Arizona Cardinals update:

Go ahead, call the NFC West soft. You might just get punched in the nose.

That was the sentiment expressed Friday by a couple of coaches in the division.

Asked if the division would become more physical now that Jeff Fisher was coach of the Rams, Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said: “I think it’s independent of that; I think it’s already headed that way. It’s all based on how we (the division) play this year.

“All those questions about the NFC West being a weak division dried up pretty quick. We all know San Francisco had a really good year. A lot of teams respected the way we played and the way Seattle played, not so much maybe from a won-loss record, even though we both did better in the second half of the season, but I certainly think in the way our teams were physical, the way they went about the game.

“Let me tell you something, no matter what you want to say about the Rams record, they were a very physical football team as well, and they played hard, no matter what. I have a lot of respect for that organization and the way they play. And I know coach Fisher will do a great job there.”

Whisenhunt thinks the division has evolved in his five years as a head coach. There are more star players, he said.

Fisher said the division looks as if it will be strong for years to come.

“Obviously, the success the 49ers had was extraordinary,” he said, “especially considering the circumstances. You got a lockout, you got no time to install, you got a first year head coach who comes in and does that kind of job. Seattle is very, very competitive. Arizona is a few years away from being in the Super Bowl. I think this division will stand on its own for a number of years now.”

Friday, February 24, 2012 at 10:32 AM

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The Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals have seasons that mirror each – an awful beginning and strong finish.

They will meet in their season finale on Sunday, the winner finishing at 8-8, a satisfying result considering what things looked like a couple of months ago.

“It’s enough incentive to be jacked up to end your season with .500 at least,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “That’s not anywhere near where we wanted to be, but it’s what we have available and we’re going for it. I know that those guys feel the same way. That’s just a natural way for all of us, so it’s going to be a big battle.”

John Skelton, who probably will be back at quarterback for Arizona, said the difference between 7-9 and 8-8 is far more than just one game.

“No one wants to have a losing record going into the offseason,” he said. “It kind of puts a bad taste in your mouth. 8-8 is kind of something to build on for the future.”

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt reminds his players of what happened in 2007, his first season in Arizona. The Cardinals won their final two to finish 8-8. The next season, Arizona won the NFC West and made it to the Super Bowl.

“No guarantees that if we win this game we are going to the Super Bowl next year, but I do believe that it’s something that you want to do,” he said. “You strive to do that, because you always want to end on a high note and it really propels you into the offseason.”

Seattle was 2-6 after a loss to Dallas on Nov. 6. Arizona was 1-6 after a 30-27 loss at Baltimore on Oct. 30. Seattle won five of six, capped by an impressive 34-14 road win over Chicago, to climb to 7-7. The Cardinals won six of seven, including home wins over Dallas and San Francisco, to hit 7-7 with a 20-17 overtime win at home over Cleveland leaving them 7-7.

The slim playoff hopes of both teams were dashed a week ago when the Seahawks lost at home to NFC West champ San Francisco 19-17 and the Cardinals were beaten at Cincinnati 23-16. That the teams were in it that long is remarkable considering the way they started.

The Cardinals have lived on the edge in nearly every game.

Five of their losses were by seven points or less. They have trailed at the half in all seven of their victories. They have won six of their last eight, three in overtime, the other three by four points, three points and two points. Last week, they trailed the Bengals 23-0 entering the fourth quarter but had a chance to win it late. Wide receiver Early Doucet broke wide open on a fourth-and-five play and was surely headed for a touchdown when he slipped and fell, Skelton’s pass sailing harmlessly over his head.

Slow starts have plagued Arizona all season. Over the last eight games, the Cardinals have been outscored 94-30 in the first two quarters, then have outscored opponents 116-51 in the second half and overtimes. Skelton isn’t sure why he has had so much trouble early in games.

“There are mistakes that even a rookie shouldn’t be making that I’m making out there sometimes. I think it is just consistency,” he said. “We’ll have maybe the first two plays of a drive go well and then the third one someone messes up. Those are the things that we have to eliminate, the mistake here and the mistake there. Eventually those add up and they hurt an offense.”

Kevin Kolb, brought in to be the Cardinals’ franchise quarterback, struggled through the team’s six-game losing streak early in the season, then was sidelined for four games with a right turf toe. He returned and directed the team to a comeback victory over Dallas, only to go down with a concussion when he took a knee to the head on Arizona’s first play the following week against San Francisco.

Skelton came on to lead the team to a 21-19 victory over the 49ers. The second-year pro from Fordham is 4-2 as a starter this season, 5-2 if the San Francisco victory is counted.

The No. 1 challenge for Arizona’s vastly improved defense will be slowing down Marshawn Lynch, who has topped 100 yards rushing in six of his last eight games. But Whisenhunt reminded everyone that he has a pretty good back in Beanie Wells. Lynch has rushed for 1,118 yards and averaged 4.2 yards per carry. Wells, despite a season-long knee problem, has 1,047 yards, picking up 4.3 per attempt.

“If you look at Beanie vs. Marshawn, they’re almost identical statistically,” Whisenhunt said.

The Seahawks led 17-16 entering the fourth quarter last week against San Francisco only to lose on David Akers’ 39-yard field goal with 3:44 to play. Jackson’s fumble on Seattle’s next possession sealed the 49ers’ win.

The Seahawks believe they are a better team than they were a year ago, when their 7-9 record was good enough to win the NFC West, then they stunned New Orleans in the first round of the playoffs.

“Even though we have a similar record as last year, I think we took stuff forward this year – defense, offense, running game, and special teams,” Seattle strong safety Kam Chancellor said. “There are new guys on the team now and we just have to take time to feel each other out and see where we’re going.”

GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals have seasons that mirror each — an awful beginning and strong finish.

They will meet in their season finale on Sunday, the winner finishing at 8-8, a satisfying result considering what things looked like a couple of months ago.

“It’s enough incentive to be jacked up to end your season with .500 at least,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “That’s not anywhere near where we wanted to be, but it’s what we have available and we’re going for it. I know that those guys feel the same way. That’s just a natural way for all of us, so it’s going to be a big battle.”

John Skelton, who probably will be back at quarterback for Arizona, said the difference between 7-9 and 8-8 is far more than just one game.

“No one wants to have a losing record going into the off-season,” he said. “It kind of puts a bad taste in your mouth. 8-8 is kind of something to build on for the future.”

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt reminds his players of what happened in 2007, his first season in Arizona. The Cardinals won their final two to finish 8-8. The next season, Arizona won the NFC West and made it to the Super Bowl.

“No guarantees that if we win this game we are going to the Super Bowl next year, but I do believe that it’s something that you want to do,” he said. “You strive to do that, because you always want to end on a high note and it really propels you into the off-season.”

Seattle was 2-6 after a loss to Dallas on Nov. 6. Arizona was 1-6 after a 30-27 loss at Baltimore on Oct. 30. Seattle won five of six, capped by an impressive 34-14 road win over Chicago, to climb to 7-7. The Cardinals won six of seven, including home wins over Dallas and San Francisco, to hit 7-7 with a 20-17 overtime win at home over Cleveland leaving them 7-7.

The slim playoff hopes of both teams were dashed a week ago when the Seahawks lost at home to NFC West champ San Francisco 19-17 and the Cardinals were beaten at Cincinnati 23-16. That the teams were in it that long is remarkable considering the way they started.

The Cardinals have lived on the edge in nearly every game.

Five of their losses were by seven points or less. They have trailed at the half in all seven of their victories. They have won six of their last eight, three in overtime, the other three by four points, three points and two points. Last week, they trailed the Bengals 23-0 entering the fourth quarter but had a chance to win it late. Wide receiver Early Doucet broke wide open on a fourth-and-five play and was surely headed for a touchdown when he slipped and fell, Skelton’s pass sailing harmlessly over his head.

Slow starts have plagued Arizona all season. Over the last eight games, the Cardinals have been outscored 94-30 in the first two quarters, then have outscored opponents 116-51 in the second half and overtimes. Skelton isn’t sure why he has had so much trouble early in games.

“There are mistakes that even a rookie shouldn’t be making that I’m making out there sometimes. I think it is just consistency,” he said. “We’ll have maybe the first two plays of a drive go well and then the third one someone messes up. Those are the things that we have to eliminate, the mistake here and the mistake there. Eventually those add up and they hurt an offence.”

Kevin Kolb, brought in to be the Cardinals’ franchise quarterback, struggled through the team’s six-game losing streak early in the season, then was sidelined for four games with a right turf toe. He returned and directed the team to a comeback victory over Dallas, only to go down with a concussion when he took a knee to the head on Arizona’s first play the following week against San Francisco.

Skelton came on to lead the team to a 21-19 victory over the 49ers. The second-year pro from Fordham is 4-2 as a starter this season, 5-2 if the San Francisco victory is counted.

The No. 1 challenge for Arizona’s vastly improved defence will be slowing down Marshawn Lynch, who has topped 100 yards rushing in six of his last eight games. But Whisenhunt reminded everyone that he has a pretty good back in Beanie Wells. Lynch has rushed for 1,118 yards and averaged 4.2 yards per carry. Wells, despite a season-long knee problem, has 1,047 yards, picking up 4.3 per attempt.

“If you look at Beanie vs. Marshawn, they’re almost identical statistically,” Whisenhunt said.

The Seahawks led 17-16 entering the fourth quarter last week against San Francisco only to lose on David Akers’ 39-yard field goal with 3:44 to play. Jackson’s fumble on Seattle’s next possession sealed the 49ers’ win.

The Seahawks believe they are a better team than they were a year ago, when their 7-9 record was good enough to win the NFC West, then they stunned New Orleans in the first round of the playoffs.

“Even though we have a similar record as last year, I think we took stuff forward this year — defence, offence, running game, and special teams,” Seattle strong safety Kam Chancellor said. “There are new guys on the team now and we just have to take time to feel each other out and see where we’re going.”

“Things take time, so you come in and you learn,” Reid told reporters covering the Cardinals. “You had one of the all-time great ones there with Kurt Warner and that was up and down initially, and then he came in and got it all figured out and it was lights out. That’s how those things work.”

Reid coached Kolb for four seasons before trading him to the Cardinals for a 2012 second-round pick and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Kolb has a 1-6 starting record with Arizona to go with a turf-toe injury that could keep him from playing against the Eagles in Week 10.

Any suggestion that Warner flourished in Arizona after experiencing a Kolb-like transition invites a closer look. Reid, having already talked up Kolb to teams before trading the quarterback, could have been in coach-speak mode Wednesday. Or, he could have been providing needed perspective only seven starts into what could wind up being a long, successful run for Kolb in Arizona.

Warner did suffer through some inconsistencies upon signing with the Cardinals in 2005, posting a 3-12 starting record in two seasons under Dennis Green. The struggles Warner experienced once Ken Whisenhunt took over in 2007 are easily forgotten for a couple reasons. One, Warner eventually took the Cardinals to the Super Bowl, for which he’ll always be remembered. Two, even though he struggled some during that first season under Whisenhunt, his overall numbers were good.

Warner, like Kolb, made his first start under Whisenhunt against Carolina. Warner lasted long enough to attempt two passes before a dislocated left elbow forced him from the game. Arizona lost, 25-10.

Warner started against Tampa Bay two weeks later and completed only 10 of 30 attempts for 172 yards. He tossed two interceptions and finished with a 26.0 NFL passer rating as Arizona lost, 17-10. Afterward, Warner said he was “embarrassed” and “disgusted” by the overall offensive performance.

Warner then put together three exceptional games. But a five-pick performance in defeat at Seattle soon followed. After that game, which ended Arizona’s chances for an NFC West title, Warner lamented having “cost my team the win” by forcing throws.

Warner then closed out the season with three more strong games, giving him 27 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions. The Cardinals were 5-6 in games he started.

There are obvious differences between then and now. Warner had already been a Super Bowl quarterback. He had vast starting experience and was playing under a modest contract. Expectations were low. The rich contract Kolb signed brought expectations for immediate results.

I thought Kolb’s backup, John Skelton, appeared more comfortable with the offense Sunday. He appeared more comfortable in the pocket. He avoided turnovers and posted a 53.9 QBR score that was higher than any Kolb has posted in a game this season. More on that in the NFC 411 video Thursday.

Earlier: Kolb and Matt Cassel.

TEMPE, Ariz. – Sometimes a bye week is welcome to heal an NFL team’s physical wounds. Sometimes it’s the mental fatigue that needs rest.

Count the beleaguered Arizona Cardinals in the latter faction.

“It’s a chance to just breathe,” defensive end Calais Campbell said, “relax a little bit and just restart up again.”

Even coach Ken Whisenhunt will try to get a little time away from the game as he searches for answers to problems that have shown up across the board, with the possible exception of the running game. The player lockout and its late conclusion has led to an exhausting two months of virtually non-stop work for the coaching staff.

“If you think about where it was two months ago and how we came back into training camp, we were working 24 hours a day, seven days a week there to start,” he said. “We have been grinding away for two months now. We will be in the office and we’ll be working, but we will take some days off this weekend. It’s really important that you step away from it, relax, spend time with your family and enjoy your weekend, and then get back in here ready to go next week.”

The arrival of quarterback Kevin Kolb and a host of other new players brought a sense of optimism to training camp after the Cardinals’ 5-11 season in 2010.

A season-opening victory over Carolina, though far from perfect, bolstered that good will. Then came three excruciatingly close losses at Washington, at Seattle and home against the New York Giants. In each game, Arizona had the ball at the finish and couldn’t come through. Finally, there was a 34-10 rout at the hands of the previously winless Vikings in Minnesota.

At least the Cardinals are ensured to have a better Sunday this week.

Self-criticism abounds. If there’s any criticism of one player to another, it’s happening behind closed doors. At a team meeting before Tuesday’s practice the theme, Kolb said, was accountability, an oft-heard sports term that simply means everyone needs to do his job and take responsibility for his own actions.

“I just think that if everybody has accountability and everybody does their job, we win football games,” Kolb said. “It’s hard to get that many guys to do it. It really is. Everybody has different personalities.”

Whisenhunt has often said “we know what works” when he talks about his team digging out of losing streaks. But it hasn’t worked for some time, now. Arizona is 5-16 since Kurt Warner retired after leading the Cardinals to consecutive NFC West titles and even a Super Bowl.

“I know that what I believe in, what we believe in, works, and I know you stick to it,” Whisenhunt said a day after the Vikings’ blowout. “I remember probably four years ago, a lot of people banging on us saying we weren’t a very good team, and we went to the Super Bowl. I believe in sticking with what we know works, and if we make plays then so be it. I like the guys on our football team.

“We have a mix of young guys who need reps and need work and we’re trying to get them those plays. We’re going to continue to work the way we know can be successful for us. At some point, it will start working.”

The emergence of Beanie Wells as one of the NFL’s top backs has been one of the few bright spots for the 1-4 team. He had a career-high 138 yards and scored three touchdowns in the 31-27 loss to the Giants, a game Arizona led by 10 points with five minutes to play. But the running game became an afterthought against the Vikings when the Cardinals fell behind 28-0 in the first quarter.

The Cardinals also have struggled mightily in the red zone and on third downs, areas of emphasis in the two practices this week, all that is allowed under the new collective bargaining agreement with the players.

On defence, Arizona’s two young cornerbacks — rookie Patrick Peterson and second-year pro A.J. Jefferson — have been severely tested. Their growing pains are accentuated by the lack of a pass rush. Unless new defensive co-ordinator Ray Horton dials up some exotic blitz mix, opposing quarterbacks have had plenty of time to wait for receivers to break open.

The schedule gets tougher, at least in the short term.

Next up are the Pittsburgh Steelers, who come to Arizona on Oct. 23. That is followed by a game at Baltimore on Oct. 30.

The Cardinals have lost 10 straight road games dating to last season’s opening win at St. Louis. They are much better at home, going 5-5 in that span, and that makes the Steelers game crucial if this season is to be salvaged.

“Just to have a good feeling coming in on Monday,” Kolb said. “It’s just frustrating to lose that many games in a row when you know you have a good team. We are really striving as hard as we can to get it back on track.”

Read More: Arizona Cardinals, Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings, Oct 9, 2011 10:00 AM MST

For the last few weeks the focus from the Arizona Cardinals coaching staff has been on cleaning up mental mistakes and getting everyone on the same page. This team felt like they were close to turning the corner and the numbers certainly gave credence to the idea that this team wasn’t as bad as the 1-3 record showed. Now, that’s all changed.

For coach Ken Whisenhunt the equation has changed to blaming the players for not making plays.

“As a whole, our players have been in position to make plays and we haven’t made plays and that’s hurting us,” Whisenhunt said. “You’re going to have your times when you miss tackles or when you hit the wrong gaps, that happens in this game. We’re not off-setting that with enough plays to compensate for that.”

Whisenhunt specifically mentioned a missed opportunity by CB A.J. Jefferson to making an interception early in the game and called out Kolb missing TE Rob Housler for an easy touchdown before the half.

When asked specifically how much of the responsibility he takes for the team’s performance he, of course, said that as the head coach it’s on him. But he was also quick to point out that he took this team to the Super Bowl and gave no indication of changing anything about how he does his business.

“You know what, I’ll tell you. I know that what I believe in, what we believe in, works and I know you stick to it. I remember four years ago, a lot of people banging on us saying we weren’t a very good team and we went to the Super Bowl. I believe in sticking with what we know works. If we make plays, then so be it,” Whisenhunt said.

So, to recap, the excuse is no longer on the lack of reps in the offseason or mental mistakes and Whisenhunt accepts responsibility for everything but isn’t going to change anything. The blame rests on the players for not making big plays in timely situations.

Got it?

It’s not for us to say if that’s right or wrong, but it is certainly interesting to note the change.

Monday morning spin

Whisenhunt also deftly downplayed Kolb’s remarks after the game in which he seemed to call out his team for not working hard enough and even showing up late to meetings and practices. 

“I guess maybe he’s talking about meeting even more,” Whisenhunt said, adding that players were already meeting after and before practice and there were no issues with people showing up late.

Next

The Cardinals enter the bye week which brings a different schedule. The team will practice on Tuesday and Wednesday with a focus on third down and red zone situations. They are then off Thursday through Sunday per the new CBA. Next week, preparation begins for the Pittsburgh Steelers at home on October 23.

For more on the Cardinals, visit AZ Revenge of the Birds blog. 

By Jason Catania

Fox Sports Sponsored Post

Week 4

Game: New York Giants (2-1) at Arizona Cardinals (1-2)

Date: Sunday, October 2

Time: 4:05 PM EST

Game of the Week Status

After looking terrible in their opening-game loss, the New York Giants have won two straight to save their start to the season, which is something the Arizona Cardinals are desperate to do following two straight defeats.

Previous Week

In Week 3, the Giants picked up a huge 29-16 win against the Philadelphia Eagles, an NFC East rival who had beaten New York six straight and came into the season with Super Bowl expectations.

The Giants, though, managed to exact some revenge for the brutal loss to Philly that kept them out of the playoffs late last season – otherwise known as DeSean-Jackson-punt-return-TD-on-the-final-play game – as the Eagles now sit at the bottom of the division, thanks to Eli Manning and New York’s defense.

Despite playing with a receiving corps limited by injuries to WRs Mario Manningham and Domenik Hixon, the Giants quarterback threw four TD passes last week, including the first two scores of WR Victor Cruz’s career. And Big Blue’s D actually knocked Eagles QB Michael Vick out of the game for the second week in a row, this time with an injured hand after he came into the contest only days removed from suffering a concussion.

As satisfying as the Giants win was, the Cardinals loss was equally as crushing considering their opponent. Arizona lost their second straight game by three points or less with an embarrassing 13-10 defeat at the hands of the inept Seattle Seahawks on the road. Aside from an early TD catch by WR Larry Fitzgerald, the Cards’ offense didn’t do much of anything against a Seattle D that had allowed 33 and 24 points in the first two weeks.

New QB Kevin Kolb threw a pair of picks in his worst outing of the season so far, and Arizona managed just 90 rushing yards after having to dip all the way down to Alfonso Smith, their fourth-string running back, because starter Beanie Wells and backup LaRod Stephens-Howling were out with injuries and fill-in Chester Taylor struggled to get going. The all-around ugly performance cost the Cardinals a share of the NFC West lead.

What To Expect

The Giants return to the University of Phoenix Stadium, the site of their Super Bowl XLII championship, and will look to take advantage of a Cardinals defense that has been surrendering chunks of yardage at a time. In fact, Arizona ranks 27th in total yards allowed, and has been susceptible both on the ground (122.7 yards per game, 27th overall) and in the air (275 yards per game, 25th overall).

With the expected return to health of Manningham (concussion) and the emergence of Cruz in addition to top target Hakeem Nicks (team-bests of 14 catches and 185 yards), Manning will have plenty at his disposal in the passing game, and lead back Ahmad Bradshaw (4.4 yards per carry) is capable of teaming with battering ram RB Brandon Jacobs to balance out the Giants’ attack.

As for the defensive side, it’s looking like another injured Giant, DE Osi Umenyiora, may debut following offseason knee surgery, which would make New York’s front line – which already features fellow ends Jason Pierre-Paul, a blossoming second-year player with 4.5 sacks already, and veteran sack artist Justin Tuck – that much more imposing.

Coincidentally, if the Giants are going to slow down Fitzgerald, a five-time Pro Bowler who is Arizona’s top offensive threat, a lot of responsibility will fall on former Cardinals S Antrel Rolle, the franchise’ first-rounder back in 2005.

While Kolb will, no doubt, look Fitzgerald’s way often, it may in fact be the health of Wells’ lingering hamstring injury that has the biggest impact on the team. If their top back can’t go or is limited, the Cardinals will turn into a one-dimensional offense because of their lack of depth behind Wells.

For his part, though, Wells, who’s averaging 5.7 yards per carry in his two games, is confident he’ll be back this week, and Arizona will need him to make a few big plays. Same goes for the Cards’ defensive backfield, which includes three playmakers in safeties Adrian Wilson and Kerry Rhodes along with rookie CB Patrick Peterson, the fifth overall pick in last April’s draft.

Given Manning’s knack for making a few questionable throws over the course of a game, an interception or two in a key spot could turn the tide in this game – and the Cardinals’ season.

Among the others cut are quarterback Brodie Croyle, linebacker Will Davis, defensive end Kenny Iwebema, cornerback Fred Bennett, center Ben Claxton, running back William Powell, safety Matt Ware, fullback Reagan Maui’a and wide receiver Isaiah Williams.

In addition, the Cardinals placed wide receiver Sean Jeffcoat and guard Floyd “Pork Chop” Womack on injured reserve with shoulder injuries

The coaching staff chose to keep five tight ends and nine linebackers.

Coach Ken Whisenhunt promised more player moves soon.

“The one thing I’ll say about the 53-man roster is that it’s written in pencil right now,” he said Friday shortly after the cuts were announced. “This will not be the same 53-man roster that we go in to play against Carolina next week.”

He said with each team cutting their rosters from 80 to 53 this weekend, “you just feel like that there’s going to be a number of players to look at. Maybe somebody can help you improve your team.”

Whisenhunt said the only Cardinals’ position “that’s pretty much safe is the quarterback.”

Among the areas likely to be addressed is running back. With the season-ending knee injury to rookie Ryan Williams, the Cardinals have three on their roster — Beanie Wells, LaRod Stephens-Howling and Alfonso Smith. Smith, on the practice squad as a rookie last year, has been slowed by a hamstring injury in the preseason.

Graham, an Australian who was the punter in Arizona’s Super Bowl run after his late addition to the squad, had a big 2009, when he averaged 47 yards per punt with 42 inside the opponent’s 20-yard line and was an alternate to the Pro Bowl. But his averaged dipped to 43.4 last season.

“That was an area we just felt like we needed to improve in,” Whisenhunt said. “I can’t thank Ben enough for the work he’s done for us. He’s been an important contributor to some of our good teams, certainly the Super Bowl year and the year after that, but we just felt like where we were as a team, that was an area where we needed to improve our consistency.”

The Cardinals’ dissatisfaction with Graham became clear nine days ago when the team signed Zastudil, who missed all last season with a knee injury. Zastudil punted for Baltimore and Cleveland with a career average of 42.7 yards per punt in 113 games.

“Dave has a body of work that we’re familiar with,” Whisenhunt said, “punting in the AFC North and in those conditions and being a successful punter. That was part of the information that we had going in. We needed to see him actually do it in the game for us, and he was impressive in the first half (Thursday night). That went a long way in answering some of those questions.”

Zastudil punted twice for an average of 47.5 yards in Thursday night’s 26-7 victory over Denver.

Davis was Arizona’s sixth-round draft pick out of Illinois in 2009. He started three games in 2010 before being placed on injured reserve with a leg injury for the final six games. Iwebema, a fourth-round pick of the Cardinals out of Iowa in 2008, played in seven games for Arizona last season before a knee injury and subsequent surgery. The Cardinals re-signed him on Aug. 22.

The tight end situation remains fluid. The team currently has Todd Heap, Jeff King, Rob Housler, Jim Dray and Stephen Spach. Housler, a third-round draft pick out of Florida Atlantic, has been impressive in training camp but was slowed recently by a groin injury.

Spach might have been the odd man out of that group but Dray, a 2010 seventh-round draft pick out of Stanford who excels on special teams, sustained a strained left pectoral muscle against Denver.

All the team’s 2011 draft picks made the roster.

The team kept six wide receivers — Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Roberts, Early Doucet, Stephen Williams, Chansi Stuckey and rookie DeMarco Sampson.

Among those released were rookies safety Jared Campbell and tight end Stephen Skelton, younger brothers of Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell and quarterback John Skelton, respectively.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The Arizona Cardinals have released Ben Graham, the team’s punter since December 2008, and 24 others to get down to the NFL’s 53-man roster limit.

Graham’s release means the punting chores will go to Dave Zastudil, a 10-year NFL veteran.

Among the others cut are quarterback Brodie Croyle, linebacker Will Davis, defensive end Kenny Iwebema, cornerback Fred Bennett, center Ben Claxton, running back William Powell, safety Matt Ware, fullback Reagan Maui’a and wide receiver Isaiah Williams.

In addition, the Cardinals placed wide receiver Sean Jeffcoat and guard Floyd “Pork Chop” Womack on injured reserve with shoulder injuries

The coaching staff chose to keep five tight ends and nine linebackers.

Coach Ken Whisenhunt promised more player moves soon.

“The one thing I’ll say about the 53-man roster is that it’s written in pencil right now,” he said Friday shortly after the cuts were announced. “This will not be the same 53-man roster that we go in to play against Carolina next week.”

He said with each team cutting their rosters from 80 to 53 this weekend, “you just feel like that there’s going to be a number of players to look at. Maybe somebody can help you improve your team.”

Whisenhunt said the only Cardinals’ position “that’s pretty much safe is the quarterback.”

Among the areas likely to be addressed is running back. With the season-ending knee injury to rookie Ryan Williams, the Cardinals have three on their roster — Beanie Wells, LaRod Stephens-Howling and Alfonso Smith. Smith, on the practice squad as a rookie last year, has been slowed by a hamstring injury in the preseason.

Graham, an Australian who was the punter in Arizona’s Super Bowl run after his late addition to the squad, had a big 2009, when he averaged 47 yards per punt with 42 inside the opponent’s 20-yard line and was an alternate to the Pro Bowl. But his averaged dipped to 43.4 last season.

“That was an area we just felt like we needed to improve in,” Whisenhunt said. “I can’t thank Ben enough for the work he’s done for us. He’s been an important contributor to some of our good teams, certainly the Super Bowl year and the year after that, but we just felt like where we were as a team, that was an area where we needed to improve our consistency.”

The Cardinals’ dissatisfaction with Graham became clear nine days ago when the team signed Zastudil, who missed all last season with a knee injury. Zastudil punted for Baltimore and Cleveland with a career average of 42.7 yards per punt in 113 games.

“Dave has a body of work that we’re familiar with,” Whisenhunt said, “punting in the AFC North and in those conditions and being a successful punter. That was part of the information that we had going in. We needed to see him actually do it in the game for us, and he was impressive in the first half (Thursday night). That went a long way in answering some of those questions.”

Zastudil punted twice for an average of 47.5 yards in Thursday night’s 26-7 victory over Denver.

Davis was Arizona’s sixth-round draft pick out of Illinois in 2009. He started three games in 2010 before being placed on injured reserve with a leg injury for the final six games. Iwebema, a fourth-round pick of the Cardinals out of Iowa in 2008, played in seven games for Arizona last season before a knee injury and subsequent surgery. The Cardinals re-signed him on Aug. 22.

The tight end situation remains fluid. The team currently has Todd Heap, Jeff King, Rob Housler, Jim Dray and Stephen Spach. Housler, a third-round draft pick out of Florida Atlantic, has been impressive in training camp but was slowed recently by a groin injury.

Spach might have been the odd man out of that group but Dray, a 2010 seventh-round draft pick out of Stanford who excels on special teams, sustained a strained left pectoral muscle against Denver.

All the team’s 2011 draft picks made the roster.

The team kept six wide receivers — Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Roberts, Early Doucet, Stephen Williams, Chansi Stuckey and rookie DeMarco Sampson.

Among those released were rookies safety Jared Campbell and tight end Stephen Skelton, younger brothers of Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell and quarterback John Skelton, respectively.

It provides a fresh start after a forgettable 2010 transition season for Arizona.

So much has changed for the Cardinals since their Super Bowl appearance following the 2008 season. Other rosters around the league have turned over since then, of course, but not every team was coming off a Super Bowl appearance.

Quite a few teams have sought change. For the Cardinals, it just happened.

Warner’s departure, while easily the biggest change, was far from the only one. Between five and eight starters from that Super Bowl game project as starters in 2011, depending upon how many of the team’s unrestricted free agents re-sign.

When Steve Breaston left the Cardinals for Kansas City this week, drawing attention to the cumulative effect of Arizona’s roster upheaval, a Seahawks fan drew parallels between Seattle’s post-Super Bowl decline and the Cardinals’ plight last season.

“Don’t misunderstand,” Ricky Frey wrote on my Facebook wall, “I’m a Hawks fan, but it seems eerily familiar to watch this happen and know what happened to Holmgren/Mora. Writing on the wall?”

Not if Kolb has anything to say about it. Acquiring a relatively young, potentially ascending quarterback puts Arizona in position to avoid the decline Seattle experienced as a Matt Hasselbeck struggled with injuries while the roster around him withered away. The NFC West remains in transition overall, and the Cardinals know it.

“It’s obviously winnable, but it’s funny to think that everybody thinks you can just step in and win it,” Kolb told reporters Friday. “You’re talking about NFL football teams here. I know last year 7-9 is what won it, but it doesn’t matter. … The door is open, we know, and we’ll be ready to kick it in when it’s time, but it’s not going to be an easy task.”

Larry Fitzgerald, Levi Brown, Darnell Dockett, Adrian Wilson and the recently re-signed Lyle Sendlein started for Arizona in the Super Bowl and remain starters in 2011. Another starter from that Super Bowl game, Gerald Hayes, was released this week. Three more are becoming unrestricted free agents: Deuce Lutui, Bryan Robinson and Gabe Watson.

Six Arizona starters from that game are retired or did not play last season: Mike Gandy, Warner, Edgerrin James, Terrelle Smith, Chike Okeafor and Monty Beisel. Seven more play for other teams: Reggie Wells, Leonard Pope, Anquan Boldin, Antonio Smith, Karlos Dansby, Antrel Rolle and the recently traded Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

Some were role players. Others were tougher to replace.

Breaston was a backup on that team, but he played extensively as the third receiver and finished the season with more than 1,000 yards.

Kolb’s addition headlined a flurry of transactions the Cardinals announced Thursday and Friday.

Sendlein, safety Hamza Abdullah, cornerback Michael Adams, tackle D’Anthony Batiste, center Ben Claxton, punter Ben Graham, fullback Reagan Maui’a and tight end Stephen Spach re-signed.

Five draft choices have signed. Guard Daryn Colledge, defensive end Nick Eason, tight end Jeff King, receiver Chansi Stuckey and linebacker Stewart Bradley have signed as free agents from other teams.

Re-signing Sendlein while adding Kolb, Colledge and Bradley suggests the 2011 team is still coming together, not necessarily falling apart.

It was only two years ago that the Arizona Cardinals reached the Super Bowl with quarterback Kurt Warner(notes) at the helm. But he hung up his helmet last summer and the team has suffered behind the direction of Matt Leinart(notes), Derek Anderson(notes), Max Hall(notes), John Skelton(notes), and, of course, Richard Bartel(notes), who threw for one touchdown and two interceptions in the team’s 38-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers to finish off last season.

The Cards would like to start the year with a new quarterback and CSN Philly reports that the team has “expressed the most interest” in trading for Philadelphia Eagles backup Kevin Kolb(notes).

The 26-year-old Kolb, who threw for seven touchdowns and seven interceptions last year while serving mostly as Michael Vick’s(notes) backup, has expressed his desire to be a starter somewhere next season. This week, the rumor mill has been churning for Kolb to escape Philly, but he can’t move anywhere till there is a new collective bargaining agreement in place.

Find out before your friends. Follow Scoop du Jour on Twitter or Facebook.

Source: CSN Philly

Related: Kevin Kolb, Michael Vick, Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers

Wednesday evening, Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett was a guest on NFL Total Access and spoke with Warren Sapp about the Cardinals and getting back to the Super Bowl, the NFL Draft and, more specifically, the NFL Combine that begins today in Indianapolis.

At the NFL Combine, draft prospects will undergo a litany of physical and mental evaluations that teams will use to help finalize their opinions of these players and this will help determine where they fall in the 2011 NFL Draft. Dockett remembers it well and how he had a lot to prove to the scouts because of his supposed lack of size and speed.

When told that, at 290 lbs, he would be too small to play tackle and that he was not fast enough to play off the edge at defensive end, he responded with a chip on his shoulder, “Ok, I’ll show you all.”

Dockett is not a fan of the combine in the sense of using it to make personnel decisions. “You really can’t judge a football player from running, doing drills and doing all that until you get on the field,” he said. “It really [doesn't] mean anything. It’s all about the player and can you play football.”

When asked what he would tell a young player going into the combine, Dockett said to “be yourself and don’t go in there and read off a book and try to learn what everyone wants you to say because, when you get to that team, your personality is going to set in.”

On waiting to be selected on draft day (he was selected with the first pick of the third round by the Cardinals), he said, “teams passed me by. It was the most miserable thing.”

This worked out for him and the Cardinals because from that point on he had a chip on his shoulders and, according to Dockett, he still does today.

You have to tend to agree with him on his take on the combine, but at the same time realize that this is coming from a guy who was undersized. Most teams will tell you that the combine is simply one small part of evaluating a player. If used that way, it is very effective.

Warren Sapp also brought up the Super Bowl and how Dockett tied Reggie White for the most sacks in a Super Bowl with three and asked him what it would take to get Arizona back to the biggest game. There were three points he made. One was improvements on defense. The next was the quarterback situation, as he said the “struggled at the quarterback position; we got to get that figured out.” The last point was simply chemistry, and he expressed hope that the CBA negotiations get taken care of quickly so they can get back to football. “The quicker we get back to football, the quicker we can get out of last place in our division.”

I don’t think anyone could have said it any better.

The full video is posted on azcardinals.com.

TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt has completed the restructuring of his staff by promoting Mike Miller to offensive co-ordinator.

Miller has been on Arizona’s staff since Whisenhunt took over in 2007, the first two years as wide receivers coach and the last two as passing game co-ordinator.

The Cardinals have not had an offensive co-ordinator since Todd Haley left to become head coach at Kansas City following Arizona’s run to the Super Bowl following the 2008 season.

Whisenhunt’s other moves following last year’s 6-10 season came on the defensive side, with Ray Horton hired as defensive co-ordinator, Louie Cioffi as defensive backs coach and Deshea Townsend as assistant defensive backs coach.

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP)—Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt has returned to his Pittsburgh Steelers connections to hire Ray Horton as defensive coordinator.

Horton has coached in the NFL for 17 seasons and has been with the Steelers for seven years, the last four as defensive backs coach.

Horton, who played in the NFL for 10 seasons, becomes the Cardinals’ third defensive coordinator in Whisenhunt’s four years in Arizona. He replaces Bill Davis, who was fired after two seasons on the job.

Whisenhunt was the Steelers offensive coordinator when he was hired as Arizona head coach in 2007. With the Cardinals, he retained Clancy Pendergast as defensive coordinator but fired him following the team’s run to the Super Bowl in the 2008 season.

Horton, 50, worked for 11 years with Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, at Cincinnati and with Pittsburgh.

A second-round draft pick out of Washington in 1983, Horton played defensive back for six seasons with Cincinnati and four with the Dallas Cowboys. He played in two Super Bowls, with the Bengals in 1989 and Dallas in 1993.

Horton coached for the Washington Redskins (1994-1996), Cincinnati (1997-2001) and Detroit (2002-2003) before going to Pittsburgh, where he helped the Steelers reach the Super Bowl three times.

Defense has been a persistent trouble spot for much of Whisenhunt’s time in Arizona. The defense showed some improvement in the 2009 season, then surrendered 90 points in two playoff games.

In last year’s 6-10 season, Arizona ranked 29th in total defense, 23rd in passing defense and 30th in rushing defense.

Horton is the fourth coach on Arizona’s staff who worked with Whisenhunt in Pittsburgh.

Russ Grimm, who carries the complicated title of assistant head coach, running game coordinator and offensive line coach, came to the Cardinals as Whisenhunt’s right-hand man after being a finalist for the Arizona head coaching job.

Special teams coach Kevin Spencer and linebackers coach Matt Raich also came with Whisenhunt from Pittsburgh.