Last January, the Arizona Cardinals seized upon an “everyone thinks we suck” vibe, and carried it all the way to the Super Bowl.
The label, frankly, was deserved. A perfect 6-0 against other NFC West teams, the Cardinals were batting .300 (good in baseball, very bad in football) against the rest of the league.
In five of seven 2009 losses, the Cardinals gave up, on average, more than 44 points.
The low point came in in late September, with a 56-35 loss at the Meadowlands, against the Jets.
The Cardinals avoided having to return to New Jersey in the playoffs, thanks to an upset by the Eagles over the Giants. But the Cardinals couldn’t avoid it this year, thanks to the league’s regular-season scheduling formula.
The unlikely Super Bowl appearance transformed the “everyone thinks we suck” vibe into an “everyone thinks we’re better than we really are” attitude — and so the Cardinals staggered through the first three weeks of the season, hitting their too-early bye week at 1-2, capped by a crushing home loss to the Colts.
But since emerging from the off week, the Cardinals look like they did in January, apparently fueled by a return of the “everyone thinks we suck” vibe.
They vaulted back into contention in the NFC West in Week Six with a 27-3 thrashing of the Seahawks, in Seattle. But that outcome wasn’t nearly as surprising as Sunday night’s return to the Meadowlands, where the Cards sent the Giants to their second straight loss, following five straight wins to open the year.
In seizing a one-game lead in their division, Arizona did nothing spectacular on offense. Instead, their good-enough-to-keep-us-close-thanks-to-our-great-passing-game defense came up huge, picking off Eli Manning three times, sacking him three times, and forcing two fumbles, one of which was recovered by the Cardinals.
In fact, the Giants should have scored fewer than 17 points, given the volleyball bounce on a tipped pass that landed with almost perfect timing into the arms of Hakeem Nicks, who barely broke stride to come up with the ball. Apart from that fluke play, the Giants scored only ten points.
Already, the whispers are growing regarding the question of whether the Giants are a fluke — a five-win franchise that fattened its record against the likes of the Redskins, Bucs, Chiefs, and Raiders.
It’s a legitimate concern, and we’ll find out soon whether the Giants can turn it around. Next week, they go to Philadelphia.
After the bye, the road doesn’t get much easier, with a visit from Atlanta, a Thanksgiving-night trip to Denver, games against every team in their division, and a trip to Minnesota.
So it could be that the Giants are crumbling. We’ll know a lot more in six days, when they play the team that knocked them out of the playoffs in 2008.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals are perched at 4-2 and their schedule has plenty of soft spots: Carolina, Seattle, St. Louis, Tennessee, Detroit, St. Louis again. That looks like at least 10 wins, one more than they managed for the entire regular season in 2008.
And who knows? Maybe the Cardinals will get one more win in the postseason, too.
As a Giant fan I wondered …like everyone else.. what would happen when we faced the better teams. I think we’ve gotten our answer over the last 2 weeks.
Unfortunately it seems that we’re just an average squad. Injuries have hurt for sure. But the bottom line is that this version of the Giants is not among the elite. No unit is particularly bad… but none stand out either.
I don’t think anyone knows the answer. A few players could get healthy, and that would help. But it’s not that simple.
The cards are an interesting team, inconsistant too. They have an offense that can be explosive one week, and tame the next, but their defenese seems like its becoming their focus, wich will make they dangerous again.
interesting team.
I was going to pick the Cardinals in this, but I picked the Giants. The reason was the Giants’ pass rush.
If you don’t put a pass rush on Kurt Warner, he will destroy you. The Giants don’t have the greatest defensive backs right now, and so this is even more the case.
Could I ask someone who watched the game something? Was Warner under a lot of pressure? I see he was sacked only twice. Why didn’t the Giants get to him more?
What is the deal with the Giants’ pass rush? I thought they were better.
How good is the Cards’ OL?
Eli Manning doesn’t look like an elite QB or even a good QB, how did this clown win the superbowl 2 years ago? How many delay of game penalties did the Giants have AT HOME yesterday? Sheesh!
“In fact, the Giants should have scored fewer than 17 points, given the volleyball bounce on a tipped pass that landed with almost perfect timing into the arms of Hakeem Nicks”
Reminds me of their game against the Cowboys. Pass bounces off of Witten’s heel into a defender’s hands less than a minute before the half, they go on to score a TD. 35 seconds left in the game, 3rd and 4 with Giants down by a point, deflected pass drops right into Marijuanaham’s hands for a first down in field goal range.
Bottom line is the Giants are luckier than they are good.
“Already, the whispers are growing regarding the question of whether the Giants are a fluke — a five-win franchise that fattened its record against the likes of the Redskins, Bucs, Chiefs, and Raiders.”
I “whispered” this last week in a post regarding the overrated Giants. If Romo wasn’t on the Giants payroll during the Cowboys home opener, the Boys would have crushed the Giants easily.
Osi gets tripled teamed on each play, tuck and kiwinuka need to step up. Jay alford was a big loss for that pass rush. They cant do any exotic blitz packages, they cant send certain players because they can’t leave a banged up secondary out to dry. Chris canty has only played in one game, kenny phillips who is one of the best up and coming safeties and excellent on coverage is out for the yr and aaron ross who is their blitzing corner and starter along side webster hasnt played a game this yr. Mike boley has only played in 2 games and in both games led the giants in tackles and tackles for losses. They have been playing without 60% of their defense all season, its fun when youre playing garbola but when you play good offenses they make you pay. It’s easy to say they are overrated and stink and now they are playing goood teams they are exposing the injuries, especially CC brown. The only plus side for them is this isnt the end of the yr, but the middle, boley, canty, ross are all coming back and should be a big help. Unless you see the giants on a week to week basis you dont realize most of their defense is out.
Phokus says:
October 26, 2009 10:06 AM
Eli Manning doesn’t look like an elite QB or even a good QB, how did this clown win the superbowl 2 years ago? How many delay of game penalties did the Giants have AT HOME yesterday? Sheesh!
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and how many wrong routes did mario manningham run? and how many balls should he have had if he wasnt running down the sideline, rather than 4 yards from it…its always easy to pick on eli but cutler and co can throw 3 picks a week and its ok bc they are gunslingers. Give me a break already.
There is nothing wrong with the Giants offense that couldn’t be cured by a Coughlin pulling a Buddy Ryan and smacking Gilbride in the mouth. We have seen two weeks in a row, third and short and going for the bomb. This guy (Gilbride) is a lunatic. Jacobs and the o-line need to be turned loose for the whole game. I can’t believe that Coughlin is putting up with this guy. As for the defense, sure we need to get some guys back, but the guys who are playing need to step up. So far they are not. But, the D did put up two stops in the fourth quarter and gave the O a chance. But the bad Eli was at the helm last night. Next game will be a turning point. If they come out slinging it, and can’t pressure McNab, they will be lucky if they don’t get humiliated again.
Vox, you couldn’t have said it better. I am tired if seeing all these lucky bounces go the giants way. They didn’t get enough of them to win the game this week like when they played the Cowboys. Just as I thought and have been preaching, the giants are over rated.
“Already, the whispers are growing regarding the question of whether the Giants are a fluke — a five-win franchise that fattened its record against the likes of the Redskins, Bucs, Chiefs, and Raiders.”
Love all the commentary that the Giants have just been lucky the last few years. Just got hot, yadayadayada…The bounce off of Witten’s heel was actually unlucky as the officials blew the play dead and would have been a defensive score. At some point, you have to give them credit for making their own luck by playing good football. That said, terrible game last night. Defense doesn’t look like they know where they’re supposed to be. Turnovers kill. Poor special teams…Injuries just an excuse. They’ll either figure it out or they won’t. Maybe Giants, as a team, just aren’t that good this year. Even so, I’d take Elisha over any other QB in the division. He wins, he’s clutch (except when he’s not). Take Coughlin over any other coach in the division. Do you really feel confident with Romo, Wade Phillips, McNabb or Reid? Cowboys looked awesome yesterday. Let’s see them do it all year and win a single playoff game. Until then, all sizzle, no steak.
Please never use the ridiculous volleyball euphemism for a tipped ball. A tipped pass has no resemblance to volleyball, and it drives me flippin batty!
Get a cowboys chatroom. Stop whining about bounces and shit that happens in every football game, you lost, you play the giants again, wait.
Look who finally has a running game.
Welcome to the NFL Mr Wells…
Is this the same team that Giants fans (and NY Daily News hacks) keep saying are a “dynasty”? WTF?
For them it’s a good thing the Yankees are there to take the heat off them this week.
All those words and all those other references regarding last year or your diluted opinions make no difference florio. Let’s be VERY CLEAR here. You said there would be a whipping of the cards by the giants.
A WHIPPING.
You were FLAT OUT wrong, and you know it. Man up and say it.
It’s a shame too. You were in heaven yesterday for a while…vikings lost, patriots won, girls won, and then…..oh too bad.
Enjoy the egg on your face once again.
“The bounce off of Witten’s heel was actually unlucky”
Yeeeeeah. Not in any way, shape or form, early whistle or not.
“In fact, the Giants should have scored fewer than 17 points”
Actually, if you watched the game, you would know that Hixon had a TD that he allowed Cromatie to rip out of his hands. Great play by Cromatie, inexcusable for Hixon. Hixon even admitted it to the press right after the game. Hixon is a great special teams player, a woefully inconsistent WR. Bottom line, the Giants secondary came into the season with no depth. Guys got hurt and the replacements are subpar. Reece does a great job of building a starting lineup, but overlooks the backups. As for the rocket scientist blaming Eli for all the delays of game penalties, that was because the rookie Beatty had no idea where he needed to lineup and who to block. O’Hara spent the whole game trying to get him into position. QB can’t snap the ball if the O line isn’t set. You need to blame the NY coaching staff for not preparing the rookie which caused those penalties. Finally, for all the douchebag Dallas fans whining about the Giants being overrated, I don’t think there has EVER been a more overrated team than the 2007 Cowboys. Eleven Pro Bowlers, home field advantage throughout the playoffs, universal pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl and they couldn’t manage to win even ONE playoff game. Now, THAT’S overrated.
east96street, don’t tell me you’re going to state that he had enough possession of the ball in the end zone, and just like the Raiders non-touchdown touchdown, it should have been a touchdown since he had the ball and 2 feet in bounds???
I don’t want to have that conversation start up again.
Thanks to jkorn for the explanation of the Giants defense.
The Giants have a very good team. I guess the Cardinals do, too.
ShruggingGalt says: “east96street, don’t tell me you’re going to state that he had enough possession of the ball in the end zone”
What??? What part of “Hixon had a TD that he allowed Cromartie to rip out of his hands. Great play by Cromartie, inexcusable for Hixon” isn’t clear? Hixon had it and Cromartie took it away. Perfectly legal, perfectly called by the refs, inexcusable for a WR to allow. As I said before, great play by Cromartie. Hixon has to win that fight for the ball, especially when he had it first. I’m not getting what you’re not understanding about that play. The DB and WR are BOTH allowed to make a play for the ball. Hixon knows that and, to his credit, he owned up to it after the game.
Per the AP report:
“WR Domenik Hixon felt particularly bad about letting Arizona CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie take a touchdown pass away. “That’s something I can’t allow to happen,” he said.”
LOVE IT!!
I guess we are the Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL… yes, we have certainly not done much to erase that but come on… I logged on today to find at least a picture of the game on the front of the sports page. Nope… the Yankees make the front. Wow, now that is news. George spends 300 million more than any other team per year on payroll and you treat their entry into the world series like the second coming of Christ. I then pull up the NFL page and still, nothing. After searching around, there was a wee little blurb about it. I guess we don’t want to print anything about being beaten by the Cardinals in a New York. Oh well, such is the life of a Cardinals fan.
Anyway, GREAT game Cards!!! They brought all kinds of pressure and the old man Warner beat them. Beanie Wells did a great job running the ball and besides the fluke tip drill gone heywire, everybody stepped up, did what they were suppose to, and we came out with a big win.
I guess if it were the Squeelers, there would be countless stories about how great Big Ben was, blah blah blah blah…
We get no respect… no respect at all….
Cowboys fans….. classic whiners. Can’t even be happy you beat a good team yesterday. You gotta bitch and moan about this and that. Boo friggin hoo….. cry me a river you ninny bunch of Britneys.
“Bottom line is the Giants are luckier than they are good.”
Because there’s nothing lucky about a sure sack sliding off your back to give you a nice little toss for a TD.
Romo’s the luckiest bad QB in modern football.
Oh, and east96st, don’t forget the 2008 campaign, with the playoffs on the line, the 9-7 Cowboys come into Lincoln Financial Field, after having started the season AGAIN the SuperBowl favorites.
How did that game end? What was the score again? I can’t remember. I do remember that Tony Romo fainted in the shower afterwards.
Must have been from all that winning.