Take
a Memo
It's
good to play the Cardinals
Posted
12-02-02
by
CK Rairden
Landmark columnist
It’s good to play the Arizona Cardinals.
The Cards are the worst team in the NFL and have a tendency
to quit once they get behind. Their QB Jake Plummer is
awful, their defense is worse.
When the Cards had a wide-open receiver for a touchdown,
Plummer couldn’t hit him. When a receiver was open
and Plummer hit him, the receiver would drop the ball.
The Cards couldn’t run the ball, they couldn’t
pass and they couldn’t play defense. Their special
teams couldn’t handle an easy FG snap on their only
legitimate shot at a score all day. Their special teams
allowed Dante Hall to run virtually untouched for a 90-yard
TD.
It’s good to play the Cardinals.
Take A Memo:
—The game was over with 5:30 seconds left in the
first quarter. Cards wide receiver Jason McAddley had
gotten 10 yards behind Eric Warfield and the rest of the
Chiefs secondary and was open for a TD. Plummer threw
a bad pass that fell incomplete. The Cards were forced
to punt.
—Eight plays later Priest Holmes would run 5 yards
for his 21st TD of the season. The Chiefs would follow
that with 4 more TD’s before the half was over.
—The second of those, a TD punt return by Dante
Hall at the end of the first quarter, was even more amazing
as the Chiefs had a punt block on. The Cards special teams
just over-ran the play. The only real block thrown was
on the punter. Hall was high-fiving teammates for the
last 20 yards.
—The last of those TD’s came with 8 seconds
left in the half. It was a 23-yard TD pass from Trent
Green to Tony Gonzalez that threaded five Cards defenders.
It was a thing of beauty.
—It’s good to play the Cardinals.
****
—The Chiefs defense had four interceptions.
—The Chiefs defense recorded its first shutout since
1999.
—The Chiefs defense held Cards QB Jake Plummer to
a 12.6 QB rating for the game.
—The Chiefs defense had five sacks. Two of them
by rookie Eddie Freeman.
—It’s good to play the Cardinals.
****
—Priest Holmes had his 14th 100-yard rushing game
in a little over a half. That ties a team record.
—Holmes also had 2 TD’s bringing his league-leading
total to 22, four short of tying the NFL record.
—Priest Holmes had 169 total yards and the entire
Cardinals team had only 122 total yards.
—Holmes inactivity hurt his rushing yardage lead
as both LaDainian Tomlinson and Ricky Williams ran for
over 200 yards. Holmes now has 1322 rushing yards and
leads Tomlinson by four yards and Williams by 38 yards
for the NFL rushing title.
—But Holmes workhorse body got a much-needed rest
for almost two full quarters.
—It’s good to play the Cardinals.
****
—Marc Boerigter caught his fourth and fifth TD passes
of the season. That’s more than starters Johnnie
Morton and Eddie Kennison combined.
—The Chiefs regained the NFL scoring lead, and are
now averaging 31 points per game.
—Trent Green’s flawless performance against
the Cardinals brings his QB rating to 95.4.
—Hall's 90-yard punt return set a team record, and
was the first special teams score of the season.
—It’s good to play the Cardinals.
(CK Rairden can be reached by email
at ckden@yahoo.com)
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