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Arizona Cardinals Weekly Predictions |
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Thursday, 10 September 2009 |
Ray Maldonado, NFC West Analyst
 Arizona Cardinals @ New Orleans Saints
Coming off an offensive explosion last week against the Green Bay Packers,
the Cardinals are set to take on another offensive juggernaut the New
Orleans Saints. Kurt Warner cemented his induction to Canton with that
performance last week having more touchdown passes (5) than incompletions
(4) and his counterpart Drew Brees threw for over 4300 yards and 34 TD
passes this season so the points will be soaring once again. Both of these
teams have proven they can score, the key will be which defense can make
key stops in a game that will be decided in the fourth quarter. The Saints
love to blitz but Kurt Warner is great at picking apart the blitz but his
offensive line will have to keep up with the speedy Saints defense. As
Larry Fitzgerald proved last week, nobody can cover him not even the
defensive player of the year, Charles Woodson, when he’s on top of his
game and with Steve Breaston and Early Doucet, the Saints will find
themselves in a lot of nickel packages allowing Beanie Wells to run the
ball more efficiently. Darnell Dockett and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
will have there hands full on defense and will need a better showing this
week against a Saints team that averaged a league high 31.9 points a game.
The Saints are trying to become the first team to ever lose the last 3
games of the regular season and go on to win the SuperBowl. They have
struggled since beginning the season 13-0 and suffered some key injuries
on defense but with taking Week 17 off and getting a bye, they will be
well rested and ready to play, so expect to see the Saints defense that
was more formidable in the first half of the season. Although Drew Brees
and New Orleans passing attack gets all the attention, the Saints ground
attack ranks 6th in the league (131.6 yards per game) and they have a
three-headed monster led by Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush is still a great
weapon catching the ball out of the backfield. The Saints offense has to
be salivating going up against this defense that allowed 400 yards in the
air to Aaron Rodgers but once upon a time this defense shut down the
Vikings and held Adrian Peterson to negative yardage. The SuperDome will
be rocking for this game and the Saints are waiting to prove that they are
more the 13-0 team than the team that struggled to finish the year. The
Saints defense will make some plays and be the difference in the game.
Prediction: Saints 38, Cardinals 34
Breakout Player of the Game
Drew Brees will have a late drive for a touchdown and show the country why
he’s right up there with Peyton and Bady
Questions? Comments?
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