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| ARI at SF | CAR at SD | CHI at IND | CIN at BAL | DAL at CLE | DEN at OAK | DET at ATL | HOU at PIT |
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Week 1 Game Recap: Arizona Cardinals 23, San Francisco 49ers 13
What you need to know
| Arizona Cardinals |
The Arizona Cardinals got their 2008 season off to a positive start by making some much needed halftime adjustments and controlling the clock for the entire second half. The Cardinals offense held the ball for 22 minutes 37 seconds in the second half alone and dominated a tired San Francisco defense en route to the win. The Cardinals went on drives of 15 and 18 plays in the second half to increase its margin of victory. Another contributing factor to the victory was that the Cardinals did not commit a turnover, and capitalized on five San Francisco miscues.
QB Kurt Warner put in a workmanlike performance and looked well in control of the offense from the onset. Although he started the game completing only six of 11 passes for 75 yards in the first half, he finished 19 for 30 for 197 and one touchdown pass to WR Larry Fitzgerald. He completed passes to six different receivers, didn't turn the ball over and was sacked three times.
RB Edgerrin James ran hard up and finished the game with 26 carries for an even 100 yards. James looked in mid-season form and often punished the San Francisco defenders lowering his head on initial contact. One disconcerning fact in this game is that it looks like James may lose significant red zone opportunities as the Cardinals utilized rookie RB Tim Hightower in the red zone offensive schemes often.
WR Anquan Boldin was simply unstoppable in the second half getting all his statistics in the third and fourth quarters. Boldin ran crisp routes and caught eight balls for 81 yards. Although he did not see the end zone, it appeared that the Cardinals coaching staff made a concerted effort to get him involved in the game plan for the second half.
| San Francisco 49ers |
It was simply a case of too many turnovers for the San Francisco 49ers as they had three fumbles and one interception and a muffed punt in this game.
QB J.T. O'Sullivan, who started his first NFL game, had a tale of two halves game. With the score tied 10-10 at the half, O'Sullivan was ten for 14 for 141 yards and one interception. However, he had only 54 additional yards in the second half and finished the game with 195 yards from 14 of 20 attempts. Most of his passes were dump offs to backs with O'Sullivan avoiding the Cardinals rush and blitzing schemes. He fumbled twice and threw one interception.
RB Frank Gore was the lone bright spot for the San Francisco offense in this game running hard and bouncing off Cardinal defenders after the first contact. He scored on a 41 yard run up the middle to put the 49ers up 7-3 in the first quarter and finished the game with 96 yards on 14 attempts. He added 55 yards on four catches as well. Gore finished the game as the San Francisco leading receiver.
WR Bryant Johnson caught three balls for 48 yards and appears to be the San Francisco first option down field. Johnson ran good routes and actually would have had more catches if it weren't for a few errant O'Sullivan passes.
What you ought to know
| QB Kurt Warner, Pass: 19 - 30 - 197 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 5 - -4 - 0 |
Warner looked in mid-season form hitting six different Cardinals receivers in this game. He had control of the offense and led Arizona on scoring drives of 15 and 18 plays in the second half. His touchdown pass was a one yard fade route to Larry Fitzgerald in the first half. He showed good poise under an aggressive San Francisco rush, and although sacked three times, he was in control of this game from the start. His longest pass of the day was a 40 yard strike to WR Steve Breaston.
| RB Edgerrin James, Rush: 26 - 100 - 0 (2 targets) |
James ran hard through the San Francisco defensive front and often punished defenders with hard hits. He finished the games with 26 carries for 100 yards. One note is that it appears James may lose scoring opportunities to rookie RB Tim Hightower when the Cardinals are in their red zone packages.
| RB Tim Hightower, Rush: 8 - 13 - 1, Rec: 3 - 21 - 0 (4 targets) |
Hightower appears to have played himself into a significant role as a short yardage back and had the Cardinal only rushing touchdown in the game, a two yarder in the third quarter. Hightower substituted for James when the Cardinals were in its goal line package, and also occasionally on third down. Hightower contributed with three catches out of the backfield for 21 yards.
| WR Anquan Boldin, Rec: 8 - 82 - 0 (11 targets) |
Boldin did not have a catch in the first half, but made up for the lack of stats in the second as he caught eight balls for 81 yards. Boldin has good rhythm with Warner and many of his catches were across the middle, with additional yardage made after the catch.
| WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 3 - 31 - 1 (4 targets) |
Fitzgerald had a sub-par day when you consider he only had three catches for 31 yards in the game. His first catch of the day went for 21 yards. He was double teamed in the second half, and scored on a one yard fade route for the only Cardinals passing score. Fitzgerald was not a significant factor in the second half.
| WR Steve Breaston, Rec: 3 - 54 - 0 (6 targets) |
Breaston had the day's longest catch of 40 yards, when Warner hit the receiver down the right side line on a third down and seven. Breaston was pushed out at the one yard line. Breaston also returned kick offs for the Cardinals.
| TE Leonard Pope, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (2 targets) |
Pope only had one catch for the Cardinals for five yards. He was targeted once in the red zone though.
| PK Neil Rackers 3 - 4 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 11 points |
Rackers was three for four in the field goal department with kicks of 25, 31 and 30 yards. He missed a 35 yard field goal wide right in the first quarter. He converted on two extra point attempts.
| ARI Rush Defense |
The Arizona rush defense had a bend but don't break mentality in this game. In all, they gave up 108 yards on the ground with Frank Gore getting 96 of those yards. Gore scored on a 41 yard touchdown run up the middle in the first half, but only managed 16 rushing yards in the second half.
| ARI Pass Defense |
The Cardinals pass defense figured significantly into the game as four of the five turnovers were result of the pass defense efforts. Adrian Wilson had an interception, and the three fumbles were a result of pass rushes or hits after a completion. At times, they allowed O'Sullivan to hit the receivers short, but did not give up a big play via the pass.
| QB J.T. OSullivan, Pass: 14 - 20 - 195 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 1 - 0 |
O'Sullivan had a respectable first half hitting several of his passes to backs out of the backfield. O'Sullivan had 141 yards passing in the first half, but managed just 54 yards in the second half. He fumbled twice after being sacked and was intercepted once. He hit six different receivers, but his longest pass of the day was a 37 yard toss to TE Vernon Davis.
| RB Frank Gore, Rush: 14 - 96 - 1, Rec: 4 - 55 - 0 (4 targets) |
Gore was the star for the San Francisco offense as he had 151 total yards. He scored on a 41 yard run up the Cardinal middle in the first quarter and managed a total of 96 yards on 14 rushes. Gore caught four balls for 55 yards. He had 151 of the San Francisco's total offensive out put of only 303 yards.
| RB DeShaun Foster, Rush: 4 - 11 - 0, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (1 targets) |
Foster substituted for Gore on two occasions and ran for 11 yards on four attempts. He caught one ball out of the backfield for 12 yards.
| RB Zak Keasey (2 targets) |
Keasey caught two balls out of the backfield, but fumbled one deep in San Francisco's own territory giving the Cardinals a golden opportunity.
| WR Bryant Johnson, Rec: 3 - 48 - 0 (5 targets) |
Johnson caught three balls for 48 yards, and appears to be the San Francisco deep threat.
| WR Isaac Bruce |
Bruce did not figure in the San Francisco offense and failed to catch a single ball in his first game as a 49er.
| TE Vernon Davis, Rec: 3 - 51 - 0 (3 targets) |
Davis had a few flashes but wasn't a big factor in this game catching three balls for 51 yards. Davis did have a big play of 37 yards.
| PK Joe Nedney 2 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points |
Nedney converted on both his field goal attempts of 39 and 30 yards. He also was perfect on his only extra point attempt.
| SF Rush Defense |
The San Francisco rush defense played hard the first half en route to a 10-10 half time score, but became worn down under a relentless Cardinal offense that held the ball for 22 minutes, 37 seconds of the second half alone. The unit gave up 100 yards rushing to Edgerrin James, and a touchdown to rookie RB Tim Hightower, but the longest Cardinals run from scrimmage was only ten yards.
| SF Pass Defense |
The pass defense failed to control Anquan Boldin in the second half, giving that receiver all his stats (8 catches, 81 yards) in the third and fourth quarters. They also tired as a result of the time of possession disparity. The pass defense sacked Warner three times, but failed to cause a turnover. The touchdown pass surrendered was only a one yard toss to Larry Fitzgerald. The longest pass play from scrimmage was a 40 yard catch to WR Steve Breaston.