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| Other Week 9 Game Recaps | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARI at TB | BAL at PIT | CAR at TEN | CIN at BUF | DAL at PHI | DEN at DET | GB at KC | HOU at OAK |
| JAX at NO | NE at IND | SD at MIN | SEA at CLE | SF at ATL | WAS at NYJ | ||
Week 9 Game Recap: Arizona Cardinals 10, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17
What you need to know
| Arizona Cardinals |
The Arizona Cardinals lost their third straight game in a sub-par offensive performance at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay. The Cardinals had only 195 net yards of total offense and did not convert on a third down until the 8:30 mark of the fourth quarter. After scoring a field goal on their first possession, the next six first half possessions were three and out. Arizona held the ball on offense for only 16 minutes and 53 seconds in the game.
Kurt Warner had a horrible day throwing the ball completing only ten of 30 passes for 172 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Many of Warner's throws were off target. Despite not being sacked in the game, he looked very uncomfortable under center.
Larry Fitzgerald was the game's leading receiver with 95 yards on four catches, but had the game's biggest blunder when on the second play of the game, Warner hit him in stride for what was sure to be a long touchdown pass. However, Fitzgerald inexplicably stepped out of bounds when he was in the clear, resulting in a 47 yard gain rather than a sure touchdown.
Anquan Boldin caught only three balls for 40 yards, and was covered well by the Tampa Bay secondary.
Edgerrin James found the running very hard and finished the game with just nine carries for 15 yards. He had no running room against the stout Tampa bay defense. He did score on a three yard run to bring the Cardinals to within a touchdown.
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
The Tampa Bay offense held the ball for over 43 minutes in this game, and took the Cardinals out of their passing game. The defense held the Cardinals in check for most of the game and provided the offense with good field position all day long. The Buccaneers offense converted on its first possession with a ten play, 77 yard drive that resulted in a Jeff Garcia to Joey Galloway 37 yard touchdown. In the second half, Tampa Bay held the ball for almost the entire third quarter going on drives of ten plays and 64 yards and 19 plays at 86 yards. Despite the seven point margin, Tampa Bay was in control of the game from the onset.
Jeff Garcia had his usual consistent, turnover-free game against the Cardinals defense. He completed passes to six different receivers and finished the game 18 of 28 for 196 yards and one touchdown.
Earnest Graham was the game's offensive star running 34 times for 124 yards and one touchdown. He was extremely efficient running between tackles and ran with great determination.
Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard were the two main receiving targets on the Tampa Bay offense. Both ran efficient routes and found the seams in the Cardinals secondary. Galloway scores on a 37 yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.
What you ought to know
| QB Kurt Warner, Pass: 10 - 30 - 172 - 0 TD / 2 INT |
Warner looked uncomfortable from the start and had a very poor game. Whether it's the elbow or not, many of Warner's passes were off target or over thrown. On the game's second play, he hit Larry Fitzgerald in stride for what look like a sure touchdown, but the wide receiver inadvertently stepped out of bounds for a 47 yard gain. On both Warner's interceptions it looked like the receivers did not finish the routes. Late in the third quarter, and while in the hurry up offense, Warner led the Cardinal offense on an 11 play 80 yard drive to cut the Tampa Bay lead to seven points. On the Cardinals' next possession, late in the fourth quarter, Warner was intercepted ending any hopes of a comeback.
| RB Edgerrin James, Rush: 9 - 15 - 1 (1 targets) |
Despite scoring on a three yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, James was a complete non-factor in this game rushing for only 15 yards on nine carries. He had virtually no running room against the Tampa bay rush defense and had a long run of three yards.
| RB J.J. Arrington, Rush: 2 - 7 - 0, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (1 targets) |
Arrington rushed for seven yards on two draw plays. He caught one pass out of the backfield for 11 yards.
| RB Marcel Shipp, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0 (1 targets) |
Shipp rushed once for one yard on a short yardage situation. He failed to convert the first down.
| WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 4 - 95 - 0 (11 targets) |
Fitzgerald was targeted 11 times by Warner with many of them deep and up the middle. On the game's second play, Fitzgerald caught a pass in stride down the left sideline and was in the clear for what was to be a sure touchdown. However, he inexplicably stepped out of bounds while clear, resulting in only a 47 yard reception.
| WR Anquan Boldin, Rec: 3 - 40 - 0 (6 targets) |
Boldin caught three balls for 40 yards with a long reception of only 24 yards. He found the going tough against the Tampa bay secondary and had two balls that were jarred loose after hard hits.
| WR Jerheme Urban, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (5 targets) |
Urbane had only once catch, up the middle for 12 yards.
| WR Bryant Johnson, Rec: 1 - 14 - 0 (4 targets) |
Johnson caught one of the four balls thrown his way for only 14 yards.
| TE Leonard Pope (2 targets) |
Pope was targeted twice in the game and was responsible for one of Warner's interceptions when he didn't finish the route and allowed the Tampa bay defender to cut in front of him for the interception.
| PK Neil Rackers 1 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points |
Rackers converted on his only field goal attempt of 47 yards. His kick offs were long and resulted in touchbacks.
| ARI Rush Defense |
The Cardinals rush defense allowed one rushing touchdown and 124 yards to Earnest Graham. They appeared to become tired late in the game as they were on the field for almost 23 minutes of the second half alone.
| ARI Pass Defense |
The pass defense harassed Jeff Garcia most of the game, but did not record a sack nor a turnover. They gave up one touchdown to Joey Galloway on a 37 yard pass completion. The allowed a total of 198 yards passing on the day.
| QB Jeff Garcia, Pass: 18 - 28 - 196 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 7 - 26 - 0 |
Garcia had his usual workmanlike game passing for 196 yards and one touchdown. He was not sacked in the game, and often avoided the Cardinal pass rush with efficient scrambles when needed. Garcia had no turnovers in the game. He connected on a37 yard touchdown to Joey Galloway in the first quarter, and did the things necessary to win this game.
| RB Earnest Graham, Rush: 34 - 124 - 1, Rec: 2 - 13 - 0 (4 targets) |
The game's offensive star, Graham was most effective between the tackles and finished the game with a career high 34 carries for 124 yards and one touchdown. He ran hard and with determination and overpowered the Cardinals defense often.
| RB Michael Bennett, Rush: 5 - 12 - 0 |
Bennett came in to spell Graham a couple of series, but was not a factor in the game. He had a long run of only five yards.
| RB B.J. Askew, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (1 targets) |
Askew did not rush in the game, but caught one pass out of the backfield for seven yards.
| WR Ike Hilliard, Rec: 7 - 70 - 0 (8 targets) |
Hilliard was targeted often on out routes and across the middle in front of the Cardinals linebackers. He had an efficient game catching seven of the nine balls thrown his way.
| WR Joey Galloway, Rec: 5 - 84 - 1 (9 targets) |
Galloway scored on a 37 yard touchdown on a deep up the middle throw in the first quarter. He was targeted nine times by Garcia with many of them crossing routes over the middle.
| WR Maurice Stovall, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (1 targets) |
Stovall was targeted once and caught a 12 yard out from Garcia
| TE Alex Smith, Rec: 2 - 13 - 0 (4 targets) |
Smith caught two balls for only 13 yards and battled threw injuries in this game. He was seen limping off to the sidelines several times in the game.
| PK Matt Bryant 1 - 3 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points |
Bryant had a poor game kicking making only one of three field goal tries. Bryant missed a chip shot 26 yard try early in the fourth quarter and also failed to convert a 58 yard try at the end of the first half. He made both of his two extra points.
| TB Rush Defense |
Tampa Bay's rush defense held the Cardinals to only 23 yards on 12 attempts, but did allow a three yard touchdown run to Edgerrin James. The kept the Cardinals in check for most of the game and held one of the NFL's most respected runners to only 15 yards on nine carries.
| TB Pass Defense |
The pass defense harassed the Cardinals receivers all day long and did not allow a touchdown. They created two turnovers and sealed the game late in the fourth quarter when safety Jermaine Phillips intercepted Warner with 2:39 left in the game.
