Every Down Back
by Dave Gardner
It’s time to face it: the Arizona Cardinals are going to win the NFC West.
This isn’t the old west anymore.
Since the division realignment in 2002, every team in the NFC West has won its coveted crown at least once – every team except the Arizona Cardinals.
But the Cardinals (7-3) have soared under new head coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was hired in January of 2007. Meanwhile, the Seahawks, in their last year under head coach Mike Holmgren, have fallen out of the sky.
On Sunday, the Cardinals all but clinched the division crown by winning in Seattle.
“This has always been a tough place for us to play,” Whisenhunt told reporters after the game. “It was great to see us finish a game off and find ways to win it.”
The Cardinals offer a good mix of veterans and young players, leaning toward the latter group, and they are led by the indefatigable Kurt Warner at quarterback.
Warner, who is having an MVP-type season, is tops in the league in passer rating and second in touchdowns, yards and yards per attempt.
His rapport with his receivers, particularly Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, is excellent and his quick release has eased a young offensive line that is built to open running lanes, not to form a pocket.
And although it likely isn’t something he’s thinking about while diagnosing a blitz, Warner, who is only under contract through this season, is on pace to earn $1.5 million in incentives this year.
The powerful passing attack has forced defenses to drop back into coverage and rookie running back Tim Hightower is taking advantage.
“When you want to win games late in the year, when you want to be a playoff team,” Whisenhunt said, “people have to step up.”
The offense as a whole is second in total yards and in total points, and the Cardinals are doing their scoring equally – outscoring opponents 128-113 in the first half and 161-115 in the second – they’re not letting games get away from them anymore.
And while the offense gets much of the attention, the defense is the area of improvement. In 2006, under Dennis Green, the Cardinals were 29th in total defense, last year they were 17th, and this year they are 11th.
“My hat’s off to our defense,” Whisenhunt said. “They held a very good offense – that was operating surprisingly well after a layoff by their quarterback – to not a lot of yardage and made some plays.”
All of this success has the Cardinals, who haven’t won a division since the Gerald Ford administration, looking at a fresh dilemma: whether or not to rest their players.
“I feel very strongly about us continuing our preparation and the way we’re playing,” Whisenhunt said, “and hopefully, when we get into the playoffs, that will continue.”
Whisenhunt referenced his experience as offensive coordinator for the Steelers, in which the Steelers were the last team into the playoffs and went on to win Super Bowl XL, as a reason to keep the momentum going.
The division win seems inevitable, and it could come as soon as Week 12, if the Cardinals beat the New York Giants at home and the San Francisco 49ers fall to the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas.
“It’s obviously new territory for us, to be in this position,” Whisenhunt said.
The Cardinals are so sure that they will clinch that the team announced on Friday that they would begin season-ticket holders on how to purchase playoff tickets.
When they do, season-ticket holders will certainly wonder why another team would be hosting a playoff game in Arizona.
Coach Whisenhunt isn’t concerned about the pressure; in fact, he’s fighting for more.
“We’re still hopefully fighting for a higher seed,” he said, “which is what you always want to do.”
One quote, though, sums up what the Cardinals have experienced for the history of their franchise in the modern NFL – and it will be the fear of every Cardinals fan until the Cards have officially clinched.
“It’s not a done deal yet,” Whisenhunt said.
Maybe not, but this isn’t the same division, and, more importantly, these aren’t the same Arizona Cardinals. These Cardinals are built to win.
Playoffs? You wanna talk about playoffs?
AFC
1. Titans (10-0): Justin Gage had a career game, beating Jags’ corners on two deep plays and compiling career-bests in yardage (147) and touchdowns (2). Not bad for a guy who came into the game with just 229 yards and 2 touchdowns.
2. Steelers (7-3): The Steelers got some breathing room in the division Sunday, too bad a blown call cost Troy Polamalu a touchdown and some gamblers $66 million
3. Jets (7-3): Look at how Chad Pennington is playing in Miami, and you have to conclude that Brett Favre isn’t the reason the Jets are winning this season. It’s Kris Jenkins. It’s so tough to run against this team.
4. Broncos (6-4): A couple of wins in a row, and people are starting to believe in the Broncos again. The defense still should leave you incredulous about a playoff run.
5. Colts (6-4): The play of Eric Foster is nothing short amazing. The ability of the Colts to continually to find undrafted free agents at tackle is amazing.
6. Ravens (6-4): Flacco fell back to earth a little bit on Sunday, but it was against the best team in the league. The run defense was the reason for the loss, not the quarterback.
NFC
1. Giants (9-1): Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw aren’t just the reasons that the Giants will be making the playoffs, they’ll be the reasons that the Giants go deep into them.
2. Panthers (8-2): What is so great about this 8-2 team? The running game is very good, but it can be shut down, and the defense is nothing to write home about.
3. Cardinals (7-3): Kurt Warner is your MVP through Week 11.
4. Packers (5-5): It’s time for the Packers to start pulling away in the NFC North, and their upcoming schedule will be good, if not great, for that opportunity: at New Orleans, and Carolina and Houston at home.
5. Buccaneers (7-3): Talk about timing. Earnest Graham suffers a serious ankle injury in Week 11, and Carnell “Cadillac” Williams should be ready to go for Week 12.
6. Redskins (6-4): What is with this team in prime time?
Call it, Coach
Fast Facts
Fact of the Week No. 1: The Bucs have 21 points out of the two minute offense – the most in the NFL this season.
Fact of the Week No. 2: It has been 2,197 days since a tie last happened in the NFL, and a game had never before ended in a 13-13 score. That ended Sunday in Cincinnati.
Fact of the Week No. 3: San Francisco scored touchdowns on all five of its trips to the red zone.
Weekly MVPs
Offense: Joseph Addai, RB, Colts. Finally fully healthy from a hamstring injury, Addai ran hard and fast against the Texans. He had 22 carries for 105 yards and a touchdown, and he added 48 yards and a touchdown in the air. The Colts will really need Addai if they plan to make it into the playoffs or past Round 1.
Defense: Chris Carr, CB, Titans. The third corner played like a starter on Sunday. The scheme helped him out a lot – he played deep off the line of scrimmage and he had a safety over top for much of the game. Nonetheless, his critical interception in the fourth quarter of David Garrard was clutch.
I’ll Deny I Ever Wrote This…
The NFL needs to change its overtime system. Watching the Eagles and the Bengals refuse to win for 15 minutes (football time) was excruciating. The college overtime system isn’t perfect, but it would be a great and exciting template. Starting at the 25-yard line would be too short a distance for NFL offenses, but if each team had three chances and started at the 50, overtime would be more compelling. Imagine Manning vs. Brady in an OT shootout instead of a 30-yard field goal winning an AFC Championship.
Don’t fight it, write it! Got a question or a comment? Send it in to theconstantgardner@newerascouting.com. Include your name and hometown, and I might include you in an upcoming article (unless you instruct me otherwise).