NFL Draft Info - Arizona Cardinals

2009 Arizona Cardinals Report Card

By: Jeff Foley

Going into the season the Cardinals had the weight on their shoulders to prove that the 9-7 record and an unbelievable run to Super Bowl 43 was not a fluke. They entered 2009 with very high aspirations, and a goal of going back to the Super Bowl.  With back to back Western Division titles, a 10-6 record the first double digit win season since 1976 and the first as a franchise in Arizona (moved from St. Louis in 1988) many feel that they have proven themselves as one of the elite in the NFL. Unfortunately their run to Super Bowl 44 ended with loss to the eventual Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints in the divisional round. All in all the 2009 season for the Arizona Cardinals was a victory and have many fans excited about what the future holds.

QUARTERBACK: A-

With future Hall of Famer Kurt Warner at the helm it was hard to not give the team a straight A. However when Kurt went down several times during the seasons due to injuries or was pulled to keep him fresh for the playoffs back-up QB Matt Leinart didn’t perform up to expectations. In 77 attempts Matt completed 66.2% of his pass with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. While Kurt did throw 14 interceptions he also threw for 26 touchdowns good enough for 10^th in the NFL. Kurt also had the highest postseason QB rating in the NFL at 129.1. With Kurt retiring after the 2009 season Matt needs to step up his game to move the Cardinals to the next level, but that will be a story for the 2010 report card.

RUNNING BACK: B+

With the departure of Edgerrin James many thought with 2^nd year Back Tim Hightower and rookie Beanie Wells to carry the load the running game was in serious trouble. Pleasantly that was not the case; Hightower had 598 yards and 8 TDs while rookie wells added 793 yards and 7 touchdowns. The one thing that prevented the Cardinals from getting higher in this department is that both Hightower and Wells were prone to fumble. Hightower was 2^nd in the NFL with 5 while Wells was 3^rd with 4. With some of those occurring at points that losing the ball resulted in a great drive ending and possibly improvement on a 10 win season. As the season progressed Hightower and Wells improved on their ball holding skills. With both working together for a full season, 2010 looks to be very promising in the backfield in Arizona.

WIDE RECEIVER: A

With the receiving corps that Arizona had in 2009 one could only give them and A. With Pro Bowlers Larry Fitzgerald on one side and Anquan Boldin on the other, defenses couldn’t afford to double team both.  With defenses having to pick one or the other to double team allowed both receivers to put up over 1,000 yards receiving. With the 3^rd receiver Steve Breaston putting up over 700 yards and adding 3 TDs and up and comer Early Doucet showing he can get the job done, Arizona showed that their receiving corps was amongst the elite, if not the best  in the NFL in 2009. Having 4 receivers on the field that any moment could make the big play made them one of the most exciting groups of receivers to watch in 2009 and no doubt a QBs dream. Even if the Cardinals loose Boldin via trade this will still be a top notch corps in 2010.

TIGHT END: D

This is one area that the Cardinals were virtually non existent in. With 3 TE on the roster they had a combined total of only 245 yards receiving and 3 TDs. With the high powered passing game one would have thought that the TEs would have had a bigger role but not in 2009. This is an area that the team will need to improve upon in 2010.

OFFENSIVE LINE: C

Although this one of the few offensive lines in the NFL that stayed intact for the entire season, and they are coached by future Hall of Famer Russ Grimm, they were nothing more than an average unit that showed a few flashes of “greatness” but not very often. They were very inconsistent, one moment they showed flashes of the Hogs from Coach Grimm’s days to what looked like a high school unit on the field. Even though they were mid pack in the NFL allowing only 26 sacks, they also allowed Warner to be hit 68 times and pressured 131 times. That is 94 times that the defense was allowed to put their hands on the QB. A beating like this over the course of a season can take a toll on the QB. The Cardinals were the 5^th most penalized team in 2009 with almost one third of them attributed to the offensive line. This is an area that the Cardinals need to look at improving via the draft or free agency for 2010.

DEFENSIVE LINE: B+

There is no doubt that the Cardinals defensive line is talented. They accounted for 40% of the sacks that the Cardinals recorded in 2009. With pro bowler Darnell Dockett leading the charge and Calais Campbell finally getting a chance to start and showcase his talent the line looks poised to continue to put pressure on opposing QBs in 2010. The only potential weakness and what prevented the line from getting an A is the interior line. As plugs against the run the tackle(s) were outstanding but when it came to putting pressure on the QB it was virtually nonexistent. So is this a case of you have to take the good with the not so good, and give up one to get another? If Dockett & Campbell can handle the duty of laying out the QB, and rely on the interior to concentrate on the run game 2010 will be another successful year for the D-line

LINEBACKERS: B-

With the exception of Karlos Dansby the linebacker unit was slightly above average at best. Dansby lead the team in tackles in 2009 with 89 and added a team high 20 assists. Clark Haggans tied for the team lead in QB hits with 9. The LB unit added 40% of the teams sacks to the total. Those were the highlights for 2009. The future for 2010 for this unit doesn’t look as bright. With the retirement of Bertrand Berry and the possible loss of Dansby via FA makes this one of the top priorities for the upcoming season.

SECONDARY: B

With probowlers Adrian Wilson and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie anchoring the secondary combined with the solid performance of Antrel Rolle there weren’t very many let downs in the pass defense. A glaring black spot in the secondary was in Bryant McFadden’s performance however the light at the end of the tunnel might come in the form of rookie Greg Toler. In the limited action he saw when DRC went down Toler showed that hang with the big boys and will be legitimate contender to challenge McFadden for a starting spotting in 2010.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B

The special teams unit was another bright spot for the Cardinals in 2009. Kicker Neil Rackers who over the last few years has been one of the most accurate lickers in the game is what prevented this unit from getting an A. Rackers who can normally be counted on with the game on the line missed some key kicks down the stretch including a potential game winner against Green Bay in the wild card game that forced it into OT. Ben Graham ranked 4^th in the NFL with a 46.6 gross yard per punt average, over a 5.5 yard improvement from the previous season.  LaRod Stephens-Howling a rookie had a great season. He ranked 7^th among all NFL kick off return men with 1257 yards and 1 of only 14 players to return a kick off for a TD in 2009. Steve Breaston the number three receiver also shined on special teams, he ranked 15^th in return yards with 253 yards on 38 punt returns.  And if Rackers can return to the form he is known for special teams will be another exciting unit to watch in 2010.

COACHING: B+

The coaching staff gets a B+ this year. Yes they won a second consecutive Western Division title; yes they won one more game over last year the first double digit season since the Cardinals have been in Arizona. But they didn’t look very good in the divisional game were they were destroyed by the New Orleans Saints, but in my opinion they also failed to prepare Leinart to eventually take over the reins as the starting QB. Every time he was on the field I thought I was watching that animated movie about the dancing penguin “Happy Feet”. Leinart appears to have the tools to get the job done but when he gets in there he seems very uncomfortable. This is the coaching staff’s job to ensure that he is prepared and has the backing of the staff. With Warner officially retired now the staff has their work cut out to ensure that Leinart is prepared properly for 2010.