing him down. Gore embarrassed Seattle earlier this year, but that was on the road where the Seahawks have been largely pathetic. This is in front of the 12th man, where they are birds of a very different feather. I like the Seattle offensive balance to prevail and to keep the Niners? peculiar streak of playing poorly on artificial turf going; they?ve lost 11 of their last 15 on the faux grass, with two of those wins over the lowly Rams. Seattle 20, San Francisco 16. St. Louis (31) at Chicago (25): The Bears finally catch a break. Even though they?ve been just as bad, if not worse, over the last month as the lowly Rams, St. Louis simply doesn?t match up well to exploit the problem areas for Chicago. The Rams don?t have a defensive line that can break down the Bears OL; they don?t have a passing offense that can reliably attack the intermediate and deep middle of the field, where the Bears really struggle; Steven Jackson is banged up and running behind an OL that isn?t real tough. The Rams do have a pretty darn good pair of safeties and an excellent rookie MLB in James Laurinaitis, which means Jay Cutler will have to be wary. I think this is the week where the Bears finally get something from their run game, and I don?t trust Kyle Boller at QB with Donnie Avery and Brandon Gibson (quietly playing quite well) to beat the Chicago defense given the short time Boller will have to throw. Bears 27, Rams 24. Oakland (28) at Pittsburgh (11): The Steelers are reeling, but it?s more to do with injuries than any overall fundamental lacking. Normally Oakland would be a nice slump-buster, but these Raiders are playing with more passion with Bruce Gradkowski at QB. He?ll be all fired up, as he is a Pittsburgh area native. He?s probably hoping this visit goes better than his last start at Heinz Field, when his second start for the 2008 Browns resulted in 18 yards passing, a QB rating of 1.0, and a 31-0 defeat that wasn?t as close as the score indicates. I expect the Raiders to do one of two things here. They?re either going to come out and try to out-physical the Steelers, which worked for them against Baltimore and Cincinnati, or they?re going to be flat, mistake prone, and get overwhelmed early and often. Either way, it looks like a Pittsburgh victory, though be careful if Big Ben and Polamalu are both still out. Steelers 23, Raiders 10. Drinking in the Dorm Room Games MAC Championship: Ohio U. vs. Central Michigan. I?ll be decked out in green and white, but I?m not sure my Bobcats will offer much resistance to Dan Lefevour & Co. The Chips are hot and will cruise to a 33-13 MAC title. SEC Championship: Florida vs. Alabama. I?ve found Florida to be a tad overrated all year long, and I think Alabama?s defense can answer Tim Tebow. Losing Carlos ?DUI? Dunlap is a big blow to the Gator defense, and the Bama OL is better than most people think. Roll Tide! Alabama 20, Florida 18. C-USA Championship: East Carolina vs. Houston. This game is in Greenville, which gives the Pirates a fighting chance. They?ll have to not waste any opportunities, but with Dominique Lindsay running very well lately, they should have little trouble carving up a Houston defense that essentially functions as rest time for the offense. Of course every time everyone anticipates a shootout, a defensive struggle emerges. Take the under in a Houston 28-22 win. PAC-10 de facto title game: Oregon State at Oregon. History bears the scars of our civil wars, and the Pac-10 will bear the scar of the Beavers pulling the improbable upset to win the conference title. Finally a team that Ohio State can beat in a BCS bowl! Beavers 33, Ducks 31. Big East de facto title game: Cincinnati at Pittsburgh. As much as I respect Brian Kelly and how the Bearcats always find a way to crank it up a notch when needed, I like the Panthers quite a bit at home here. Pittsburgh honors former coach and player Foge Fazio, who passed away this week, by winning the Big East title 24-23. ACC Championship: Georgia Tech vs. Clemson. The way both these squads struggled last week, this isn?t quite as sexy as the ACC would like. The Yellow Jackets are hard to prepare for with their throwback offense, and I haven?t seen the kind of defensive discipline from Clemson to handle it. C.J. Spiller is the wild card and a very electrifying one, but I think the GT defense can contain the Tigers inconsistent passing game and head to a BCS bowl with a 26-17 win. Big 12 Championship: Texas vs. Nebraska. The Cornhusker defense is better than any in the Big 12 South, and that could flummox the Longhorns, especially if they can?t get the running game working. But Texas has too many playmakers that can turn a simple play into a big score, and Nebraska simply cannot match that. Mack Brown has been here before and will have his team ready. Texas 30, Nebraska 17. Jeff.Risdon@RealGM.com

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Whisenhunt: QB Will Be Game-Time Decision

Nov 16, 2014 7:40 AM

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt says that he won't decide on a starting quarterback until right before Sunday's game. Kurt Warner and Matt Leinart split practice time with the starters on Thursday. "You want to make the decision now, but certainly we've got to see how everything goes with Kurt," Whisenhunt said. "Even though he may feel great today, there might be a situation where something could come up." Warner suffered a concussion during a Nov. 22 game against the Rams and missed last weekend's game.

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Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Misc Rumor

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