ProFootballCentral.com

By PFC Cardinals Writer Kelley Smelser

Although we a walk through the valley of the shadow of death we fear no evil caused we’ve battled every evil in the valley. Every moment is most important and every penny spent is a penny yearned. We take nothing for granted and are eternally grateful for the smallest of blessings, were faithful, were loyal an unmovable, unbreakable force. We are never the loser, the battles not finished! WE will trudge on. We’re proven beyond the shadow of a doubt. Other team’s fans can never feel the elation a Cardinal fan feels over a nice play, a first down, a touchdown, a regular season win, a midseason chance at the playoffs, a playoff appearance, a playoff win, our cherished championship and our cursed!

I don’t expect ESPN, Tony the dung beetle or any professional sports fans in the world to understand what Arizona Cardinal Football Fans have branded in our souls. It’s unimaginable by anybody that has not clenched defeat from the jaws of victory 100’s of games, woke up from dreams to nightmarish realities, been the dung that turd tumblers have rolled into over a century of infamous lore, We are strong! God forges his finest metals from the forge of adversity and baby, were proven. Lesser fans have vaporized into thin air, by mere shadows of what we have experienced and endured, every game, every season, every decade and only for the oldest professional football team in existence, every century. We laugh in the face of demons, we own them and they are all small turds in a world of crap!

Every year I hear folks whining about preseason. It puts the best product on the field opening day league wide. Sometimes what you do not see is more important than what you did see. Starting with ESPN Monday Night Football, Tony makes me stupider for listening and watching the game. I miss the old style MNF crews. Just when did screaming out horse crap take over the airways anyway? It takes away from the game to me. The Game is secondary to Tony and the producers at ESPN. I DO NOT PARDON THE INTERRUPTION! Many fans are sick of him on the Cards board, He trashes our passion, He is uniformed, dishonest and makes a living as a turd tumbling dung beetle, rolling up a negative pile of crap his entire life. Crawl inside lay your eggs and die already! Now that I got that off Cardinals fans chest lets try to find a preseason game to talk about in between the interviews, zoomed out unwatchable plays, slander and commercials.

Matt Leinart looked very good tonight. I’ve been saying all along that smart decisions and playing safe will win the job. Matt managed the game well and made some above average throws. I don’t feel like he’s going to make the big mistakes as often as Kurt does. He held onto the ball a long time a couple of times and the starting Oline did well but are still not close to potential. Matt and Kurt would start on over half the teams in the NFL. Matt’s fantastic football brain (and average NFL QB skills) is what made him a top 10 pick. If Matt started this first preseason game for most other team he would be their starter. We are blessed. Matt is a starter and if he put up 7/8 for 91 yards a quarter with no turnovers, no game management mistakes or bonehead penalties, ON HIS PART! He will be a pro bowler in the NFC in 08.

Matt does not get the credit he deserves as a 16 game NFL starter. The first game he started in the tragic MNF loss to DA Bears elite defense was a hell of a way to start a career! The 299 yard effort when the WHOLE CARDINAL TEAM was in a new offense(again) to beat the very good Seahawks at the beginning of 07 was not 2nd string. Matt can only learn and grow on the field from this point forward. Coach Whiz recently said that the reason we kept 2 Quarterbacks last year was that we didn’t have a 3rd QB worth keeping on the roster last year.

What I seen from the 2nd half of this first preseason game, ST Pierre and Morelli are not worth keeping. If Tim Rattay is still available mid season he or even Vinny are better options. Kurt Warner may still be better than Matt but as I wrote awhile ago it is Kurt’s 11 year veteran mistakes that has and will keep him on the pine. Turnovers, penalties, clock and game management negate career seasons in the NFL. These game changers are deal breakers. Once again it is what you don’t see in preseason that can make the difference.

Lyle Sendlein starting at center may be a blessing in years to come as Levi, Deuce and Lyle Sendleinart to the hall of fame develop as a unit together. Nothing against Al Johnson but Sendlein seems stronger and a whole lot cheaper in today’s salary cap driven NFL. Wells is still athletic enough at guard to offer great versatility in a power or zone blocking scheme. I expect a creative Power-Zone scheme in the first regular season game. Russ Grimm has something new up his sleeve and Whiz will let him do it.  Coach Whisenhunt made a hiccup talking on local radio 620 about Edge coming to him at the end of last season with Edge’s own evaluation. Whiz was excited and bought what Edge was selling but choked himself off before he disclosed too much information. 

The starting defense stunk up the place, penalties including the “new all” 15 yard facemask showed them undisciplined, fragile and stupid from the get go in preseason. That was the concentration of the team last year and appears will be again this year. Even fancy Clancy Pendergast’s base defense is not effective, I’ve heard wait until the regular season for 5 years now. Honestly he schemes brilliantly 50% of the time giving fans hope and admiration, just to have players out of position, confused and acting out the other 50% of the time.

I want to believe but he has had continuity but no consistency for 5 freaking years! Our players have the athletic talent and experience to be a top defense in a solid 3-4 or 4-3 defense, but Clancy is on the hot seat this year poop or get off the pot already.

I think Head coach Whiz should have hired a new defensive coordinator in the offseason. That is the one move that could have added wins to the schedule this year. I’m a rabid Cards fans and very much a homer, I like watching the high risk high reward defensive schemes but there is no proof in this pudding. I like watching Kurt’s high risk high reward style also but HC Whisenhunt promised a Smart, Tough and Disciplined football team and that is what Arizona expects.

We Cardinals like the Phoenix will be reborn from the ashes