NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

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Asher Allen, Minnesota secondary left much to be desired with their play in New England

I've come to the conclusion that teams with the proper personnel can easily follow a specific formula to beat the Vikings defense.

Step One:  Spread It Out

Every time a team puts enough receivers on the field at once the Vikings defense is forced to take a very good defender off the field in exchange for a below average one.  More specifically, when the Vikings go into their nickel defense, the Vikings take above average linebacker Ben Leber off the field and have to put their faith in unproven defensive backs like Chris Cook, Asher Allen, or Lito Sheppard.

If I were an opposing coach, I would be constantly calling for spreading the offense out, as I would be eliminating a defensive playmaker like Leber on a regular basis.  Obviously, this is easier for teams with solid receiver depth (i.e. Patriots, Packers, Cowboys) to take advantage of.

Step Two:  Quick Throws

Much has been made of the Vikings lack of a pass rush this season, and I'm not saying those criticisms are not warranted, but teams fear the Vikings front four so much that they go to great lengths to avoid a run in with them.  This year, quarterbacks are almost always getting the ball out quickly, on a two or three step drop.

This is a risk versus reward scenario.  If your quarterback holds onto the ball and tries to go deep, then there is the risk that Jared Allen or another defensive lineman will cause turmoil.  However, by making sure the quarterback is throwing quickly, you can risk very little in allowing your left tackle to match up one-on-one with Jared Allen.  Even a pro bowler like Allen can't win a one-on-one matchup if the quarterback is getting rid of it quickly.  While the quick throws offer less reward, there is certainly less risk associated.

This approach has been so successful against the Vikings this year, that we have seen the defense almost completely give up on the pass rush and simply stand at the line of scrimmage, jumping into the air trying to bat down passes.

Step Three:  Pick On The Weak Links

By the time we get to this point, opposing offenses have taken a good player out of the game (Leber) and managed to negate the dangerous pass rush of the front four.  Now, if you have the playmakers catching passes and a competent passer, it is time to exploit the Vikings weakest point… the secondary.

Chris Cook, Asher Allen, and Lito Sheppard have all shown to be very suspect in coverage at points in this season.  Madieu Williams and Husain Abdullah have both shown tendencies to take bad angles and/or miss tackles.  Other than Winfield, the Vikings secondary is playing scared which translates to playing soft with big cushions for the receivers.

These receivers can catch and run, making plays against defenders that show an inability to stop them.  This strategy keeps the ball moving and sets up manageable third downs, which goes even further to make the Vikings pass rush obsolete.

It also wears down a defense and doesn't allow them to get into a rhythm.

Step Four:  Vary It Up

If an opposing offense can employ the previous three steps with mild success, then by the time you get to the third or fourth quarter they are facing a gassed and demoralized defense.  Now you can vary it up a bit.

Now the Vikings defense is searching for answers, trying to either blitz linebackers or drop them further into coverage.  We have seen this result in teams (Saints, Jets, Patriots) being able to run against a Vikings defense that is no longer playing the game on their terms.

We even see teams more likely to take shots down the field late in the game to their big play receivers (Brandon Tate, Dez Bryant) for possible scores.  The Vikings are talented enough to disrupt the big play efforts, but using linebackers to blitz or cover deep leaves the escape valve uncovered (Danny Woodhead, James Jones) leaving them available for catch and runs in the open field against questionable tacklers in the Vikings secondary.

Conclusion

This was all just a long way of saying that teams have found a way to exploit the Vikings defense, and if they have the talent to do it, it is going to work if the Vikings don't find a way to counter.

I think our base defense is good enough to beat teams that remain on our schedule that might lack leadership at the quarterback position, depth at the receiver position, or chemistry and a veteran presence.  For example, I think this defense will dominate teams like Arizona, Chicago, Washington, Buffalo, and Detroit which will put our offense in the position to win games.

But six wins out of nine remaining games isn't enough to make the playoffs.  That is why the Vikings need to make adjustments if they plan on holding offenses like the Packers, Giants, and the Eagles in check.

It is possible that the Vikings simply don't have the talent in the secondary to keep up with the truly good offenses.  However, I sincerely believe that playing to their players' strengths will go a long ways towards having a shot.

All through training camp, we heard Vikings coaches brag about the physicality of their young cornerbacks, particularly Asher Allen and Chris Cook.  After all, second year no-name cornerback Kyle Arrington was able to shut down Randy Moss, albeit with constant safety help, all day on Sunday by jamming him off the line and playing him very aggressive and physical.

Against these better receivers, the Vikings have to task their youngsters in the secondary with playing more aggressive and taking more risks.  I know this sets them up to be more susceptible to the big play, but if I know the opponent is capable of simply imposing their will as I outlined earlier, then I find the occasional big play preferable.  Especially if it puts my team in a position where they are more likely to generate the big defensive plays of their own.

Jamming these receivers will cause quarterbacks to hold onto the ball longer, and I have a feeling this pass rush will find much greater success if the quarterback has the ball in their hand for longer than three seconds.

It is time for these youngsters in the secondary to strap on their big-boy pants and do their job, otherwise this team is going nowhere even if they somehow manage to make the playoffs.

Jclombardi highlights Packers headlines.

Packers perplexed by inconsistent offense: There's one nagging, perplexing concern in Green Bay these days: What's wrong with the offense? A high-powered unit that one year ago set a franchise record for points scored (461) and produced a 4,000-yard passer in Aaron Rodgers, a 1,000-yard rusher in Ryan Grant and two 1,000-yard receivers in Greg Jennings and Donald Driver has been plagued by mistakes and inconsistencies. Injuries have been a factor. But halfway through the season, the offense just isn't clicking and the reasons go far beyond the season-ending injuries to Grant and play-making TE Finley.The glitches showed in a 9-0 victory over the New York Jets, a game won mainly with a superb defensive effort and solid special-teams play. The best thing that could be said about the offense was that it didn’t turn the ball over. The worrisome thing is that the Packers have had eight games to make corrections, tighten up their fundamentals in the running game and their timing in the passing game and get the offense in sync. But, so far, it hasn’t happened.

Offense searches for answers: As well as the Packers' defense and special teams performed in Sunday's win over the mighty New York Jets, the same burning question remained: Why is the team's offense so badly out of sync? Entering Sunday night's game against the reeling Dallas Cowboys at Lambeau Field, the Packers offense is pedestrian in every way: It ranks 13^th in scoring (22.0 points per game), 16^th in total yards per game (335.9), 22^nd in rushing yards per game (97.0), in a seven-way tie for 10^th in yards per rush (4.2), 10^th in passing yards per game (238.9) and tied for 14^th in sacks allowed (16). "You can tend to get a little too technical. We just were not very fundamentally sound as an offense," said McCarthy, who said he oversimplified the offense expecting extensive blitzing from the Jets. "We felt that we just weren't very sharp, whether it was finishing blocks, certain reads, depth of routes and so forth.We need to get back to just playing football the right way and not worrying about what the other side's doing. We did not play to our standard on offense."

Notebook– Green’s pays off: New defensive lineman Howard Green spent several hours working with Mike Trgovac on Friday and Saturday; plus, more news from the Monday after the 9-0 win over the Jets. Return relay–With Pat Lee already ruled out for Sunday night's game against Dallas because of an ankle injury, the Packers will need to find a kickoff returner. The options, according to special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum, are going back to Jordy Nelson, using No. 3 running back Dimitri Nance or adding another job for starting cornerback and punt returner Tramon Williams. Going to Nelson would be the obvious decision but he's got an expanded role on offense with Donald Driver missing the second half of Sunday's game with a quad injury. Injury updates–Coach McCarthy said Driver being "questionable" for practice this week. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers shouldn't miss time with a sprained ankle. The training staff was examining tight end Andrew Quarless' shoulder sprain, but McCarthy said the training staff didn't think it was serious. Four-point stance–Packers have until Nov. 8 to make a decision on Harris, Bigby and Starks who remain on the physically unable to perform list. The choices are add them to the 53-man roster, put them on injured reserve, or release them. Game balls went to Greg Jennings on offense, the entire defense and defensive coaching staff on defense and punter Tim Masthay on special teams. Safety Anthony Smith, whose diving stop prevented punter Steve Weatherford from converting a fourth-and-18 on a fake punt, received the big hit award.

Analysis: Team more upbeat than this time last season: A year ago, the Green Bay Packers were sitting at the .500 mark halfway through their regular-season schedule. They're only one game better at the midway point of this season, but after Sundays 9-0 road victory at the New York Jets, there's a different feeling around Lambeau Field. They're only one game better at the midway point of this season, but after Sunday's 9-0 road victory at the New York Jets and given the circumstances surrounding this season, there's a different feeling around Lambeau Field. At 5-3, the Packers have a half-game lead over Chicago (4-3) in the NFC North and are tied with New Orleans for the fourth-best record in the NFC.  Last season, coach McCarthy said he rallied the team to an 11-5 finish and a wild-card playoff berth by sticking to his principles and staying consistent with his approach. That had to be especially challenging this season after losing 10 players, including five starters, to season-ending injuries. Thompson has had to shuffle the roster, while McCarthy and his assistants have had to spend more time teaching schemes to new players, something normally reserved for training camp. Last week alone, Thompson acquired four new players — two off waivers and two off the street. All but one played against the Jets. Defensive lineman Howard Green played nearly half the snaps, and linebacker Erik Walden played on some key third down snaps.

After getting hit for a 15-yard penalty in Sunday’s 20-10 loss to the Saints, it now appears from all reports that Steelers LB James Harrison could be facing yet more money out of his pocket for the late hit on Drew Brees.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday night during the Texans-Colts MNF game that Harrison will be fined for the hit on Brees that resulted in a roughing the passer call.

Harrison was flagged for hitting Brees from behind a count too late after Brees has gotten rid of the ball. While not a helmet-to-helmet hit, the NFL wants to make sure that Brees and the QB’s in the league are protected, and it sounds like Harrison is going to have to once again get yelled at by the league in the form of a fine.

You knew Mankins wanted to be part of the success going on in New England

Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins will report to the Patriots on Tuesday.  He has inked a one-year deal worth 3.6 million.  The interior offensive line receives a big boost.  Destination Dallas for Brady’s bunch.  Super Bowl Patriots?  Let’s hear it.  I think they’re a lock for the big show.  More insight and analysis later.

“Big time players make big time plays in big time games”- Santana Moss

1. Matchup: #6 Missouri vs #14 Nebraska

Roy Helu Jr, RB, Nebraska: Helu started the game with a 66 yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage. He finished the game with the Nebraska record for rushing yards in a single game with 307 on 28 carries. Three of Helu's runs went for over 50 yards with a long carry of 73. Helu has good size at 6'0 220 and runs with a solid combination of strength and speed. It was his fourth game rushing for over 100 yards this season.

2. Matchup: #16 Florida State vs North Carolina State

Russell Wilson, QB, North Carolina State: With 2:40 left in regulation, Wilson threw a touchdown pass on 4^thand goal to ultimately win the contest 28-24. It was Wilson's fourth touchdown of the game, he also added three scores on the ground. The clutch performance puts North Carolina State atop the Atlantic Division in the ACC Conference.

3. Matchup: #5 Michigan State vs #18 Iowa

Ricky Stanzi, QB, Iowa: Ricky Stanzi's performance wasn't spectacular, finishing the game 11-of-15 for 190 yards and 3 touchdowns. But it was extremely efficient and Stanzi showed great poise in a big game against a top five opponent. Stanzi has made a noticeable improvement this season in his decision making and progression reads from the pocket. He has ideal size at 6'4 230 for the position, and while he doesn't have great arm strength he has enough to make most NFL throws with accuracy and zip. His stock continues to rise with error-free performances.

4. Matchup: Michigan vs Penn State

Evan Royster, RB, Penn State: Neither team came into the game ranked in the AP or BCS Top 25, but for these two programs the rivalry always has meaning. Evan Royster became Penn State's leading rusher, finishing with 150 yards on 29 carries with two scores. The record was formerly held by Curt Warner, who had the record since 1982. Royster now has 4,418 yards with four games left on the schedule. Curt Warner finished his career with 3,398 yards rushing.

5. Matchup: #2 Oregon vs USC

Darron Thomas, QB, Oregon: Thomas showed up big in a prime-time game, on the road, against a talented conference rival- and he made it look easy. He converted on third down regularly and finished the contest with 288 yards passing on 19-of-32 attempts with four touchdowns and 42 yards rushing. Darron Thomas is a very similar player to former Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon. As long as he continues to progress with his pocket awareness and patience, there is no reason Thomas isn't dressing for an NFL team when his career in the NCAA is over.

Honorable Mention: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn, 18-24 209yds 2td, 11 carries 45yds, 1 rec 20yds 1td. Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma, 9rec 208yds 3td. Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas, 27-44 404yds(school record) 3td.

One day after a rather odd press conference, the Vikings have waived Randy Moss. The report comes from NFL Network’s Michael Lombardi.

Head coach Brad Childress told the team in a meeting that they waived Moss as Moss did not go back with the team to Minnesota. Moss was not in the meeting.

Moss had one catch for 8 yards in a loss to the Patriots. In Sunday night's postgame news conference, he expressed admiration for the Patriots and criticized Vikings coaching.

Childress said earlier Monday that Moss was staying back in the Boston area after the game to spend time with family. Childress said he did not regret acquiring him "at the moment."

Childress did not mention the roster move during his news conference.

The Vikings acquired Moss from the Patriots a month ago for a third-round draft pick. He played in four games for the Vikings and had 13 catches for 174 yards and two touchdowns.

St. Louis has yet to provide Bradford with a legitimate deep-threat wide receiver

I hate to come up with something negative about the Rams after a solid win at home that makes 4 wins in a row at home, but there was some conversation about the Rams inability or unwillingness to throw the ball down the field against Carolina and in previous games.

The Rams offense is not known as a defense-stretching offense, but over the last few games, the Rams have been throwing more and more short passes.  There are several reasons that people have given for the Rams inability to throw down-field.  Bernie Miklasz and others have said that the Rams are unwilling to throw down-field because of the lack of a quality wide receiver that can stretch the field for the Rams.  The Rams are able to get long passes completed with their current wide receivers as we saw in the end of the game against Carolina.  The Rams have the offensive line to protect Bradford long enough to throw down-field to their wide receivers whatever their name or ability.  Bradford was able to find Brandon Gibson for a 33-yard reception that led to the Rams icing touchdown.  So, the Rams have the ability in their wide receiver corps to throw down the field, but they need great protection and enough time for the players like Brandon Gibson and Laurent Robinson to get open.  Bradford also had Michael Hoomananui open downfield, but the pass was knocked out of Illinois Mike's arms as he injured his ribs.

Other people have hinting to the fact that the Rams coaching staff does not trust the offense to successfully complete long passes and they prefer to stick to the short and conservative passes.  This is certainly true in some ways because of the Rams use of the West Coast offense.  That offense is based on short passes that turn into long gains.  So far, the Rams have been unable to take any quick slants or WR screens for long gains.  However, they have been very successful with the tight end and running back screens for long gains.  The offense is designed to use the short passes for long gains and so far the Rams have only turned screens into long gains.  The Rams offense is designed for more short, quick passes, but it is not designed to totally ignore the long passes.

Sam Bradford said in his post-game press conference that early in the Panthers game that the Rams were taking what the defense was giving them with the short passes.  I'm sure that is true because of Bradford's willingness to take the quick completions, especially early in the game.  But, the Panthers were closely covering all the short passes early in the game, holding the Rams to no gains.  Could the Panthers have been playing defense so deep to take away the Rams non-existent long passes, cover Steven Jackson's running and blanket the short passes?  It is certainly possible because the Panthers had a great game tackling on Sunday and were able to make the 1 on 1 tackles to keep the Rams to short gains.  I believe Bradford when he says that the Panthers were giving up the short passes, but they were not making it easy on the Rams receivers.

The Rams struggles with the long pass could be attributed to a little bit of each of these reasons.  As usually occurs in the NFL, the reasons for something happening is not a single incident or reason, but a whole cauldron of issues mixed into one.  However, Sam Bradford gained confidence quickly in the Panthers game with the quick passes and allowed him to get in rhythm to be able to make the longer passes later in the game.  The short passes were infuriating early in the game, especially when they were not working for more than 1 yard.

Troy Smith looked razor sharp notching a win in his first career NFL start

Passing: B

Troy Smith did more than I expected out of him in his pro debut as a starting quarterbacking for the 49ers. His patience was vital and I found that he waited for plays to develop rather than just forcing plays. It was a bit frustrating at first, but in the fourth quarter, it proved to be all worth it. He was a leader out there on Sunday and that is more than anybody could have asked for quite frankly. Mike Singletary took a gamble, and so far it is paying off. I do not know if it will last in the coming weeks but I most definitely feel better with Troy Smith at the helm than I do with Alex Smith or David Carr, and that is with just one game under his belt.

Rushing: B+

The Niners had 143 total yards rushing against the Broncos along with two touchdowns. As usual, Frank Gore had the bulk of those yards, finishing with 118 yards. This was Gore's third straight 100-yard performance, and his fourth of the season. The better Frank Gore plays, the better the Niners offense is as a whole. Look for Troy Smith to surely benefit if Gore continues to play better in the second half of the season. Anthony Dixon needs to play a greater role in the offense as well. He finished with 5 rushes for 11 yards yesterday and we certainly need him to produce at an increased level for the offense to evolve. Shonn Greene of the Jets made some noise for his team as a rookie after a Week 9 Bye. Hopefully, the same will be said of Anthony Dixon. The 49ers offense as we all know is often times too predictable and other players need to step up in order for us to keep opponents' defenses honest.

Receiving: B

Delanie Walker and Troy Smith hooked up really nicely. As a matter of fact, Walker came down with a 38-yard pass by Smith that I thought would have been intercepted. Michael Crabtree had 53 yards and a touchdown on three receptions. Josh Morgan's lone reception went for 30 yards. Troy Smith does not have a grasp of the whole offense and when he does, things can't get really exciting for the 49er offense. Again, I keep reminding myself that it was just one game, but the offense rallied around him. Hopefully Vernon Davis' ankle injury is not severe. Troy Smith and Ted Ginn have played with each other before as well and hopefully they can get something good going on the field.

Defense: B/B-

The defense allowed the Broncos to have nearly 400 yards offense; finished with 398. That has got to stop. We knew the Broncos had no rushing game of any kind. Coming into the game, they were last in that category and that is where they remain today. Therefore, one had to know that Kyle Orton and the Broncos offense were going to air it out. And, they did. Orton finished with 369 passing yards. The 49ers need to fix this during the Bye Week. It is not as if the Broncos passing attack took them by surprise. They were not prepared to defend against it. The 49ers were however effective in defending the Broncos' third-down situations. The Broncos only converted 2 of their 10 third-down attempts and did not go for it at all on 4^th down.  The pass rush was pleasing as well, sacking Orton 4 times for a loss of 30 yards.

In all, this was a good-not great-game for the 49es. If they can do what they did in the fourth quarter yesterday, over the course of a full game in the weeks ahead, this team will be competitive. This team is clearly talented and has what it takes to compete with the league's top teams (not suggesting the Broncos are). As much as I dislike Singletary as a coach, I know that he will keep the players in check and not allow them to get over themselves. Having won two of their last three games, they should not get complacent and start looking past teams. They need to remain focused and always thinking about their very NEXT opponent and what it will take to beat them. The poor start to the season needs to be put behind them and keep pushing towards the playoffs during the second half of the season.

Game over: Anderson’s reaction after throwing a costly pick to end the Cardinals comeback hopes

This was a tough one and I'm sure Cardinals fans are still smarting from this loss.  I know I am.  Arizona clawed back from a 17-point deficit to take a 35-31 fourth quarter lead.  It wasn't enough, though, as the Cardinals imploded with mistakes, dropping into 3rd place in the NFC West at 3-4.  "It's discouraging," Whisenhunt said.  "There are so many twists and turns, and then to have a chance at the end and make a mistake, it's a very bitter loss."  It's easiest to point the finger of blame at Derek Anderson, but ultimately it would be undeserved, a point discussed in detail below.

Before we get to that, however, something should be said about the Buccaneers' effort.  They went across the country and responded to their coach's proclamation by gutting out a tough road win.  They blew a 17-point lead and still came back to win the game.  Josh Freeman didn't panic and certainly seems like a leader that gets the job done at quarterback.  It's just too bad that Arizona can't say the same.

The Cardinals' won the toss and their first possession on offense started out pretty well.  The newly appointed starting running back Beanie Wells (16 carries, 50 yards, 1 TD) got the game going with a nice 14-yard gain off right tackle.  After an end-around to LaRod Stephens-Howling (4 carries, 41 yards, 1 TD) went nowhere, a Buccaneers offside penalty set up a third and two.  Max Hall (8/16, 71 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs) passed the ball short to Wells, who appeared to catch the ball and pick up the first down before going out of bounds, but Tampa Bay challenged the play and it was ruled that Wells never had possession.  Arizona punted to the Buccaneers.

On defense, the Cardinals forced an emphatic three-and-out, highlighted by Darnell Dockett's (5 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 QB hit) first down tackle for a two-yard loss.  After a Bucs punt, the Cardinals offense got things rolling.  Starting with good field position from their own 39-yard line, the Cards drove down field on a 9-play, 61-yard drive capped off by Hall's first career touchdown pass, a short dump to Larry Fitzgerald (6 receptions, 72 yards, 2 TDs).  During the drive, the Cardinals offense flashed a little bit of everything.  Hall did miss a wide open Fitzgerald down the right seem on the first play of the drive, but the rookie redeemed himself, connecting on 3/5 passes for 34 yards, including the touchdown pass.  In addition, Steve Breaston (8 receptions, 147 yards), who had a monster game in a losing effort, emphasized his return with a nifty 14-yard end around run, bringing the Cardinals down to Tampa Bay's 6 yard line.

Arizona's defense forced another three-and-out when Tampa got the ball back, but it turns out that the Bucs don't need their offense to score points.  On the ensuing Cardinals' possession, Hall threw his first of two pick-sixes.  It wasn't all Hall's fault, though.  Beanie Wells failed to pick up a free-runner on Hall's blind side and Max was hit as he threw.  Unfortunately, Hall's errant throw went right into the waiting arms of linebacker Geno Hayes, who scampered 41 yards for the touchdown making the score 7-7.  Wells' blitz pickup was the predominant reason why Whisenhunt kept him behind Hightower on the depth chart until now and it bit the Cardinals big time in this game.

Arizona and Tampa Bay then traded punts, ending the first quarter.  The second quarter started out as eventful as the first.  After another Cardinals punt, Bucs' return-man Stroughter muffed the fair catch, which was recovered by all-around gamer LaRod Stephens-Howling.  The Cardinals took over on the Buccaneers' 16-yard line poised to regain the lead.  That's exactly what they did 4 plays later on a Beanie Wells 1-yard run plunge making the score 14-7.

Unfortunately, the Buccaneers would answer right back on a 47-yard bomb from Freeman to receiver Mike Williams.  Greg Toler was burned badly, but actually made up some ground to come up just short on the play.  Williams strolled into the endzone, tying the score at 14 in the process.  When the Cards got the ball back, Max Hall's day would end shortly thereafter.  After grabbing a first down, Hall dropped back on first and ten from the Cardinals' 40 yard line.  Hall pulled the trigger looking for Steve Breaston, but found Talib instead.  The Buccaneers cornerback took his fourth interception of the season all the way for a touchdown, putting the Bucs up 21-14.  "I think other than (the interceptions) I was playing a decent half,"  Hall commented.  "Unfortunately those two throws just really turned the momentum."  Whisenhunt had seen enough and promptly inserted Derek Anderson in Hall's place.

On Anderson's first drive, he threw a deep jump ball to Breaston, which Steve somehow came down with before falling out of bounds for a 33-yard gain.  On the Bucs' 11 yard line, the Cardinals brought it down to Tampa's five yard line for a 3rd and 4.  The next two play calls, in my opinion, cost the Cardinals the game.  It's once again proof that Ken Whisenhunt should not be calling the plays for the Cardinals.  Instead of utilizing his 230-pound beast of a running back on a third and less than five, Whisenhunt decided to rely on the inaccurate arm of Derek Anderson not once, but twice.  Which brings me to my next point.  There is absolutely no reason for the Cardinals to go for it on 4th and 2 in the closing minutes of the first half.  In a 21-14 game where the Buccaneers are going to have the ball starting the second half, there's no excuse for Whisenhunt taking points off the board with over two quarters of football left to play.  A terrible decision, but here's how Whisenhunt reasoned it:

"I thought worst-case scenario we'd have them inside the 2 and stop them and get it back.  Our defense has been very good down there this year, especially with the noise with the crowd.  That was the thinking there.  I thought it was a pretty safe bet at that time."

I hope that Whisenhunt simply failed to mention that he at least thought of the consequence of taking the points off the board when he explained his thought process.  Granted the defense was playing pretty well, but it's not really about the defense at that point.  It's about taking points away from a struggling offense so early in the game.  There's no justification for taking that risk in the second quarter in a one-score game.

Of course, the Cardinals failed to convert as Anderson, appropriately enough for him, threw a bullet right into the back of Alan Faneca's head on fourth down.  Amazingly, intended receiver Steve Breaston almost caught the deflection, but it slipped through his hands.  The Bucs would then drive down the field to add a field goal, stretching their lead to 24-14 at the half.

It should be noted that the Cardinals had an Adrian Wilson (4 tackles) interception negated by a phantom defensive pass interference penalty called on Wilson himself.  I'm not one that typically bemoans bad calls because they are a part of every game and usually go both ways, but this one was truly terrible.  Adrian merely placed his hand ever so slightly on intended receiver Kellen Winslow before stepping in front of him to snag the ball.  Wilson took off down the sideline advancing the ball to the Buccaneers' 44 yard line.  The call certainly negated a scoring opportunity for the Cardinals.

The Cardinals forced a Bucs punt to start the third quarter.  Arizona caught a break when an Anderson interception was negated by off-setting penalties.  The Cards punted and the Bucs poured on the points on an 8 play, 80 yard drive capped off by a LeGarrette Blount 14-yard touchdown run making the score 31-14 with 4:35 left in the third quarter.

On Blount’s touchdown run, Kerry Rhodes (10 tackles, blocked field goal) was the last Cardinal standing between the ball carrier and the endzone.  Instead of lowering his shoulders like a football player, Rhodes cowered away from the 250-pound Blount in a half-hearted attempt to look like he wanted to make a play.  That will be tough to hide from his teammates on film.  Rhodes has certainly made plays for the Cardinals this season, but that kind of effort is honestly sickening.  Rhodes is definitely giving up quite a bit to Blount, who's basically a Mack truck, but it's hard to imagine that someone like Steve Breaston (who'd be giving up more) would stick his head in the sand and hope he doesn't get run over with six points on the line.  At least go for the man's legs.  It's really about heart.

Facing a seemingly insurmountable 17-point deficit, the rest of the Cardinals showed plenty of heart as they pulled to within three points on two touchdowns within 23 seconds of each other.  First, the Cardinals drove down the field on a 7-play, 76 yard drive capped off by a 30-yard touchdown scamper by LaRod Stephens-Howling.  Facing a 3rd and 1, Anderson handed the ball off on a delay from shotgun.  Stephens-Howling took it around left end and turned on the jets, benefiting from a great down field block by Fitzgerald, which made the score 31-21.  After the extra point, the Cardinals struck again, this time on defense.  Linebacker Paris Lenon (5 tackles, forced fumble) forced a Garrett LeBlount fumble, which was scooped up by newly activated veteran linebacker Gerald Hayes (5 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, fumble recovery, TD).  Hayes, showing great veteran awareness, scooped up the loose ball and rumbled 21 yards for a touchdown.  In a flash the score was 31-28.

The Cardinals' defense forced a huge three-and-out, thanks in large part to a third down sack by linebacker Joey Porter (3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 QB hit) for a loss of 11 yards, which took Tampa out of field goal range.  On the Cardinals' next possession, Anderson led a 4 play, 48-yard drive that culminated on a 5-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald, his second of the day, giving the Cardinals an unbelievable 35-31 fourth quarter lead.

The Buccaneers, however, weren't done either.  Josh Freeman, like he's done all season, brought Tampa Bay back with a 47-yard bomb to Arrelious Benn, who absolutely toasted Kerry Rhodes deep.  Benn was ruled down on the one yard line, but it was just a formality as Blount took the ball into the endzone on a 1-yard dive, making the score 38-35 with 5:08 left in the game.

Arizona had two possession to add the game-tying field goal, but both ended the same way: interceptions thrown by Derek Anderson.  The first interception was merely fortuitous as intended receiver Stephens-Howling was absolutely rocked by linebacker Gino Hayes as soon as Hyphen touched the pass.  The deflected ball was picked off the turf on a great play by linebacker Barrett Ruud.

The Cardinals' defense stood strong in a bad spot, though.  Pinned back starting on their own 22 yard line, Arizona forced a 53-yard field goal attempt when Clark Haggans' replacement, Will Davis, came up huge on third down sack for a 14-yard loss.  Kerry Rhodes blocked the 53-yard attempt.

With 3:16 left and with absolutely amazing field position at the Cardinals' own 43 yard line, Arizona had about as good a chance as you could ask to tie the game with a field goal.  Things started out fine and the Cardinals moved the ball 18 yards down field to the Bucs' 20 yard line.  Arizona was poised to at least knock in the game-tying field goal with what would have been a relative chip shot for Feely, but no.  Instead of protecting the ball by running, Whisenhunt put the game in the hands of Derek Anderson, who promptly forced a 14-yard pass into double coverage while looking for Larry Fitzgerald.  Talib and Anderson respectively recorded their second interceptions of the game on the play.

"It was (Cover) Two and the corner just squeezed it," Anderson said.  "I think the ball went to the right spot.  I have to look at it.  But the guy made a good play.  Obviously, it was very frustrating, first down on their 20 and to throw a pick and not even give us a chance to at least tie the game."

Unfortunately, it doesn't even seem that Anderson understands that he should never have thrown that ball.  Is Anderson serious with his "I think the ball went to the right spot" remark?  The right spot is the open receiver, 20 yards out of bounds or the worst case scenario, your hip pocket.

You can't really blame Anderson all that much, though.  He is what he is.  We can, however, blame Whisenhunt for allowing Anderson to lose the game when the team had a chance to tie it.  Although the offense was without Beanie Wells (sidelined after he apparently injured his back) and Stephens-Howling (injured by the Hayes hit), bring in Jason Wright to pound it on the ground a couple of times to preserve the easy field goal.  Don't let Anderson throw the game away.  Lost in the shuffle of this disappointing mess is the question of who is going to play quarterback now.  I'm sure we'll get to that this week.

Here's what Whisenhunt had to say about the fateful play call:  "We thought we had a good play based on coverages that we thought we were going to get.  Obviously, you ask me that now and I'd like to have it back and run it."  That is quite an obvious statement.  I don't understand how a head coach can make these kinds of simple mistakes again and again during the course of a game and what is shaping up to be an entire season in Whisenhunt's case.  They aren't complicated mistakes where one could say, "You know what, I can understand what the coach was thinking at that time and it just didn't work out."  These are elementary blunders that someone with even limited coaching experience should be able to avoid.

Moments after the ball sailed into Talib's hands, you could see Fitzgerald wringing his hands in a mixture of what could only be disbelief, regret, and frustration.  Early Doucet, by the way, was totally uncovered on an inside slant on the other side of the field.   As Anderson sauntered off the field and Whisenhunt glanced up at the 38-35 score,  I suspect Whiz wished he had those three points back from just before the half.