Warner Plans to Play vs. Titans

Despite suffering a concussion on the field last week, QB Kurt Warner plans to suit up and play tomorrow when the Cardinals take on the 4-6 Tennessee Titans.

“From what they told me I tested better than I did four years ago so I’m just getting smarter with age,” Warner joked after practice on Wednesday.

The Cardinals put Warner through the full battery of tests, especially with the league’s increased focus on concussions lately, but he managed to clear the litany of procedures.

“I was out there, went through all my normal reps so that is definitely the plan moving forward,” Warner said. “We’re sure going to be cautious and make sure day by day nothing transpires, nothing gets worse, but right now that’s my plan.”

By his own count, this is his fifth concussion, and he did consider his life past football when deciding whether or not to play this weekend, given his family life.

“I know as a player that’s getting toward the end of their career, you think beyond football,” Warner said. “You’re thinking from a bigger picture than I know I did 12 years ago and that a lot of players do or did before all this stuff is coming out.”

Time will tell if Warner actually suits up tomorrow (as Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, who also suffered a concussion last week, originally planned on playing but has since likely been ruled out of tomorrow’s contest).

Sunday, November 29, 2009 at 12:11 am by bryan

Cardinals get past Rams, 21-13

The Arizona Cardinals jumped out to an early lead and held on for a 21-13 victory over the St. Louis Rams.

The Cardinals ran out to a big lead until quarterback Kurt Warner suffered a head injury and removed himself from the game.

The result was Matt Leinart coming in and simply trying to avoid mistakes to cost the team the game.

Leinart did well to avoid any costly mistakes, but he showed absolutely nothing to inspire confidence in him as a future starting quarterback.

The Cardinals appear to be the class of the NFC West as the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers fade into the distance.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009 at 6:35 pm by steve

Cards Rally Behind Vet, Rookie; Beat Seahawks 31-20

The Arizona Cardinals kept their winning ways rolling with a little help from a rookie running back and their 38-year-old quarterback, as they rallied in the second half to beat the Seattle Seahawks, 31-20 on Sunday.

QB Kurt Warner guided the comeback with surgical-like precision, finishing 29-for-38 for 340 yards and two touchdowns, a 28-yard pass to WR Steve Breaston and an 18-yarder to WR Larry Fitzgerald.

But the real story of the day might have been rookie running back Chris “Beanie” Wells, who notched a career-best 85 yards on 16 carries and caught two passes for 32 yards. He had a 29-yard run in the fourth quarter that set up the Cardinals’ final touchdown.

“I think we all see why we drafted him where we did,” Warner said, “and what he brings to the table and the power and the strength and explosion that he brings to an offense.”

The day didn’t start so pleasantly for the Cardinals, as the Seahawks came out of the gates firing, opening up a 10-point lead just before halftime. But Warner guided the Cardinals down the field in a little more than a minute, and Neil Rackers punched through a field goal right before halftime to make the score 17-10.

The Cards opened up their offense in the second half, outscoring the Seahawks 21-10 the rest of the way.

“What we learned from the coaching staff and the veterans around here is not to give up,” Wells said, “just to keep on truckin’.”

“We had a number of mistakes but we’re an improving football team and we have guys that are stepping up and making plays,” Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said, “and that’s all you can ask for.”

Monday, November 16, 2009 at 11:17 pm by bryan

Cardinals rally past Seahawks, 32-20

The Arizona Cardinals fell behind by two touchdowns but woke up in time for a 32-20 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

Usually, such a start would be an ominous sign for the remarkably inconsistent Cardinals, but they rallied back for a big win.

The defense really stepped it up in the second half, forcing two interceptions and holding the Seahawks to just a field goal.

Quarterback Kurt Warner tossed a few touchdown passes, including one to wide receiver Steve Breaston.

Running back Beanie Wells found the end zone, which could be a positive sign for what has been a sluggish ground game.

at 6:28 pm by steve

Cardinals trounce Bears, 41-20

The Arizona Cardinals got off to a fast start and never looked back in a 41-20 pounding of the Chicago Bears.

After starting out so slow last week against the Carolina Panthers, Arizona made sure that wasn’t an issue against the Bears.

The Cardinals quickly threw up four touchdowns on the scoreboard to take a commanding 28-7 lead on the road.

It was a monster day for quarterback Kurt Warner, who threw for over 250 yards and five touchdowns.

Two of those touchdowns went to wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who topped the 100-yard receiving mark.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 2:25 pm by steve

Whisenhunt Unfazed By Boldin’s Critical Comments

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt appeared unsurprised and unfazed on Monday by critical comments made by WR Anquan Boldin after Sunday’s 41-21 victory over the Chicago Bears.

Boldin, who was hobbled by an ankle injury that he aggravated last week against the Panthers, warmed up for the game on Sunday against the Bears, but when he came back to his locker, he found that all of his gear had been removed.

“Nobody was man enough to come and tell me what was the situation,” Boldin said.

“If I had made the decision, I would have been playing,” Boldin said. “When I came back in, all of my stuff was out of my locker, so I didn’t make the decision. I know I was [ready]. It wasn’t the field or anything like that. That’s the best I’ve felt in three weeks.”

Whisenhunt did not directly respond to Boldin’s comments, but he instead commented on how he liked the must-play attitude that Boldin brought to the table.

“In fact, that is kind of what you like to see because he wants to play,” Whisenhunt said. “I think we all know how tough and how competitive Anquan is. The fact that he was upset that he didn’t play is what you would expect. I certainly have no issues with that whatsoever.”

For the record, Whisenhunt did speak after the game and address why he didn’t play Boldin.

“The field was thick and loose, and the footing on it wasn’t great,” the coach said. “We’ve seen guys slipping and falling in other games, and I was afraid he could easily turn his ankle on that field coming out of a break.”

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 7:28 pm by bryan

Cardinals Roll by Bears With Warner’s Five TDs, 41-21

On Sunday, Kurt Warner partied on the football field like it was 1999.

Warner reminded everyone why he was the orchestrator of the “Greatest Show on Turf” back with the St. Louis Rams at the turn of the millennium, as he masterfully carved apart the Bears’ defense with five TD throws in the Cardinals’ 41-21 win over the Bears on Sunday.

A week after a pitiful five-interception performance against the Carolina Panthers, Warner turned back the hands on Father Time for a week, as he completely dissected the Bears’ defense. He finished 22-of-32 for 261 yards and five touchdowns, two of which to WR Larry Fitzgerald.

“So much of this business is how you respond and how you come back,” Warner said. “I always want my teammates to know that I’m going to be there every week battling with them. And if I have a bad week, hopefully they can pick me up. If not, I’ll try to do my best the next.”

Warner’s job was made a bit easier by two losses to the Chicago defense – cornerback Charles Tillman left in the second quarter with an apparent shoulder injury (although, even before he left, he was being manhandled by Fitzgerald), and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Tommie Harris was ejected during the Cardinals’ first drive after he punched offensive guard Deuce Lutui in the head as they were on the ground.

“Kurt played just phenomenal again,” said Fitzgerald. “He was making the right reads and getting the ball to the guys who were open. When we’re clicking like that, it’s hard to stop us.” Fitzgerald finished with nine catches for 123 yards and the two aforementioned touchdowns.

The Cardinals offense accrued 438 yards against the Bears, including 77 rushing yards by RB Tim Hightower and 72 yards by rookie RB Beanie Wells.

The Cardinals moved to 5-3 on the season with the win, leaving them a full two games ahead of the rest of the teams in the NFC West.

at 7:27 pm by bryan

Cardinals stunned by Panthers, 34-21

The Arizona Cardinals pulled one of the biggest surprises of the season in their 34-21 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

After stunning the Giants last week, hosting Carolina seemed like a dream matchup for the Cardinals.

The Cardinals steamrolled the Panthers last year in the playoffs, forcing Jake Delhomme into six turnovers.

Sunday, the tables were turned. This time, veteran quarterback Kurt Warner was under scrutiny for his six turnovers.

The Cardinals found themselves down 28-7 in the second half and could never fully recover, leaving fans to ponder how good their team really is.

Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 8:04 am by steve

WR Boldin, DT Dockett miss practice

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin and defensive tackle Darnell Dockett both missed practice today due to nagging injuries. Boldin has been bothered by a sprained right ankle he suffered on Sunday against Carolina, while Dockett is nursing a sore neck and ankle.

Both said they expect to play against Chicago this coming Sunday, and both will certainly be needed if the Cardinals are to bounce back from a deflating loss to the Panthers. Arizona was pushed around in a stunning loss coming on the heels of an impressive victory over the New York Giants two weeks ago.

The Cardinals are deeper at wide receiver than on their defensive line, with Steve Breaston and Jeremy Urban capable of filling the void. But Dockett anchors a unit that is stout against the run (with the exception of last week), and against a Bears team that is sure to pound the football because of both the Panthers’ success and the bitter-cold weather, Dockett’s absence would be a big one.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 8:24 pm by Raj Sethi

Panthers Run Over Cardinals, Literally

With the Cardinals feeling great after a 24-17 upset over the NY Giants last week, they returned home to face the 2-4 Carolina Panthers, a team they dissected in the playoffs last year when they forced Jake Delhomme into throwing five interceptions.

The Panthers turned the tables on the Cards on Sunday, forcing QB Kurt Warner into five interceptions and a fumble in a 34-21 victory over the Cards.

Warner was harassed all day by the Panthers pass rush, finishing 27 of 46 for 242 yards and two touchdowns. Yet he threw five picks, including one to Julius Peppers that was returned for a touchdown to make the game 28-7. Two of his five INTs were tipped.

“It just seemed like every time the ball was bouncing somewhere, it went into their hands,” Warner said. “It’s to their credit. They were hustling. They were running all over the football field.”

Each team marched down the field and scored on their opening drive, with their contrasting styles of offense on full display. The Cardinals put the ball in the hands of Warner and let him go to work, while the Panthers wanted to test the Cardinals No. 1 ranked rush defense with the tandem of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.

Consider Williams and Stewart the victors. The two tallied up over 250 yards of rushing and two touchdowns for Stewart, smashing the Cardinals D and taking the ball out of the turnover-prone hands of Panthers QB Jake Delhomme. Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Warner was having a Delhomme-esque day of his own.

“It’s very disappointing that we aren’t playing better at home right now,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “We have the same record that we were at this time last year. I still feel like we’re a better football team. We just didn’t play that way today.”

at 6:46 pm by bryan