The Pro Bowl Beast

The AFC once again faced the NFC in another exciting Pro Bowl. A collection of all the best talent in the NFL where seen playing together and against each other, which is probably the highest level of American Football in the World. Some would only play for fun, some would play to win, others would simply dominte.

Larry Fitzgerald has had a phenomenal season. He was such a headache for the defense, that even against the Steelers, he was still able to unleash his fury even though he was covered for most of the Superbowl. Now that he’s playing in the Pro Bowl, he once again proved that he can destroy the defense, even if that defense is a collection of AFC all stars.

It was because of him that the NFC won against the AFC, and he became the first Cardinal in history to ever become a Pro Bowl MVP. He caught 5 passes, and gained 2 touchedowns. If that’s not monstrous enough, he’s catched at least a touchdown for the last 7 games he’s played.

It was just right that he was named Pro Bowl MVP.

Amazing Game, Amazing Plays

Superbowls are readily expected to be spectacular and exciting events. This is the reason why so many viewers tune in to the Superbowl every year. Even those who don’t follow the Superbowl religiously make sure that they make time in their busy schedules to watch it. Especially with what technology can offer nowadays, everyone always have options so that they won’t miss it. Superbowl 43 was no exception and it once again delivered the goods.

The first epic play that fans were able to witness was the 100 yard return of James Harrison. It was with this play that he proved that nobody can stop the Silverback. He intercepted the pass by Warner, and dashed through 2 defenders to get the touchdown.

Another amazing feat was the 4th quarter explotion of Larry Fitzgerald. Offensive coordinator Haley found the right adjustment to counter the blitzing defense of the Steelers, and Fitzgerald instantly got 2 touchdowns in the 4th quarter.

Last but not the least, was the great catch that Santonio Holmes had to get the Steelers the lead, and the win as well. It was MVP worthy, and true enough, he earned the Superbowl MVP award.

Bye Buddy!

Aside from their slightly improved defense, the run of the Arizona Cardinals last season was largely due to their phenomenal offense. It really is difficult to defend against three 1,000 yard recievers, and a quarterback like Kurt Warner as well. They pushed all the way to the Superbowl, and almost had the game if it weren’t for lapses in defense for the last minute. One of the key players of the Cardinals was Anquan Boldin.

Of course we all remember that petty but heated arguement he had on the sidelines with offensive coordinator Haley. That’s over and we can all agree that it was only an isolated incident, and that Boldin truly is an important part of the Cardinal organization. The problem is that he has two years left on his contract, and says that there is only a slim chance that he will be signing with them again.

Well, a reason for this could be that he’s just saying that so he has more leverage when the renewal of his contract will be negotiated. It probably would be easy if Larry Fitzgerald keeps his word. Fitzgerald says that he will do anything to keep Boldin on the team.

Unleashing the Fitzgerald

The Superbowl is over, and the Pittsburgh Steelers proved to be the better team. Well, looking at all the stats are just not enough as you would have to see the game yourself to truly understand what had happened that night. It was an epic game and those who were able to witness it live are priveledged. One of the stories there was Larry Fitzgerald.

Before the Superbowl even started, everyone already expected Fitzgerald to go wild and destroy the Pittsburgh defense. When the game was actually in play, Fitzgerald would not get to hold the football much during the first 3 quarters. Why is this? Well, the Steelers defense was simply swarming him, and Kurt Warner had the patience and not force the issue on Fitzgerald. The sad thing is that the only time Warner took a risk is when it let to an interception then eventually a touchdown.

It was at the 4th quarter that they adjusted to the blitzing defense of the Steelers and unleashed the might Fitzgerald. He pounded the Steelers for 2 TDs but the Cardinal defense came up short and the Steelers “stole” the game.

Larry vs. the Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t need to review much study tapes to figure out that they would need to stop Arizona Cardinals’ wide reciever Larry Fitzgerald to pull of their 6th Superbowl win. It’s so important that they indeed shut him down, but is this possible?

When you think about it, the Steelers have the number 1 spot in the NFL when it comes to defense, and this is thanks to them always being able to shut down the number 1 wide reciever, and constantly sacking the quarterback. This would work well with any other team, but what’s difficult about it is that Fitzgerald is on a roll and probably still has momentum on his side from his last games.

Another thing here is that when the two teams met in 2007, Larry Fitzgerald simply crushed them. He recieved 10 catches for 120 yards and the Cardinals actually won that game. Now you can imagine the pressure they are in simply just to stop Larry.

The problems with Larry don’t stop with him directly, but thinking about Boldin would be important as well. Arizona would surely expect the defense to be all over Fitzgerald, so they might use him to create a diversion for Boldin.

Fitzgerald and Boldin

It was great to see the Arizona Cardinals in action during the playoffs, and they showed that they have a very formidable recieving tandem. Arguably, this Fitzgerald and Boldin are the best recieving tandem in the NFL today, and it would be such a loss for the Cards to lose one of them.

Larry Fitzgerald would renew his contract, and not surprisingly, under better terms. Still, he was thinking what is best for his team and team mate. He said that he is willing to do anything for the benefit of his team, even if it means a personal sacrifice. He said that he would adjust his contract accordingly so that the Cards would be able to keep Boldin.

Anquan Boldin will become a free agent after two more seasons, and hopefully he will still be a part of the cardinals. It would be very tragic indeed for Arizona to lose essential piece of the puzzle.

Fitzgerald and Boldin did great damage to both Carolina and Philly, although Boldin was in the middle of controversy during their last game. According to Boldin, that’s nothing and the press seemed to blow the story. It will be interesting to see the two perform during Superbowl 43.

Stopping Fitzgerald

Anyone who has seen the NFC Championships has seen how Larry Fitzgerald destroyed the Carolina and Philly defense. His speed, height, and leaping capabilities  made it look like he had super human strength. Some may think that Fitzgerald is a mutant or an alien that no human can stop, but stopping him indeed isn’t as difficult as people may think it is.

Whenever you have a problem, the best thing to do is locate it’s source, isolate it, and deal with it directly. When it comes to American Football, the source would be the quarter back.  As long as the Steelers put much pressure on Kurt Warner, they should be able to contain Fitzgerald easily. He may be a very good catcher, but there’s only so much you can do when the QB constantly dishes out bad passes.

This doesn’t mean that the stealers have to get a sack or an interception every time. All they have to do is to put a lot of pressure on Warner, so that they’d be able to force an amount of errors and turnovers. I would indeed be very afraid if I knew that 3 or 4 300 lb men were out to tackle me.

Crazy Fitzgerald

So far it’s been quite a ride for Cardinals fans and Superbowl 43 is just a few days away. The success of Arizona could easily be attributed to the class A performances that both Warner and Fitzgerald give during every game, which supply the Cardinals with their overwhelming offense.

Larry Fitzgerald is known a lot for his speed and explosive leaping ability and this was clearly exhibited when he destroyed the Eagles’ defenses. He caught 9 passes and connected 3 touchdowns. This happened to the Eagles in spite of them knowing Fitzgerald’s capabilities.

Some people may attribute this to amazing talent and good genes, but those weren’t the only factors for this phenomenal wide receiver. It was the prodding and pushing of Cardinals coaches that have raised him to the level that he is in today.

It is hard to imagine what athletic plane Fitzgerald is in considering that he is able to play the games the way he does, even when the defense has done their homework and have prepared for him. Needless to say, he is unstoppable once he steps on the field. It would be such a dream for any quarter back to have someone like him by his side, and it doesn’t help opponents to known that Kurt Warner is on his side.

Looking Out for Junior

It’s no doubt that the Superbowl is indeed an important event to cover, especially if you’re a sports journalist. Thousands of reporters will be flocking to Tampa Bay for Superbowl 43.

It could be the event that could make or break a sports journalist’s career, and many will have a very professional outlook on it. There are a lot of stories that you can cover during the Superbowl, but there is one particular story that is quite interesting.

As a reporter, Larry Fitzgerald Sr. has already covered 28 Superbowls and this one just might be the most interesting one for him yet. It might prove difficult since his son, Larry Fitzgerald Jr., will be playing for the Arizona Cardinals. Not only is Larry jr. a player for the Cardinals, but is one of the key stars of the organization. He along with Warner have led the Cardinals to where they are right now through a spectacular display of American football offense.

Of course covering a game would always mean that you would have to be neutral, but it is going to be difficult as a father not to root for your son. There will probably be times when it will be quite obvious that Larry Sr. is indeed rooting for his son, but we all know about how professional he is.

The Warner- Fitzgerald Tandem

It’s quite obvious that the Arizona Cardinals’ win during the Conference Finals was due to the awesome work of Larry Fitzgerald, and Kurt Warner. Even people that don’t even know a thing about American Football (highly unlikely) would even notice the courage and exceptional football that both these athletes had exhibited.

Warner may have had a break during the whole third quarter, but the damage he had dealt during the first two had proved to inflict a deep wound on the Philly organization. During the last quarter, he would again do heavy damage to the Eagles’ defense and ensure a victory for his own team. His game was considered to be the fifth best play-off game of any quarterback since 1995. He had a 242 DYAR, but the number still cannot quantify what he really did during the game.

Warner would not have had such a great game without the help of Larry Fitzgerald. Because of his speed and versatility, Fitzgerald was able to receive a number of great passes, and would glide through the defense with much ease.

There is no doubt that Sunday’s game was a very historical one, especially for the whole Arizona organization. This is a day that will be forever etched in the minds of sports fans, remembering the greatness displayed by Warner and Fitzgerald.

Cards’ Boldin Hopes to Play Sunday Against Eagles

Anquan Boldin is one of the most dynamic WR in the league and he is one of the reason why the Arizona Cardinals is no going to face the upbeat Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game on Sunday. But the problem is he didn’t play against the Carolina Panthers when his Cardinals triumph over the NFC leading Panthers, so now, Boldin is hungry to be a part of the team when that face the Eagles at home on Sunday. He wants to play and he finally practiced on Wednesday which boost his chance to play in the NFC Championship bout.

He said that his trip to Dallas for a chiropractor has been successful treatment for his strained left hamstring. When healthy Anquan Boldin proves that he is one of the most dangerous WR in the league and together with WR Larry Fitzgerald they form the most explosive WR duo in the league, there is no telling how they will be able to make a big run to stop the surging Eagles.

NFC Championship Breakdown

I think that it’s safe to say that NFC have surprised most of us, forget the regular season, it’s the Arizona Cardinals and the Philadelphia Eagles game now, it’s the year fo the birds for the AFC no doubt. Both teams are capable of big offensive outburst as we’ve seen all season long. Both teams have a veteran Super Bowl QBs that can lead them to the promise land, so the question here now lies, who can soar higher? For the Cardinals the game is played in the air, for the Eagles the game is played in the ground with the occasional air.  So, which style will be victorious? Eagle’s Andy Reid’s or Cards Ken Whisenhunt’s? So, let’s break this down differently.

QB Advantage: Both teams have very good clutch QBs but very different styles as well. For the Cardinals, they have a Hall of Famer pocket presence with clutch game in QB Kurt Warner, although many might argue that he maybe past behind his best playing days, but with the strong showing last game against the Carolina Panthers you have to think twice. The Eagles in the other hand have a very capable agile and accurate QB in Donovan McNabb who by his own rights led the Eaglesin the Super bowl before, but his inconsistent play in the regular season have people asking if he can go all the way? His numbers aren’t sexy but he gets the job done, he is hard to take down but occasionally throws the pick.  Edge: Even

Running and Passing Game: Well, it is easy to differentiate this teams, Cards play more in the air because they have weapons for it WR Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin can be lethal and this year they have shown it. But the problem is Boldin have history of injury this season, although we have seen Fitzgerald carry the load, it is still hard to se eif he can be able to do it again with tight Eagles coverage. Eagles have a fair game in the receiving as well but not as elite as the Cards, WRs Jason Avant, Rookie DeSean Jackson and Kevin Curtis plus TEs Brent Celek and L.J. Smith, sure McNabb has options but none of them can be as good as the Cards duo which makes you wonder if quality is better than quantity. Rushing the ball the advantage here will be on the Eagles again a quality over quantity issue, the Eagles have 1 elite back in RB Brian Westbrook and the Cards have 2 capable backs in RBs Edgerrin James and Rookie Tim Hightower,  now who will come out winner on this match ups? Edge: Even (Receiving Cards; Rushing Eagles).

Defense: This is probably where this game will be decided, with their offense at an even match up. You have to wonder who wants it more? Well in the Defensive side of the ball game, the Cards has an underrated but surprising defense they have 5 picks against the Panthers and also can stop the run if they focus on it. Their strength is the secondary with CBs Rookie Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Roderick Hood and Safeties Adrian Wilson and Antrel Rolle, also OLB Karlos Dansby can make plays too. For the Eagles they have a good LB set with Chris Gocong and Stewart Bradley, also DE Trent Cole and DT Mike Patterson can give you the pressure. Their Secondary is also as dangerous lead by CBs Asante Samuels and Sheldon Brown and Safeties Quintin Mikell and Brian Dawkins. Who can stop both teams offense will be the key on this game. Now the question is, who’s faury tale ending will be this game? Edge: Eagles

Prediction: Cardinals 24; Eagles 26

Cardinals Shows Off Offense to Beat Panthers

Charlotte, NC – The Arizona Cardinals offense was no fluke. I know that they missed Wide Receiver Anquan Boldin the half of their talented Receiving duo due to injury but Wide Receiver Larry Fitzgerald picked up the slack to give the Cards a ticket to the NFC Coference championship (Final Score Arizona Cardinal 30; Carolina Panthers 13) that will await for whoever wins on the Philadelhia Eagles vs. New York Giants game. The Cards offense was clicking all cylinders as WR Fitzgerald (8 Receptions, 166 yards and a TD) and veteran Quarterback Kurt Warner (21/32 passing for 220 yards, 2 TD and 1 intercerption) was the difference maker for this game.

The Cards goes in this game as underdogs, with one of their top offensive threats, WR Anquan Boldin was officially out for the game. Although a lot thought that the offensive weapons of Carolina Panthers would do their damage in this game, it seems like the underrated defense of the Cardinals made more damages than anyt eam has to the Panthers. Pantehrs QB Jake Delhomme threw 5 interception and had 1 fumble for acconting on 6 turnovers for the Panthers. Their running game was under the weather as their top RB DeAngelo Williams runs 12 times but only had 63 yards and Rookie RB Jonathan Stewart had 3 carries for 12 yards and a TD. Their receiving game wasn’t there as WR Steve Smith had a TD with only 2 receptions for 43 yads with WR Muhsim Muhammad had 5 receptions for 55 yards.

The Arizona Cardinals defense showed something that we haven’t seen all year as their secondary was clicking with 5 interceptions as said earlier (FS Antrel Rolle with 1, CB Roderick Hood with 1, DE Antonio Smith with 1, DB Ralph Brown with 1 and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie also have 1 his second straight playoff pick). Veteran RB Edgerrin James had a TD for 20 carries and only 57 yards. Rookie RB Tim Hightower have 12 carries for 76 yards a TD and also having 1 reception for 3 yards which resulted to a TD. It was a very good offensive gameplanning by Arizona Cardinals that really outplayed the Carolina Panthers, now we they will be waiting on who’s going to face them in the NFC Conference championship game.