Wilson the lone bright spot in lost season

By Paul Eide  |   Thursday, November 02, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Arizona Cardinals
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This weekend will mark the first time in two months that the Arizona Cardinals will emerge on Monday morning without making an addition to the "L" column. Prior to the season, it really looked like the Cards were ready to make some noise in the traditionally weak NFC West. The offense was primed to be one of the most prolific in the NFL and the defense would be much improved, led by the play of rising stud safety Adrian Wilson.

After eight weeks, only one of the two previous statements has proven to be true and we all know it sure wasn't the one about the offense. For as bad as the offense has been, Adrian Wilson's individual performance has been equally as good. Through eight games Wilson has four sacks and is the only DB in the league currently leading his team in that category. Pressuring the quarterback is nothing new to Wilson; his eight sacks last season set an NFL record and helped him earn a spot as a Pro Bowl alternate.

Wilson is big enough to be a linebacker (6-foot-3, 230 pounds) but his team-leading three interceptions show that he is also quick enough to play in the secondary. His 99-yard interception return against the Falcons in Week 4 showed how athletic he truly is, and supplied Cards fans with the one and only highlight during this dismal season.

While the offense has regressed so far this year, the defense, led by Wilson, has made a vast improvement from a year ago, currently ranking second in the NFL in turnovers with 20, a stat that goes largely unnoticed thanks to the sputtering Cards offense. Said offense gives the defense almost no chance to succeed, not only because it can't score, but because its ineptitude means the defense gets no time to rest between series and spends more time on the field than any successful unit should.

All of this is nothing new to Wilson, who, having spent six years in Arizona, has grown used to toiling in obscurity and focusing on individual achievement. To him, it's just another lost season in the desert, hoping for a "next year" that never comes.

Notes

Head coach Denny Green told reporters on Wednesday that injured wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald's hamstring is "healed the way you want it healed." Fitzgerald hasn't been able to play since Week 5, but was able to participate in some light drills without his helmet during Thursdays practice.

While the Cardinals are all but eliminated from this year's playoffs, Fitzgerald's return for the last eight games could go a long way in developing a rapport with rookie quarterback Matt Leinart as the Cardinals begin to look forward to the 2007 season.

Get more insights on the Arizona Cardinals at RealFootball365.com
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