Cardinals Salary Cap

There will always be tough decisions when it comes to a football team, and the Arizona Cardinals are facing a lot right now. It truly was a great ‘08 season for them, as they have reached the Superbowl for the first time and almost won it as well. Now that it’s all over, they are facing a lot of problems, and it would be difficult to return based on their circumstances right now.

For one, they have lost both their defensive coordinator and offensive coordinator. Pendergast may have not been much of a loss, but Todd Haley was an important component of the team’s success. Anquan Boldin is sure that he wants to leave the team, and Kurt Warner is on the fence whether he’d retire or not.

It’s not all bad news for the Cardinals as they still have a lot of cap space. Since it’s defense they need, they’d have enough to sign Julius Peppers since he is clear that he does not want to return to the Panthers. They could also sign defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth of the Titans, and keep Warner as well.

It will be exciting to see how the team will develop this season.

New Head Chief

Just like with everything, we have to move on and look if there are greener pastures out there.  The Cardinals had an amazing run last season, and it was thanks to their unstoppable offense. This could easily attributed to Warner, Fitzgerald, Boldin, and the others but the one that had orchestrated it all it non other than offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

It was during the NFC championships that we witnessed how fired up Haley can get, when he had a moment with Boldin; but that’s ok and it’s all part of the game. Now that the Superbowl is over, everyone is hiring galore.

For the past 2 seasons, the Kansas Chiefs have only won 6 games and are looking to rebuild their team. One of their moves is to hire Todd Haley as their head coach. This is a great idea, considering what he had shown the NFL during the last few seasons, and he will be enough to turn around the  Chiefs.

So what will become of the Cardinals? It really is difficult to say at this point in time. Hopefully Warner does not retire, and Boldin does not leave the team when his contract expires in two years.

Weary Warner

The Cardinals had a great season and for the first time, they were able to reach the Superbowl. They got so close to the win if it weren’t for a few mistakes. The question now is if they will be able to retain or even improve on last seasons performance? Well so far the future of the Arizona Cardinals seem to be cloudy, since Anquan Boldin says that there only is a slim chance that he will stay with the Cardinals when his contract expires in two years. Another problem is if Kurt Warner would keep on playing or would decide to finally retire.

Superbowl 43 was very emotional for the veteran quarterback, and now he just isn’t sure if he still wants to play or not. At the start of the ‘08 season, he said that he would be playing for another 2 years, but it seems as if he is having second thoughts. Hopefully for the Cardinals, he decides to stay for a while so that they have a good chance of returning to the Superbowl and probably win this time. It’s really difficult to find a quarterback as great as him.

The Blitz-Buster

Upon hearing the name of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the first thing that goes into the mind of football enthusiasts are their defense. This is thanks to defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and his mega blitzing defense. It was evident that in the Superbowl, it was working until a few minor mishaps.

In the same football mental plane of Manning and Brady, Kurt Warner is one of the few quarterbacks in the history of the NFL that can break the blitz with ease. He just knows how it works whether he studied it carefully, or just simply has a natural affinity towards breaking through the blitz.

During the first half of Superbowl 43, the Steelers were able to limit Kurt Warner to 135 passing yard. This was because LeBeau would rush only four on passing plays, so that 7 defenders would remain in coverage. For some reason, LeBeau would start to use a lot of 5 man rushes. This is what spelled disaster for the Steelers defense. When Warner saw the 5 man rushes, in his mind was probably “big mistake”, and would eventually knit pick the defense and would end up with 222 more yards.

Hello, Hall of Fame

The Superbowl is a great way for athletes to prove to people that they are worthy of being inducted to the Hall of Fame. This was true for a few people in the Superbowl, and they all didn’t disappoint as the game progressed.

Kurt Warner has been a great player and has been able to prove his worth during the course of his career. In spite of already winning a Superbowl, a lot of people have still been doubtful that he is Hall of Fame worthy. The chances that it was going to be his last season were high, but he became a started for the Arizona Cardinals, and brought this problematic team all the way to the Superbowl. During the Superbowl, he was able to pass 377 yards and get 3 touchdowns. Even though the Cardinals lost, he was able to secure his spot in the Hall of Fame, and gave a good slap on the face of his doubters.

Another QB that has secured a seat is Ben Roethlisberger. This is already his 2nd Superbowl championship, and he still isn’t even in his prime. At the age of 26, he’s still considered to be a great playing waiting to bloom, yet he has already accomplished so much.

So Near, Yet So Far

The last season was sort of a fairtytale story for both the Arizona Cardinals and Kurt Warner. The Cardinals have been known to be one of the more chaotic franchises in the NFL, and it has always failed to deliver the goods until recently. In a great run, they were able to get upsets during the playoffs, and was even able to reach the Superbowl for the first time in franchise history. For Kurt Warner, it was his chance to prove that he is Hall of Fame Worthy.

He started out the season as a back up for Matt Leinart. For reasons that are good to Warner, he became the starter and would be able to lead the Cardinals to the Superbowl. It has been 10 years since his last Superbowl trip, and it was with the St. Louis Rams that he was able to gain his first ever Superbowl championship.

Last Sunday, he had the chance to get another ring but several things were just beyond his control. One of them was the lack of defense that the Cardinals showed during the last run of the Steelers. They played intense defense throughout the game, but seemed to fail to do so when it mattered the most. The other, was the phenomenal catch of Santonio Holmes. Regardless of the outcome, he still proved that he has the guns to be a great quarterback.

Should Kurt Warner Retire?

Indeed it will be a big game for Kurt Warner and the rest of the Arizona Cardinals on Superbowl Sunday, and it is indeed a game that will be defining a lot of careers. Even if they don’t win, they have still proven that they’re not the pushover team that people have always dismissed them as.

With years of professional football under his belt, Kurt Warner wasn’t even sure if this were his last season. He was actually supposed to play back up for Matt Leinart until he proved himself once more with explosive performances this season. Imagine, it’s been 10 years since he won that Superbowl with the Rams. Now he’s back, and he’s a lot older. He may have a lot more experience, but in sports, age comes with a price as well. He’ll be going up against youthful legs that will pull everything just to get a sack.

So regardless of the outcome of Superbowl 43, should he retire? Well, he’s brought the Arizona Cardinals to the Superbowl and that says a lot. He doesn’t have to prove much anymore and he probably has secured a spot for him in the hall of fame.

Kurt Warner Revitalized

One of the most important positions in the NFL would be the quartback. He is the leader and coach on the fields, and it is up to him to call the shots in a lot of situations. The success of the play depends a lot on him, and he is constantly the target of the defense. That’s NFL quarterbacks are so popular,even to people that don’t watch much football.

During the start of the season, Kurt Warner was expected to be a backup for Matt Leinart. He thought that he would be playing his last season with the Arizona Cardinals, and probably didn’t expect much mainly because the Cardinals have always been a disappointment. Things have changed, and slowly Warner would be the starting quarterback, and after 10 long years, has finally returned to the Superbowl.

He first achieved success when he had a great run with the St. Louis Rams, and it was in 1998 that he was able to get his first Superbowl ring. Since they he has garnered 2 NFL most valuable player awards and is considered as one of the most accurate quarterbacks in NFL history. He is only second to Chad Pennington. Now he is ready to prove himself once more in Superbowl 43.

Superbowl Heroes

It’s obvious that the primary objective of playing great at the Superbowl is to win the game. There are still different players out there with different stories to tell. Winning the Superbowl for these men mean a lot more than a championship ring.

One of these stories has got to do with Kurt Warner. Winning this Superbowl would almost automatically earn him a spot in the Hall of Fame. Imagine, if he is able to pull this off, he’d be able to give the Arizona Cardinals a Superbowl Championship; the Arizona Cardinals! Finally, after years of being in the league, this is his chance to prove that he is no mere mortal, and belongs amongst the ranks of the Football gods.

Another player that has a lot to prove here is Anquan Boldin. No matter what explaination he has for what had happened between him and coach Haley, he still has built a bad rep for him, and this will be a chance to create a new image for him. This will prove to be difficult because he is obviously still bothered by his hamstring. If ever he gets a great game, not only will he get out of the shadow of Fitzgerald, but he’ll also be able to secure a spot for him or get a better deal when he becomes a free agent.

Kurt vs. Ben

There are a lot of stories that surround the upcoming Superbowl, and one of them is the match up of Kurt Warner, and Ben Roethlisberger. It is quite interesting since the deciding factors might be their similarities, or differences.

These guys are both one of the toughest quarter backs in the league. If you would notice, Big Ben would not think twice about sacrificing his body for a play, even though he knows that a lot of pain will come to him. another thing in common is that they are both Superbowl winners. In this particular area, there is only a slight difference; it took Warner quite a while before he got his , while Roethlisberger is now looking at his 2nd one at the age of 26.

Warner would be a more accurate passer if you compare the two, but the thing is that he has Fitzgerald and Boldin on his side so passing really isn’t as difficult. Whoever will be the better quarterback during the Supebowl might be the deciding factor as to which team will win it. You never know who will out perform the other, and the game is indeed full of surprises that will surely be a treat for everyone.

Superbowl Quarteback Face-off

Indeed, the Superbowl is one of the most exciting sports events in the whole world. Not only does it showcase the most talented athletes, but it also shows how far team work can go. Now Superbowl 43 is coming close, and it will be a historic event when the Arizona Cardinals battle it out with the Pittsburgh Steelers at a supreme showdown in Tampa Bay, Florida.

A lot of pressure falls on the hand of the quarterback. He is the one that supplies leadership on the field, and makes tough decisions in times of need. Almost all the glory goes to the quartback whenever his team wins, but he’s also the one blamed whenever a team loses (more often than not). In this particular Superbowl, the quartbacks will be in focus.

The Arizona Cardinals might be Superbowl virgins, but QB Kurt Warner has had his experience already. in Superbowl XXXIV, he was able to lead the St. Louis Rams to a victory. He was actually able to throw a Superbowl record 414 yards that game.

The Steelers have a solid QB in Ben Roethlisberger. He was part of the Steelers Superbowl champion team in 2005. At the young age of 23, he became the youngest quarterback ever to win a Superbowl.

A Possible Upset

The fate of the Superbowl has been decided; the Arizona Cardinals will go up against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Of course, it wouldn’t be a sin to immediately assume that the Steelers would most likely gain their 6^th Superbowl championship.

One of the main reasons why it’s easy to write off the Cardinals is because ever since the NFL started, their franchise has been known to go amuck and simply have no organization at all. Another reason is that it is quite difficult for such a team to defeat a squad like the Steelers, especially since it is their first Superbowl appearance ever.

The thing is that there are a number of factors that might point towards a different direction. For one, the Cardinals have been showing a lot of momentum lately, and have proven to go through tough opponents such as Carolina and Philadelphia.

We all know that the Steelers’ defense is a force to reckon with, but the Cards have one of the best offensive teams seen in a while, especially with the tandem of Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald.

These factors say that the Cardinals indeed have a bigger chance of winning than most people give them credit for. If ever they don’t pull of a win, then they would surely make the Steelers work hard for number 6.

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.