Cardinals hope 3rd string QB can pull off a win

 

The Arizona Cardinals will try their luck on quarterback number 3 this week at home against the Rams. The Cardinals have gone through QBs Kevin Kolb and John Skelton due to injury. Kolb found success early as he found a way to win the first 4 games of the season for the Cardinals. This was even after he lost the starting job to Skelton, only to get it back from an early week 1 injury. Lindley will get the nod this game, and hopes to prove himself a viable starter.  The game will be played at University of Phoenix Stadium at 4:25 PM ET.

After Kolb led the Cardinals to 4 wins in the first 4 weeks, the team has yet to win a game since. They have seen Skelton and Kolb bounce in and out of the lineup due to an offensive line that could not stop a nose bleed. The cardinals are now 4-6 on the year and are looking for any reason to have hope going into next season. Last week, the Cardinals fell 23-19 to the Falcons in a close contest in Atlanta. In the end, they did not have enough.

The Rams defeated the Cardinals in St. Louis the last time they played earlier this year. That game was a defensive struggle throughout, which saw just enough offense by the Rams to get the win. The Rams made a living with sacks in the contest and made the Cardinals offensive line really look porous. It is surely anyone’s game, but not a game I would want to watch.

 

Cardinals travel to Georgia to look for a win against the Falcons

 

The 4-5 Arizona Cardinals will travel to the Georgia Dome this Sunday to face the Atlanta Falcons. The game will kickoff at 1 PM ET. Atlanta comes into the game with one of the best record in the league at 8-1. Arizona, on the other hand, has lost 5 straight after a 4 game winning streak to start the season. Obviously these are two teams going in two directions that are totally opposite of one another. Arizona can only hope to stay in the running for the playoffs by getting back to .500 on the year.

Arizona will have to overcome a dreadful offensive line to do so. They have easily given up the most sacks in the NFL and can not give any quarterback time to throw. This has resulted in injuries to both Kolb and Skelton at the QB position. Last week, Arizona was on their bye week which was much needed. The week prior, they lost to the Packers 31-17. Perhaps the break is all they needed to start another winning streak, but I doubt it.

Atlanta is coming off their first loss after falling to the Saints 31-27 last week. The team traded blows with the Saints throughout, but in the end just fell short. Matty “ice” Ryan got a chance or two down the stretch to drive his team to victory in the 4th, but failed to do so in the end. The Saints had been getting hot lately, but the loss is certainly on the mind of a Falcons team that feels it is Super Bowl or bust this season. If that is the case, then there is no way they can fall to Atlanta this week.

Cardinals hope to regain ground in their division

 

The Slumping Arizona Cardinals will face the rising Green Bay Packers this week. The Cardinals started off the season 4-0, but have since lost 4 straight to get to an even 4-4 record this season. The Packers, on the other hand, started slow but have since got hot. They are currently 5-3 on the year and have a chance to gain some ground in a division they fell behind in from their early play. Arizona could all but be eliminated from any playoff hopes with a loss. The game will kickoff at 1 PM ET at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

Arizona has simply looked terrible as of late. The offensive line is hands-down the worst in the league. They give up constant sacks and continuously give their quarterbacks no time to throw the ball. I say quarterbacks because both have gone down with injuries this season after being demolished by opposing defenses. Skelton, who should start this Sunday, has been knocked out (literally) this season. Kolb, who accounted for all of the Cardinals wins, has been out due to injured ribs suffered on a sack. The team has lacked a running game as the lineman can not block for that either and it honestly is a miracle that the team won 4 games.

Green Bay seems to be hitting a championship stride as they have found their identity again. Their last week came in Green Bay against the Jacksonville Jaguars 24-15. They have won 3 straight, and have not lost a game since week 5 in Indianapolis. Currently they find themselves behind the Bears for the division lead. They have been trying to gain ground, but the Bears continue to win games. It may just end up coming down to these two meeting to decide who will take the division.

Cardinals will face the Vikings on Sunday

 

The 4-2 Arizona Cardinals will take on the 4-2 Minnesota Vikings this Sunday at Mall of America Field in Minnesota. The two teams come into the game after tough week 6 losses and both look to rebound. The teams have enjoyed some surprising success so far this season, but have had recent slip-ups and injuries to deal with as of late. The game is set to kick-off at 1 PM ET on the FOX network and should provide for a good NFL match-up that could easily come down to the wire.

The Cardinals come into the game with serious running back issues after both of their expected premier backs went down this year. Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams have both been placed on IR with Williams officially out for the year. Quarterback Kevin Kolb, also is on the injured list and will miss this Sunday’s game after suffering a rib injury last week against the Buffalo Bills. It is a miracle Kolb has lasted this long given all the times he has been hit and sacked this season so far. One thing for certain is his replacement, Skelton, may be in for a long painful day.

Minnesota comes into the game much healthier and has remained relatively healthy so far this year, which has helped their success. Last week, their slip-up came against RGII and the Washington Redskins who beat the Vikings 38-26 at home. Minnesota did an OK job holding RGIII in the game until when it mattered most at the end of the game with a chance to get the ball back and win. This is when they let RGIII slip away and score a game winning 70 plus yard touchdown run. This is something I can assure you will not happen against Arizona this week.

Arizona hopes to get a win after a tough loss last week

The Arizona will try and get back on the right foot as they will play the Buffalo Bills at home this week. The game will be played at 4:05 PM at University of Phoenix Stadium. Arizona will come into the game after suffering their first loss last Thursday on the road in St. Louis. There, the Rams were able to get a 17-3 victory over Arizona thanks to a tough defense and just enough big plays. Arizona was sacked 9 times in that loss and thankfully has gotten some extra time to heal up from that contest.

The Cardinals have found success in unknown ways to be perfectly honest. They have lacked a running game all year with running back after running back being places on the IR. This began with Beanie Wells and has now extended to Ryan Williams. The team now will lean on LaRod Stephens-Howling or William Powell. Howling is trying to come back from a hip injury of his own and provides the only known-name NFL back on the team anymore. The team has basically relied heavily on their defense, which is something NFL teams can not sustain throughout a season and must get some more consistency offensively.

 

The Bills come into the game with a 2-3 record and have had some injury issues of their own including losing Spiller for some time with a shoulder injury. At the time, Spiller was breaking onto the NFL scene and had an amazing 10 yard average per rush. The Bills latest loss came last week to the 49ers that beat them to a pulp 45-3. Given this all, it is anyone’s game this Sunday.

Arizona falls to St. Louis in Thursday Night Game

 

The Arizona Cardinals fell to the Rams on Thursday Night Football this week. Arizona failed to do anything that resembled football while they left their QB exposed throughout the game. Kevin Kolb was battered and bloodied in the contest, but did show good resiliency as he continued to plug away and try to make plays. In the end, his efforts were wasted as he was skittish and off-target. Kolb and the Cardinals are now 4-1 overall this season.

Arizona could not establish any run game, which really hurt the team. Running back Ryan Williams even ended up getting knocked out of the game in the second half with what appeared to be a concussion. The Rams front line dominated Arizona’s less-than-average offensive line and recorded 9 sacks of Kolb in the game. When the Rams were not getting sacks they were still getting hits on Kolb. Any, and every, play Arizona made (which was not many) came at a high cost and was difficult. In the end it was simply too much, and the Cardinals produced just 3 points.

St Louis is now 3-2 on the year and now has their first winning record in more than 80 games between their last. The team was able to get Steven Jackson going in the second half and made enough big plays to get the win. Their first drive of the game was a touchdown, but they then went without another TD until the 4th quarter. Little did they know, the first touchdown on their initial would end up being enough.

Can the Cardinals go 5-0?

The 4-0 Cardinals will play tonight on Thursday Night Football on NFL Network. The team brings their 4-0 record to St. Louis to take on the Rams at Edward Jones Dome. The Rams come into the game with a 2-2 record after winning their week 4 game against the Seahawks 19-13. Arizona’s latest win came against the Miami Dolphins in Arizona by the final of 24-21. Despite their success, everyone needs to remember that this Ram team is now coached by Jeff Fisher who seems to be having success turning the team in the right direction.

 

The Cardinals, to this point, have beaten the Dolphins, Eagles, Patriots, and Seahawks. This list has its definite surprises, but should show that the team is for real. This latest test is yet another step in the process to show just how real the team is. It is a game that they “should” win as you look at the success against the Eagles and Pats. They have been good in every aspect and have been one of the best defensive teams in the league this year.

 

The Rams have also made a ton of progress defensively and give up less than 350 yards of offense a game. They give up just 213 yards passing per game and could pose a big risk if the Cardinals have to throw. On the contrary, however, they give up more than 135 yards rushing per game to this point this season. This game certainly could go either way, so you mine as well flip a coin and go with the winner.

PREDICTION: ARZ 20 STL 23

Cardinals will try to keep their win streak alive

The Cardinals will take their surprisingly great 3-0 start and try to stay undefeated this Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. The game will be played at 4:05PM at Arizona’s University of Phoenix Stadium. The Dolphins come into the game with a 1-2 record with their sole win coming against the Raiders in week two. Last week the Dolphins fell in OT to the Jets. The Cardinals, on the other hand, defeated the Eagles and have so far won games against both them and the Patriots and Seahawks.

 

Arizona would certainly not be expected to be one of the only undefeated teams at this point in the season, but have done so with very impressive victories. The Cardinals did not know who would be their starter until the preseason was almost entirely completed. They then had a n injury to that starter and Kolb came in to try his hand. So far it has been working obviously, and it is evident that Kolb would like to keep the starting job. This latest game should certainly provide a W, but it will be a good test as it will show if Arizona can beat teams that they “should” beat.

 

Miami will not be the easiest win, however, and they have been moving the ball well offensively. In fact, they do have better overall numbers offensively with an average of 369 yards a game compared to just 262 by the Cardinals. They carry the ball as good as anyone and have a 175 yard average a game rushing the ball. This has been, in large part, due to the play of Reggie Bush who may not be available Sunday due to injury. Either way, I am certainly sure to look at this game and see who is able to come out on top.

 

PREDICTION: ARZ 21 MIA 16

Cardinals will host the Eagles this Sunday

Arizona will host the Philadelphia Eagles in a surprising battle of 2-0 teams this Sunday at 4:05 p.m. on FOX. Most people would say Arizona would never be 2-0 if you asked them at the beginning of the year. They have had significant questions on offense including those at QB and RB both. They have also got little help from their receivers, which include Fitzgerald. Philadelphia is also a lucky 2-0 team that has won two games by a combined two points.

The Cardinals need to try and establish who they are in this contest at home at University of Phoenix Stadium. The team has got some success from Kolb after coming in week one for an injured Skelton. It is apparent that Kolb has no intentions of giving up that spot, but must get some help from those around him if he wants to continue. Lately it seems the defense is the only thing keeping Arizona in the game and that will be more difficult against a team like Philadelphia.

 

The Eagles bring a strong defense and explosive offense into the game Sunday, but has only been getting production in spurts. They could easily be 0-2 right now and won both of their games in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. This game will be one I will love to watch and see the outcome of. It should tell everyone a lot about both of these franchises and sort out the pretender from the contender.

 

PREDICTION: PHI 20 ARZ 13

Patriots present tough task for Cardinals

The Cardinals will host the New England Patriots on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Phoenix Stadium. Arizona will come into the win after an emotional win last week against the Seattle Seahawks. The game came down to the final play when rookie Seahawk QB Russell Wilson passed a ball that was well defended and knocked away from Braylon Edwards of Seattle. This sealed the game for Arizona who ended the game with a different Quarterback from who they started.

The Cardinals may just start Kevin Kolb again Sunday after an injury to Skelton kept him from the rest of Sunday’s game. Kolb was able to come into the game and deliver a touchdown pass to give the team a lead. Both sides of the ball for Arizona looked effective, but they will need an awful lot more to defeat a strong Patriot team. The team just barely got over 250 yards of total offense against the Seahawks, but still managed 20 points.

 

The Patriots did what the Patriots do Sunday as they scored 34 against the Titans. They were able to do so by gaining nearly 400 yards of offense. Surprisingly, 162 of these yards came from the ground, which is something that past Patriot teams have not been able to do while relying heavily on the arm of Tom Brady. This fact spells even more trouble for Arizona and should be scary for the NFL as a whole to think about.

 

PREDICTION: NE 38 AZ 17

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