This will be a three-part series in which we at OBOD examine all three phases of the Cardinals – and, maybe, shed some light on how the Green [...]]]> Since this is, oh, I don’t know, playoff week and all (65 hours and counting until kickoff!), we figured we’d take a closer look at the Arizona Cardinals.

This will be a three-part series in which we at OBOD examine all three phases of the Cardinals – and, maybe, shed some light on how the Green Bay Packers could attack those phases come Sunday.

And since the Cardinals are known for their explosive offense, that seems like a good place to start:

Quarterback

At the age of 38, Kurt Warner is still getting it done. This season, he completed just over 66 percent of his passes for 3,753 yards, 26 touchdowns and just 14 picks. He had some lingering health issues after suffering a blow to the head awhile back, but will be 100 percent for Sunday. Warner is not the most mobile of quarterbacks, instead surviving on his grit, knowledge of the game and extremely quick release (one of the quickest of the past 15 years or so, in my mind). At times throughout his career, Warner has been a turnover machine, particularly when facing heat. Pressuring Warner is perhaps the biggest key to victory for Green Bay on Sunday as it would allow the turnover-heavy Packers’ defense to do its thing.

Running Back

Much has been written about the fact that the running game is not a huge part of the Cardinals’ offense. This is true – Arizona finished 28th in rushing yards per game (93.4 per) - but like all teams, it’s played a huge part in Arizona’s successes. The Cards did not top 100 yards on the ground in any of their six losses - but they did in seven of their 10 wins.

The Cardinals employ a two-back system featuring rookie Chris “Beanie” Wells (176 carries, 793 yards, 4.5 yards per attempt, seven touchdowns) and Tim Hightower (143 carries, 598 yards, 4.2 yards per attempt, eight touchdowns).

While the quick, shifty Hightower is not a bad back, Wells clearly has more upside as he is both explosive and punishing. Arizona favored Wells more down the stretch – 13.6 carries per for “Beanie” over the last five games of the regular season as opposed to just six per for Hightower – and it’s likely to be that way Sunday. The Packers must get numerous defenders around Wells to keep him from breaking tackles and using his explosiveness at the second level.

Wide receiver/tight end

Clearly the gem area of the Cardinals’ offense. If Larry Fitzgerald (97 catches, 1,092 yards, 13 touchdowns) isn’t the game’s best receiver, he’s no worse than second (behind Houston’s Andre Johnson). Fitzgerald can do it all; he’s fast, has great hands and can outjump just about anyone. More over, Fitzgerald has been around long enough now to develop a veteran’s sense of the game. Those All-Pro instincts compliment a tireless work ethic. It’s a good thing Green Bay has Charles Woodson because Fitzgerald can embarass even the best of corners. Woodson will have to play his best game of the year Sunday as we all remember the now-legendary postseason Fitzgerald had last year.

Anquan Boldin’s knee/ankle injury could keep him out of the game Sunday. Gimpy or not, if Boldin (84 catches, 1,024 yards, four touchdowns) plays, he is nearly as lethal as Fitzgerald. Boldin’s strengths are more run-after-the-catch based than Fitzgerald’s as he is fully capable of taking a seven-yard curl route 80 yards to the house. Being physical with him is a dangerous, yet necessary, game for Tramon Williams on Sunday.

On most teams, the quick Steve Breaston (55 catches, 712 yards, three touchdowns) is a No. 2 receiver, which shows Arizona’s true depth. Our pal Jarrett Bush likely draws Breaston as his assignment Sunday and you have to think the Cards will target him numerous times.

Early Doucet (17 catches, 214 yards, one touchdown) and Jeheme Urban (18 catches, 186 yards, no touchdowns) round out Arizona’s receiving corps and provide decent depth at the No. 4 and No. 5 spots.

Ben Patrick is Arizona’s top pass-catching tight end, although he does not provide much of a threat (12 catches, 146 yards, two touchdowns).

Offensive line

Overall, the unit is solid. They finished tied for sixth in least sacks allowed with just 26. 

The right side of the line is particularly strong with the massive pair of right guard Deuce Lutui (6-feet, 4-inches, 338 pounds) and right tackle Levi Brown (6-feet, 5-inches, 324 pounds).

Center Lyle Sendlein (6-feet, 3-inches, 305 pounds) and left guard Reggie Wells (6-feet, 4-inches, 312 pounds) have both started every game this season and, for the most part, are solid.

If there’s one spot the Packers figure to attack, it’s at left tackle. Veteran Jeremy Bridges (6-feet, 4-inches, 326 pounds), listed as a guard, is filling the void at the position left by another veteran, Mike Gandy. After starting 11 of the first 12 games, Gandy went on injured reserve Dec. 23 as a result of a sports hernia. Bridges doesn’t have a ton of experience at the spot. As such, he could be a player to target Sunday.

-Chris Lempesis

Chad Clifton (ankle), Nick Collins (clavicle) and Aaron Rouse (neck stinger) all suffered injuries in the contest.

Donald Lee was also hurt when he took a shot from Roy Williams late in the [...]]]> Not only did the Green Bay Packers lose in embarassing fashion Sunday to the Cincinnati Bengals, they got pretty banged up while doing it.

Chad Clifton (ankle), Nick Collins (clavicle) and Aaron Rouse (neck stinger) all suffered injuries in the contest.

Donald Lee was also hurt when he took a shot from Roy Williams late in the game, but it sounds like he’s okay.

Clifton and Collins seem to be the most banged up, as coach Mike McCarthy talked today as though neither is likely to play in Sunday’s suddenly crucial game at St. Louis (0-2).

Rouse doesn’t appear to be as banged up, although we won’t know more until Wednesday.

Clifton’s injury will likely lead to a re-shuffled offensive line with Daryn Colledge at left tackle, Jason Spitz at left guard and Scott Wells at center.

Colledge was awful at left tackle against the Bengals, but with a week to practice there, he should be better. Really, I don’t know how he could be much worse. Spitz doesn’t have much experience at left guard, but he’s played right guard quite a bit so I don’t have as much concern about him. Wells is a solid center. Turns out he didn’t have to sit on the bench very long after losing his job to Spitz in the preseason, huh?

Regardless, the group has to play better. This team won’t go anywhere until it does.

(One more thing on that topic: I thought Allen Barbre did a solid job Sunday after everyone spent the past week ripping him to shreds. He wasn’t great, but he wasn’t getting killed, which shows progress and I’ll take it.)

If Collins can’t go, cornerback/safety/bain of my existence Jarrett Bush or Derrick Martin would play in his place. I’d go with Martin; yes, I know nothing about him, but that’s more than I can say about Bush.

Finally on the injury front, in the same Press Gazette article, McCarthy says B.J. Raji (RAJI!) didn’t play because he still runs with a limp. It seemed like he’d play, as he was a full participant most of last week. But the coaching staff wants to be very cautious with him.

I can understand that, to a point, but he’s got to get on the field pretty quickly because the team only has three solid d-linemen at the moment. And those guys are going to get gassed much sooner than later if it’s just them playing the majority of the snaps.

Where were you, Greg?

A big reason for the offensive struggles, outside of the line crapping themselves, was the disappearing act pulled off by wideout Greg Jennings.

Jennings was held without a catch for the first time in his career Sunday. He was only even targeted a few times, one of which he dropped.

Jennings declined to speak with reporters after the game, so it’s hard to say exactly what his problem was. I have a hard time believing it was the Bengals’ corners, so I have to think it was a mental issue with Jennings.

Not totally out-of-the-ordinary with him, if you think about it. Yes, he’s a very good receiver. But, sometimes, Jennings isn’t as much of a consistent factor as you’d like him to be.

That wasn’t as much of a problem earlier in his career. But, now that he’s being paid elite money, he needs to play like an elite player every week.

After all, Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald and Reggie Wayne aren’t being held catchless by mediocre teams. If Jennings wants to be in that group, performances like his Sunday can not continue to happen.

Wishing for Bubba

I can’t believe I’m even saying this, but there were quite a few times during the Bengals’ game where I found myself wishing Bubba Franks was still a Packer.

Yes, Franks was an overpaid pass-catching liability who only really had a couple of good seasons and struggled to stay healthy. But he could block. Boy, could he block.

That was something the Packers clearly missed, as evidenced by Antwan Odom’s five-sack performance, the most ever surrendered by the Packers to one player in a single game.

Green Bay had no one who could really help Clifton or, later, Colledge in blocking Odom. Lee and Jermichael Finley are primarily pass-catchers and Spencer Havner is a converted linebacker who is still learning the position (although his catch over the middle Sunday wasn’t half bad).

Had the Packers had a pure blocking tight end, perhaps they could have neutralized Odom – or, at the very least, slowed him down. There’s no one in that group who could help. They tried using a fullback or running back to help, but by then Odom had a full head of steam and they weren’t stopping him.

I was on-board when Franks got cut, for all of the reasons I listed above. But an inability to replace what he brought to the team is one of the few glaring mistakes made by Ted Thompson over the past couple of seasons.

-Chris Lempesis