Matt Leinart” width=”303″ height=”225″ />
I always have trouble writing after a tough loss. To be honest I always have trouble writing about anything, but after a heartbreaking loss especially. That’s why it’s taken me two days to write about it. The game on Sunday was so close to becoming a huge win for the Cardinals. I know all wins are considered huge but I felt this would’ve been the biggest win of the season other than the Giants game in New York. With Kurt Warner out and the way Tennessee had been playing it would’ve made a great win for the team. A win would’ve put the Cardinals in good position to fight for a first round playoff bye with Minnesota coming to town. But hopes of a bye in the playoffs are pretty much gone.
Oh by the way, Arizona is far from a guaranteed playoff spot right now. The loss Sunday and a 49ers win has made the NFC West a race all of a sudden. The Cardinals are just two games up on San Francisco. Arizona has the Vikings next week which is far from an easy win and the 49ers have a Seattle team that isn’t exactly lighting up the NFL. The Cardinals could be going into Monday Night Football one game up with San Fran having a chance to take control of the division with a win. Arizona needs to buckle down or this division could be lost very quickly.
Matt Leinart: Matt played well in Tennessee. He played good enough to not lose the game for Arizona but not quite good enough to win it either. He didn’t silence his critics but he didn’t add fuel to their fire. Leinart’s play won’t have fans screaming that Arizona needs a new quarterback but it won’t be guaranteeing he’s the future of the organization. The first half was very average for Matt, the team only scored 3 points and couldn’t get much going. The second half Matt was hitting his targets and seemed to get in a rhythm so that was encouraging to see. He even took the team down the field and gave Arizona a lead in the 4th quarter. So there was plenty of good that came from Matt in the second half. If the Cardinals had won Leinart might be the hero right now instead of Vince Young. With that being said I still feel that we treat Matt like an infant that’s learning to walk. Every time he completes a pass I notice the people I’m watching the game with get way too excited because he didn’t overthrow someone. Matt’s still a first round pick, a guy that’s started 17 games, and a former Heisman trophy winner. This wasn’t some rookie drafted in the 5th round. So excuse me for not getting overly excited when Leinart completes a few passes. I expect big things out of him when he has to replace Warner.
LaRod Stephens-Howling: LSH played one of the best games I can ever remember from a Cardinals special teamer. The kick return for a touchdown that kept Arizona in the game, the tackles on kick coverage, and the 3 times he pinned Tennessee inside the 5 yard line. A lot of that has to do with punter Ben Graham having another spectacular day obviously. LaRod is a great story of a 7th round pick that was not likely going to play in the NFL, but he got his chance and made the most of it. He’s been a great player for Arizona and I’m very happy for his success.
Darnell Dockett: This guy is insane. He had 3 sacks Sunday which puts him in the lead for defensive tackles in the NFL with 7. But somehow he’s still fourth in NFC Pro Bowl voting. If you watch film of Darnell he never stops moving. He’s always chasing somebody down even if it’s a WR 20 yards down the field. On top of being a beast he’s a very intelligent football player. He understands how to play the game and you could see that watching him try to keep Vince Young in the pocket. Dockett played amazing so I need to give props to him.
Alright, a lot of football left for the Cardinals. There was plenty to be happy about with that Titans game they just didn’t get the win. Hopefully Arizona can comeback strong at home against the Vikings on Sunday Night Football.
