Cardinals playing possum?

The way Arizona Cardinals’ coach Ken Whisenhunt is whining this week it makes you wonder if he is trying to play possum or if he could really be that worried the Packers beat his team up in two meaningless games. My guess is the Cards are playing possum thinking they will just turn it on this week and whip the Packers in the game that counts. I can see their side of the scenario and understand their reasoning behind it.

Whisenhunt isn’t an idiot. His track record is stellar. You don’t take a perennial loser like the Cardinals and take them to the Super Bowl on a fluke. But the Cardinals are the class of the NFC West, which is like being the top of the bottom. They took advantage of that lack of respect last year and won the NFC. They won’t be flying under the radar this year. The Cardinals won their division again this year because they are the only halfway decent team in it.

The NFC West is no-man’s land. There are no rivalries like the other NFL divisions, I mean, nobody gets excited about Seattle versus St. Louis or anybody Seattle plays period. The Cardinals and 49ers are working on a rivalry only because the 49ers kick the division winners ass every time they play them but can’t do anything else. The Cardinals don’t know what it is like to face the likes of Minnesota or Chicago four times a year, year after year. I think that is a big factor in the Packers’ favor this coming week.

Granted, the Packers haven’t faced a killers row of opponents this season, but like the Cardinals of last year, there is no reason why the Packers can’t ride their momentum to a playoff win or two. Now, I know you never forget a thing I say and I did say I would prefer the Cardinals in the first round of the playoffs. Nothing that has happened over the last few weeks has changed my mind on that.

I know you need to be careful what you wish for and I am. Those on the Cardinals’ side probably feel like this is the best match-up they could have to start the defense of their NFC title. Talk about a lot of intrigue for a wildcard playoff game. You’ve got to love the NFL.

My gut feeling is the Packers have the confidence that it doesn’t matter who they are playing in the first round of the playoffs, they will be fired up. If we do indeed get it done, that feeling is not guaranteed next week no matter who we play. I’m not afraid to admit I don’t want to face the Vikings in the playoffs if we don’t have to. Not that we can’t beat them, but like Vikings’ fans who for sure don’t want round three, I don’t want to experience the agony of that defeat.

The Packers will know where they are going when they take the field Sunday. I wonder what kind of affect that will have on the team. Do they want the Vikings, which I think in their heart of hearts, they do, or do they want to go to New Orleans? Whisenhunt said last week his team was affected by the outcome of the Vikings’ game and the Cardinals played like it. Hopefully the thought of a trip to Minnesota would bring out the best in the Packers. I’m more worried about the team being disappointed if they have to go to New Orleans.

Good stuff Maynard!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 6th, 2010 at 10:51 pm and is filed under Al Davis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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  • Reid

    “I’m not saying they’re great, but they can play great and are at home.”. P_B: that’s what scares me about AZ, they can play great. They seem to do that only when they want to. It scares me for tomorrow and, at the same time, this is the type of team/player I can’t stand. The type that only plays their hardest when they feel like it. Guess that’s why Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Lawrence Taylor, Albert Pujols, etc will always be revered as the greatest ever. They “brought it” every single play in every single game, no matter what the score or who they were playing. Loafers make me sick.

  • packer_bob

    I feel ya Reid.

    I’m not exactly an ardent follower of the NFC West, so I haven’t seen enough of them, last year or this one, to know if the loafer tag applies or they just have a problem being consistent. I have heard Darnell Dockett be accused of only playing hard when he wants to, but as a team, dunno.

    Look at our Jeckyl and Hyde season, 1st half compared to 2nd. Obviously there are several ingredients to the broth that came together to add up to the 2nd half, but I never felt we were slacking or not giving effort the 1st half. Couldn’t tell you what it is about the Cardinals that makes them so week to week.

    But regardless, the point is the same: They are dangerous and shouldn’t be looked past.

  • Reid

    A team like the ’09 Cardinals who is up and down to the point where you don’t know what you’re gonna get each week is different that the ’09 Packers slow start and learn to play together in the system and build up momentum. I never thought the Packers were loafing, we just sucked at a few key aspects of football and finally learned how to execute. The Cardinals do it sometimes and don’t do it others, not in any particular order – seems like effort and concentration to me (ie, loafing mentally and/or physically).

  • Reid

    They won’t loaf Sunday, we better be ready.

  • Pack4life

    Please do your duty as a Packer backer and vote for Clay Matthews for rookie of the year. NFL.com stuff the ballot box vote early and often

  • roy jamison

    I don’t personally like the emphasis on players’ injuries. If we had a wideout hurt, so what?…you still have to make do and play the game. I’m sure the Cardinals will come out firing with Warner looking to exploit any weakness he can find, especially if he sees Bush frollicking around and can get a one on one with him. I think we can run Grant and make yards along with mixing the third down throws to either Jackson or Green. Pack4life thanks for the reminder to vote for Matthews!

  • packer_bob

    Voted–thanks for the reminder.

  • Rocky70

    Al
    I’ve visited those 3 sites more than once prior to & after the Viking games ……… You really get the pulse of the fan by reading a few specific team forums ………. Purplepride is moderated very little, not for the feint of heart …….. viking_bob is a big-time poster there ……. Umm …. that’s kinda weird………

    DA
    Stick to your guns ……… You may not be completely vindicated this season but it’ll happen soon enough ………… Every point you made is valid ………… Throw in Haynesworth, Igor & many others ……….. Looks like free agency was an overall bust for everyone …………. Nice to have a GM with a little foresight ………. Matthews, Jones, Johnson, Lang & BJ ………… Need I say more.

  • Rocky70

    Per LT

    ” Nitschke-Davis, Starr-Dowler/Dale and White-Dotson, Favre-Freeman/Beebe; Super Bowl. Woodson-Matthews-Jenkins, Rodgers-Driver/Jennings and ????
    This is not a bad lineup guys! ”

    Throw in what maybe the key – Finley ………… IMO, MM has big plans for him on Sunday …………… The national audience is going to say “Who the hell is that?” ………..

  • packer_bob

    I stand corrected. It wasn’t “Caddyshack” after all.

    40 seconds in Rocky. Just substitute the name Rocky for Howard.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0yKvi5CYWM&feature=related

  • Rocky70

    Clay Matthews makes it to the Pro Bowl

    ” Joining Dolphins tackle Jake Long as a guy who won’t be playing in the league’s annual all-star game is Bears linebacker Lance Briggs.
    Replacing Briggs will be Packers linebacker Clay Matthews.
    Matthews is the first Packers rookie to make it to the Pro Bowl since receiver James Lofton in 1978. “

  • Sammy

    p_b,

    I have been saying for weeks that Rocky is a fair weathered fan. Leaving when the going gets tough…..Will be here in AZ for the game……..the local coverage is quite pathetic but it is starting to warm up………ooops………I am doing the Rocky……….period……thing……GO PACK!

  • Pete H

    All in all AL I agree. As a pure Packer fan I don’t want anything to do with Minn., but the football fan in me would love that intrigue. As for the Cards, they were in a no win situation. If they play hard and win, they were supposed to, but if they play hard and lose, well then the shit hits the fan. Not to mention the injury risk factor. He has an injury prone team. MM also had to do what he did. You don’t take the foot off the gas with these guys. I really don’t worry about what the Cardinals can do, its about if the Pack don’t beat themselves. After that up and down the field preseason, they came out flat as can be against the Bears. They cannot have that happen again. Full @$$ing throttle baby!

  • Steve Cheez

    If we keep the pressure on Warner, something good happens if one of their five linemen blows an assignment.

    If we play back in coverage, something bad happens if one of our eight cover guys blows it.

    I gotta say, I much prefer our chances bringing the heat all day long.

  • packer_bob

    In principle, I agree Steve. I did read a stat though where Warner has a very high QB rating when being blitzed, one of the highest in the league. (AR was even better if I remember right.)

    Just something to think about. I’m sure we’ll mix it up to try to keep them off balance and out of rhythm. Sure would be great to see Woodson wreaking havoc like he did blitzing in the first half of that pre-season game, though!

  • http://jlworden1suddenlink.net LarryTex

    Rocky, I couldn’t use Finley in the comparison because the 1-10-1ers didn’t have a TE. Closest to it was Knafelc who was more of what we would call today a split end. Kramer, who was a contributing blocker in the “Packer sweep” did have speed and hands but replaced GK the next year when Lombardi came in.
    Wouldn’t be a fair comparison anyway because I think Finley can be “all world”, but will never block like Kramer did. Hell, its just my opinion. Gotta keep these guys together for a few years, if possible.
    Re Finley; I think he is the next Gonzalez, Gates, Whitten, Shockey, etc. Could be best we’ve had since Kramer. I know he gave A&M fits, and he seems to have become a team player rather than the prima donna he thought he was when he came up.

  • packer_bob

    Lord, I just read the article about Kapinos, and it mentioned Crosby too. I think we’re all aware about Crosby’s struggles, but Kapinos’ numbers look pretty shitty too.

    Funny how I didn’t notice it that much this year as compared to Frosty the Puntman’s woes last season. (Props to whomever started calling him that–I’m borrowing it.) Losing magnifies all those ills, winning covers them up.

    Special teams count for alot, and can really be the difference when you have good teams playing each other. Hopefully we have a good run with them in the playoffs.

  • packer_bob

    Great to hear about Woodson’s impassioned speech to the team on Friday. He has to get mad respect from the younger players.

    You wouldn’t think anybody would have to do any pep talks for a playoff game, but teams need leaders to set the tone and we sure have one in Woodson.

  • http://jlworden1suddenlink.net LarryTex

    I find it interesting that the Pack leads Cards in every O and D category but penalties and sacks. My observation is this: First, our division is tougher and we played the tougher schedule even though they were in the big one last year. They beat MIN but lost to SF twice, go figure. Second, they are hurting more at their skill slots and DBs even with our loss of Harris. We’ve long ago adjusted to that. I worry more about Woodson than Bush if only because we expect, and depend, so much on Woody and he is really hurting with both shoulders and feet.
    If our receivers hang onto the ball I don’t see Warner able to keep up with Arod. I don’t see their smaller DL penetrating our OL and we can blitz and still cover Fitz.
    Lastly, I have a feeling that we are going to rush the hell out of them with Grant, Green, and Jackson. They will have more trouble w/ Finley than we will with Fitzgerald. So there!
    What does all this mean put together – as usual, probably nothing, but I will enjoy the game nevertheless win or lose. This season has been a success.

  • Rocky70

    Congrats to Peyton Manning for winning his NFL record setting 4th MVP …….. No support for AR but at least the voters stuck to legitimacy & didn’t cast any sentimental votes (except one die-hard BW) …………

    Per Sammy

    ” Leaving when the going gets tough. ”

    Leaving ? ………. Where would I go? ……….. PackerNet is a good place to be but it’s not the entire world ………… PB & Sammy – 2nd coming of Abbott & Costello ….. LOL.

    LT …….. You mentioned Jim Ringo ……. 10 time Pro-Bowler & in the HOF ……. Amazingly he played center at 211 pounds ……….. Helped lead some of the greatest sweeps by Taylor/Hornung not seen in the NFL anymore …… How times have changed. ………. Both players & fans.

  • packer_bob

    Yeah….Rocky…..Riiiight.

    The timing…….is not…….suspicious…….at……..all.

    Manning WAS the sentimental vote. They won games this year where Manning threw multiple picks, but the media will genuflect all over him. Not that he’s not great, but if he wasn’t already “Peyton Manning” I doubt he would have won.

    Drew Brees would have been my vote, for what it’s worth. And the idea that it was 39.5 Manning to 7.5 Brees is flat out ridiculous.

  • Rocky70

    PB

    Actually, I agree with you ……….. My favorite was also Brees ……… But if Brees didn’t win it, it had to be Manning ………….. Manning won 14 games with a rushing attack rated last in the NFL & a slew of injured receivers all year ………. Plus, his commercials are the best …………. Much better than those old & tired Wrangler commercials. …………

  • http://jlworden1suddenlink.net LarryTex

    Rocky, try this. Ringo replaced by Ken Bowman at 230, and now Wells is too small at 300. What a game, and these guys can run too.
    I think you’re both wrong and risking Al’s wrath, Brett did more with less.

  • packer_bob

    Hokity smokity, we agree on something!

    Manning wins the commercial wars by sheer volume, although many of them are pretty good.

    And again, obviously Manning is great. I’m just saying this one probably has as much to do with the name he’s got as much as actual on the field accomplishment. Brees receives a pitiful amount of votes despite the better rating, no votes for AR or (I’m assuming) Rivers despite the hot streaks both were a big part of.

    Actually, when does the voting on this award take place? Maybe it’s logistically impossible, but like with the Pro Bowl it seems the timing of the vote leaves out the last quarter or so of the season.

  • packer_bob

    LT

    I didn’t even make the case for you know who. Frankly I would rather have seen Brees get his first than re-reward either PM or BF, both of whom probably would have said “That’s nice.”

    Plus you could make a legitimate case for probably 4 or 5 guys, so in a close call let’s spread it around a little bit.

  • packer_bob

    LT,

    Remember the Hogs of the early 80′s Redskins? They were considered a big line back then and I’m guessing they averaged 260? It is a much different era, no doubt.

  • http://jlworden1suddenlink.net LarryTex

    True, p_b, but I always look at that award in the light of where would the team be w/o that individual. Brees would be over Manning, I think, in that regard, but I know a couple of losses we got that would not have happened w/ Travaris Jackson at the helm. Gee, for that matter look at Rivers and where would the Chargers be w/o him.
    We sure could debate this all week-end.

  • packer_bob

    Yes, as I said there probably are 5 or 6 candidates you could make a strong case for.

    Really wondering when the voting for these awards takes place. Some guys finished the season strong, like PR, AR, BF or even Chris Johnson, while DB and PM essentially played a 14 game schedule.

    Personally I wish they wouldn’t even start taking the votes until after the full season is over. My druthers would be after the playoffs, but then post season play might influence voting on regular season accomlishment.

    There’s never a perfect way, I suppose.

  • roy jamison

    Geez I thought the Nobel Peace prize winner could come up with somethin’ well…more profound….I see that the Pack and Pickett are working on a deal which is a good thing. Let’s hope the D shuts down the Cards offense tomorrow and we can look forward to next week.

  • Dan

    Would have liked to see Brees get the MVP, just to have someone different get the award. Hard to argue with a Manning knowing he runs a no huddle calling his own plays most of the game.

    It’s good to see Rodgers in his second year starting already being mentioned with these guys. I see a bright future for Rodgers now that he has the TE threat that most great QBs have these days. Good WRs, good TE, good RB, just need some youth at the tackles position to complete the tool belt.

  • packer_bob

    Profundity would undercut the entire “less is more” lynchpin of my candidacy, Roy. Seeing as the current gold standard for the award is talking to set the tone, not actually doing anything, obvious and inane statements are clearly the way to go.

    In addition to my stance on the NFL MVP award, I can summarize the rest of my candidacy as follows:

    I’m AGAINST: world hunger, war, terrorism, unemployment, poverty, murder, rape and greedy big business, not necessarily in that order. My opponents favor these things.

    I’m FOR: education, jobs, world peace, harmony with the environment, a chicken in every pot, babies, flowers and all the small animals of the world that are cute, like puppies and bunnies. My opponents are against all of the above, and in the case of the babies and small cute animals, actually favor their misteatment for their own personal amusement. (Warped bastards.)

    Getting back to football, it’s very important to score more points than your opponents over the course of the game. Everything else is just details.

    Remember my slogan:

    “Packer_Bob—-He does less thinking all day than most people do by 9 am.”

  • Rocky70

    From Charles Woodson during the pre-season …….. Interesting.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSR_LN8vRTk&feature=player_embedded

  • packer_bob

    Saw that for the first time the other day, Rocky, at the end of this excellent piece on Woodson’s defensive season:

    http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8158c4fd&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

    Gotta like the sentiment!

  • Pete H

    completely off topic, but this whole G-Force crap is the gayest thing there is. since when do Packer fans need some kind of commercially given name. Please, for the love of God, help stop this….its just humiliating

  • Sammy

    Petey H,

    you should have been there. Fox bar was rockin’ (according to a friend of mine) 75 degrees and the love of the Packer community and union. Any Packer party is a party you need to be a part of if possible………unless………Rocky……….is…..there.

    Here it comes…..Packers 38 Cards 34. Have fun bitches.

  • jonnyfootballhero

    I was just checking out the G-Force (it is a dumb name) pep rally pics. While I think it’s really cool that Packer fans are everywhere and fiercely support their team wherever the Packers are playing, it really gets under my skin that people still wear no. 4 jerseys when showing said support. It’s no secret that I have no anomocity for the guy. I could care less that he plays for another team, even a division rival. But it really pisses me off when people still wear a no. 4 jersey when showing support for the team, because said player is no longer on the team and is now a divisional rival!! Really, how much does a new (non-replica) no. 12 jersey cost?? If you got enough cash to fly to AZ and attend the game, spend a couple more dollars and show your support for the current players on the roster!!

  • Pete H

    I’ll give you that Johnny. And Sammy, yes any Packer fan party is one to be attended, but I just can’t stand the idea of Packer fans needing to bring attention on themselves with some dumbass name…..it screams gimmick. For one, we already know that we are the greatest and most football savvy that there are, who cares if anyone else knows it. For two, we’re cheeseheads……

  • http://jlworden1suddenlink.net LarryTex

    Oh, C’mon guys, lighten up. While a bit “Cheezy”, G-force was dreamed up by the Marketing guys and they organized the party. While I’ll admit the name thing could have been better, what a great idea for the get together itself. You watch, they other teams will copy.

  • Sammy

    JonnyFBHero

    16 years as a family member, those jerseys are expensive, and we all will welcome him back when we retire the jersey and feel pride when he is going into the HOF. The reason people are so passionate, is they loved this guy so much.

    I did not hear this stuff when Reggie retired and un-retired to play with the Panthers. Not too many tears when James Lofton left. Sharper, Mckenzie, etc., Hell Lombardi went somewhere else after the Packers….what a traitor…not!

    All the haters will revise their history whe HE finally retires. Until then, my #4 jersey stll fits like a glove and looks good….HOWEVER, I do see your point. Enjoy the game today.

  • Pete H

    agree with ya Sammy. I’ll slam the guy night and frickin day while he is in sally purple, but when the time comes, he’s our guy………..when the time comes……..on another note…..how does Rodgers not get a single mvp vote? kiddin me……yes Larry its a great idea…how about using cheeseheads…G force is just plain awful…I mean you got the dog pound in Cleve., the 12th man in Seatt., etc G Force? makes me throw up a little every time I see it

  • iccyfan

    Pete H Says: “G force is just plain awful…I mean you got the dog pound in Cleve., the 12th man in Seatt., etc G Force? makes me throw up a little every time I see it”

    I had a hard time wrapping my mind around LT’s post as I envisioned grown men sitting around a conference table coming up with “G Force”. Then I read this:

    “We feel like we’ve really established the G-Force environment at home games and that it has been well received,” Kandi Goltz, the Packers game and fan development manager, said.

    Lombardi would never have hired a marketing hack named Kandi…. :)

  • Kevin

    Time to get off gay G-force shit and talk about the picks to click today! I got Rodgers and Finley!!! Let’s go Pack!!!

  • http://jlworden1suddenlink.net LarryTex

    Sammy, Pete H, I’ll tell you why – altho, here we go again Al.
    The Sapp(his buddy) hit on Cliffy, not a word. Mild mannered Starr once told Bill George to go F himself after a dirty hit. Help Arod, “not my job”, compared to Pickett/Raji relationship. Separate (from the TEAM) locker facilities, partially Sherman’s fault. 29 me-me-me INTs. Need I go on?
    Read this quick guys because its destined to be removed…….?

  • packer_bob

    While obviously every fan has a right to decided for themselves, I personally wouldn’t wear a number 4 jersey while he’s playing for a division rival. Time to shelve them till he retires for good, then re-claim it as a throwback, imo.

    G-Force is so flaming gay my computer monitor burst into flames when I clicked on the pictures. Plus all it does is reming me of this:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gforceposter2.jpg

    Just what I needed, to think of talking guinea pigs every time I hear it. We’ve gotten along since what, 1919, without needing any of these artificial marketing names, why do we need it now? The great thing about the creation of the foam Cheesehead is it came into vogue organically, as one man’s response to embrace a derisive nickname.

  • packer_bob
  • packer_bob

    Awww, screw it then, I’m talking about the gay Disney movie with the talking guinea pigs from last Sunday.

    BTW, I’m only objecting to the name. The party looked like alot of fun and Packer fans turned out in droves, as they always do. I love the idea of the pep rally type of get together to show support for the team, especially on the road. Just wished they would have called it something else.

  • http://jlworden1suddenlink.net LarryTex

    Meanwhile—–back in the NFL, this game sure looks even up to me. As long as we’ve got Mo going for us, who knows how far we can go? One thing has me convinced, however, and that is MM/TT will never get the respect due for their rebuild that St. Vincent and Holmgren/Wolf did. Its simple; VTL came in after 10 years of horrible football, and H/W 20.
    The worse that I remember Lombardi being called is “The Old Man” – he was, 45 in his first NFL HC job. Holmgren, “Walrus”. Nothing like McLardo or McLard Ass and The Albino Barn Owl. Very insulting to the leaders of your favorite team, I’d say.
    Like I’ve always said, it takes some real adversity to really appreciate what you have.
    Emotion aside, I like the Pack in this one because I don’t think the ARI D is good enough to stop our O.

  • Steve Cheez

    Kinda reminds me of the 70s when some knucklehead came up with the name Gang Green for the D-Line. Although I gotta admit, even though that one is dumb, G-Force is way gayer.

    Anyone remember the “Battle of the Planets” cartoon? I used to watch that when I got home from school. Anyway, it was these four sexually ambiguous astronauts who called themselves G-Force.

    OK, I’m rambling, time to go walk my dogs before I settle in for 6 more hours of football.

  • Steve Cheez

    Next week- Cowgirls and Viqueens. Geez, who do you root against? I know, it’s gotta be the Queens, but putting my not inconsiderable weight and influence behind Dallas really hurts.

  • Steve Cheez

    BTW, wearing my 66 jersey today. I defy anybody to find fault with that.

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