| Randolph Charlotin. 15th January, 2009 - 12:58 pm
 What a bluff. The Arizona Cardinals had us all fooled.
The perceived weakest team in the playoffs before the tournament began is now one step away from reaching Super Bowl XLIII.
This is the same team that everyone said was fortunate to play in the NFC West, the weakest division in football. If they hadn't taken advantage by beating on San Francisco, Seattle, and St. Louis twice each, 'Zona wouldn't even be in the postseason.
Through two playoff games, Arizona has been dominant, playing a fashion of football no one would have expected from them. It's as if the raised intensity transformed the Cardinals from a flock of passive birds into a pit of poisonous rattlers, coiled and ready to strike.
Or, maybe the Cards held a strong poker face throughout the regular season, only to show a potent hand in the playoffs. In just two games, Arizona erased a lot of the criticism that chased them during the regular season:
Arizona can't run the ball – With weapons like receivers Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston, it makes sense to put the ball in the air. To do that, the run game suffered. 'Zona was last in rush attempts per game (21) and rushing yards per game (77).
While the run game isn't efficient, the Cards are pounding the ball. They averaged 35.5 rush attempts through two playoff games. Maybe 3.3 yards per carry isn't special, but it adds up to 115.5 yards per game, a near 40-yard increase from the regular season.
This emphasis on the run game isn't much of a surprise considering head coach Ken Whisenhunt's background. He was Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator for three years and believes in the importance of running the ball. In the playoffs, Whisenhunt has changed the team's approach of playing to the offense's strength and is now working the passing game off the relentless rushing attack.
To pull this off, Whisenhunt dusted off running back Edgerrin James and inserted him back into the starting lineup. After getting less than five carries in nine of the last 10 regular season games (including three games without a touch), Edge is fresh and making a difference with rookie Tim Hightower.
Besides wearing down the defense, the attempts force teams to respect the run, therefore opening passing lanes. With quarterback Kurt Warner throwing to his trio of 1,000-yard receivers, Arizona has the ability to gash defenses with big plays.
Arizona can't stop the run – Their defense was mediocre at stopping the run, allowing 110.2 yards per game. But the Cardinals allowed some huge rushing games down the stretch: 185 yards and two touchdowns to Philadelphia in Week 13, 239 yards by Minnesota in Week 15, and 183 yards and two scores by New England in Week 16.
Apparently, the Cards didn't enjoy being run over. Since the throttling at the hands of the Patriots, Arizona has controlled the trenches to the tune of 74 yards per game. This feat is more impressive considering they held two of the top three rushing attacks to just 67.5 yards in the playoffs.
Included in this renaissance is holding Carolina's DeAngelo Williams to 63 yards after they allowed 108 yards to him in Week 8. The Cardinals will have to do the same to Philadelphia's Brian Westbrook in the Conference Championship after he ran for 110 yards in Week 13. If the defense continues to get penetration, they could shut down Westbrook.
Arizona doesn't force turnovers – They managed just 13 interceptions and 17 fumble recoveries through the regular season. In the playoffs, 'Zona already has nine takeaways, including seven interceptions.
The best playmaker in the secondary is cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The rookie from Tennessee State is the ball-hawk the secondary lacked. He picked off four passes in the second half of the regular season as he learned on the fly and relied on pure athletic ability.
His progress continues in the playoffs as he has picked off a pass in each game, including an interception at the one-yard line that stopped a threatening Carolina drive. It preserved a Cardinals' 14-7 lead and sucked away the Panthers' momentum.
Are the differences between the regular season and playoff versions of the Cardinals real, or is it sleight of hand?
As host for the NFL Championship, Arizona doesn't have to prove they can win on the East coast. But they do have to prove they are no longer the team that was picked apart by Philly 48-20 on Thanksgiving.
To win on Sunday, the Cards might have to pull another ace from their sleeve.
To read more by Randolph Charlotin, visit his blog at http://www.newenglandpatriotsnews.com/randolphc/weblog/. He can be reached at lordrc@verizon.net. |
