Are the Cardinals Suddenly for Real?
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 8:25 am
This year, the Cardinals went 9-7 in the regular season. They swept the 3 (horrible) conference opponents, to go 6-0 in their division, and their three OOC wins were against:
1) Miami (31-10) - 2nd week of the season. This win didn't look so good, as Miami was coming off a 1 win season. Of course, Miami was to go on and WIN the AFC East and make the playoffs, but it's possible they were still trying to find themselves this early in the season.
2) Buffalo (41-17) - 5th week of the season. Buffalo came in on a hot streak, having started the season 4-0. This proved to be a mirage, of course, as after losing to the Cardinals they lost 8 of their next 11 and finished the season 7-9.
3) Dallas (30-24) - 6th week of the season. For the second week in a row, a (supposed) quality team came to University of Phoenix Stadium and left with a loss. Dallas came in with a gaudy 4-1 record and talk of them being the best team in football. Cardinals win in OT on a blocked punt for a TD, Cowboys fall to 4-2, go on to finish 9-7 and are a team in complete disarray.
It's the Cardinals 7 OOC LOSSES that make you wonder, as the Cardinals were not even competitive in most of them:
1) Week 3 @ Redskins (17-24) - Cards were in this one to the end, tied 17-17 going into the 4th quarter.
2) Week 4 @ NY Jets (35-56) - Jets score 34 unanswered points in the 2nd quarter to blow out the Cards. They look absolutely lost.
3) Week 8 @ Panthers (23-27) - Cards are up 17-3 before a furious Panthers rally leaves the Cards 0-3 on the East coast.
4) Week 12 Giants (29-37) - Game was close, but never really in doubt. Giants recover onside kick attempt and take a knee to end the game.
5) Week 13 @ Eagles (20-48) - Thanksgiving night debacle. Cards down 21-0 before the decide to show up. Embarrassed on national TV.
6) Week 15 Vikings (35-14) - At home, Cards lay an egg, down 28-0 at the half AGAIN.
7) Week 17 @ Patriots (7-47) - Cards reach new low, get down 47-0 before scoring a meaninless TD with just a few minutes left.
So, there you have it. 3 less-than-impressive OOC wins during the season and 5 absolutely horrid OOC losses. Granted, they were to good teams, but it didn't bode well for the playoffs.
Now, suddenly the Cards look like world beaters. They beat an 11-5 Atlanta Falcons team they weren't expected to beat, and they absolutely THRASHED Carolina yesterday, in a rematch of the week 8 game which Carolina came back and won.
Cards were 0-5 in the Eastern time zone this year.
Carolina was the ONLY team to go 8-0 at home this year.
Carolina had already won against Arizona once this year.
So, have the past two weeks been a fluke? Or did Arizona just wake up and go, damn, we're pretty good and we ought to play like it?
1) Miami (31-10) - 2nd week of the season. This win didn't look so good, as Miami was coming off a 1 win season. Of course, Miami was to go on and WIN the AFC East and make the playoffs, but it's possible they were still trying to find themselves this early in the season.
2) Buffalo (41-17) - 5th week of the season. Buffalo came in on a hot streak, having started the season 4-0. This proved to be a mirage, of course, as after losing to the Cardinals they lost 8 of their next 11 and finished the season 7-9.
3) Dallas (30-24) - 6th week of the season. For the second week in a row, a (supposed) quality team came to University of Phoenix Stadium and left with a loss. Dallas came in with a gaudy 4-1 record and talk of them being the best team in football. Cardinals win in OT on a blocked punt for a TD, Cowboys fall to 4-2, go on to finish 9-7 and are a team in complete disarray.
It's the Cardinals 7 OOC LOSSES that make you wonder, as the Cardinals were not even competitive in most of them:
1) Week 3 @ Redskins (17-24) - Cards were in this one to the end, tied 17-17 going into the 4th quarter.
2) Week 4 @ NY Jets (35-56) - Jets score 34 unanswered points in the 2nd quarter to blow out the Cards. They look absolutely lost.
3) Week 8 @ Panthers (23-27) - Cards are up 17-3 before a furious Panthers rally leaves the Cards 0-3 on the East coast.
4) Week 12 Giants (29-37) - Game was close, but never really in doubt. Giants recover onside kick attempt and take a knee to end the game.
5) Week 13 @ Eagles (20-48) - Thanksgiving night debacle. Cards down 21-0 before the decide to show up. Embarrassed on national TV.
6) Week 15 Vikings (35-14) - At home, Cards lay an egg, down 28-0 at the half AGAIN.
7) Week 17 @ Patriots (7-47) - Cards reach new low, get down 47-0 before scoring a meaninless TD with just a few minutes left.
So, there you have it. 3 less-than-impressive OOC wins during the season and 5 absolutely horrid OOC losses. Granted, they were to good teams, but it didn't bode well for the playoffs.
Now, suddenly the Cards look like world beaters. They beat an 11-5 Atlanta Falcons team they weren't expected to beat, and they absolutely THRASHED Carolina yesterday, in a rematch of the week 8 game which Carolina came back and won.
Cards were 0-5 in the Eastern time zone this year.
Carolina was the ONLY team to go 8-0 at home this year.
Carolina had already won against Arizona once this year.
So, have the past two weeks been a fluke? Or did Arizona just wake up and go, damn, we're pretty good and we ought to play like it?
