Nobody played the QB position better than Kurt Warner posted by Colin Linneweber

Legendary St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner retired last week after 12 improbable seasons in the NFL.

Warner, a two-time AP NFL MVP and five-time Pro Bowl selection, walked away from the gridiron, and $11.5 million, while he was still playing at an elite level.

“I’m excited about what’s next,” said Warner, 38, a two-time First-Team All-Pro and the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIV. “Before I was always excited about next season.”

With a genuine Cinderella tale like Warner, there really is no way to even guesstimate “what’s next” for him.

Despite the fact that he wasn’t even afforded the opportunity to make his first professional start until he was 28 years of age, Kurt Warner is absolutely one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL.

Warner attended, and played football for, the University of Northern Iowa near his hometown of Cedar Rapids.

Needless to mention, the Panthers are not exactly a football powerhouse in the Midwest.

Still, Warner rode the pine as a third-string signal-caller until his senior year.

When finally granted his opportunity to perform, Warner excelled and was rightfully named the Gateway Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year.

Predictability, nary an NFL team was interested in selecting Warner with a draft pick out of college.

Instead, Warner signed as an undrafted free agent with the Green Bay Packers in 1994.

The Packers released Warner before the regular season began, and the immensely gifted passer was then relegated to stocking shelves at a local Hy-Vee grocery store for a paltry $5.50 an hour.

Reggie Bush goes off as Saints crush Cardinals 45-14 posted by Joe Anello

After Tim Hightower took the opening hand-off 70 yards for a touchdown, all I could think of was how awful the Saints fans would feel if their team lost in their playoff opener. Luckily for them Reggie Bush showed up with his bird-killing cleats on, leading the Saints to a 45-14 thrashing of the Arizona Cardinals to kick-off the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs.

Responding to the quick score, the New Orleans Saints proved why they were the number one seed on the NFC by scoring touchdowns on three straight possessions to give them a 21-7 lead before the end of the first quarter. Bush lowered the hammer on two early carries to set the tone early: these Saints would not be denied. A Beanie Wells score early in the second brought the Cardinals back into striking distance, but that would be the last time the Cardinals would hit the scoreboard. Their two turnovers killed drives and gave the Saints 14 points.

Even though Drew Brees had a stellar performance, completing 23/32 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns, it was Bush who stole the spotlight. His early physical play set up his lateral moves as the game continued, especially on a 46-yard run where he stopped and started no less than three times before breaking it past the Cardinal secondary. An 83-yard punt return in the third gave Bush his second TD and his most significant games as a pro. It could not have come at a better time. 

Joe's Opening Drive: Divisional Saturday posted by Joe Anello

In case you haven't heard, we're knee-deep in the NFL playoffs. Today kicks-off the best weekend of football all year. Eight teams remain in the Super Bowl hunt, with the top seeds in each conference joining in on the action. Let's not waste any time, here's the Opening Drive for Divisional Saturday in the NFL!

Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints
4:30PM ET FOX 

After last Sunday night's shoot-out in the desert, the Cardinals head to the Superdome, ready to repeat last year's post-season success. Quarterback Kurt Warner has a knack for playing his best football in the playoffs and last week was no exception. He is expected to be without receiver Anquan Boldin for the second straight week, but that will be a game-time decision. He'll still have Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston on the outside, so he'll be just fine. Arizona shocked Green Bay with their commitment to the running game last week, gaining over 150 yards on the ground. Concerns arise when discussing their defense, but as we saw in overtime last week, they can make plays when they need them. Darnell Dockett, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Adrian Wilson all have thr ability to affect the outcome.

In New Orleans, they haven't seen a meaningful game in a month since they suffered their first loss of the season to the Cowboys. Followed up by a shocking loss to Tampa Bay and a give-in to Carolina, Drew Brees and the Saints may have significant rust to shake off to start this one. On the plus side, running back Pierre Thomas and tight end Jeremy Shockey will be back from injury, giving Brees his full complement of weapons. Defensively, the Saints lagged in the final stretch of the regular season, but still ended up leading the league with a whopping 39 takeaways. Resigning Deuce McAllister for the post-season won't do much more than provide some inspiration and crowd fervor. 

Wild Cards Trump Green Bay; Rodgers Ripped Off posted by Frederick Barry

It was, as they say, one for the ages in Arizona tonight as the Cardinals took on the Green Bay Packers in what turned out to be the most exciting post-season match-up thus far this season.  When all was said and done, the Cardinals pulled off a victory in an offensive slug-fest that dragged into overtime and ended with a staggering final score of 45-51.

It appeared as though this game would have as clear a winner as the three Wild Card games before it as the Cardinals opened up with a 17 point lead in the first quarter. However, Green Bay clawed back by scoring ten points to Arizona's seven in the second quarter.  The half ended with the score 24-10, but early in the third quarter Arizona showed their resolve and put up another touchdown with a 33-yard touchdown pass from poised passer Kurt Warner to sure-handed Larry Fitzgerald. 

With a 31-10 lead, it seemed clear that the Cardinals were in control of the game. Green Bay, led by post-season newbie Aaron Rodgers, was not quite ready to admit defeat.  In a ten play, 80 yard drive that ate only 3:55 off the clock Green Bay marched down the field.  Aaron Rodgers capped off the drive with a 6-yard strike to Donald Driver making the score 31-17.

On the ensuing kick-off, a text book onside kick left the Packers with the ball and a chance to narrow the gap between them and the Cards to just one touchdown.  Rodgers' post-season inexperience did not show as he led his offense down the short field in eight plays and tossed a ten yard touchdown to Jordy Nelson.  The score now stood at 24-31 and things were heating up in Arizona.

Cardinals eliminate Packers in an overtime thriller 51-45 posted by Joe Anello

It's fitting that in a game with over 1000 yards of offense, a defensive play decides the outcome. On the first drive of overtime, an Aaron Rodgers fumble was recovered by Cardinal Karlos Dansby and taken back 17 yards for the game-winning touchdown, eliminating the Packers from post-season play with a final of 51-45.

After a first quarter which saw the Packers turn the ball over twice and miss a field goal as the Cardinals scored two touchdowns and a field goal, it seemed like all four wild-card games this weekend would be drama-free at halftime. For some viewers, it was. Five consecutive Packer touchdowns to start the second half brought Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers back from the brink and to the verge of overcoming a 21-point third quarter deficit and heading to New Orleans.

On a night where the passing games stole the spotlight, it was Arizona's running game that made its mark. With 156 yards on only 23 carries, Ken Wisenhunt's Cardinals imposed their will physically on the Packer front seven. Beanie Wells totaled 91 yards out the backfield, establishing himself as the Cardinals top running back for the playoffs. In the end, it was turnovers that brought the Packers' season to an end. All three turnovers led to Cardinal scores, digging too big a hole for the Pack to climb out of. Larry Fitzgerald coughed up Arizona's only turnover, caused by a Charles Woodson strip.

Joe's Opening Drive: Wild-Card Sunday posted by Joe Anello

After the Cowboys and the Jets dominated their opponents to move onto the divisional round, we've got some great action on tap today with a physical match-up in New England and a (hopefully) high-flying contest in the Arizona desert. Here's the Opening Drive of Wild-Card Sunday!

(9-7) Baltimore Ravens at (10-6) New England Patriots
1:00PM ET CBS

After a deep playoff run last year, the Ravens struggled to find consistency this season on the defensive of the ball, much to everyone's surprise. Running back Ray Rice has the ability to pound the ball as well as catch passes out of the backfield for sophomore QB Joe Flacco. Receiver Derrick Mason hasn't been as dependable in recent weeks, but he still managed another 1000-yard season. Tight end Todd Heap caught 6 touchdowns this season, second on the team. Keep an eye on wide-out Demetrius Williams, who might be Flacco's best downfield threat. On defense, safety Ed Reed should be healthy enough to play after nursing a groin injury for part of the regular season. Ray Lewis is as demonstrative as ever, but that defensive line featuring Haloti Ngata and Trevor Pryce will be the biggest factor in whether Baltimore can pull off the upset.

In New England, things just aren't the same. Tom Brady may be the comeback player of the year, but he's not playing at his best yet. He'll be without Wes Welker until next year, so rookie receiver Julian Edelman has to step in and be that possession receiver. Edelman won't have the experience, but he could be quicker than Welker. I don't think it will be a steep drop-off in production. Randy Moss should see all the double coverage he can handle. Back Laurence Maroney has come on in the second half of the year to bring a running game back to New England. For all the offensive talent, the Patriots' defense has been the problem all year. Young, inconsistent and inexperienced, the secondary has made too many mistakes. They aren't pressuring opposing quarterbacks. It's difficult to win in the postseason with that combination.

Joe's Opening Drive: Week 10 posted by Joe Anello

There were a few games I couldn’t even pretend to drum up a story for. Monday night’s Baltimore v. Cleveland match-up is beyond ugly. Still, there's plenty of drama for the week 10 edition of the Opening Drive! 

(6-2) Cincinnati Bengals at (6-2) Pittsburgh Steelers 

Ready for an AFC North slugfest? Well, that’s what you’re going to get today in a noon start. If you remember, the Bengals shocked the NFL with a come-from behind win over the Super Bowl Champs in their earlier meeting. Carson Palmer and will be trying to finish the season sweep when they visit Heinz Field. Unfortunately for them, Troy Polamalu will be back on the field for the Steelers defense. I have a hard time believing Mike Tomlin’s squad will drop this home game.

(3-5) Seattle Seahawks at (5-3) Arizona Cardinals 

I only put this game on my list because it’s the last chance the Seahawks have to meet my division-winning expectations. A loss would put their playoffs hope in a coffin and their team under the microscope for next year. Even Matt Hasselbeck could be on the hot seat. In Arizona, the Cardinals haven’t fared as well as they have on the road with all of their three losses coming in front of their home crowd. Oh well, they still have Kurt Warner and a hella-explosive offense. This one may not last long. 

(6-2) Dallas Cowboys at (4-4) Green Bay Packers 

A four-game winning streak will be on the line for tony Romo and the ‘Boys when they roll into Lambeau Field today. The Packers have lost two in a row and are in danger of an injury to Aaron Rodgers with the way Dallas rushes the QB. Green Bay desperately needs a successful running game to keep that defense off his back. Mike McCarthy is certainly feeling pressure to get his team back to the playoffs and dropping to 4-5 won’t do his job security any favors. 

Bears can't catch up to Cardinals, lose 41-21 posted by Joe Anello

 So that almost happened. Despite being out-played, out-coached, and out-classed in the first half, the Chicago Bears mounted a valiant comeback before falling to the Arizona Cardinals 41-21.   

The first half looked painfully similar to the first half of the Bengals disaster, with Chicago’s defense unable to provide opposition to Kurt Warner and the explosive Cardinal offense. With four first half touchdown passes (two to Larry Fitzgerald), Warner all but obliterated any chance of a second straight win for Lovie Smith. Chicago looked lost defensively, as if they did not expect Larry Fitzgerald to be Warner’s top target. Nice job guys. With Anquan Boldin a late scratch, Fitzgerald caught 9 passes, most of which were 8-12 yards in length. The Cardinals didn’t need Boldin, with Warner finishing the game with 5 TD’s through the air. What didn’t help was losing corner Charles Tillman and safety Al Afalava through the course of the game, leaving an already struggling secondary without key performers.

  
So... you do know about Larry Fitzgerald being awesome, right Lovie?

The real shocker was that Arizona ran as effectively as they did behind Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower, racking up 182 yards on the ground. Contributing to Chicago’s pathetic defensive effort was the most idiotic play of the day, credited to Tommie Harris. On the fifth play of the game, Harris punched Arizona’s Deuce Lutui in the helmet while the two were on the ground. The officials wasted no time in ejecting Harris from the game for his unsportsmanlike conduct. That left a hole up the middle in the Bears’ defense that allowed their rushing attack to succeed most of the day. Harris has failed to show up this season and his bone-headed play gave him another excuse to not make an impact. 

Cutler gets "Jay-Roughed" in Bears' win over hapless Browns posted by Joe Anello

It wasn’t pretty, but I’ll take it. The Bears put down the Cleveland Browns by a final score of 30-6 Sunday at Soldier Field. While a 24-point win against a number of other teams would have been memorable, that margin wasn’t enough for Bears fans who wanted to see domination like they saw in Cincinnati. Instead, they saw Lovie Smith’s squad do little more than take advantage of Cleveland’s never-ending mistakes.

After exchanging a total of five three-and-outs to start the game, the Bears finally broke through on the scoreboard with a Robbie Gold field goal. An interception and a fumble on the two following Browns possessions lead to another field goal and a Matt Forte touchdown, putting the Bears up 16. A Browns score made it 16-6 early in the third, which was too close, even though I never felt like they were going to get the upper hand.

Another Forte run and a Charles Tillman interception return put the game far out of reach, securing a 4-3 record for Chicago. Still, the victory was not without its major flaws, as Jay Cutler’s battered body can attest to. Chicago’s franchise QB was sacked five times, not including a “Jay-Roughing” penalty on massive Shaun Rogers which left Cutler’s mouth bloody. I’m officially coining the term “Jay-Roughing” to be used on roughing the passer calls. So I should get a quarter every time you say it. I hope I don't make too much money off it though, as Cutler needs to stay mostly upright during his lengthy stay under center for Chicago.

Joe's Opening Drive: Week 7 posted by Joe Anello

Um… I struggled to find six games with real significant drama. Bob Sanders will return to the Colts, but it’s against the lowly Rams! The Packers face the bumbling Browns, New England faces winless Tampa Bay in London, and Buffalo takes on Carolina. *shudder* Here’s the best of week seven in my Opening Drive! 

(6-0) Minnesota Vikings at (4-2) Pittsburgh Steelers 

So in spite of their early problems while without Troy Polamalu, the Steelers have emerged 4-2, trailing a half game behind the Bengals for the division lead. They welcome in the still streaking Vikings, who are making the rounds on the Brett Favre victory tour. Polamalu practiced this week and is expected to play, which should healthily improve the Steelers’ run and pass defense. Against Favre and Adrian Peterson, they’ll need Troy at his best. With Ben Roethlisberger coming off a 400-yard passing game of his own and Vikings Pro Bowl corner Antoine Winfield doubtful with a foot injury, this has potential to turn into a shoot-out. 

(3-2) San Francisco 49ers at (3-3) Houston Texans 

Houston could turn some heads if their second straight victory comes at the expense of the hard-nosed Niners. Singletary’s group should be fuming after their horrid loss to the Falcons two weeks ago. Still, I can’t get too excited about these teams. Both have too many issues to be legitimate contenders. 

Late rounders could push for playing time

The Arizona Cardinals signed fifth-round pick QB John Skelton (6-5,244, Fordham) to a four-year deal, the team announced. According toa source, Skelton?s four-year deal is worth just over $1.97million. [read full article]

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