NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

With Sunday's close loss to the Falcons nothing more than a bitter memory, the Saints begin to regroup as they prepare for a second division rival in as many weeks, the Carolina Panthers. As with the Falcons, New Orleans knows that Carolina is a very tough opponent and always has been. A lot better than their 0-3 record indicates, the Panthers are loaded with weapons that are just waiting for a chance to unleash. The Saints will be battle-tested once again as they try to improve to 3-1 on the season.

In an interview with Playmaker Mobile, Saints MLB Jonathan Vilma said of the Panthers when asked what he expects from them on Sunday,

"I expect another dog fight. They have two very good running backs in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. They're going to try to run the ball a lot, not put their rookie quarterback in tough situations. It's going to be another close game, just like all division games. They're always close. They're always tough. It's going to come down to who makes the play here or there, who makes the most plays at the end of the game."

I expect this to be another slugfest, to say the least. If the Saints are going to win this one, they are going to have to do three things.

1. Step it up on offense. The Saints are just too talented at wide receiver to be posting such average numbers.  With the exception of Lance Moore who was simply brilliant last week, the receiving corps simply isn't playing up to its potential.  Those guys aren't getting open the way they should and they're dropping far too many passes.  I don't care what anybody says, those flashes of explosiveness in the first three games were no fluke.  Drew Brees knows how to move an offense.  He needs to take more shots down the field, but be smart about it.  So far, they've come up against some thin secondaries, but they've failed to take advantage of it.  By not playing up to its capabilities, our offense is quickly losing its credibility as one of the tops in the league.  And that's sad because the talent is there; they're just not playing up to their potential.  Start back to getting into the endzone consistently and missed field-goals won't even be an issue.

I'd also like to see them utilize the screen more to extend the run like they used to.  It has proven to be a bread-and-butter play in the past when the run game was limited.  In my opinion, Pierre Thomas is one of the best players in the league at executing the screen because he's excellent at busting tackles and picking up extra yards.  So what if he ends up with more receiving yards than rushing yards; the objective is to move the ball down the field.

2.  Mix it up, but keep it simple.   Somehow, the Saints offense is in danger of becoming predictable.  For instance, it seems as though there's only one play in the playbook for 3rd and 1.  Try something different sometimes and just maybe the outcome will be different.  I've heard all of the arguments about how the team won't win the same way it did last year, but at times the simplest approach works best.  I think Payton and company have become so worried about such jibber-jabber that they've abandoned their own proven strategies.  New Orleans didn't get to and win the Superbowl by being conventional; everything about the 2009 Saints went against the grain of what all other teams thought they knew about them.  Teams don't just abandon what has worked for them in the past, no matter what critics might say; they just tweak it to make it fresh.  It's time for the Saints to get back to playing New Orleans Saints football, but with a twist here and there to make it unpredictable.

3.  The defense has to rediscover its aggressive nature.  It's commendable that Gregg Williams is dropping his defense back into coverage this season to try to limit the big plays and setting it to try to stop the run.  But for the last two games, it hasn't worked very well.  With virtually no pressure being put on opposing QBs, it's the little play and the run that have hurt the most.  Williams is a master of dialing up trickery on defense.  He needs to get back to his gameplan and mix some things up as well.  While it's impossible to stop Carolina's triple threat (Smith, Williams, and Stewart), the Saints need to at least contain them if they hope to even keep the game respectable.

For week 4, failure is not an option for the Saints.  I for one won't buy into the hype of hangover from Sunday's loss and all of that stuff.   But I will say that the sluggishness that they've been exhibiting for the previous three games won't help them.  Offensively, they need a spark–they're in danger of losing their fire.  Defensively, they need to be more enigmatic–to keep the opposing offense guessing.  And the coaches need to tune out all the chatter about how they won't and can't win and get back to what has been proven to show that they can.  It's going to be tough, but would it be football if it wasn't?

Regular Season Records:

Cardinals: 2-1 (1st in NFC West, tied), Last week: W vs. OAK, 24-23

Chargers: 1-2 (2nd in AFC West, 3-way tie), Last week: L @ SEA, 20-27

Gametime: Sun., Oct. 3, 4:15 p.m., ET, Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA

Note: This game preview comes to you a day early because I will be on the road from tomorrow through the end of the weekend.  As a result, I will not be able to provide additional coverage.  In my stead, you may want to check out ESPN's Cardinals' Clubhouse or the Cardinals' Official Website.

Charging Ahead to San Diego:

The Cardinals once again squeaked out a victory in dramatic fashion, this time owing the win to Sebastian Janikowski's missed 32-yard would-be game winning field goal.  The Cardinals' offense clunked to life when it was needed most, just barely getting enough points to hold off the Raiders.  The Cards' defense rebounded from a very shaky first half by playing with great intensity in the second half, especially in the redzone.  In fact, the Cardinals allowed only 3 points in the second half.

That defense, however, will be thoroughly tested (perhaps overwhelmed) by the Chargers' offense this week in San Diego.  Throw the Bolts' 1-2 record out the window because they're a very good team that is famous for its slow starts.  On any given week, it could be the game that the Chargers get the current flowing and rattle off eight, nine or ten straight wins.

Phillip Rivers, who leads the 2nd ranked passing attack in NFL (345 yards/game), has the talent and ability to take over any game.  Despite two losses in three games, Rivers has already thrown for 7 touchdowns and 1,087 yards, all without the benefit of star wide receiver Vincent Jackson.  Without Jackson, Rivers has relied on Malcom Floyd, Legedu Naanee, and Buster Davis to get the job done.  In addition, Rivers will of course have his favorite target, tight end Antonio Gates, healthy and at his disposal.  If given the chance, Rivers will turn the Arizona defensive secondary into shredded wheat.

Rookie running back Ryan Matthews missed last week's game with an ankle sprain, but Mike Tolbert has been filling in admirably.  Tolbert has 181 yards on 35 carries for a 5.2 average to go along with his 2 rushing touchdowns.  The combination of Matthews and Tolbert so far has given the Chargers the 12th ranked rushing attack (116.3 yards/game), which gives this offense great balance.

The sometimes suspect Chargers' defense has been stout as well.  The rushing defense ranks 6th in the NFL (181.3 yards allowed/game) and the passing defense ranks 9th (91.3 yards allowed/game).  In addition, the defense has logged 6 sacks, 5 INTs, 3 forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in just three games.  They are aggressive and will surely come after the struggling Derek Anderson with everything they have.

With such a high level of offensive and defensive play, the Chargers can blame their two losses to Kansas City and Seattle on special teams errors, especially against the Seahawks last week.  San Diego allowed Leon Washington to return two kickoffs for touchdowns, which proved to be the difference in the game.

If the Cards can contain Rivers and protect the ball on offense, the game could come down to a special teams play, like LaRod Stephens-Howling returning another kickoff for a touchdown.  On paper, the Cardinals don't come close to matching up with the Chargers.  If San Diego jumps out to a two or even three possession lead in the first half, the Cardinals don't have the type of offense to catch up, even if the defense again manages to shut down the opposition in the second half.  In other words, everything must go right for the Cards, right away.

Cardinals' Week 4 Depth Chart /  Injury Report

Legend: * = probable, ^ = questionable, ` = doubtful, FP = full practice, LP = limited practice, DNP = did not practice

Offense:

WR1 – Larry Fitzgerald, Stephen Williams, Max Komar

LT – Levi Brown, Jeremy Bridges

LG – *Alan Faneca [back], Rex Hadnot

C – Lyle Sendlein, Ben Claxton, Rex Hadnot

RG – Deuce Lutui, Rex Hadnot

RT – Brandon Keith, Jeremy Bridges

TE – Ben Patrick, Stephen Spach, Jim Dray

WR2 – *Steve Breaston [knee], Andre Roberts

QB – Derek Anderson, Max Hall, John Skelton

RB – T. Hightower, *B. Wells [knee], J. Wright, L. Stephens-Howling

FB – Reagan Maui'a

Defense: 3-4 Base

DE – Calais Campbell, *Kenny Iwebema [knee]

NT – Bryan Robinson, Gabe Watson, Dan Williams

DT – Darnell Dockett, Alan Branch

ROLB – Joey Porter

RILB – *Paris Lenon [tail bone], Reggie Walker

LILB – Daryl Washington, Reggie Walker

LOLB – *Clark Haggans [heel], *Will Davis [head]

RCB – Greg Toler, Trumaine McBride, A.J. Jefferson

LCB – Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Michael Adams, Brandon McDonald

SS – Adrian Wilson, Matt Ware, *Hamza Abdullah [hamstring]

FS – Kerry Rhodes, Rashad Johnson

Chargers' Week 4 Depth Chart / Injury Report

Offense:

WR1 – *Malcom Floyd [leg], Patrick Crayton

LT – Brandyn Dombrowski, Tyronne Green

LG – Kris Dielman

C – Nick Hardwick, Scott Mruczkowski

RG – Lois Vasquez

RT – Jeromey Clary, Adam Terry

TE – Antonio Gates, Randy McMichael, Kris Wilson

WR2 – Legedu Naanee, Buster Davis

QB – Phillip Rivers, Billy Volek, J.T. O'Sullivan

RB – ^Ryan Matthews [ankle], Darren Sproles, Mike Tolbert

FB – Jacob Hester, Mike Tolbert

Defense: 3-4 Base

LDE – Jacques Cesaire, Travis Johnson

NT – Antonio Garay, Ogemdi Nwagbuo, Cam Thomas

RDE – Luis Castillo, Alfonso Boone, Vaughn Martin

LOLB – Shaun Phillips, Antwan Applewhite, Brandon Lang

LILB – *Stephen Cooper [knee], Brandon Siler

RILB – Kevin Burnett, James Holt

ROLB – Shawne Merriman, ^J. Tucker [non-injury]

LCB – Quentin Jammer, Donald Strickland

FS – Eric Weddle, Paul Oliver, C.J. Spillman

SS – Steve Gregory, Darrell Stuckey

RCB – Antoine Cason, Fred Bennett

AccuScore Projection:

Chargers 80% favorite over Cardinals 20% underdog.

Average Scores: Cardinals – 17.2, Chargers – 29.7

Head to Head Since 2001: Cardinals have a 1-2 record.

December 31, 2006: ARI 20 @ SDG 27

September 22, 2002: SDG 23 @ ARI 15

November 25, 2001: ARI 20 @ SDG 17

Chargers' Notable Returning Personnel:

• QB, Phillip Rivers
• TE, Antonio Gates
• LB, Shawne Merriman
• WR, Malcom Floyd
• RB, Darren Sproles
• DE, Luis Castillo
• CB, Quentin Jammer
• WR, Vincent Jackson* (holdout)

Chargers' Notable Losses:

• RB, LaDanian Tomlinson
• NT, Jamal Williams
• TE, Brandon Manumaleuna
• CB, Antonio Cromartie
• QB, Charlie Whitehurst

Chargers' Notable Additions:

• RB, Ryan Matthews
• CB, Antoine Cason
• SS, Darrell Stuckey

Cardinals vs. Chargers 2010 Rankings:

Quarterback Vince Young isn’t saying if he missed meetings before his first career start against the Steelers, and he also refuses to say if he thinks that’s why coach Jeff Fisher benched him late in that loss. “I don’t even read all the stuff that’s going on, so I couldn’t even answer those types of questions, because I don’t even know what’s going on,” Young said Wednesday after practice.

“I don’t really know where all this is coming from, so I don’t really want to answer that. I just want to continue to keep preparing myself. It seems like every time comes up, it’s an issue with Vince. I don’t understand that. Like I said, I’m just out here working hard and preparing myself to play right now.”

The Tennessean and TitanInsider.com cited anonymous sources Monday that Young returned late when he was excused to take two of the late Steve McNair’s sons to a school breakfast and missed another meeting that week. When asked if missing the meetings led to being benched after three turnovers, Young said he didn’t agree with that. He said questions should be directed to coach Jeff Fisher. Fisher told reporters in Denver on a conference call Wednesday that what happened that week against Pittsburgh is behind the Titans now. Tennessee plays the Broncos this week.

Quarterback Jake Delhomme has been cleared to practice after missing the past two games with a badly sprained right ankle. Delhomme will practice on Thursday, and coach Eric Mangini said as long as their are no setbacks the 35-year-old will start on Sunday against the Bengals.

"I've been preparing for the last three weeks the same way as I always do when I play. That hasn't changed,” Delhomme said. “We'll see, we'll leave it up to the coaches, but I'm preparing like I have the last couple of weeks though. I haven't missed any meeting time or things like that."

Delhomme has been inactive the past two weeks after injuring his ankle in Cleveland’s season opener. It was his debut with the Browns. Backup Seneca Wallace started for Delhomme in losses to Kansas City and Baltimore. Delhomme worked out in the club’s indoor facility on Wednesday with trainers.

Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis says he won’t play on Sunday against the Bills. Revis injured his left hamstring in the Jets’ Week 2 win over the Patriots and missed last week’s win over the Dolphins. Revis’ injury was scheduled to keep him out for 1-2 weeks, and Revis was a “Did not participate” during Wednesday’s practice.

The Jets host the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football on October 11th. With Revis out, Drew Coleman is expected to get the start opposite Antonio Cromartie, with 2010 first-round pick Kyle Wilson playing a nickel cornerback role.

Last Week: 9-7
Season Record: 28-19

San Francisco at Atlanta - The Niners tanked it last week losing in KC badly, and the Falcons made a statement with a huge OT win over the Saints. The Falcons are hitting their stride, while the 49ers seem to have gone backwards. They made a change at the OC spot to try and fix the issues, but it won’t matter against a solid Falcons team. Atlanta 26 San Francisco 14

New York Jets at Buffalo – The Jets played awful in two games vs the Bills last season, but seem to be back to playing good football with two straight division wins. The Bills are terrible, but did play better last week vs the Pats. The Bills looked much better on offense with Ryan Fitzpatrick, and while I think they step up and play better, the Jets are too talented to lose to Buffalo again. New York Jets 21 Buffalo 16

Baltimore at Pittsburgh – The world has suddenly taken notice of the Steelers, a team that no one expected to be 3-0 without Ben Roethlisberger. They have done it with Dennis Dixon and now Charlie Batch, and seem to have few holes on both sides of the ball right now. The Ravens need this game to not fall too far behind in the North, but have issues on defense with their run stopping, something the Steelers will do this week. The Ravens need a big game from Joe Flacco, but the Steelers won’t make it easy. Steelers go to 4-0. Pittsburgh 17 Baltimore 14

Carolina at New Orleans – The Saints were exposed last week with a home loss to the Falcons, but should get back on track against a Panthers team with a number of issues. The Saints have a new kicker in 46-year-old John Carney, and they hope that will shore up what has been a shaky kicking game. The Panthers defense has kept them in two games, but their offense is terrible and won’t have much success in the dome. New Orleans 27 Carolina 17

Denver at Tennessee – While the Broncos had a tough game against the Colts last week at home, they have been competitive in going 1-2 to start the season. The Titans are 2-1, and got on track in a sloppy win over the Giants on the road last week. The Titans should be able to run on the Broncos, which then should lead to some shots downfield for Vince Young and his wide outs. Denver will need to protect the ball, but at the end of the day they won’t have the firepower to keep up with Tennessee. Tennessee 23 Denver 10

Cincinnati at Cleveland – The Browns hung in with the Bengals last week, but in the end, it was too much Anquan Boldin in a loss to the Ravens. The Bengals have had surprising offensive issues, and a lot of them have to do with Carson Palmer, who has not played well in sometime. The Bengals need to open things up, and should be able to get a few plays downfield against the Browns corners. Palmer and the Bengals get on track in a North win to send Cleveland to 0-4. Cincinnati 30 Cleveland 14

Detroit at Green Bay – The Pack was their own worst enemy Monday night in their three-point loss to the Bears, laying down 18 penalties and fumbling late which was key in the loss. We will see if there is a hang over from that, but this is a much more favorable matchup for Aaron Rodgers and Co. vs the Lions at home. Detroit last week again had chances, but lost to the Vikings on the road. This one won’t be much better, as they will go to 0-4. Green Bay 28 Detroit 14

Seattle at St.Louis – The Hawks have played well early for new coach Pete Carroll, and that included two home wins. On the road though could be another story, as the Rams showed fight in beating the Redskins last week at home. Why do I have the feeling that the Hawks will again have major road issues, and the Rams will find a way to excite the home fans by getting to .500. St.Louis 16 Seattle 13

Indianapolis at Jacksonville – The Jags are a bad team, and despite an opening day win they have gone in the tank with two straight losses. David Garrard is a few bad plays away from the bench, and while they usually hang tough with the Colts, Manning and his gang will score plenty to walk away with their third win in four games. Indianapolis 31 Jacksonville 17

Houston at Oakland - The Raiders should have beaten the Cards last week, but a missed kick at the end cost them a shot to go to 2-1. The Texans fell in somewhat of a surprise at home to the Cowboys, and should have enough on both sides of the ball to bounce back to win in the Black Hole. Houston 23 Oakland 14

Arizona at San Diego – The Chargers are in their usual September swoon, going 1-2 to start the season. They will get back rookie back Ryan Mathews this week, which is a big key to the offense. The Cards are lucky to be 2-1, but they are, and can keep the Chargers reeling if they can score some points. Look for San Diego again to have their issues as even though we will be October come Sunday. Arizona 27 San Diego 23

Washington at Philadelphia – The long awaited return of Donovan McNabb to Philly, but it comes at a time when the Redskins are reeling. Two straight losses after a big win on opening night vs the Cowboys, the Skins will have the McNabb factor heading into this key divisional matchup. Philly is playing well with Mike Vick at QB, and I think he will be the best player on the field again this week. Philadelphia 33 Washington 20

Chicago at New York Giants – The Bears have clawed their way to a 3-0 record, while the G-Men looked sloppy and out of focus in their loss to the Titans at home last week. The Giants have to hold Jay Culter in check and pressure him, while Cutler has to be careful not to make mistakes. He could have had a couple picks if it were not for penalties last week, and this week the Giants will catch up to him and make him pay. New York Giants 19 Chicago 13

Monday Night:

New England at Miami – For whatever reason, the Pats do not play well in Miami, while the Fins need to bounce back from a bad loss to the Jets last week by 8. The Pats will look for big plays from their playmakers, while the Dolphins need to get a couple turnovers and turn them into points. The Dolphins will hand Tom Brady another Florida loss with some big plays on both sides of the ball. Miami 28 New England 17