The Cardinals survived the ultimate game of Madden last weekend against the Packers. Their offense was unstoppable as Kurt Warner completed 29 of 33 passes for 379 yards and 5 touchdowns. And all of their offensive production was without All-Pro receiver Anquan Boldin. So when one analyzes the Cardinals' showdown with the New Orleans Saints on Saturday night, one cannot ignore the virtuosity and dynamic explosiveness that they will bring to the Superdome. Here's the problem: THEY CAN'T PLAY DEFENSE!!!!!!! The final score of that game last weekend was 51-45. For the entire second half, the Packers were trading touchdowns with the Cardinals on the scoreboard. Aaron Rodgers and Kurt Warner were on fire, marching their teams down the field in big ways and making their Wild Card shootout an instant classic. Ironically, it was the Cardinals defense that came up big in the overtime period with Michael Adams sacking Rodgers in the backfield and causing a fumble. Karlos Dansby would then pick up the ball and return it to the house, sending the Cardinals on their way to the Big Easy. Yet Rodgers would finish with 422 yards and 4 touchdowns as he absolutely ripped apart the Cardinals secondary for big play after big play after big play. The Packers had a prime opportunity to win the game on the first play in overtime. But Aaron Rodgers ended up overthrowing James Jones by a few yards deep over the middle of the field. Little did Rodgers know that such an incompletion would lead to a terrible missed opportunity, especially when Cardinals kicker Neil Rackers almost choked himself to death after missing a chip-shot field goal at the end of regulation. It was a game that belonged to the Packers and one that the Cardinals certainly deserved to lose. Yet here the Cardinals stand on the eve of the Divisional Playoffs, ready to do battle with the most prolific offense in the entire NFL.
The Saints' offense has to feel extremely confident going into this football game. They saw what Rodgers did to that Cardinals secondary and they know Drew Brees can put up the same kind of statistics. Their receiving core features some of the best playmakers in the NFL. Marques Colston has emerged as a burdening sensation and will have a distinct height advantage going up against that Cardinals secondary. He will be able to snatch balls out of the air and away from the grasp of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, ultimately playing an instrumental part in moving his offense down the field. But also look for Brees to spread the ball around in this game, connecting with Lance Moore and Devery Henderson in the slot and along the sidelines. They know that the Cardinals secondary was exposed last week. And lord knows that Sean Payton and Pete Carmichael Jr. have been showing film all week about how relentless the Packers were in throwing the ball and how they constantly attacked the heart of that Cardinals secondary. It's very simple: if Drew Brees is able to establish his rhythm in the pocket, then we are most likely going to see another Madden-esque shootout. Brees is a much better quarterback than Aaron Rodgers and is surrounded by a better core of players. If he is able to stand around in the pocket all day long, then the Cardinals will be suffering from deja vu and will be forced to fight an uphill battle in a very hostile environment.
There are many experts out there who don't believe in the concept of home-field advantage. But don't tell me that those passionate Saints fans won't play an integral part in the outcome of this game. It will be deafening in the Superdome on Saturday night, which will force the Cardinals to operate on silent counts. It has been said that the hardest place to win in the NFL is the Superdome. Granted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to go in and steal one from the Saints in the final weeks of the season. But these are the playoffs. So much is on the line for a Saints team that has come very far this season and were three games away from going undefeated. Here's what will be very interesting for Brees and company. The Cardinals play a 3-4 defense and are certainly capable of generating a pass rush against Brees. The last time the Saints took on a 3-4 defense, it was against the Dallas Cowboys and they ended up losing that game 24-17. Their offensive line broke down against the pass rush of DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer, which resulted in the disruption of Brees' rhythm and led to an uncharacteristically inept performance from the Saints. The Saints have had to hear for over a month about how they are extremely vulnerable and susceptible to an upset at home. As an NFL fan who watched their progressive downfall towards the end of the season, I am also apt to feeling skeptical about how the Saints will respond in the playoffs. But I expect their offensive line to solve their protection woes against the Cardinals on Saturday. I expect Brees to have enough time in the pocket to matriculate the ball down the field in a big way. But if the Cardinals are able to get to Brees, then the pressure will be on Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush to find enough seams in the running game to sustain a heavy drive. And if it comes down to that, then there could be an upset brewing down in the Deep South.
How will the Saints defense attempt to neutralize Kurt Warner and that powerful Cardinals passing attack? Praying for a miracle may be the only answer. The Cardinals have an extraordinary depth to their receiving core, which worked wonders last week without Anquan Boldin. There is no reason to think why it won't show up again this week against the New Orleans Saints. The Saints finished the season ranked 26th in the NFL in pass defense, which means they will certainly have their hands full containing Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston. The matchup of the night may involve Breaston and Tracy Porter. Porter will need to be very aggressive with Breaston at the line of scrimmage because everyone knows the Saints will commit an extra safety to stopping Fitzgerald. Warner was very successful last week in rotating the ball to Breaston, Early Doucet, and Ben Patrick. Expect to see more of that this week to compensate for the loss of Boldin. But the Cardinals will not just be aiming to pass the ball this week against the Saints. They will want to establish the run with Beanie Wells so as to curtail the focus away from Warner and give themselves enough balance offensively to put the ball in the end zone. Since the Saints were ranked 21st in stopping the run, I'd say the Cardinals have a decent opportunity to make some noise early in this football game. If the rumors are true, then Kurt Warner is treating every single postseason game as if it were his swan song. Another Super Bowl title will not only assure him of a spot in the Hall of Fame, but will also elevate his legacy to one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game. Expect another tremendous performance from Warner against an inconsistent Saints secondary. But the heavy burden will be on the Cardinals defense to take Brees out of the game and keep the Saints out of the end zone.
The Cardinals have enough offensive talent to keep up with the Saints in this game. And their defense certainly has the capability of breaking down the offensive line and getting to Brees very often. But after giving up 493 total yards to the Packers last weekend, how confident can the Cardinals honestly be on the defensive side of the ball? They must have watched the film disgusted at themselves for how pitiful they played. Even though they forced the game-winning turnover from Rodgers, they know how lucky they were last weekend. And in order to make a statement in this game, they will need to make plays from the very beginning. Darnell Dockett, Bryan Robinson, and Calais Campbell will need to dominate the line of scrimmage, using the 3-4 to their advantage to get enough pressure on Brees. They know that is the key to winning the game because they know Brees can hurt them with the deep ball. Brees will make his share of plays, but can the Cardinals ruin his composure and force enough errant throws to halt drives and create turnovers? I'm not sure that they can. The Cardinals will most likely be missing Gerald Hayes at linebacker for this game, which is a vital ingredient to the success of their run defense. Pierre Thomas will have a terrific game running between the tackles and the Cardinals will have contain problems all day long. Brees will have enough time to make plays down the field and put the Saints on the board early. And even though Warner and the Cardinals will hang tough until the very end, the Saints defense will come up big in the final moments and catapult their team to an appearance in the NFC Championship Game.
FINAL SCORE: SAINTS 35, CARDINALS 30
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