Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals Preview

By Chuck Bednar | Saturday, October 08, 2005 | ( 0 )

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It has been a difficult couple of years for Dennis Green down in Arizona, but as his Arizona Cardinals prepare to welcome the Carolina Panthers to Tempe, Arizona for a 4:15pm game this Sunday, it looks as though maybe -- just maybe -- it's all finally starting to come together.

The Arizona Cardinals went to Mexico City last week and won their first game of the season, 31-14 over the San Francisco 49ers. QB Josh McCown, starting for an injured Kurt Warner, may have gone a long way toward regaining the job on a full time basis by throwing for a career-best 385 yards and two touchdowns. Of course, they did also have to settle for five field goals, due in part to a lackluster rushing attack that is producing an average of just 75 yards per game. Further, the team learned that it will be without rookie cornerback Antrel Rolle, the team's first round selection, for the rest of the 2005 season due to a meniscus tear in his left knee. How that will affect a Cardinals defense which has allowed just 297 yards per game in 2005 remains to be seen.

The 2-2 Carolina Panthers have struggled this season, earning their second win of the season on Monday night against the now 0-4 Green Bay Packers, and even then they blew a 19-point lead and only managed to win by a 32-29 margin. There are real problems in Carolina, especially on offense. QB Jake Delhomme is averaging less than 200 yards passing per game and has thrown as many interceptions, four, as touchdowns. Further, the once-vaunted rushing attack, led by RBs Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster, has managed just over 100 yards of rushing per contest. The lone bright spot has been WR Steve Smith, who has caught 23 passes on the year for 342 yards and four touchdowns. If Arizona can shut him down and keep the rushing game in check, they have a good shot of emerging with a victory on Sunday.

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