Arizona Cardinals - Destined For Greatness or Doomed For Eternity (2008)

What a game...better than most Super Bowls and the best 4th quarter in a long time (save for last year). The Cardinals did what I was critical of them for not doing all year, finishing big at the end, scoring with a 2nd Larry Fitzgerald TD late. Unfortunately for them, the Steelers had Santonio Holmes, racking up 73 of the 76 yards on their last drive and catching the tiptoe TD in the corner to go ahead for good.

The game was sloppy on both sides - lots of penalties, lots of miscues, including a penalty in the endzone that gave the Cards two points and the ball at a critical time, allowing them to go ahead in the 4th quarter.

Props to James Harrison who not only made life hell for the Cardinals' OL line, seeming to penetrate at will, but also for his 100 yd mad dash interception for a touchdown (finally ridden into the endzone by Fitz and Q).

We're proud of you Cards. No one expected you to get to the playoffs, and you did. No one expected you to march to the NFC Championship, and you did. No one expected you to get to the Super Bowl, and you did. No one expected you to win the Super Bowl, and only there, on that note, did you come up short, but for 55 minutes, it was your game to win, and we in Arizona don't fault you for coming up short. It happens. There's nothing more to do but look forward, get better, and return to avenge yourselves and your fans.

Which brings us to the future...

The criticism leveled at the Cardinals at most times still exists - what now? Sure we had the most successful season and post season since the hard helmet was invented, but what now? Warner is talking about retiring and Cardinals management is famous for making great players champs on other teams after they've been let go. Who's not going to be here next year, and who will fill the void? I don't even want to speculate on that, but come draft time next year, I will be eager to see who stays and who goes, and you can believe I'll have something to say about it.

Congrats, Pittsburgh on #6, and to Santonio Holmes who asked to have the game put on his shoulders like the Atlas that he is.

With today's win against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Arizona Cardinals have their first NFC title, and their first shot at the Super Bowl. And it's about time.

The first half of the game, perhaps the best first half of any game they've played this season, was an example of a perfect half featuring successful drives, good clock management, the ability to score seemingly at will, and the attitude to take every advantage.

Up 24-7 at the half, it seemed like the Larry Fitzgerald Show as he lassoed 3 touchdown passes, including a signature leap on a deep ball and another near the side of the endzone. Warner was perfect through the first half and the Cardinal defense permitted nothing but field goals, and put enough fear into Akers to skim one wide as well.

The second half was hair-raising as the ghost of games past rose up, eliminating a 17 point lead with 3 straight Eagle TDs, two of which went to TE Brent Celek, but the game was saved by a deliberate final drive by the Cards that hinged on rookie Tim Hightower's (remember him, the 5th round draft pick that I said was a good pick?) dramatic 4th and 1 end run, and was punctuated by Hightower's only reception of the game, good for 8 yards and the final deciding touchdown.

The Cards have always struggled, this year included, but they have come together as a team. Veteran Kurt Warner has not only found Pro Bowl targets in Fitzgerald and Boldin, but has found success with Breaston, Pope and Urban. Arrington, James and Hightower have provided a flexible, and often difficult to stop rushing game. The offensive line is stronger and deeper, providing the necessary base for both attacks and after years of development, the Cardinals defense has finally gelled, providing just enough to win games on bad days, and embarrassing visiting QBs on great days.

Coach Whisenhunt seems to be the coach the Cards have been looking for all these years. Coming from a successful Pittsburgh franchise, he has molded the team that was 5-11 just two years ago and produced back to back non-losing seasons, and more importantly, the team's first division and conference championships.

All that remains is the big one, the big game - the Super Bowl.

Speaking of Pittsburgh, they polished off the Baltimore Ravens to win the AFC Championship and win their place in Super Bowl XLIII, their 7th appearance. A lot of teams are still underestimating the Cardinals. The Falcons did, the Panthers definitely did, and the Eagles did, too. The pundits and oddsmakers are underestimating them. Pittsburgh might lose their second Super Bowl since Super Bowl XXX if they don't take the redbirds seriously.

This Super Bowl is a gift to all Cardinal fans, whether you were always a stalwart fan through the Sun Devil Stadium heat and incessant jibes of visiting teams or if you've just now gotten on the bandwagon. The local media have been wearing more red on TV the deeper the season goes. Sad that our local TV personalities didn't wear it much in the 90s when the Cardinals were a punchline instead of a contender. It's hip to be a Cards fan now, just as I'm sure it was cool to support Tampa Bay when they went to the Super Bowl. Maybe their city doesn't have the same identity crisis that ours does.

I'm sure the Cards aren't worried about who their real fans are. They play because they want to win, and the crowd is behind them 100%, and seem to have found a way to win to keep the new stadium seats full and keep those cheers coming. For a frustrated franchise, those cheers must be sweet music. Regardless, the people of Arizona are behind them, and why not? After 20 years of struggling, even this year, they've found a way to win, and continue to win, and scrabble their way to the biggest game of their lives.

It was touching to see Aeneas Williams hand the George Halas Trophy to Bill Bidwell after today's NFC Championship game - A man who had contributed so much to the Cardinals, having been a part of the Other Successful Season and the Winning Playoff Game. It's too bad he retired before he could have been a part of this team, but marching in his place is a polished, balanced offense, a tenacious defense, a brilliant coach and a team brimming with talent and a determination to not be stopped until they've won it all.

Can the Cardinals beat the Steelers? I'll dissect that question more later. For now, the Cardinals are champs. The NFC West may not have held any challenges, but the Falcons, Panthers and Eagles weren't going to roll over, and yet, they all fell after 60 minutes The Cards stand alone with one game between them and glory.

I've been with them all of these last 20 years, wondering and waiting, cheering and booing. I admit that I didn't think this was their year. If their games against San Francisco were reversed, it would be the 49ers in the playoffs and not the Cards. I didn't think the Cards would beat Atlanta, or after them Carolina, but they did. After that, knowing they would beat Philadelphia was a no-brainer, a technicality on the way to the Super Bowl, and they beat them, too.

If the Cardinals win the Super Bowl, this whole area is going to erupt with the pent up frustration of two decades. Even if they don't win, they'll have had one hell of a ride. If they lose, they won't be losers; they'll be a team that made a hell of a lot happen and turned lead into gold. Some would say more than they deserved, but when the most important games have been on the line, they've shown they deserve it more than anyone, and have fought for games that in the past would have been sure losses. Those were the Cardinals of last year, not this year. This year is different, maybe special. Is that enough to beat the Steelers? We'll see.

No one was giving the Cards a chance in Carolina on Jan 10, and after getting scored on on the first drive, I almost walked away.

Then the Cards scored on 5 straight drives, and thanks to Jake Delhomme giving up the ball 3 times, the Cards were up 27-7 at halftime.

Carolina showed signs of life early in the 3rd quarter but managed only one touchdown (the Cards could only kick two field goals down the stretch) and the damage was done. Delhomme coughed up the ball 3 more times, with a continuing emphasis on poor choices.

Now the Cardinals are in the NFC Championship, waiting for their penultimate foe, Philadelphia or New York, both teams they've lost to in the regular season.

The winner of this game matters. If the Giants win, the Cards will surely go down against them in NY, but if Philly wins, the Cards have every chance to ride their momentum at home against a team they should have and could have beat.

Update:Philly DID beat NY, so now the unheard of is going to happen - The Arizona Cardinals are going to host the NFC championships in Glendale.

Philadelphia looks strong, but I predict the Cardinals will win this one at home.

The Cardinals got off to a great start by beating the Falcons at home 30-24.

This is as far as they have gotten in the playoffs since coming to Arizona.

Their next test will be either Carolina or NY Giants, both teams the Cards lost to in the regular season. The winner of the Minnesota/Philadelphia game will determine who the Cards face in the Divisional Round.

Season, record, coach, notes

1988 - 7-9 - Gene Stallings(First year in Arizona, Sun Devil Stadium, as Phoenix Cardinals)
1989 - 5-11 - Gene Stallings sacked, Hank Kuhlmann finishes season
1990 - 5-11 - Joe Bugel
1991 - 4-12 - Joe Bugel
1992 - 4-12 - Joe Bugel
1993 - 7-9 - Joe Bugel
1994 - 8-8 - Buddy Ryan (First year as Arizona Cardinals, bwahaha)
1995 - 4-12 Buddy Ryan
1996 - 7-9 - Vince Tobin
1997 - 4-12 - Vince Tobin
1998 - 9-7 - Vince Tobin
1999 - 6-10 - Vince Tobin
2000 - 3-13 - Vince Tobin
2001 - 7-9 - Dave McGinnis
2002 - 5-11 - Dave McGinnis
2003 - 4-12 - Dave McGinnis
2004 - 6-10 - Dennis Green
2005 - 5-11 - Dennis Green
2006 - 5-11 - Dennis Green (Moved to University of Phoenix Stadium - yes, we hate the name *yawn*)
2007 - 8-8 - Ken Whisenhunt (If he can repeat at 8-8, that will be the two most successful back-to-back .500 or better seasons since 1983-84).
2008 - 9-7 Ken Whisenhunt

Note: The Cards haven't won 10 games in a season since 1976.

Ah, the NFL Draft. Hope Springs Eternal.

The Cards have the 16th pick in the first round, and they have their eye on running backs to replace/backup Edgerrin James, as well as new DBs and DLs.

I've been saying for years that this is a mistake. They've always seemed to focus on defense, and they need to focus on offense.

Yes, they've got two or three of the best receivers in the league, and they put up some amazing numbers last couple seasons, but the Cardinals' problem is now and has always been that they can't put points on the board when they need to. They don't drive effortlessly, they don't win big and they don't put games away. They already have a tremendously talented backfield defensively...what are they waiting for?

Supplement the defense, fine, but get the offense sorted out. I recommend TE, OL, LB and then, THEN look at the defensive backfield and RB. Without better support for their receivers and with Kurt Warner getting long in the tooth, they can't suffer another season of short snaps.

I look forward to the draft which will be April 26 and 27, and will update this module with the actual picks and my take on it.

Update - Day 1:

The Cards selected Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie at CB and Calais Campbell at DE.

Rodgers-Cromartie Pros and Cons - He seems like an agile player and was a standout at Tenn State, but he's going to have to step it up for the Pros. The Cards traded up to get him, so he gets extra pressure to perform. He's filling big shoes as Antrel Rolle gets shuffled back to Safety (a good decision, I think).

Calais Campbell Pros and Cons - A great pick for the second round to shore up aging defensive line. He's got the goods, but might be suffering from weight problems. We'll see how he sizes up in training camp.

Overall, I'm not surprised with the Cards' defensive stance. This is par for the course for them, but they've made good picks. The problem is, they always make pretty good picks, they just can't execute with them. Based on hope, I'll give em a B+ for Day 1. They could have done a lot worse, and they got what they wanted.

Watch for them to snag a RB (probably Jamaal Charles or Kevin Smith if they're still available) tomorrow, and then run the table in defense. A solid C+ if they select 6 defensive players. A solid A-B+ if they throw in a a TE and OL too.

With Leinart probably getting the nod this year, they need to give him more targets and better protection. Without it, they'll be trying to win games with field goals again, despite their easy access to two good receivers.

Update - Day 2:

The Cards' first pick of the day, third in the draft went to Early Doucet. An interesting pick, especially considering their RB needs, Doucet had good stats at LSU before an injury in 2007. He'll probably be put in the slot to support Bouldin and Fitzgerald, but what makes him dangerous is his flexibility at other positions. I'd be impressed if Weisenhunt sneaks some trick plays to him, and don't be surprised to see him on special teams.

This is a good pick, especially with Charles and Kevin Smith scooped up early in the third.

4th pick goes to Kenny Iwebema, DE. Another DE. With Bengals picking two WRs despite two great WRs already, I half expected the Cards to follow suit. Instead, the Cards doubled up on DEs. A solid pick behind Campbell, we'll have to see if he pans out. The Cards go through DL like tissue, so he could be instrumental or he could be riding the pine.

5th Pick, Tim Hightower, RB, is finally taken. Might be a good pick late, and shows the Cards determination to shore up offense. Might be the best RB pick under the circumstances.

I'm not happy with the 6th pick (Chris Harrington). If they didn't get who they wanted at DE by now, then they've screwed up. The Cards are now putting on a DL camp at the expense of linebacker which they say they need. Update: It turns out the Cards plan to turn Harrinton into a LB. We'll see how that turns out.

7th Pick. Keith Brandon, OT. Good finish, Cards.
Brandon is big and has a history of knocking guys flat out. He also has a history of defying coaches and getting into trouble with the law. If the Cards can mellow him out and get him to concentrate on football, he may be a standout.

Overall Assessment.

The Cards picked up 3 DEs (potential LB), a Corner, a WR, a RB and an OL. They wanted a safety, but Rolle, Wilson and Hood can make up the difference. WR and RB were very needed and make up for not getting a TE. More OL helps tremendously.

Their drafts usually look like this, and then they have crummy seasons, but based on what they needed, two days of picks are a solid B+.

Update:

I checked NFL.com for their draft coverage to see what others thought of the Cards' picks. The Fans gave em a B, and that sounds about right. Not abysmal, but not perfect.

See the Cards' pick assessment here.

The Cards went 2-2 in the preseason, which doesn't mean anything. Despite a back to form performance in the last game, Leinart is being benched for Kurt Warner.

We'll see how it works out.

Preseason Results

New Orleans - 10-24 L
Kansas City - 27-17 W
Oakland - 24-0 W
Denver - 14-28 L

Regular Season Predictions

1 Sep 07 ARI @ SF - Away from amazingly-filled-with-red UofP Stadium, the Cards will boot one to the 49ers.
2 Sep 14 MIA @ ARI - I predict that in 4 years the Dolphins will be a hell of a lot better than the Cards, but not yet.
3 Sep 21 ARI @ WAS - All Skins
4 Sep 28 ARI @ NYJ - Favre and Warner will have a big hug afterwards after the Pa..., I mean Jets, run all over them.

First Quarter - 1-3

5 Oct 05 BUF @ ARI - Cards Win!
6 Oct 12 DAL @ ARI - A battle of fail, but the Cards will make less mistakes, while the Cowboys hand one to their former division foes.
7 Bye - Normally a happy time because the Cards need to lick their wounds, but after a 2 game streak the Bye will make them logy...
8 Oct 26 ARI @ CAR - ...and totally unprepared for the Panthers who will make them go back to the plane with their heads down.
9 Nov 02 ARI @ STL - Toss up, but the Cards need more losses, so I'll say another road loss.

Second Quarter and Total - 2-2, 3-5 for the season

10 Nov 10 SF @ ARI - Arizona will come to their senses and split the series...
11 Nov 16 ARI @ SEA - ...and then pick up where they finished last year by getting owned by the Seahawks.
12 Nov 23 NYG @ ARI - Defending Champs? Yeah, right. Giants by halftime.
13 Nov 27 ARI @ PHI - The Cards always rip off one or two games a season that they point to like every game was like that. Even in the frigid cold, the Cards will rock the Eagles for no good reason.

Third Quarter and Total - 2-2, 5-7 for the season

14 Dec 07 STL @ ARI - Cards steal a close one at home, or get pissed off enough to run it up on an injury-ridden team. Either way, a win for the Cards.
15 Dec 14 MIN @ ARI - The Vikes will have half a chance at a playoff spot and will fight like the Cards didn't last year. Vikings in a bloodbath.
16 Dec 21 ARI @ NE - Former defending champs? Coulda been champs? Yeah, right. The Cards will win this game if and only if they're in the hunt AND the Pats are resting their first two strings, which they probably will be by week 14. Even then they have to play in Foxborough.
17 Dec 28 SEA @ ARI - Redemption? No. If the Seahawks are in the hunt, or are playing spoiler, they will roll the Cards at home to make them stay home again as the playoffs march just out of reach. Since I don't see the Rams or 49ers in the top spot, the 'Hawks will be fighting for the NFC West title again and won't give it up easily.

Fourth Quarter and Total - 1-3, 6-10 for the season.

Although I'd be willing to say they might go 7-9 since some of my picks are subjective, 8-8 seems unlikely.

With 2 Super Bowl contenders in the mix, some tough road games and failure to secure the Seahawks, or go 2-0 on anyone else in the NFC West, the Cards just can't catch a break.

Their preseason opponents should be on the regular schedule. New Orleans and KC are playable. Oakland is a mess, and vying for other worst team in the AFC West and Denver is beatable if their new defense holds. I'd rather they play those four than the Pats, Vikes, Giants and Panthers.

Highlight of the Year - The Cards will be 3-3 or maybe 4-4 towards the halfway point, but then things will fall apart.

Low of the Year - The Cards will recognize way too late that the Seahawks have their number.

Home Record - 5-3
Away Record - 1-7
Win Streak - 2 wins
Loss Streak - 3 losses

Except for an inexplicable win in Philly or maybe a steal at Washington, the Cards will have an abysmal road record, making them more despondent and downtrodden as the season progresses. Losing big games late at home to the Giants, Vikings and Seahawks will be the last nail in the playoff coffin, especially with their 3 game losing streak coming right at the end. Weisenhunt might have some Dennis Green-esque tantrums before then.

Week

Opponent

Prediction

Result

1

ARI @ SF

L

W 23-13

2

MIA @ ARI

W

W 31-10

3

ARI @ WAS

L

L 17-24

4

ARI @ NYJ

L

L 35-56

5

BUF @ ARI

W

W 41-17

6

DAL @ ARI

W

W 30-24

7

Bye

x

x

8

ARI @ CAR

L

L 23-27

9

ARI @ STL

L

W 34-13

10

SF @ ARI

W

W 29-24

11

ARI @ SEA

L

W 26-20

12

NYG @ ARI

L

L 29-37

13

ARI @ PHI

W

L 20-48

14

STL @ ARI

W

W 34-10

15

MIN @ ARI

L

L 14-35

16

ARI @ NE

L

L 7-47

17

SEA @ ARI

L

W 34-21

 

 

6-10

9-7

My Prediction Record - 11-5

First Quarter of the Season
Kudos to the Cards for beating the 49ers away.

The Cards lost one to Washington that they could have won. Now they're back to .500 where they belong.

The Bills and Cowboys look nothing like patsies, the Panthers are still tough and if the Cards don't beat the lowly Rams, they'll be a laughing stock.

Who I said the Cards would beat is a bit off, but 3-5 by the end of week 9 still looks like a blessing.

More importantly, we hope Anquan Boldin is resting well and makes a full recovery. He took a crushing helmet-to-helmet blow late in game 4 and was stretchered off the field.

Update: Anquan Boldin fractured his sinus (ow). Don't know how long he'll be out, but here's to a speedy recovery. The Cards will have to find more go-to guys in the coming weeks.

First Half, Second Quarter of Season into Bye

Cards are 4-2! Back to back wins by crushing the formerly steamrolling Bills and winning a mess of a game at home against Dallas has given them a ton of confidence and put a scare into the rest of the NFC.

The Cards next goal is extending the streak to 3 against a tough Carolina team.

It looks like, for the time being, Warner has solved his potential problem with having Q out with a sinus injury. He's throwing well to everyone and scoring some TDs.

He'll have to start having a better handle on the ball with all the fumbles lately though, before their luck runs out and better teams turn those miscues into points.

Second Quarter of Season Review

After the bye, the Cardinals have split two more games and stand atop the NFC West at 5-3.

I admit I've overestimated the ineptitude of the rest of the division. The Cards have a 3 game lead over the 49ers, Seahawks and the Rams, who the Cards demolished last Sunday. If anything, they have a shot at 10-6 or 11-5 based on the weakness of their division. If they can win 5 or 6 of their division games and go 5-5 against non-division rivals (wow), then they could have that good of a record. For the Cardinals that would be unheard of since the 70s.

Meanwhile, its the division that is buoying them up. Their non-division record is 3-3, and they don't seem able to do much better, winning a game here and then getting slapped back down a week or two later. The next stretch includes two division rivals including Seattle who they haven't played yet and a rematch against SF, and two tough games vs. NYG and Philly. Failing to win both division games may mean a rehumbling to 6-6 or worse.

As I predicted before, they haven't been able to pull off a 3 game win streak. They have a shot with 3 division games in a row (including the win at STL). If they fail to pull that off, they won't have another chance. Even so, if the Cards can win 2 of every 3 all season with the 7th and 8th game a toss up, they'll end up about 9-7 or 10-6 - not bad at all.

In other news, minus the two division games, my predictions are perfect, and even with two wrong picks against SF and STL, my prediction record is a game better than the Cards' record.

I humbly admit to everyone that they look playoffs-bound, but I won't elaborate on that for fear of putting the whammy on them. Short of a resurgent late year drive by SF or SEA, I don't see how the Cards won't lock up the NFC West, even with a lackluster second half.

If the Cards were to match my predictions for the second half of the season, they would go 8-8, and that would be a squandering of a fine first half. They have the potential to go 10-6 easily.

On a side note about their draft - wow! Tim Hightower became the go to guy against St. Louis last Sunday, pounding out 100+ yards and scoring a TD. Not bad for a 5th round pick that was probably made as a concession to the Offensive Coordinator. If the Cards made more picks like this, and actually played them, we wouldn't be cringing every November.

I'm not ready to call Weisenhunt a genius yet, but if he can extend their record to where it's pointing, he'll be the only coach in 20 years to string together two non-losing seasons in Arizona.

Third Quarter of the Season Review

Despite a Thanksgiving day pasting by the Eagles creating a two game skid and after winning 3 in a row, the Cards are still poised to win the NFC West. Small consolation for being 3-5 in all of their non-division games.

With 2 division games left which they are poised to win, but facing Minnesota (a team which shows some signs of life) and the resurgent Patriots, the Cards hope for a 10 win season is in jeopardy. Still, they should be able to carve out their second winning season in 21 attempts and will no doubt go to the playoffs.

The question is, will they have any legs? Inability to consistently win outside of their division, and no doubt facing either Carolina or New York at some point, both teams that have beaten them in the regular season, there isn't much hope of a Super Bowl, but sink or swim, they've shown incredible promise compared to years past.

If they go 2-2 in their last 4 games, which I predict they will, they will be 9-7 and all things considered, it's a decent season, but against a pathetic division, and only winning 3 games against non-division teams, their flaws are obvious.

On a personal note, if I'm right at this point about the Cards beating STL and SEA, but losing to Min and NE, then my pre-season prediction record will be 11-5. I missed on how many games they'd win, they've already surpassed that, but the Cards won't win out, and my 6 game pick streak is shoring up my total record.

If the Cards do go 9-7 or better, Weisenhunt's record with the Cards will be 17-15 or better, the best two season stretch for a Cardinal's coach since Jim Hanifan went 17-14-1 in 1983-1984 (who incidentally finished his 6 year run with the Cards at below .500 at 39-49-1).

Post Week 14

After a close one at home with the Giants and getting trashed on Turkey Day by the Eagles (both former division mates I might add), the Cards returned to doing what they do best - beating up on their own pathetic division. After beating the Rams handily (again), the Cards clinched the NFC West, the first time they've taken a division since the 40s (yes, they were in Chicago). I'm proud of them for what they've accomplished, but people in town are getting glassy eyed.

Seriously, look at their competition: The NFC West consists of three other teams with a combined 9 wins at this point, all of which have negative net points, losing home records and losing division records...they can't even beat each other reliably.

Meanwhile, the Cards are 5-0 in the division, and should beat Seattle at home for the last game, but the Cards are 3-5 outside of their division, 3-4 on the road and .600 against the NFC. If you take out their 5 NFC West wins, it's a lot worse.

The only real dominance they've shown is against the AFC East. In contrast to the NFC counterparts on the east coast, the Cards whipped Buffalo when they were good, beat Miami before they got their heads together, and lost to the Jets who are looking at the prize. If the Cards beat the Pats, which I am doubtful about, they'll go 3-1 against the AFC East, almost all of them with similar records as the Cards, not bad.

This is a big year, don't get me wrong, but the Cards need to do a lot more to be a real contender in the postseason. If they aren't careful, still-in-the-hunt NE and MIN will ruin their season, with a last chance whooping of SEA to make them feel better. If Seattle puts up a fight for a change, the Cards could still end up 8-8 - how sad would that be?

End of Fourth Quarter/Week 17 - Season Summary

That the Cardinals would be in the playoff was certain weeks ago. Whether they would finish on a high note and get their second winning season in 20 years was in jeopardy after crushing defeats to Minnesota and New England. Fortunately, Seattle played to form and after a brief lead, let the Cardinals retake whatever dignity they might have had.

The Cards finished 9-7, secured the home field for one game against the Atlanta Falcons and everyone is happy, so far.

First and foremost, kudos to the Cardinals. Our pro bowlers did more than just put up great numbers. Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald and Kurt Warner lit up opposing defenses and devoured fields dozens of yards at a time. Warner and Fitzgerald ended up second in passing and receiving yards respectively, and Q would have been in the top 5 had he not been injured early in the season. The Cardinals also scored over 50 touchdowns for the season, eclipsing last year's high flying figures.

Coach Ken Weisenhunt has the best record of any Cardinals coach ever in Arizona, and has strung together two non-losing season, a first since the 70s. He may be on to something that Dennis Green couldn't develop or exploit. This year's draft seems to have filled some holes, and here we are at 9-7, NFC West Champs for the first time since 8 divisions were created, and taking control from the Seattle Seahawks who have been division champs the last 4 years.

But what about the NFC West? As thrilled as I am to see the Cardinals in the playoffs again, and as much as I am eating crow for them not being as bad as I predicted, they still require some analysis.

The major component to their success this year is an awful division. Save for the 49ers who rallied to an almost .500 season (good for them by the way, a glimmer of hope in the Bay), and were mathematically eliminated weeks ago, the Cardinals took advantage of their surroundings to claim 6 of their 9 wins against three lackluster whipping boys. It is startling to see them go 6-0 in the NFC West to win the division, only to limp home with a 3-7 record outside of the division.

For now though, let's thrill at their inclusion in the playoffs, the brief respite from the road by playing their first game in Glendale, and see if they can leap their first hurdle: Atlanta.

As of April 3rd, Eric Green and Antonio Green are signing one-year contracts to keep them on the Cards. Both were unrestricted free agents, so I'm glad to see the Cards lock em down. With Larry Fitzgerald getting such a boffo deal this year, I expected to hear some grumbling...

..which may be coming from Darnell Dockett who may be holding out on practices to get a better contract. I hope the Cards support both Dockett and Green who had admittedly great seasons last year, and are critical to the Card's defense.

The Cards definitely aren't trying to keep any secrets prior to the draft, so maybe Weisenhunt has a cunning plan.

As of April 24th, the Cards have resigned two linebackers for one year contract. Karlos Dansby is signing on as a franchise player for a cool $8 million for one year, and Matt Stewart will be coming back after missing last year with a shoulder injury. This is good news for the Cards' linebacker core, but doesn't change my suggestion for their draft picks which are coming up this weekend.

The end of may is the time for the Cards' voluntary workouts. Only Boldin and Dockett failed to show, both of whom have the same agent and are bucking for new contracts. Dockett's been holding out for a while, and I'm not surprised that Boldin is feeling shafted after Fitzgerald's superdeal. Still, these workouts are voluntary so we shouldn't read too much into them. Of course, half the battle is with the agent, but both of these guys deserve fatter contracts.

April 19, 2008 - This kind of news is how the Cards get into trouble. Anquan Boldin isn't happy with his contract and wants to be traded. Instead of doing anything he wants, they waffle. Now, Weisenhunt (and good on him) says there's no way they're trading Boldin, but Jerry Jones wants him bad. I could see the Cards selling him off in the next couple years and then continue swirling around the drain.

The Cards are 1-1 in Preseason play, but hey, it's preseason. It doesn't matter. The Cards have swept preseason play and then fizzled out. It DOES show us that Leinart is up to speed, so here's to hoping that he's ready for the 49ers on Sept. 7.

To get to University of Phoenix Stadium, you have to get on the Loop 101. You can do this one of two ways.

Get on the 101 in the East Valley and follow it all the way around, or

Get on the I-10 West to the 101 North.

You can also take Glendale Ave. from 16th Street west.

Here is the seating chart for tickets. Buy the from the Box Office or Ticketmaster.

The stadium is quite a marvel really, and far better than the Cards deserve, but then, its not really for them.

Built with a retractable roof, and a slide out turf bed, its unlike any other stadium in the country (for probably a couple years max).

We still laugh at the fact that the Cards did nothing but whine and complain that they had to operate out of Sun Devil Stadium, and then changed their name from Phoenix to Arizona Cardinals.

So who gets the high bid for the stadium? The University of Phoenix. So the Cards are still attached to a "higher education" moniker and the city of Phoenix, even though they're the AZ Cards and play in Glendale. (confused?)

All the goofiness aside, as I said, its a beautiful stadium. The UofP has hosted Super Bowl XLII and is in the mix to repeat, has hosted the Fiesta Bowl, and various other sporting events a stadium of its size would participate in, from Soccer to Motocross.

It's also the default must-have venue for concerts and conventions, being now more popular than the Phoenix Civic Center for the Valley's biggest events.

Some facts from the Card's website.

For more info about U of P Stadium.