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Cards lacking big-play burst

By BOB McMANAMAN
The Arizona Republic
Tuesday, November 03, 2009

On one side of the Cardinals' locker room Monday, guard Deuce Lutui was talking about the offense's big-play drought. They just haven't come.

But at the other end of the room, tight end Ben Patrick was busy forecasting a deluge of long scoring plays. "I have no doubts about it," Patrick said. "It definitely will come and when it does, it will be something to watch."

The Cardinals visit the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

If you're looking for reasons the Cardinals are 4-3 and have lost three games at home, examining the absence of big plays from this supposed prolific passing attack is a good place to start.

After seven games, they have only one touchdown from their offense that has covered more than 25 yards. It was a 26-yard scoring pass from Kurt Warner to Larry Fitzgerald back in Week 5 against Houston.

Last season, the Cardinals had five touchdowns longer than that in the playoffs alone. There was Fitzgerald breaking loose for a 62-yarder, Anquan Boldin stretching the defense for a 71-yarder, Fitzgerald going deep again for 64 more.

It was a regular sight for this team throughout the 2008 season.

"I think teams underestimated our passing game in the playoffs," Lutui said. "But now that defenses are trying to slow us down, we've got to stay aggressive and keep mixing it up. We just have to jab, jab, jab and then bam -- knockout."

The Cardinals have been the ones taking it on the chin, devoid of the big play primarily because teams are using two defensive backs to shadow Fitzgerald, and daring Arizona to run.

Opponents have been able to disrupt Warner with a steady pass rush, and Boldin has been slowed all year because of hamstring and ankle problems.

"I'm sure some of it can be contributed to that," coach Ken Whisenhunt said, referring to Boldin's health. "But I'm not going to point fingers at that because I feel very good about Steven (Breaston) and Jerheme Urban. And at some point, we're going to get to see Early Doucet, who I think has been practicing very well for us. So I still think we should be able to do that."

But they haven't. The Cardinals have had to generate points primarily through sustained drives. That puts more stress on the offense to continuously convert on third downs. So something has to give.

"We're going to look at trying to push the ball down the field a little bit more," Whisenhunt said. "That's something we need to get better at and I agree with you, we haven't had enough of those plays."

Boldin insists there is no reason to panic, that "we know what we have in this offense," and that the big plays will erupt soon enough. But everyone is getting a little grumpy about it not happening yet.

"We just have to keep firing and keep hoping you're going to get the right coverage on that particular play," Warner said. "Other than that, there's not a whole lot you can do. We've got some things designed, they just haven't played out exactly like we've hoped and we've had to check it down ... but we'll keep plugging along and doing what we have to do and at least eliminate the mistakes if we're not going to get those big plays."

Patrick is still predicting a shower of big plays.

"We're going to look at everything the Bears are doing and try to exploit something," he said. "It'll come, man. It's going to rain soon enough."

THE WRIGHT STUFF

You know you've got a tough football player on your team when he comes to the sideline with a bone sticking out of his thumb and he can't wait to get sewn back up so he can get back on the field.

Such was the case Sunday with Jason Wright, the Cardinals' third-down running back and special-teams player.

During a punt return in the second quarter of Arizona's loss to Carolina, Wright's left hand was caught in the shoulder pads of a Panthers player he was trying to block. He felt something rip.

"I looked down and my glove was (pointed) that way," he said, gesturing in a 90-degree angle. "I thought, 'Oh, that's not good.'

"It didn't hurt, though. It was the grace of God. The only thing that hurt was the stitches."

Coach Ken Whisenhunt lauded Wright for his effort.

"That's one tough player," he said. "The doctor just pushed the bone back in, sewed him up, and he went right back into the game."

Wright, who was wearing a splint on the thumb Monday, was told he could have been a hockey player with toughness like that.

"Yeah, right," he said, rolling his eyes. "The doc was telling me as he was stitching me up, 'Hockey players, they take these stitches without numbing,' and I said, 'No, numb me up.' There were a couple stitches where he didn't numb it and I don't want to do that again."

Q FACTOR

Anquan Boldin humbly acknowledged his ascention to the top of the Cardinals' career reception chart Monday afternoon. He passed Larry Centers to become the franchise's all-time leading pass receiver Sunday before leaving with an ankle sprain.

"Somebody came and told me last week I needed two catches to do it, but I'm not big into that stuff," said Boldin, who hopes to play Sunday when the Cardinals face the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. He also said the Cardinals must improve after Sunday's defeat.

"That was a game we were supposed to win and there's no excuse for it," Boldin said. "Good teams win games they're supposed to win. We let one go (Sunday). There's nothing we can do about it now but move on and get the next one."

THE QUIET MAN

Safety Adrian Wilson didn't talk to reporters after Sunday's loss and he wasn't in the mood to talk Monday when reporters approached him near his locker.

"I ain't got noting polite to say," he said, "so I'd rather not say anything at all."

Republic staffer Kent Somers contributed to this report.

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