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| ARI at STL | ATL at TEN | BAL at SF | CAR at NO | CHI at GB | CLE at NE | DAL at BUF | DET at WAS |
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Week 5 Game Recap: Arizona Cardinals 34, St. Louis Rams 31
What you need to know
| Arizona Cardinals |
The quarterback platoon continued in Arizona as starter QB Matt Leinart split time with backup QB Kurt Warner, until Leinart was knocked out the game with an injury midway through the second quarter. It was reported after the game Leinart suffered a broken collarbone after being driven into the turf on his left shoulder. Warner would come off the bench again and led the Cardinals to three touchdown drives and a win over his old team. He had a solid game throwing for 190 yards, one passing touchdown, and one rushing touchdown. Warner didn't play as well in the second half as the offense only converted one third down but, he still lead them to ten offensive points, including a game clinching touchdown drive with about three minutes left in the game.
RB Edgerrin James had a nice game getting 88 yards on 26 carries. He had a five yard carry that was at first ruled a touchdown, but after the officials reviewed the play, they ruled James fumbled and Arizona's OL Reggie Wells was awarded the score after recovering the ball in the end zone. The play was a bit controversial since it actually looked like James was down before the goal line. The Cardinals continued to show a commitment to the run throughout the game and James got all the carries near the goal line.
WR Larry Fitzgerald had another big game as his counterpart, WR Anquan Boldin, missed a second consecutive game with a hip injury. As a result, Fitzgerald saw a game high 16 targets and he responded by catching nine balls for 136 yards, including a seven yard touchdown pass late in the game to seal a Cardinals victory.
| St. Louis Rams |
QB Gus Frerotte made his first start since 2005 in place of injured and ineffective QB Marc Bulger. Frerotte was able to snap a streak of 32 possessions without a touchdown by the Rams offense early in the second quarter when he hit WR Drew Bennett on a 16 yard pass. Frerotte put up very good numbers in the game, throwing for 262 yards and three touchdowns. But he also had three very costly interceptions, including a bad throw that Cardinals' CB Roderick Hood took back 68 yards for touchdown. Frerotte not only struggled with decision making at times but, also with accuracy, as he only completed 24 of 43 passes.
In only his second NFL start, RB Brian Leonard had a very good game as he accounted for 135 of the Rams' 385 total yards of offense in the game. Leonard showed pretty good vision as a runner, hitting open lanes in the running game and versatility as receiver in the passing game.
WR Torry Holt got off to a very slow start in this game as he only had one catch for 12 yards in the first half. But Holt picked it up in the second half as he caught four more passes for 77 yards, including an 11 yard touchdown. WR Isaac Bruce missed this game with a hamstring injury.
What you ought to know
| QB Kurt Warner, Pass: 14 - 28 - 190 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 0 - 1 |
Warner came into the game with about seven minutes left in the first half. Arizona went to the no huddle with Warner in and proceeded to march down the field. He looked sharp again on his initial drive and led them to a 78 yard touchdown drive by completing five of six passes for 58 yards. Leinart replaced Warner on the next series of the game for the Cardinals, but he would have to come back into the game two plays later after Leinart was injured. Warner would stay in the game as Leinart did not return. He would get a one yard touchdown plunge on the last play of the first half. He would finish the half seven for 13 for 100 yards.
Warner didn't look as sharp in the second half as he seemed to lock in one receiver and tried getting the ball in some tight places. He had a costly turnover in the red zone in the third quarter, he was intercepted trying to get a pass to WR Larry Fitzgerald in the end zone. The Arizona offense struggled in the first half, converting only one third down in the second half. But Warner did hit Fitzgerald toward the end of the game on a seven yard touchdown pass. Warner would finish the second half with 90 yards passing.
| QB Matt Leinart, Pass: 7 - 13 - 100 - 0 TD / 1 INT |
Leinart got off to a shaky start by throwing an interception on the Cardinals first drive of the game. He looked ok early on going seven for 12 for 100 yards before making way to QB Kurt Warner midway through the second quarter for one possession. Leinart would return on the next series of the game. He would leave the game on his second play back in the game as he was driven into the turf on a sack. His left shoulder appeared to be injured on the play as he was holding his left arm awkwardly as he left the field. The sideline reporter said it was a left collarbone injury. He did not return to the game.
| RB Edgerrin James, Rush: 26 - 88 - 0, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (4 targets) |
James had a decent first half rushing 14 times for 54 yards and almost got a touchdown. He would be initially awarded a touchdown on a six yard running play that looked like he was down before crossing the goal line. After a review by the officials they would take the score away from James and award it to Arizona OL Reggie Wells, saying James fumbled the ball into the end zone and the score occurred on the recovery. He would get another chance to score a touchdown with the ball on the one yard line late in the first half, but he was stopped.
James was never able to break off a big gain in the game, his longest run was only 13 yards. But he got a lot of carries as the Cardinals showed a commitment to the run and, he got all the carries around the goal line. He would have 34 yards rushing in the second half, but wouldn't get another good scoring opportunity.
| RB J.J. Arrington, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0, Rec: 1 - 32 - 0 (2 targets) |
Arrington did have one big play in the game as he caught a pass in the flat and took it 32 yards late in the first half. He also added a one carry for four yards.
| RB Marcel Shipp, Rush: 1 - 10 - 0 (2 targets) |
Shipp's first and only run came on a draw play up the middle for ten yards on a third and long play that came up short for a first down.
| WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 9 - 136 - 1 (16 targets) |
Fitzgerald picked up the slack on offense for teammate WR Anquan Boldin being out for a second consecutive week by responding with another big game. He started out strong by catching a 27 yard pass by making a nice diving catch. The play could have went for much more had QB Matt Leinart's pass been more accurate and not forced Fitzgerald to make a diving catch. He would catch a big pass on fourth down to extend a drive late in the first half and he would come back two plays later and catch a 34 yard pass, just missing a touchdown by being tackled on the one yard line. He had a great first half catching six passes for 108 yards, with ten targets.
Fitzgerald's numbers weren't quite as good in the second half as the Cardinals offense struggled to sustain drives, but he did have three more catches for 28 yards, including a seven yard touchdown pass toward the end of the game.
| WR Bryant Johnson, Rec: 6 - 80 - 0 (10 targets) |
Johnson started the game for the injured WR Anquan Boldin and responded with a good game. He got the Cardinals first catch of the game on a slant for 17 yards. Johnson was a frequent target in the first half as the Rams doubled WR Larry Fitzgerald often. He finished the half with five catches for 70 yards in the first half. Johnson only had one catch for ten yards in the second half.
| WR Jerheme Urban, Rec: 3 - 28 - 0 (4 targets) |
Urban lined up as the third wideout when the Cardinals were in three wide receiver sets and finished the game with three catches for 28 yards.
| WR Anquan Boldin |
Boldin missed a second consecutive game due a hip injury sustained in week three.
| TE Leonard Pope, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (2 targets) |
Pope had only one catch for five yards in the game, as Arizona rarely targeted the tight ends in this game.
| PK Neil Rackers 2 - 3 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 10 points |
Rackers hit a 50 yard field goal in the first quarter of the game. In the second quarter, he had a 39 yard attempt blocked by the Rams. He would add a 32 yard field goal in the third quarter and had four extra points.
| ARI Rush Defense |
The rush defense gave up 123 yards on the ground but, were stingy in the red zone and didn't give up a rushing touchdown.
| ARI Pass Defense |
CB Roderick Hood would make the biggest defensive play of the game when QB Gus Frerotte threw a ball right to him and he took it 68 yards for a touchdown, giving the Cardinals the lead in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals would have three interceptions and two sacks in the game.
| QB Gus Frerotte, Pass: 24 - 43 - 262 - 3 TD / 3 INT, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0 |
Frerotte got the start for the injured starter QB Marc Bulger who is nursing broken ribs and has not been effective. Bulger was active and served as Frerotte's backup in the game. Frerotte got off to a good start by leading the Rams to three points on the first drive of the game for St. Louis. Frerotte snapped a streak of 32 possessions without a touchdown by the Rams' offense by hitting WR Drew Bennett on a 16 yard touchdown in the second quarter. But Frerotte was inconsistent in the first half going only eight for 17 for 60 yards.
Frerotte would get his second touchdown pass of the game on an 11 yard pass to WR Torry Holt on the first drive of the second half. Frerotte lead them down on a seven play, seventy yard scoring drive. He had an interception in the third quarter when Holt had a pass bounce off his hands. He would make a huge mistake early in the fourth quarter when he threw a pass right to Cardinals' CB Roderick Hood in which he would take 68 yards for a touchdown. He would get his third interception of the game later in the fourth quarter on a poorly thrown deep ball. Frerotte did lead the Rams down on 70 yard drive late in the game and hit TE Randy McMichael on a 29 yard touchdown pass. He finished with very good numbers in the game, but he was inaccurate at times and did have three big interceptions in the second half.
| RB Brian Leonard, Rush: 18 - 102 - 0, Rec: 5 - 33 - 0 (7 targets) |
Leonard started for the second straight week for injured starter RB Steven Jackson. He would account for most of St. Louis' offense in the first half. He had a 12 yard reception out of the back field that helped set up a field goal on the first drive of the game. He had a big gain on a 31 yard carry over the right side after the offensive line opened up a huge hole. He was kind of quiet the rest of the half, until ripping off a 13 yard run for first down late in the first half. Leonard had seven carries for 63 yards in the first half, and he also added four catches for 26 yards receiving.
Leonard remained a big part of the offense in the second half even though St. Louis was forced to throw more in the second half because they were down. He had 11 more carries for 39 yards in the second half, and added a catch for seven yards.
| RB Travis Minor, Rush: 3 - 12 - 0, Rec: 5 - 31 - 0 (5 targets) |
Minor saw some playing time with the injury to RB Steven Jackson. His best run came on an eight yard run up the middle. He came in often on passing downs in the second half and caught several balls on little check down passes.
| WR Torry Holt, Rec: 5 - 89 - 1 (8 targets) |
Holt had a very nice game but, was a non-factor in the first half only catching one pass for 12 yards. That would not be the case in the second half as he caught a 34 yard pass on St. Louis' first drive of the second half. QB Gus Frerotte would go back to him two plays later for an 11 yard touchdown in the right corner of the end zone. He had a ball bounce off his hands, on a play he usually makes, and the deflection lead to an interception. It looked like Holt short-armed the ball on a pass that was very catchable. But Holt would redeem himself by catching a big 26 yard pass in the fourth quarter. He also caught a pass for a two point conversion with 13 second left in the game.
| WR Drew Bennett, Rec: 2 - 32 - 1 (8 targets) |
Bennett got the start because WR Isaac Bruce did not play because of an injury. His first catch was a 16 yard touchdown pass over the middle of the field. That would be Bennett's only catch of the first half. He would come and catch a 16 yard pass on the first play of the second half, but that would be his only other catch in the game.
| WR Dante Hall, Rush: 1 - 8 - 0, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (5 targets) |
Hall had a reverse run for eight yards and a first down on the Rams first drive of the game. Hall was targeted five times in the game but, only caught one pass for seven yards.
| WR Isaac Bruce |
Bruce did not play in this game because of a hamstring injury.
| TE Randy McMichael, Rec: 3 - 45 - 1 (6 targets) |
McMichael caught an eight pass that came up short on a third down play in the second quarter. It would be his only catch of the first half. He would add two more catches in the second half, including a 29 yard pass with 13 seconds left that was for a touchdown.
| PK Jeff Wilkins 3 - 3 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 11 points |
Wilkins kicked a 46 yard field goal on the Rams first drive of the game. He would have another field goal of 35 yards in the second quarter, and a 31 yard kick in the fourth quarter. He would also add two extra points.
| STL Rush Defense |
The Rams defense gave up 102 yards rushing in the game but, no rushing touchdown.
| STL Pass Defense |
CB Fakhir Brown returned to the lineup for this game and got an interception on Arizona's opening drive. Brown would add a second interception later in the game. The Rams pass defense would give up 290 yards of passing and one touchdown pass.
