Our Time Is Now - An Arizona Cardinals M16 Franchise

[bjb2445]

WEEK 12

DEFENSE RULES

Cards Defense impresses; down Bengals 22-6

Patrick Peterson makes the diving interception off of Andy Dalton

PHOENIX – Arizona continued their tough defensive play holding the visiting Cincinnati Bengals to two FGs on the way to a 22-6 victory. The Cards pass defense was impressive once again, holding Andy Dalton to 143 yards passing and intercepting the Bengals signal caller midway through the 3^rd. Arizona’s front seven harassed Dalton all day, led by Calais Campbell (2 sacks) and OLD Alex Okafor (1.5 sacks). The Cards five total sacks matched a season high. While Dalton was less than impressive, Giovanni Bernard did what he could to keep Cincinnati in the game, running for 94 yards on 18 carries. His tough running, coupled with a struggling Arizona offense led to a 9-6 Cards lead at halftime. A 3^rd quarter FG by Chandler Catanzaro (his 4^th FG of the day) increased the lead to 12-6. Early in the 4^th Arizona finally found pay-dirt, as David Johnson would score on a 7 yard TD run. Catanzaro would add a 5^th FG late in the 4^th to finish the scoring and give Arizona the 22-6 victory.

Offensively, Matt Barkley (subbing for the injured Carson Palmer) struggled for most of the day. He finished 17 of 32 for only 145 yards, missing several easy throws and generally seeming uncomfortable in the pocket. Arizona found much success in the running game, with Johnson (78 yards), Alfred Blue (68 yards) and Andre Ellington (53 yards) finding ample running room all day long. Larry Fitzgerald added 6 receptions for 78 yards through the air.

Lamar Woodley sacks Andy Dalton

Defensively, the Cards never let Cincinnati get into any kind of rhythm. Bernard’s early success running the ball was negated by Dalton’s inability to find open receivers. Aside from the five sacks of Dalton, Patrick Peterson intercepted his 3^rd pass of the year, and MLB Sean Weatherspoon had a sack/strip fumble recovered by Cory Redding. Overall it was the Cards best defensive performance thus far. With the win, Arizona finishes 2-2 against the AFC North. Next up, the Cards travel to San Francisco, followed by a home date with the St. Louis Rams.

Coach Arians Final Take
“I thought our defense was lights out today. For the second straight week we were able to get significant pressure on the opposing QB throughout the game. I thought we also did a great job with our halftime adjustments in the run game. Offensively, we established ourselves early with running the ball. We stalled several times in their territory, so that’s something we are going to have to work on. I thought Matt played the game-manager role pretty good. He didn’t do anything to kill us on offense, which is all I can ask for.”

Offensive Player of the Game
Chandler Catanzaro was 5-5 on his FG attempts.

Defensive Player of the Game
OLB Alex Okafor collected 7 tackles (4 solo), a TFL and 1.5 sacks.

Score
	1	2	3	4	Final
CIN	3	3	0	0	6
ARI	3	6	3	10	22
Cardinals		Statistic		Bengals
337		Total Yards		274
199		Rushing		160
138		Passing		114
20		First Downs		16
3-37		Penalties		2-18
0		Turnovers		1
7/13		3rd Down Conv		4/11
0		4th Down Conv		1/2
32:16		Time of Possession		27:44

Cards Stats

PASSING
	Comp	Att	Yds	TD	INT	Comp %	Sacked
M. Barkley	17	32	145	0	0	53%	1
RUSHING
	Att	Yds	Avg.	TD
D. Johnson	14	78	5.6	1
A. Blue	12	68	5.7	0
A. Ellington	8	53	6.6	0
RECEIVING
	Catch	Yds	Avg.	TD
L. Fitzgerald	6	78	13.0	0
M. Floyd	5	42	8.4	0
A. Ellington	4	16	4.0	0
Defense
	Tackles	Asst.	Total	TFL	Sacks	Int	FR
D. Bucannon	8	3	11	0	0	0	0
T. Mathieu	6	4	10	0	0	0	0
A. Okafor	4	3	7	1	1.5	0	0
C. Campbell	2	1	3	0	2.0	0	0
P. Peterson	2	1	3	0	0	1	0

Bengals Stats

PASSING
	Comp	Att	Yds	TD	INT	Comp %	Sacked
A. Dalton	14	24	143	0	1	58%	5
RUSHING
	Att	Yds	Avg.	TD
G. Bernard	18	94	5.2	0
A. Dalton	5	50	10.0	0
RECEIVING
	Catch	Yds	Avg.	TD
T. Eifert	4	57	14.3	0
T. Kroft	4	31	7.8	0
G. Bernard	2	19	9.5	0
Defense
	Tackles	Asst.	Total	TFL	Sacks	Int	FR
G. Iloka	3	13	16	0	0	0	0
R. Maualuga	2	9	11	0	0	0	0
V. Rey	3	6	9	0	0	0	0

[bjb2445]

ARIZONA DRAFT CENTRAL

PHOENIX – From time-to-time we’ll be checking in with the drafting/scouting efforts of the Cards, getting a glimpse into the front office’s mindset for the upcoming 2016 NFL Draft. In an interview on the NFL Network, Arizona Head Coach Bruce Arians outlined the top 5 draft needs of the Cards. Each week we’ll take a look at each position and who Coach Arians sees as potential draft picks to fill those spots. Here are the Cards Top 5 needed positions:

1. OLB
2. CB
3. DE
4. QB
5. C

Quarterback
Although 4^th on Arians list of needs, the position is just too important not to address first. Currently the Cards have Carson Palmer, Matt Barkley, and Drew Stanton on the roster. Many in the Cards front office question if Palmer’s health will hold up another year. He missed 3 games early in the season with broken ribs, and will miss 5 games with a torn hamstring on his second stint on the DL. On top of the risk of injury, Palmer is due to receive nearly 16 million dollars in 2016. Matt Barkley has two years remaining on his contract, and has performed admirably in Palmer’s absence. However, nobody in the front office truly believes Barkley is the QB of the future for the franchise. Stanton had his shot in 2014 and failed to capitalize on the opportunity. This leaves the Cards either turning to the draft or free agency. Let’s take a look at some potential draft prospects at the QB position:

Vinnie Summers, USC
The 6’2” 223 pound signal caller from USC is an ideal fit for Bruce Arians offense. Summers is Carson Palmer reincarnated, showing the ability to throw lasers deep, and touch passes over the middle if necessary. While his Mid and Short accuracy could use some work, it’s hard to pass up on the chance to draft a guy with NFL ready arm strength. The only downside to Summers is that he’s so good, he’s going to be a Top 5 pick. Arizona will probably need to move up, and quite significantly, in order to have a chance to grab him.

BJ Cole, USC
Remarkably, USC has two potential QB prospects in this draft. Cole possesses slightly better arm strength than Vinnie Summers, however, his Mid and Short accuracy is well behind. Cole may be the more reasonable selection, as he’s projected as a late 1^st round draft pick. Experts however are grading the Trojans backup QB as a more realistic mid 2^nd round selection. With Summers at the helm for USC, Cole hasn’t seen much playing time, much like Matt Cassel back in the day. Teams would definitely be taking a chance on Cole.

Garrett Lawson, Texas A&M
The 6’2” 200 pound Lawson may have the best all-around throwing skills of all the QBs in the draft. He possesses arm strength to rival Summers and Cole, with slightly better short accuracy skills. He has also played at a more consistent level than both USC QBs. Projected as a late 1^st rounder, there isn’t much known about Lawson’s Mid or Deep accuracy skills, as he’s thrown few of those type of passes so far for the Aggies.

Seth Kitchens, Texas A&M
Much like BJ Cole, Seth Kitchens is currently the back-up to another potential 1^st round selection. He has shown above average marks in arm strength, his ability to throw on the run, and consistency. However, much like Cole, teams would be taking a risk with Kitchens, as he hasn’t seen much action at the collegiate level.

[bjb2445]

WEEK 12

FINISHING STRONG

Big 4^th Quarter propels Cards past 49ers 45-34

Kevin Minter's 4th Qtr pick 6 seals win for Cards

Santa Clara – The Arizona Cardinals scored 21 4^th Quarter points to overcome a three point deficit and down the San Francisco 49ers 45-34 Sunday at Levi Stadium. A back and forth game until the 4^th, the critical play of the game came on the defensive side of the ball for the Cards. Having just taken a 31-27 lead off of a Matt Barkley to Larry Fitzgerald TD pass, Arizona’s defense stepped up. Facing a 2^nd and 10 from his own 20, 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick fired a pass in the flats to Vernon Davis. Cards MLB Kevin Minter read the play perfectly, stepping in front of Davis and intercepting the pass, easily returning it 30 yards for a TD. The pick 6 increased the Cards lead to 11, and following a 49er three and out, Barkley would hit John Brown for a 75 yard TD pass, his 5^th of the game. San Francisco would drive down and close the gap on a Kaepernick to Jerome Simpson TD pass, but the Cards would run out the clock on the ensuing possession, finishing the game with a 45-34 victory.

John Brown breaks free for a 75 yard TD in the 4th

Offensively, Barkley had his best day as a pro, completing 30 of 34 passes for 399 yards and 5 TD passes. His next best day as a pro was in Week 3 against this same 49ers defense. Let’s take a look at Barkley’s stat line in those two games:

M. Barkley

48

60

739

9

1

80%

0

John Brown had a big day receiving, catching 5 passes for 135 yards and 2 TDs. Michael Floyd caught 7 for 84 and a TD, while Jermaine Gresham caught 5 for 64 and a TD. Alfred Blue led all Cards rushers with 77 yards and a 5.5 ypc average. The Cards were nearly flawless on the offensive side of the ball, totaling 538 yards and controlling the clock for over 33 minutes.

Carlos Hyde had 141 yards on the day, including 54 on this 2nd Qtr TD run

On the defensive side, Arizona finally stepped up in the 4^th Quarter to preserve a lead. Up until that point though, the 49ers moved the ball fairly easily. Carlos Hyde ran for 141 yards, including a 54 yard TD burst in the 2nd. Kaepernick threw for 262 yards and 2 TDs, and Simpson caught 6 passes for 156 yards. Overall, not the Cards best defensive performance. But they stepped up in the 4^th when it counted. Arizona was led by Calais Campbell, who harassed Kaepernick all day long on the way to a career high 4 sacks. In addition to the pick 6, Minter added 9 tackles and FS Tyrann Mathieu collected 12. With the win, Arizona gets back above .500 at 6-5. Next week the Cards travel to Saint Louis to face a Rams team that defeated them 38-28 back in Week 4.

Calais Campbell collects one of his four sacks on the day


Jermaine Gresham catches a TD in the 1st Qtr; he would leave the game in the 4th with a broken collarbone, ending his regular season

Coach Arians Final Take
“I’m thrilled with the way we dealt with adversity today. We were in a dog fight for three quarters, and were finally able to pull away from a team in the 4^th. That’s a good football team we beat today. Don’t let their record fool you. We knew coming in, on the road, that we’d have to battle for four quarters for a win. And that’s exactly what we did. Matt and Calais both stepped up big today. I think the rest of the team just fed off of their example. We gave up some yards on defense, but we didn’t break. I couldn’t be more happy with the guys for showing 4^th quarter toughness, something we really haven’t done all year.”

Offensive Player of the Game
A no-brainer, Matt Barkley threw for 399 yards and 5 TDs, earning NFC Offensive POW honors.

Defensive Player of the Game
Another no-brainer, Calais Campbell had 4 sacks, earning NFC Defensive POW honors.

Injury Notes
- The Cards suffered a blow on offense, as TE Jermaine Gresham went down with a broken collarbone after making a 4^th quarter reception. Team doctors believe Gresham will be out for a minimum of 7 weeks, essentially ending his regular season.

- Carson Palmer’s torn hamstring isn’t healing as quickly as team doctors initially predicted it would. Scheduled to return in Week 16, there is speculation he might not be ready to go until the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

Score
	1	2	3	4	Final
ARI	7	14	3	21	45
SF	3	14	10	7	34
Cardinals		Statistic		49ers
538		Total Yards		449
139		Rushing		211
399		Passing		238
22		First Downs		14
5-50		Penalties		2-18
0		Turnovers		1
8/11		3rd Down Conv		7/13
0		4th Down Conv		2/2
33:47		Time of Possession		26:13

Cards Stats

PASSING
	Comp	Att	Yds	TD	INT	Comp %	Sacked
M. Barkley	30	34	399	5	0	88%	0
RUSHING
	Att	Yds	Avg.	TD
A. Blue	14	77	5.5	0
A. Ellington	10	43	4.3	0
D. Johnson	9	19	2.1	0
RECEIVING
	Catch	Yds	Avg.	TD
M. Floyd	7	84	12.0	1
A. Ellington	5	42	8.4	0
J. Gresham	5	64	12.8	1
Jo. Brown	5	135	27.0	2
L. Fitzgerald	4	40	10.0	1
Defense
	Tackles	Asst.	Total	TFL	Sacks	Int	FR
T. Mathieu	6	6	12	0	0	0	0
K. Minter	5	4	9	1	0	1	0
A. Cason	2	3	5	0	0	0	0
C. Campbell	4	0	4	0	4.0	0	0

49ers Stats

PASSING
	Comp	Att	Yds	TD	INT	Comp %	Sacked
C. Kaepernick	18	32	262	2	1	56%	4
RUSHING
	Att	Yds	Avg.	TD
C. Hyde	18	141	7.8	1
J. Hayne	2	53	26.5	1
C. Kaepernick	1	17	17.0	0
RECEIVING
	Catch	Yds	Avg.	TD
J. Simpson	6	156	26.0	2
C. Hyde	4	10	2.5	0
V. Davis	4	45	11.3	0
Defense
	Tackles	Asst.	Total	TFL	Sacks	Int	FR
E. Reid	5	11	16	0	0	0	0
M. Wilhoite	5	11	16	1	0	0	0
N. Bowman	3	12	15	2	0	0	0
C. Cook	3	6	9	0	0	0	0

[bjb2445]

Sorry all but I'm gonna have to discontinue this franchise. My save file somehow got corrupted and the damn thing won't load. I've tried everything I've read on these forums and other forums to try and recover, but no joy.


Maybe it's for the better, as I've been getting the NCAA 14 itch and playing that game a lot lately. I'll prolly just turn my franchise itch into a Dynasty.


Anyway, thanks to those that have been following.