(Okay, maybe we haven’t “covered the hell” out of it. But we’ve been good….solid….decent. Yeah, let’s stick with that – decent.)

But what about the rest of the NFL? [...]]]> So far, we at OBOD have covered the hell out of free agency as it relates to the Green Bay Packers and the rest of the NFC North.

(Okay, maybe we haven’t “covered the hell” out of it. But we’ve been good….solid….decent. Yeah, let’s stick with that – decent.)

But what about the rest of the NFL? After all, there has been activity outside of the division and, with it being Monday morning and all, it seems like a good time to expand our horizons and look at some of the other notable moves made. Some of these, of course, have Packers-related repercussions and we’ll mention them, as needed.

1. Cardinals taking big steps back – After watching Kurt Warner retire awhile back, the Cardinals lost three more key players this past weekend. Arizona finally rid themselves of Anquan Boldin, trading the somewhat malcontent receiver and a fifth round pick this year to the Baltimore Ravens for third and fourth round picks this year. Boldin might have been a pain in the butt, but he’s also an elite talent who is as tough as they come. Steve Breaston is decent, but Boldin he is absolutely not (love this move for the Ravens, by the way, as Boldin finally gives them the big-time wideout they seemingly have never had). Another big loss comes in the form of middle linebacker Karlos Dansby – I remember seeing him do something big a couple of months ago, but I can’t remember what - signing with the Miami Dolphins (five years, $43 million with $22 mil guaranteed). Dansby, while not an elite ‘backer, is very good and was a great fit for that defense. The Cards also lost safety Antrel Rolle to the New York Giants (five years, $37 million with $15 mil guaranteed, more on that in a bit). It’s true that they replaced Rolle by trading a fourth round pick this year and a seventh next year to the New York Jets for safety Kerry Rhodes and that Rhodes is a good player. But Rolle was on the up and knew this scheme. It will take Rhodes time to learn it. Those moves, combined with Matt “Chubby Girls and Beer Bongs” Leinart now at quarterback, lead me to believe the NFC West is an open race. Well, unless you’re the Rams.
2. The champs also appear to be losing some steam – The New Orleans Saints were dealt a considerable blow on defense as linebacker Scott Fujita signed a three year, $14 million deal with the Cleveland Browns. Fujita, while not a great player, was a very solid presence, both on and off the field. Things could get even worse if safety Darren Sharper bolts for another team (the Miami Dolphins, perhaps?). Sharper is 34, but is coming off of one of his best seasons yet and could still be a very good player for at least another year or two as he is a great fit in Gregg Williams’ scheme. The Saints seem to be making a push to get Sharper back, but they need to do more. If he leaves, that defense isn’t as good and they could go back to where they were a couple of years ago (i.e., a .500 team that wins eight games 45-41 and loses eight games by that same score). Right now, the Cards are definitely not as good as they were last year and the Saints could be heading that way, opening the door for other NFC teams….like maybe the Packers?
3. Two contracts shed a light on how much the Packers will have to pay Collins and Pickett – If you thought Nick Collins was going to want big-time dough before, you have to think that tenfold now when you see the deal Rolle got – the richest ever for a safety. In two years of playing free safety – he’d been a corner, previously – Rolle recorded 139 tackles, five interceptions, 13 passes defended and 1.5 sacks (with a Pro Bowl appearance in 2009). Collins, over the past two years – playing in two different schemes – recorded 104 tackles, 13 interceptions, 28 passes defended and one sack (with two Pro Bowl appearances). Collins pretty much crushes Rolle in the key playmaking categories and, as a result, you have to think he will want much more than Rolle got. If Rolle is getting an average of over $7 million per, Collins likely will aim for the $8-$10 million-a-year range and, at this point, it’s hard to blame him. Thanks, New York. As for Ryan Pickett, you can now use the contract given to New England’s Vince Wilfork - five years, $40 million with $25 million in guaranteed money - as a barometer of sorts. Age-wise, the two are fairly similar (Pickett turns 31 in October while Wilfork turns 29 in November). And while Pickett is not in the same class as Wilfork, a truly elite 3-4 nose tackle, he’s not that far off and provides great value to Green Bay’s defense. If Wilfork got an average of $8 million per, it’s likely going to take $5 or $6 million on average to lock up Pickett.
4. Cromartie deal not a slam dunk for the Jets – Many seem to be applauding the New York Jets for trading a third round pick in next year’s draft to San Diego for cornerback Antonio Cromartie. Those people have said that Cromartie’s pairing with Darrelle Revis (the second best corner in the game) gives the Jets the best corner tandem in football. While I disagree with them on that - Charles Woodson and Al Harris/Tramon Williams, anyone? – I’ll stick to the trade in this post. Here’s what Cromartie is: A guy who had one truly amazing season (2007, in which he recorded 10 picks) and two average ones since (five picks of the past two years combined). He’s also still griping about a new contract – even though he’s only been decent as of late – and has fathered seven children in five different states. I know Rex Ryan has a devil-may-care attitude about players with questionable character, just like his old man, but I also know that you don’t see too many Antonio Cromarties on championship teams. So glad the Packers didn’t pursue this guy.
5. Bad trends building for Big Ben – Okay, so this one doesn’t have anything to do with free agency. But the accusations of sexual assault against Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in Georgia was one of the biggest NFL stories of the weekend. Now I have no idea whether or not the guy is guilty or not. In the end, that’s not up to me to decide, anyways. What I do know, though, is that a nasty trend is forming with him. This is the second time such accusations have been lobbed his way, remember. He beat the criminal charges, stemming from an incident in Nevada awhile back, and he may well beat these. But leaders – true leaders – simply do not put themselves in these spots. Can you ever see Joe Montana allowing himself to be put in such a spot in a million years? Or even a guy like Aaron Rodgers? Not a chance in hell. Sure, he’s won two Super Bowls and he’ll never have to pay for a drink in Pittsburgh again. But if you want to be truly great, Ben, and not be remembered simply as “the guy who kept getting accused of sexual assault”, you must stop allowing yourself to get caught in these situations. Okay, I’ll jump off my soapbox now.

-Chris Lempesis

What’s that? I forgot special teams?

Oh yeah, I suppose I did.

In this last segment of our three-part series, we’ll take a look at Arizona’s special teams and coaching staff.

(Please note: Barring any shocking developments, this will likely be my last post until after the game. As I said before, [...]]]> Well, we’ve covered offense and defense. That’s it.

What’s that? I forgot special teams?

Oh yeah, I suppose I did.

In this last segment of our three-part series, we’ll take a look at Arizona’s special teams and coaching staff.

(Please note: Barring any shocking developments, this will likely be my last post until after the game. As I said before, we’ll definitely be hitting up our Twitter page before and during the game, so make sure to head there.)

Special teams

In somewhat limited duty this season, 10th-year veteran kicker Neil Rackers has been very good. He’s hit on 16-of-17 field goal attempts and hasn’t missed a kick since week two. Interesting stat: Rackers has not even attempted a field goal of 50 yards or more this season. That likely means the Cards aren’t too trusting of his leg.

Arizona has a very good punter in seventh-year veteran Ben Graham. He finished third in average punt distance (47 yards) and had the most punts inside the 20 (42) and the 10 (17). If field position is a factor in the game, Graham could be a weapon for Arizona.

LaRod Stephens-Howling is the Cardinals’ main kick returner and he’s decent. He finished 17th in average kick return (24.2 per – Green Bay’s Jordy Nelson was 11th with 25.4 per) and had a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Tennessee in late November.

Steve Breaston is the primary punt returner. While that was an area of strength for him in college at Michigan, Breaston hasn’t done much there in the past two seasons. This year, for example, he averaged just 6.7 yards per return, with a long of 64 yards.

In terms of coverage units, Arizona has the sixth-best kick coverage unit, allowing just 20.5 yards per return. Green Bay’s is 18th, allowing 22.8 yards per. The Packers have a slight edge in covering punts, although neither team is particularly good at it. Arizona is 27th in punt return average allowed at 10.5 per. Green Bay is 24th at 10.1 per.

Coaching

In just three short years, head coach Ken Whisenhunt has done a phenomenal job in resurrecting the Cardinals’ franchise. He’s implemented a winner’s mentality (long absent from the franchise) and, while he can be tough, the players there seem to love playing for him. As he was Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator before coming to Arizona, Whisenhunt is more focused on that side of the ball. After Todd Haley became Kansas City’s head coach, Whisenhunt took over the playcalling duties and has done a great job for the most part. He has a knack for calling trick plays, especially in big games where momentum is key, and there’s a good chance he’ll do so again Sunday.

There is no real offensive coordinator for the Cardinals. Russ Grimm, Whisenhunt’s pal from their days in Pittsburgh, is the assistant head coach/run game coordinator. Mike Miller is the passing game coordinator.

Billy Davis is in his first season as defensive coordinator. Davis calls an aggressive game and will likely try to bring pressure from mulitple angles at Aaron Rodgers on Sunday.

-Chris Lempesis

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

Yeah, screw that.

Get excited, folks. Get really excited.

Because if there’s one overlining theme from Friday night’s 44-37 road win over the defending NFC champion-Arizona Cardinals, it’s this: the [...]]]> Remember last week when I said that, despite the Packers’ domination of Buffalo, we still had to temper our excitement a bit because it was a preseason game?

Yeah, screw that.

Get excited, folks. Get really excited.

Because if there’s one overlining theme from Friday night’s 44-37 road win over the defending NFC champion-Arizona Cardinals, it’s this: the Green Bay Packers are ready to rock. And the rest of the NFL better take notice.

Again, get excited.

Get excited about an offense that scored 38 first-half points. It would have been 41 if Ruvell Martin hadn’t been holding in place of Matt Flynn as Martin’s botched hold led to a missed 29-yard field goal from Mason Crosby. In 12 preseason possessions, the starters have put points on the board 10 times. There’s no reason to believe the offense can’t be every bit as lethal as those in New England, New Orleans or Indianapolis.

Get excited about an offensive line that is making amends for a shoddy 2008 season. The group finally has five set starters and is already building chemistry. Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been touched and the running backs are getting nice, clean lanes to run through. It wasn’t like there wasn’t talent at the position. It was just that head coach Mike McCarthy juggled the group far too much for the talent to ever settle in.

Get excited – no, make that really, really, over-the-moon excited – about Rodgers. The guy just continues to show that he’s ready to take his place amongst the elite QBs in the league right now. He’s not Brees, Brady, Manning or Big Ben (I hate typing his last name, so I just won’t) yet. But if you were going to pick a guy from outside that group to build around for the next decade, how many names would you legitimately pick ahead of Rodgers? By my count, none.

In roughly a full game’s worth of action in the preseason, Rodgers numbers are: 27-of-38, 458 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions. That makes for a quarterback rating of 151.1. He only threw five incomplete passes against the Cards. Rodgers again proved Friday night that if a play isn’t there, he’s content on just throwing it out of the endzone and living to fight another down. Up until last season, I didn’t even think QBs could do that. I thought they had to idiotically force the ball into double or triple coverage and have the drive be destroyed as a result of an interception.

Screw you, Judas.

Get excited about the targets Rodgers has, particularly the “secondary” targets. Everyone knows how good Greg Jennings and Donald Driver (who is having a tremendous preseason, by the way) are. But how many outsiders really knew how good players like James Jones, Jordy Nelson and Jermichael Finley were? Well, with a combined 10 catches for 166 yards and three touchdowns Friday, that group is showing everyone that if you don’t know, you better learn quick. They’ll kill you if you don’t.

Get excited about players like Tyrell Sutton. Despite idiots like me not even mentioning him in the race for the third running back spot, Sutton has proved that, in the NFL, all a guy really needs is a chance. Sutton had 106 combined yards (rushing, receiving and kick returns) Friday and, in my mind, has become a lock to make the 53-man roster. He’s earned it. And that’s what makes sports great.

Get excited about the fact that we no longer have to wonder if the defense is still in the dark on learning the 3-4 scheme. When you hold a high-powered offense like Arizona’s – yes, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston were out, but all the other major players were there – to just 10 points in the first half, it’s fair to say they know it.

That’s not to say things will always go smoothly or even that they did Friday night – the defense screwed up on stopping a couple of run plays and had quite a bit of trouble with Larry Fitzgerald (wait – so does everyone else) – but at least we already know this thing won’t end in disaster.

And you want to know why I feel confident in saying that?

Charles Woodson, that’s why.

With two sacks, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery against the Cards, Woodson is showing that this scheme is perfect for him because it lets him showcase both his intelligence and athleticism – a lethal combo, indeed. At a point when many probably thought his career would be over, Woodson is flourishing.

Get excited about the speed and depth throughout the defense. Players like Anthony Smith, Jarius Wynn and, yes, cornerback/safety/bain of my existence Jarrett Bush all came up big at various points Friday. Some of the backups/third stringers did get torched by Matt “Beer Bongs and Chunky Gals” Leinart to the tune of 360 yards, this is true. But the Cardinals kept some starters in until as late as the start of the fourth quarter. And besides, a lot of the guys who really got torched will be back stocking shelves at your local Home Depot within about a week and a half.

Get excited about a near-total lack of injuries. Jennings is fine, despite the misleading headlines on ESPN, and outside of a few minor nicks and bruises, the team is pretty much intact, as far as we know. A far cry from last season.

And maybe, that’s the biggest reason for excitement, that last season was just that – last season.

This season is just around the corner.

And oh what a season it should be.

-Chris Lempesis