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| Other Week 2 Game Recaps | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARI at JAX | BAL at SD | CAR at ATL | CIN at GB | CLE at DEN | HOU at TEN | IND at MIA | MIN at DET |
| NE at NYJ | NO at PHI | NYG at DAL | OAK at KC | PIT at CHI | SEA at SF | STL at WAS | TB at BUF |
Week 2 Game Recap: Arizona Cardinals 31, Jacksonville Jaguars 17
Arizona Cardinals
| QB Kurt Warner, Pass: 24 - 26 - 243 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 |
Warner was back to his precise execution and hyperaccuracy on Sunday vs. the Jags. He didn't take any big shots downfield, but he didn't have to. It obviously made a big difference for him to Steve Breaston and Anquan Boldin back, as Warner leaned on this combo to find soft spots and get open on short routes. Warner set the NFL single game completion percentage record in the game, and he threw the ball well enough to earn it. Receivers only had to adjust to two or three of his 24 completions, and he created Larry Fitzgerald's TD reception with a perfectly timed pump fake to freeze the defense while Fitz broke free behind them. Warner even moved a little in the pocket to make one completion, and took a hit to make another, but he was mostly comfortable in the pocket in a much better day for the Cardinals offensive line.
| QB Matt Leinart, Pass: 3 - 6 - 22 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - -3 - 0 |
Leinart got in for a couple of drives when the game seemed out of hand in the second half. He looked calm and under control, and mostly made good throws, but he did overthrow Larry Fitzgerald on a downfield target that Fitz still almost pulled in. Leinart didn't show anything that would make us write him off, but he didn't make us get excited about his prospects, either.
| RB Tim Hightower, Rush: 15 - 72 - 1, Rec: 3 - 12 - 0 (3 targets) |
Hightower wasn't needed as the underneath target today because Boldin was healthier and Breaston was back, but he did run hard and physical, and convert some key plays for the Cards. Hightower got his TD by breaking a goal line carry to the outside. His number was called on a 4th and 1 in the passing game, and he also converted there. Hightower's cuts are still not sharp enough for him to be considered nifty or elusive in the open field, but he runs through arm tackles, and he didn't seem as intent of breaking runs to the outside when nothing was there between the tackles as he was last week. Hightower's hold on the starting job is secure as long as Beanie Wells hold on the ball isn't like it was today (Wells fumbled twice).
| RB Chris Wells, Rush: 7 - 44 - 0 |
Once again, Beanie had the best initial burst of any Cards back, and he was physical and creative in the open field. On the downside, Wells fumbled twice, once inside the 10, and you have to wonder if his planned on workload was reduced because of it. He definitely has the vision, quicks, and strength to make great things happen, and he had one 15-yard run called back by a penalty, but if his ball security issues persist, his value will remain modest.
| RB LaRod Stephens-Howling, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (2 targets) |
Stephens-Howling got a few receptions and looked very fast after the catch, but he's still just a role player.
| RB Jason Wright, Rec: 1 - 5 - 1 (1 targets) |
Wright got in the two-minute drill, and Warner found him for a late first-half TD, but he is still just a bench RB for the Cards.
| WR Anquan Boldin, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0, Rec: 8 - 69 - 0 (9 targets) |
Boldin's hamstring is clearly fine, as he was productive after the catch, and even got the call on an end around. He didn't have quite the burst we're used to seeing, but he did run as angry as always, and he was always where he was supposed to on his short routes, so Warner used Boldin a lot to set up short second downs and gain first downs. Boldin made a great adjustment to one of the few poorly thrown passes by Warner, and he also showed great concentration on a pass the defense tipped before it got to him. He's back to his old role in this prolific offense.
| WR Steve Breaston, Rec: 5 - 83 - 0 (5 targets) |
Breaston showed no signs of being limited by his knee injury at all. He was reprising his familiar place, running crossing routes and getting lots of yards after the catch. His timing with Warner seemed to be as good as ever, especially on slants. Even though the Cards had a big lead, they never morphed into a run-first offense, so Breaston's value from last year as the most productive #3 wide receiver in the league is intact.
| WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 4 - 34 - 1 (5 targets) |
For the second week in a row, Fitzgerald never really got a chance to make of his signature big plays on jumpball downfield or in the end zone, but he still found a way to produce. He only got two downfield targets, one was a TD, and the other was overthrown by Matt Leinart, but Fitz still almost got it. On the TD, Fitzgerald showed that hunger for the end zone that his owners have come to love, diving for the pylon once it was in sight and converting the score. While the return of Boldin and Breaston dampened his value, the good performance by Warner more than makes up for that hit going forward.
| WR Jerheme Urban, Rec: 2 - 25 - 0 (4 targets) |
Urban was back in his role as the fourth receiver, and he bailed out Warner on a few underneath routes, but he is clearly very low in the pecking order of Warner's progressions.
| TE Anthony Becht, Rec: 1 - 16 - 0 (2 targets) |
Becht got fired up when he caught a pass early on, but he returned to his blocking TE ways when he dropped one from Matt Leinart later in the game.
Jacksonville Jaguars
| QB David Garrard, Pass: 23 - 43 - 282 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 4 - 27 - 0 |
Garrard's fantasy owners should be very pleased that he is such a game competitor. He was victimized by a blocked FG return for TD and bad defense that put him in a 28-point hold in the second half, but Garrard kept pulling his Houdini act in the pocket and taking big shots downfield. Early on, he had a good pocket, and made good throws to move the offense, but as the game went on, he tried to turn every snap into a big play, and suffered for it. Garrard fumbled twice when he didn't feel pressure, even though he always escaped it when he did. The offense isn't really running smoothly, and Garrard is partially to blame, as he doesn't seem patient or precise in his execution the offense. He did well as a runner when the play broke down, but Garrard also took a lot of big hits, and you have to wonder how long he will hold up. Most of stats came against a prevent defense, so don't get too excited, but know that he should have had one more TD pass if Nate Hughes hadn't done his Troy Williamson impression at the end of the game.
| RB Maurice Jones-Drew, Rush: 13 - 66 - 0, Rec: 4 - 17 - 0 (7 targets) |
Jones-Drew looked primed for a big day when he was met in the backfield on his first carry, and just busted it outside for a huge gain. He had a good share of safety valve receptions, but not that were really designed to get him the ball in space, where he can do the most damage. He did have one downfield target when he leaked behind the linebacker trying to cover him, but the defender committed pass interference instead of surrendering the big play. MJD still ran tough, quick, and fast, making him as hard to bring down as ever, but the Jags never really got in a position where they could run a traditional drive so he could get in rhythm running the ball. On the plus side, Jones-Drew didn't take nearly as much punishment as he did in the season opener.
| RB Rashad Jennings, Rush: 2 - 1 - 0 |
Jennings only got a few touches, but he didn't look promising when he did get the call.
| RB Montell Owens, Rush: 1 - -2 - 0 (1 targets) |
Owens looked like he belongs back on special teams. He had a bad drop and let his legs go dead at the point of attack when the hole wasn't there on one of his carries.
| WR Torry Holt, Rec: 6 - 65 - 0 (11 targets) |
Holt started the day auspiciously with a nice catch downfield over the middle. The rest of the day, he was only productive on some short targets that he had to slide to catch, and a quick slant or two. He also dropped a pass at the sidelines, and generally looked more frustrated as the day went on. He's still not getting great separation, and he's probably relegated to short and intermediate routes at this point in his career.
| WR Mike Sims-Walker, Rec: 6 - 106 - 1 (9 targets) |
Sims-Walker's performance matched his gaudy stats, almost all compiled in the last 20 minutes of the game. He started, and got a quick target, but the Arizona D clamped down on him. Later, he found dead spots in the zone downfield, and made nice strong moves after the catch to get additional yards. On his fourth down TD catch, Sims-Walker showed strong hands to get the catch in tight coverage, and he decisively turned it upfield to avoid the tackle and get the easy TD. You still have to wonder how productive he would have been if the Cards wouldn't have gone to the prevent D in the second half.
| WR Nate Hughes, Rec: 2 - 8 - 0 (6 targets) |
Hughes had a big chances with Troy Williamson out, and he let it hit him in the face. He got open on consecutive plays for a TD that could have brought the Jags within seven, but one went through his hands, and the other hit him in the facemask.
| WR Troy Williamson, Rec: 2 - 24 - 0 (2 targets) |
He opened the game on the bench behind Mike Sims-Walker, but Williamson caught and early pass standing still downfield. His second catch ended with a fumble and arm injury, and he wasn't heard from again.
| TE Marcedes Lewis, Rec: 3 - 62 - 1 (5 targets) |
With the receiving corps not proving trustworthy, Lewis was one of Garrard's main downfield targets. He dropped the first one, that he had to twist just to have a chance to catch, but he tipped a later target to himself, and looked especially impressive on his TD - breaking the first tackle, eluding the second, and going through the third to get the score.