Arizona Cardinals Regular Season - Cardinals

The Setup
"Cards lost to the Steelers and were 1 & 5. The Ravens lost a "pitchers' dual" to Jacksonville 12 to 7; holding the Jags to one FG per quarter but posting their only score (a TD) in the final quarter of the contest). The Cardinals were reeling - their confidence shaken and missing the necessary swagger that enables teams to compete at the highest level in the NFL. The Ravens were 4 & 2, having crushed Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Jets and Houston but inexibly getting thumped by Tennessee and now (of all teams) Jacksonville. They are a good team capable of losing their focus and getting "trapped"; but they figured to be embarrassed by their showing vs. Jacksonville and ready to eat them some Cardinal come Sunday.."

The Lede:
It had been a huge weekend for various Cardinal fans. The baseball Cardinals had overcome all odds to become World Champs. The Louisville Cardinals put a hurt on Syracuse to lead the Big East. The Stanford Cardinals hung on through 3 OT's to prevail over USC. All that was needed to put the crowning exclamation point on a glorious Cardinal Weekend would be an unlikely Cardinal win over the favored Ravens. For the first 30:00 and part of the second half, it looked as if it would happen. But remember: "these is the Cardinals."

From 12 penalties and inexperienced pass coverage to abysmal pass blocking, weak 2nd-echelon receiving and the inevitable long-ball mismatch of Marshall with their fastest receiver, "the Cards were whom most people thought they were." End of story.

The Bottom Line:
Boo! Cards surprised everyone and led 24 - 6 at halftime, paused in the 2nd half to admire their work and allowed Baltimore to get back into the contest and eventually eke out a win. I can't say I was surprised. (Bad football teams have a whole repetoire of things they can do (or not do) to lose football games). Ravens are relieved to come away with a win. Cards are still reeling.

Game Recap

1st Quarter

Colts won the flip and elected to "defer." Cards started from their 20 and managed to move to our own 42 before Kolb got sacked for minus-10 yards.Ravens took over on their own 37. Their drive stalled at the Cardinal 45. Koch's punt pinned the Cards at the 13. A 66-yard completion to Fitzgerald got us to the Raven 7, but a minus-7 yard sack forced us to settle for a Feely FG from 32. Cardinals 3 Ravens 0.
Ravens returned the KO to their own 15 and ran at will to move to the Cardinal 20 in eight plays as the quarter ended. 1st Quarter Score: Cardinals 3 Ravens 0.

2nd Quarter

The Ravens managed to move to the Arizona 2, but the combination of a penalty and stingy Cardinal goal line defense forced them to settle for a 26-yard Cundiff FG. Cardinals 3 Ravens 3.
The Howler returned the KO to the Cardinal 23. After a roughness call on Pollard tacked onto a 9-yard completion to King moved us to the Baltimore 31, a false start penalty on Dray helped derail the drive and the Cards punted. Zastudil pinned the Ravens back on their own 9. After an off-sides flag on Dockett, DDock redeemed himself by recovering Flacco's fumble (at the end of a minus-9 yard sack by Schofield) and returned it to the Baltimore 2 to set up a one-yard TD run by Beanie. Cardinals 10 Ravens 3.
Ravens returned the KO to their own 17 and managed to move to their own 34 before being forced to punt. Peterson fielded the punt at his own 18 and weaved his way through Baltimore defenders (breaking tackles and outrunning would-be tacklers) en route to an 82 yard score. Cardinals 17 Ravens 3.
6:06 left. Ravens returned the KO to their own19. On their first play from scrimmage, Flacco's pass over the middle was deflected by Marshall. Cards ball at the Raven 25. A completion to Fitz picked up +13 and helped set up a 10-yard TD throw to Doucet. Cardinals 24 Ravens 3.
(Still lots of time - 3:46 left til halftime. This is where winning football teams start to put their foot on the rattlesnake's neck). Touchback on the KO Flacco went to the no huddle and Horton's defenders couldn't stop them. They made it to the Cardinal 18 in twelve plays before Haggan's sack forced Baltimore to kick a 47-yard FG with 0:34 left on the clock. Cards ran out the final seconds. Haftime Score: Cardinals 24 Ravens 6.

3rd Quarter

Touchback on the 2H KO. Check out this offensive sequence: Pass: -2. Pass : +8. Pass: +14; Run: +4; Pass: +7; The first of a cluster of passes to Boldin: +37. Pass to Boldin: Interference on Jefferson for +11. Run (Rice): +1 and a TD. (So much for stopping the opening 2H drive)! Cardinals 24 Ravens 13.
A holding penalty on Bradley negated a good return by LSH and gave us the ball on our own 18. Four straight running plays moved us out to the Cardinal 40, where a false start penalty on Levi Brown derailed the drive. Ravens returned the punt to their own 19 and picked up a 1D, but Acho's sack for minus-10 forced them to punt from their own 26. Kolb was sacked for minus-10 on the first play from scrimmage and we wound up going 3 & out. Ravens got the ball back at their own 12-yard line. Flacco repeatedly went to Boldin (for +9, +27, +21, Incomplete, Incomplete, Interference on Peterson setting up a Rice TD from one-yard out. Cardinals 24 Ravens 20.
Howler returned the KO to the Cardinal 21. On the first play from scrimmage, Kolb threw a pick. (You just don't do things like that when you're trying to protect a 2H lead). Ravens got the ball back on the Arizona 22. An Interference penalty on Marshall moved Baltimore to the Cardinal 3 to end the quarter. 3rd Quarter Score: Cardinals 24 Ravens 20.

4th Quarter

Rice ran it in from three to give Baltimore its first lead. Ravens 27 - Cardinals 24
Touchback on the KO. Kolb had to survive being sacked for minus-4 and an offensive interference call on Fitz and a pick that was nulffied by a Baltimore penalty to eventually move to the 27 (they ran the ball 5 out 7 plays before settling for a 45-yard Feely FG to tie the game). Ravens 27 - Cardinals 27.
8:55 left. Ravens returned the KO to their own 20 and were held to 3 & out. 7:58 left. Ball in great field position at the Cardinal 46, but Kolb couldn't move his team and we went 3 & out. Ravens got the ball back at their own 14 with 5:57 left. A questionable roughing the passer penalty on Campbell helped move the Ravens out to their 46 and helped set up a punt that (aided and abetted by a holding call on Jefferson) pinned us back at our 2. That penalty on Cambpell was an unsung gactor that helped determine the outcome of the game. Cards started out from our 2-yard line with 3:07 left to play..errr.... make that the one-yard line due to a false start call on Colledge. A timely run by Beanie gave us some running roomand we actually picked up a first down and moved to our own 15, but Kolb got sacked once again and we were forced to punt from our own 6. Ravens got the ball back at the Cardinal 44 with 0:52 left on the clock and only needed 10 yards or so to move within FG range. A 36-yard completion to Smith (who was covered one on one but who else but Marshall) set up the winning 25-yard Cundiff chip shot to win the game,. Final Score: Ravens 30 - Cardinals 27.

Game Stats

We were outmatched numerically in just about every category. The main factors that kept us in the football game were Peterson's punt return and a couple of timely turnovers.
Kolb (10 for 21) didn't even break 50%.
Beanie (who deserves to be named "Gamer of the Season") overcame a knee sprain to gain 83 yards on 22 carries against the NFL's top run defense.
No Cardinal receiver caught more than 3 balls.
We couldn't stop Boldin (7 grabs for 145 yards)
We couldn't stop Rice from inside the 2 (He scored 3 TD's).
Kolb was sacked 6 times. (All three of our OT's often looked worse than rookie-like. How do we let Suggs and other Raven sackmasters blow in there without anyone to block them)?
Acho and Schofield had 2 of our 3 sacks.

Last Word:
In the end, I think it all boils down to coaching (or lack thereof). Good coaches teach their players how to avoid letdowns or mini-panics to put away games in the 2H. Good coaches do not repeatedly allow a slow-footed CB to be mismatched against the other team's speediest receiver (the way Horton has done with Marshall (first against Wallace - twice - and this time against Torrey Smith. Good coaches and personnel people don't ignore obvious weakenesses on their offensive line. Good coaching staffs do not tolerate 12 penalties or 6 sacks. Nice try, Cards, but if you want to win, you've got to play that way for both halves.

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