The Cardinals have proven that it’s better sometimes to be lucky than good.  How else can you explain the fact that the Cardinals are 3-3 this year despite averaging a NFL worst 237.8 yards of offense per game?  The Cardinals are 2-0 at home and the Buccaneers are 2-0 on the road so something has to give this Sunday.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Cardinals have the ball:  The Cardinals have decided to replace Tim Hightower with Beanie Wells as the starting RB this Sunday.  The Buccaneers are allowing 157.3 yards rushing and 5.3 yards per carry so the Cardinals would give Wells & Hightower 40+ carries tomorrow if they are smart.  Steve Breaston is back and he will start opposite of Larry Fitzgerald at WR but I’m not so sure that will boost the pass offense this week.  The Buccaneers only have 5 sacks this year so Max Hall should have time to throw the ball but the Bucs also have 10 interceptions this year.  CBs Ronde Barber & Aqib Talib are playing at a very high level so Hall better be careful when throwing the ball.

When the Buccaneers have the ball:  The Buccaneers also will come out running the ball with LeGarrette Blount & Cadillac Williams against a Cards’ D that is allowing 141.3 yards rushing and 4.3 yards per carry.  The Bucs will also take aim at a Cards’ D that is allowing 227.3 yards passing per game this year.  Second year starting QB Josh Freeman has been solid this year as he has 7 TD passes against only 3 INTs so he has been very smart with the football.  He has nice targets in rookie WR Mike Williams, TE Kellen Winslow and RB Cadillac Williams out of the backfield.

PREDICTION:  BUCCANEERS 20, CARDINALS 17

The Cardinals have released 25-year old cornerback Brandon McDonald.  McDonald played in 2 games for the Cardinals this year and he didn’t make any tackles.  The Cardinals are giving up 227.3 yards passing per game this year and McDonald still couldn’t get onto the field showing just how bad he is.  He didn’t clear waivers though as he’s on the Lions now.

The Cardinals got pushed around by the Seahawks today in Seattle.  Max Hall started at QB and he had a day to forget if he can even remember it.  Hall completed 4 of 16 passes for 31 yards with 0 TD passes and a INT.  He also lost a fumble and had to leave the game early due to a concussion.  Derek Anderson followed him into the game and he was much better but still not good.  Anderson completed 8 of 17 passes for 96 yards with 0 TD passes and 0 INTs.  Tim Hightower (6 carries, 59 yards) and Beanie Wells (14 carries, 54 yards, TD) gave the Cardinals a decent running game today.  WRs Andre Roberts (2 rec, 40 yards), Early Doucet (2 rec, 33 yards) and Larry Fitzgerald (3 rec, 30 yards) led the way in the passing game for the Cardinals today.  The Cardinals finished up with 113 yards rushing on 20 carries (5.7 ypc) and they also completed 12 of 33 passes for 114 yards today.

CB Greg Toler (12 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 pass defensed) and rookie LB Daryl Washington (11 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 sack and 1 QB hit) led the way for the Cardinals’ D today.  DT Alan Branch had his best game of his NFL career so far as he had 5 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks and 4 QB hits.  The Seahawks finished up with 144 yards rushing on 36 carries (4.0 ypc) and they also completed 20 of 38 passes for 158 yards today.  The Cardinals are now 3-3 on the year.

The Cardinals have been simply awful on the road as they are 1-2 on the year and they have been outscored 95-34 away from home!  The Seahawks have been awesome at home where they are 2-0 outscoring the 49ers & Chargers by a combined score of 58-26!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Cardinals have the ball:  The matchups look really bad in this game for the Cardinals.  Ordinarily I would say that a team with a rookie QB should run the ball on the road.  Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells will likely have to fight for every single yard against a Seahawks’ D giving up only 70.4 yards rushing and 2.9 yards per carry.  If Max Hall has time to throw the ball he should be effective.  The Cardinals have allowed 19 sacks this year while the Seahawks had 17 already so Hall is going to have to get rid of the ball quickly.  Hall will likely have Steve Breaston & Early Doucet back which should aid the passing game and cause the Seahawks not to cheat every down by doubling Larry Fitzgerald.

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks would like to be balanced in this game.  Marshawn Lynch & Justin Forsett will take turns running the ball against a Cardinals’ D that is allowing 140.8 yards rushing and 4.3 yards per carry.  The Cardinals don’t have much of a pass rush and they are giving up 241.2 yards passing per game so Matt Hasselbeck will likely be very effective in this game. 

PREDICTION:  SEAHAWKS 30, CARDINALS 13

23-year old RB LaRod Stephens-Howling  is on the small side at 5’7″, 185 pounds but that doesn’t stop him from producing whenever he’s on the field.  Stephens-Howling has played in 5 games for the Cardinals so far this year and he has carried the ball 9 times for 53 yards (5.9 ypc) and he has also caught 7 passes for 49 yards (7.0 avg).  He has also returned 22 kickoffs for 579 yards (26.3 avg) with 1 TD return so far this year.  Stephens-Howling is one of the unsung heroes on the Cardinals.

WRs Steve Breaston & Early Doucet are ready to return for the Arizona Cardinals.  Rookie QB Max Hall will have the bye week to work on his timing with Breaston and Doucet who will be ready to get back to there old roles of being the #2 and #3 WRs for the Cardinals.  Breaston has played in 3 games for the Cardinals this year and he has caught 14 passes for 183 yards (13.1 avg) with 1 TD grab.  Breaston’s return should really help Larry Fitzgerald out as opposing teams have been doubling him almost every down.  Early Doucet played in only 1 game so far for the Cardinals this year and he has caught 2 passes for 37 yards (18.5 avg).  Rookies Stephen Williams (7 rec, 75 yards), Max Komar (5 rec, 57 yards) and Andre Roberts (2 rec, 27 yards) will all go back to the bench.

The offense was running in quicksand again for the Cardinals in this game.  Lucky for them, the defense decided to step up and make some big plays.  Safety Kerry Rhodes had six tackles and 1 pass defensed in this game but he also returned a fumble recovery (Ladell Betts) 27 yards for a TD!  Linebacker Daryl Washington pitched in with 6 tackles and 2 tackles for a loss.  CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie also had a great game with 4 tackles, 2 passes defensed and a interception that he returned 28 yards for a TD late in the 4th quarter to pretty much seal this win for the Cardinals.  Linebacker Paris Lenon and CB Greg Toler pitched in with 1 INT apiece in this game for the Cardinals.  The Saints finished up with 85 yards rushing on 22 carries (3.9 ypc) and they also completed 24 of 39 passes for 288 yards.

The offense really stunk today for the Cardinals.  Max Hall got his first NFL start and he didn’t do much with it.  He completed 17 of 27 passes for 168 yards with 0 TD passes and 1 INT.  Hall also fumbled twice but Cardinals’ OT Levi Brown recovered one of them for a 2-yard TD.  Derek Anderson came in for a few plays when Hall got banged up.  Anderson completed 1 of 2 passes for 6 yards in this game.  Beanie Wells (20 carries, 35 yards) and Tim Hightower (4 carries, 6 yards) were stopped cold in this game by the Saints.  WR Larry Fitzgerald (7 rec, 93 yards) and TE Ben Patrick (5 rec, 30 yards) led the way through the air for the Cardinals in this game.  The Cardinals finished up with 41 yards rushing on 24 carries (1.7 ypc) and they also completed 18 of 29 passes for 153 yards.  The bottom line is that the Cardinals are now somehow 3-2 on the year.

The Cardinals are the luckiest 2-2 team I have ever seen.  Luck is likely to run out this Sunday as the Cardinals are starting undrafted rookie Alex Hall at QB.  Max Hall vs. Drew Brees sounds like a scary proposition for the Cardinals and that’s for good reason.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Cardinals have the ball:  If I were Ken Whisenhunt I would want to get both Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower 20 carries apiece against a Saints’ D that is allowing 138.3 yards rushing and 4.5 yards per carry.  The Saints will likely double cover Larry Fitzgerald and force the rookie QB (Max Hall) to throw the ball to someone else.  Hall will also need to get rid of the ball quicker as he has only thrown 16 passes so far this year but he has already been sacked six times. 

When the Saints have the ball:  Although it would be tempting to run Chris Ivory and Ladell Betts against a Cardinals’ D that is allowing 154.8 yards rushing and 4.4 yards per carry I see the Saints going to the air in this game.  Drew Brees will be targeting a Cardinals’ D that is allowing 233.3 yards passing per game this year.  He will likely spread out Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, Jeremy Shockey and Lance Moore and throw to whoever is open because someone will be.

PREDICTION:  SAINTS 34, CARDINALS 13

The Cardinals have benched QB Derek Anderson.  He started the first four games for the Cardinals this season and he completed 58 of 112 passes (51.8%) for 644 yards with 3 TD passes and 5 INTs (59.5 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 1 time for 9 yards for the Cardinals this year.  Undrafted rookie Max Hall will take over as the Cardinals new starting QB this weekend at home against the Saints.  He has played in 2 games for the Cardinals so far this year and he has completed 9 of 16 passes (56.3%) for 85 yards with 0 TD passes and 1 INT (45.1 QB Rating).  It will be interesting to see if Hall is much of an improvement over Anderson.

The Cardinals sucked all the way around in this game!  The O-Line wasn’t blocking at all for the Cardinals whose QBs were sacked 10 time yesterday.  Derek Anderson was pathetic in this game as he completed 7 of 14 passes for 64 yards with 0 TD passes and 2 INTs (one was returned 31 yards for a TD by Chargers’ LB Shaun Phillips).  Max Hall replaced Anderson at QB in this game and he completed 8 of 14 passes for 82 yards.  Tim Hightower led the way on the ground for the Cardinals in this game with 24 yards rushing on 7 carries (3.4 ypc) and Larry Fitzgerald led the way in the air with 7 grabs for 56 yards (8.0 avg).  The Cardinals finished up with 47 yards rushing on 14 carries (3.4 ypc) and they also completed 15 of 28 passes for 77 yards. 

LB Paris Lenon (11 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 pass defensed), LB Clark Haggans (8 tackles) and S Kerry Rhodes (7 tackles and a 42 yard fumble return for a TD) led the way for the Cardinals on “D” in this game.  The Chargers finished up with 180 yards rushing on 38 carries (4.7 ypc) and they also completed 16 of 21 passes for 239 yards.  The Cardinals are now 2-2 on the year.