TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -When the Arizona Cardinals struggled to run the ball this season, the offensive line drew much of the blame.
Now that the Cardinals are one win away from their first Super Bowl, it only seems fair to give the line credit for keeping oft-injured quarterback Kurt Warner in one piece. With time to throw the ball, Warner has put together one of the best seasons in his stellar career.
“We’ve been protecting Kurt all year, we’ve obviously put up (offensive) numbers, and we take big pride in that,” guard Reggie Wells said after practice Friday. “We’re obviously no stranger to negativity around here, but that’s just the way it is around here. This group has never really bought into all that. We know what kind of talent we have and what kind of group we have. We’ve been consistent all year.”
d the franchise’s postseason victory total.
It helps that the same five players – left tackle Mike Gandy, left guard Wells, center Lyle Sendlein, right guard Deuce Lutui and right tackle Levi Brown – have started all 18 games in the regular season and playoffs.
But the line mostly remains anonymous on an explosive offense that’s sending Warner and receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald to the Pro Bowl. Its biggest name is Brown, mostly known for being drafted two slots ahead of running back Adrian Peterson in 2007.
Offensive line coach Russ Grimm often tells his players they shouldn’t pay too much attention to criticism from the media and fans, because those critics generally won’t give them credit when they do their jobs.
“I tell them all the time, if you pick the paper up on Monday morning and Kurt throws for 300 (yards) or Edge (Edgerrin James) rushes for a hundred and we win, that’s all you’re going to get,” said Grimm, selected to the NFL’s All-Decade team of the 1980s. “If it’s a bad game, it’s, ‘We didn’t block on the run, we got sacked too many times.”’
Criticism of the line mounted as the Cardinals stumbled after clinching their first division title in 33 seasons. No one took more heat than the 6-foot-5, 322-pound Brown, who received a guaranteed $18 million in his first contract.
tations.
“I don’t really focus on all that,” said Brown, a Penn State product. “I’m here with the Arizona Cardinals, and they brought me here to win, and as you can tell, that’s what we’re doing. So I’m just going to continue what I’m doing and make my progression as I make it.”
The same can be said for the entire line. And the numbers point to a startling progression in the postseason.
The pass-happy Cardinals gave up 28 sacks during the regular season, but only one in two playoff games.
Warner praised his blockers for helping him solve his chronic fumbling problem.
“I give a lot of credit to the offensive line protecting me, giving me opportunities to throw the ball,” Warner said. “I think one thing you realize is the more you get hit, the more opportunities you have to fumble the ball.”
The Cardinals rushed for 73.6 yards per game during the regular season, last in the NFL. They’ve averaged 115.5 yards in the postseason.
In both those games, the line seemed to take control of the game. Wells said the line has benefited as the Cardinals have balanced their attack.
“We’ve had a pretty solid offense, but there was a point where we maybe were having too many passes called,” Wells said. “It’s good to be able to control some clock. We knew we could do it. It was just a matter of getting those runs called, and we’ve been doing it.”
st Philadelphia in the NFC championship Sunday. But it figures to be a challenge, because the Eagles’ defense dominated in a 48-20 rout of the Cardinals on Thanksgiving night in Philadelphia, and it has been sensational in two playoff wins.
The Cardinals rushed for 25 yards on 10 carries, although they mostly abandoned the run after falling behind by three touchdowns midway through the second quarter. The Eagles sacked Warner once and intercepted him three times.
Philadelphia likes to blitz, and the Cardinals expect to face some schemes they didn’t see in the first meeting.
“They bring it all game,” Wells said. “They bring a lot of different blitz packages, obviously. They’re just a group who has a high motor across the board. Generally, you don’t see that.”
Add A Comment