Meeting aims to erase Cards ‘Culture of Losing’

By Paul Eide  |   Thursday, November 09, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Arizona Cardinals
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article!

Did you hear the one about Pete Carroll being offered $30 million by Arizona Cardinals president Bill Bidwell to leave USC at the end of the season? Or how about the one that has Lions offensive "genius" Mike Martz as the new man to occupy the Cards' sideline next year?

The Cardinals' players can't control the coaching rumors that swirl overhead like waiting vultures, but what they have a large hand in determining is how well they play during the final eight games.

On Monday, the first day back to work for the Cardinals following the bye week, the team engaged in a players only meeting in an attempt to right the ship after seven straight losses to round out the first half of the 2006 season.

The tone of the meeting, as expressed by cornerback Eric Green, was, "About knowing how to work, how to be a professional. The leaders got up there and couldn't have said it any better."

Green was referring to veterans Kurt Warner, Troy Walters, Robert Griffith, Bertrand Berry and Obafemi Ayanbadejo, who each took turns speaking and leading the meeting.

"If you don't listen to that, you don't need to be here," said Green. "I can even point to myself at times for not being a professional."

In addition to the areas covered by the players in the meeting, head coach Dennis Green also pointed to a number of close losses as a big reason why the team has struggled in subsequent games.

"What we've done is we have not won close ballgames. We haven't had very good fortune. A lot of it you bring on your own self, things that we've missed that we haven't taken advantage of. Sometimes it just works that way."

Green also pointed to a comment made by quarterback Kurt Warner that he, too, felt strongly about.

"One thing Kurt was right about, he doesn't think we know how to win, and I was thinking the same thing. All it takes is for us to win a big, close one and get that feeling of victory."

The chances for a Cardinals victory definitely improved on Wednesday when Green announced the return of wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

"That's that one player that I think Matt [Leinart] needs, that other player to go to, and I think our offense needs that, too."

The addition of Fitzgerald is a welcome sign to a struggling offense not only because of his fantastic individual ability but, more importantly, it allows his teammates to assume their normal roles within the team.

Bryant Johnson, who excelled as the team's slot receiver prior to Fitzgerald's absence, didn't perform as well as expected when forced into action as the No. 2 wideout. In three games as a starter, Johnson totaled only 113 yards on six catches and scored one touchdown. In five games as the team's third receiver, Johnson had 10 catches for 227 yards and a score. Johnson is the man whose speed and deep-threat ability free up space underneath for Fitzgerald and Boldin, making him best suited for the slot.

With Fitzgerald out, Anquan Boldin was almost forced into irrelevancy because of so much attention from opposing defenses. In two games under new offensive coordinator Mike Kruczek, Boldin averaged only four receptions and 53 yards per game, scoring no touchdowns. With Fitzgerald back, Boldin will no longer face double- and triple-teams from opposing defenses and will be open for more receptions as a result.

The Cardinals' offense is set for a difficult matchup this week as it prepares to face the Dallas Cowboys, who possess the NFL's fifth-ranked overall defense. Dallas comes into this game reeling after a loss last week in Washington that included a freak ending.

While this game is important to Arizona as a last-ditch attempt to preserve some integrity and glean a few positives from a depressing season, a loss for the Cowboys would be completely destructive and place them on the outskirts of the NFC playoff picture. The good news for the Cardinals is that their strength in the passing game (12th in the NFL), matches up well with the only perceived weak spot in the Dallas defense (10th in NFL versus the pass) and must be taken advantage of for the Cardinals to have any shot of winning.

If the Cardinals aren't able to do that, the pressure after yet another weekly failure will intensify an already combustible situation and may force Bidwell's hand sooner than later.

Weekly Arizona Cardinals commentary, courtesy of RealFootball365.com
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article! (0)

Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report