StcChief
10-06-2006, 08:52 AM
Leinart era begins in Arizona
By Scouts, Inc.
Why To Watch
After obtaining NFC Player of the Week honors in Week 1 when he threw for 301 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, Kurt Warner's poor performances over the last two weeks has cost him his starting job. After their loss on the road against the Atlanta Falcons, there was an official announcement by head coach Dennis Green and his anointment of Matt Leinart as the new starter for the Cardinals. Leinart was outstanding in his preseason debut and will need to regain his preseason poise to keep the Cardinals close against a Chiefs defense that was stingy last week against the 49ers, holding them to 165 total yards. Running back Larry Johnson is averaging just over 24 carries and 98 yards per game and is on pace for over 1,500 rushing yards in 2006.
When the Chiefs have the ball
Rushing: RB Larry Johnson has proven his worth again this season as the workhorse the Chiefs need him to be. The Chiefs will expect for Johnson to continue his rushing dominance by getting the ball in his hands allowing KC to control the clock and the pace of the game. However, Johnson does not run well when lateral to the line of scrimmage. He's a downhill runner who is at his best when he has his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage. Keeping Johnson from getting square to the line of scrimmage will be key to the Cardinals run defense to stopping him from picking up big gains. The Cardinals run defense has not been good this year, giving up an average of 144 yards per game.
Passing: Damon Huard has filled in nicely for the injured Trent Green, but the Chiefs have used him an limited role. He's not expected to win many games with his arm, but rather sustain play by utilizing a strong run game. The Cardinals are solid at the left cornerback position with man Antral Roller , who has very good speed, quickness, and athletic ability to catchup against most wide receivers in the NFL. But the right cornerback position has been a weakness for the Cardinals this year, going with three different players at that position. David began the year as the starter and was replaced in Week 2 by Eric Green , who was subsequently replaced by newcomer Matt Ware after Green suffered a groin injury. Ware did not fare much better than or Green and has now been relegated back to third on the depth chart. Green remains the current starter, but he does not have the athletic ability of a true cover corner and needs a lot of help as the Cardinals play more Cover 2 defense.
When the Cardinals have the ball
Rushing: The Cardinals run offense has been abysmal this year and almost nonexistent even with the addition of RB Edgerrin James . James has yet to rush for more than 94 yards in a game and had a season-low 41 yards on 20 carries last week against the Falcons. He will continue to struggle against a Chiefs defense that was stingy last week against the 49ers, giving up 93 rushing yards. Defensive end Tamba Hali has brought excitement and been a positive addition for the Chiefs defense. Look for him to continue to shine against an Arizona offensive line that lacks depth and continuity as a unit.
Passing: The passing game is the strength of the Cardinals offense in 2006, but they are still inconsistent. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has uncanny ability in using his height and size advantage to get the ball over smaller defensive backs. Wide receiver Anquan Boldin has playmaking ability that is unmatched by most people in the NFL. With his size, speed and quickness, he is able to create separation in tight areas with his quick burst to get open, has amazingly strong hands and make plays despite his lack of true deep speed. With veteran cornerback Ty Law in the lineup, the Chiefs will need to step up and play a lot of press and man coverage against the bigger more physical receivers of the Arizona Cardinals. Matt Leinart will need to rely on his playmakers to make plays for him as the defense of the Chiefs will show him coverage that looks to be true on one side of the field but at the snap the Chiefs will roll their coverage and look to bait Leinart.
Take 2: Chiefs vs. Cardinals
By Scouts, Inc.
Kansas City at Arizona
Earlier this week, our scouts filed their advance scouting report on this week's matchup between the Chiefs and Cardinals. Now they're back with a second look.
After getting off to a strong start in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers, quarterback Kurt Warner has been benched in favor of rookie QB Matt Leinart. Warner struggled the last two weeks, being sacked numerous times and causing unnecessary turnovers at crucial times in the game while playing behind an underachieving offensive line. Now that Leinart is the starter, the Cardinals will definitely need to protect him in order to have at least moderate success for the rest of the season.
Leinart is a smart quarterback who compiled a 37-2 record as the starter for the USC Trojans. The ball will have a different rotation on it as Leinart is a left-handed quarterback. This should not have much effect on the receivers.
* Head coach Dennis Green publicly berated his offensive linemen earlier this week and challenged them to step up. With left tackle Leonard Davis struggling, along with left guard Reggie Wells, the left side of the offensive line for the Cardinals has been a major disappointment this year. Center Alex Stepanovich is not holding his own and will be challenged this week with a fast, blitzing attack by the Chiefs.
* The Kansas City Chiefs will again be without starting QB Trent Green, who has been sidelined since he sustained a concussion in Week 1 that knocked him out of the game. Quarterback Damon Huard has been able to manage the game, although the offense is definitely still being led by running back Larry Johnson. Johnson will continue to lead the offense by rushing the ball and controlling the clock.
Last week, the Chiefs' offense was able to put on a spectacular show against the 49ers. The Kansas City Chiefs will look to control the ball and the clock against a depleted defensive front of the Arizona Cardinals.
* The Chiefs' defense is allowing only 239 yards per game, third best in the NFL. Linebacker Derrick Johnson has been impressive in his second year and leads the Chiefs' defense with 20 tackles. Johnson is a very speedy and athletic linebacker outside, but he will have his hands full with Cardinals' rookie tight in Leonard Pope, who is seeing increased action each week.
* The Cardinals' defense finished last year ranked 10th in the NFL in total defense, but they are giving up 375 yards per game this year and rank second to last in the NFC. Chiefs' RB Larry Johnson is averaging 98 yards per game, and four yards per carry. The Cardinals are giving up 144 yards rushing per game and were greatly exposed last week against the Atlanta Falcons, who boast the best rushing offense in the NFL.
* The Cardinals will have to step up their secondary coverage in this game. The Cardinals have rotated all three right cornerbacks -- David Macklin, Matt Ware, and Eric Green) -- as starters, and will start Green, who was out last week against the Falcons, against the St. Louis Rams.
The Chiefs will look to get the better matchup by aligning wide receiver Eddie Kennison against Green. Green does not have the pure cover skills needed to play man-to-man against the speedy Kennison.
Special Teams
Punt and kickoff returner Dante Hall always brings excitement to the game with his ability to break the long run at any given moment. Hall hits the seams quickly in his returns, getting upfield with quickness and using his smaller size to slip past the first wave of tacklers. The Cardinals must use directional punting to keep the ball out of the hands of Hall, who returned a punt for a touchdown last week against the 49ers.
The Cardinals have a strong-legged kicker in Neil Rackers, who must look to get the ball out into the end zone to keep it out out of Hall's hands. Rackers, who set an NFL record last year with 40 consecutive field goals, has not been as consistent this year, missing field goals in uncharacteristic form.
The Cardinals have not shown much in the return game with backup running back J.J. Arrington handling kickoffs. He has been marginally productive thus far and the Cardinals will need a spark from the special teams to create some energy and momentum for the team. The Cardinals also have a small punt returner in WR Troy Walters, but he does not have the speed and vision of Hall in his return ability.
Matchups
* Kansas City DE Tamba Hali vs. Arizona OT Oliver Ross
* Kansas City RB Larry Johnson vs. Arizona LB Gerald Hayes
* Kansas City CB Ty Law vs. Arizona WR Larry Fitzgerald
* Kansas City LB Derrick Brooks vs. Arizona RB Edgerrin James
* Kansas City OT Kyle Turley vs. Arizona DE Bertrand Berry
Scouts' Edge
The Arizona Cardinals desperately need a win at home to salvage a horrible beginning to such a promising year, and help build some sort of positive morale.
After so much offseason anticipation with the addition of running back Edgerrin James, the Cardinals are still looking for their offensive line to come together and create run lanes for James. With Leinart starting his first game in the NFL, he must have confidence his offensive line will protect him in the pocket and the Cardinals will need to rely on their running game to take some of the pressure off Leinart.
The Cardinals will play better this week and the Chiefs will be prepared for the focus of the Cardinals. On the other side of the ball, Chiefs QB Damon Huard must continue to execute the game plan that has been implemented on offense and not try to go out and win the game on his own. The Chiefs will continue to rely on RB Larry Johnson to shoulder the load in the absence of Trent Green.
Prediction: Chiefs 24, Cardinals 16
[my edit] Chiefs 31 Cardinals 16 (D pick 6)
Thanks for reformat Firemeboy....
By Scouts, Inc.
Why To Watch
After obtaining NFC Player of the Week honors in Week 1 when he threw for 301 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, Kurt Warner's poor performances over the last two weeks has cost him his starting job. After their loss on the road against the Atlanta Falcons, there was an official announcement by head coach Dennis Green and his anointment of Matt Leinart as the new starter for the Cardinals. Leinart was outstanding in his preseason debut and will need to regain his preseason poise to keep the Cardinals close against a Chiefs defense that was stingy last week against the 49ers, holding them to 165 total yards. Running back Larry Johnson is averaging just over 24 carries and 98 yards per game and is on pace for over 1,500 rushing yards in 2006.
When the Chiefs have the ball
Rushing: RB Larry Johnson has proven his worth again this season as the workhorse the Chiefs need him to be. The Chiefs will expect for Johnson to continue his rushing dominance by getting the ball in his hands allowing KC to control the clock and the pace of the game. However, Johnson does not run well when lateral to the line of scrimmage. He's a downhill runner who is at his best when he has his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage. Keeping Johnson from getting square to the line of scrimmage will be key to the Cardinals run defense to stopping him from picking up big gains. The Cardinals run defense has not been good this year, giving up an average of 144 yards per game.
Passing: Damon Huard has filled in nicely for the injured Trent Green, but the Chiefs have used him an limited role. He's not expected to win many games with his arm, but rather sustain play by utilizing a strong run game. The Cardinals are solid at the left cornerback position with man Antral Roller , who has very good speed, quickness, and athletic ability to catchup against most wide receivers in the NFL. But the right cornerback position has been a weakness for the Cardinals this year, going with three different players at that position. David began the year as the starter and was replaced in Week 2 by Eric Green , who was subsequently replaced by newcomer Matt Ware after Green suffered a groin injury. Ware did not fare much better than or Green and has now been relegated back to third on the depth chart. Green remains the current starter, but he does not have the athletic ability of a true cover corner and needs a lot of help as the Cardinals play more Cover 2 defense.
When the Cardinals have the ball
Rushing: The Cardinals run offense has been abysmal this year and almost nonexistent even with the addition of RB Edgerrin James . James has yet to rush for more than 94 yards in a game and had a season-low 41 yards on 20 carries last week against the Falcons. He will continue to struggle against a Chiefs defense that was stingy last week against the 49ers, giving up 93 rushing yards. Defensive end Tamba Hali has brought excitement and been a positive addition for the Chiefs defense. Look for him to continue to shine against an Arizona offensive line that lacks depth and continuity as a unit.
Passing: The passing game is the strength of the Cardinals offense in 2006, but they are still inconsistent. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has uncanny ability in using his height and size advantage to get the ball over smaller defensive backs. Wide receiver Anquan Boldin has playmaking ability that is unmatched by most people in the NFL. With his size, speed and quickness, he is able to create separation in tight areas with his quick burst to get open, has amazingly strong hands and make plays despite his lack of true deep speed. With veteran cornerback Ty Law in the lineup, the Chiefs will need to step up and play a lot of press and man coverage against the bigger more physical receivers of the Arizona Cardinals. Matt Leinart will need to rely on his playmakers to make plays for him as the defense of the Chiefs will show him coverage that looks to be true on one side of the field but at the snap the Chiefs will roll their coverage and look to bait Leinart.
Take 2: Chiefs vs. Cardinals
By Scouts, Inc.
Kansas City at Arizona
Earlier this week, our scouts filed their advance scouting report on this week's matchup between the Chiefs and Cardinals. Now they're back with a second look.
After getting off to a strong start in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers, quarterback Kurt Warner has been benched in favor of rookie QB Matt Leinart. Warner struggled the last two weeks, being sacked numerous times and causing unnecessary turnovers at crucial times in the game while playing behind an underachieving offensive line. Now that Leinart is the starter, the Cardinals will definitely need to protect him in order to have at least moderate success for the rest of the season.
Leinart is a smart quarterback who compiled a 37-2 record as the starter for the USC Trojans. The ball will have a different rotation on it as Leinart is a left-handed quarterback. This should not have much effect on the receivers.
* Head coach Dennis Green publicly berated his offensive linemen earlier this week and challenged them to step up. With left tackle Leonard Davis struggling, along with left guard Reggie Wells, the left side of the offensive line for the Cardinals has been a major disappointment this year. Center Alex Stepanovich is not holding his own and will be challenged this week with a fast, blitzing attack by the Chiefs.
* The Kansas City Chiefs will again be without starting QB Trent Green, who has been sidelined since he sustained a concussion in Week 1 that knocked him out of the game. Quarterback Damon Huard has been able to manage the game, although the offense is definitely still being led by running back Larry Johnson. Johnson will continue to lead the offense by rushing the ball and controlling the clock.
Last week, the Chiefs' offense was able to put on a spectacular show against the 49ers. The Kansas City Chiefs will look to control the ball and the clock against a depleted defensive front of the Arizona Cardinals.
* The Chiefs' defense is allowing only 239 yards per game, third best in the NFL. Linebacker Derrick Johnson has been impressive in his second year and leads the Chiefs' defense with 20 tackles. Johnson is a very speedy and athletic linebacker outside, but he will have his hands full with Cardinals' rookie tight in Leonard Pope, who is seeing increased action each week.
* The Cardinals' defense finished last year ranked 10th in the NFL in total defense, but they are giving up 375 yards per game this year and rank second to last in the NFC. Chiefs' RB Larry Johnson is averaging 98 yards per game, and four yards per carry. The Cardinals are giving up 144 yards rushing per game and were greatly exposed last week against the Atlanta Falcons, who boast the best rushing offense in the NFL.
* The Cardinals will have to step up their secondary coverage in this game. The Cardinals have rotated all three right cornerbacks -- David Macklin, Matt Ware, and Eric Green) -- as starters, and will start Green, who was out last week against the Falcons, against the St. Louis Rams.
The Chiefs will look to get the better matchup by aligning wide receiver Eddie Kennison against Green. Green does not have the pure cover skills needed to play man-to-man against the speedy Kennison.
Special Teams
Punt and kickoff returner Dante Hall always brings excitement to the game with his ability to break the long run at any given moment. Hall hits the seams quickly in his returns, getting upfield with quickness and using his smaller size to slip past the first wave of tacklers. The Cardinals must use directional punting to keep the ball out of the hands of Hall, who returned a punt for a touchdown last week against the 49ers.
The Cardinals have a strong-legged kicker in Neil Rackers, who must look to get the ball out into the end zone to keep it out out of Hall's hands. Rackers, who set an NFL record last year with 40 consecutive field goals, has not been as consistent this year, missing field goals in uncharacteristic form.
The Cardinals have not shown much in the return game with backup running back J.J. Arrington handling kickoffs. He has been marginally productive thus far and the Cardinals will need a spark from the special teams to create some energy and momentum for the team. The Cardinals also have a small punt returner in WR Troy Walters, but he does not have the speed and vision of Hall in his return ability.
Matchups
* Kansas City DE Tamba Hali vs. Arizona OT Oliver Ross
* Kansas City RB Larry Johnson vs. Arizona LB Gerald Hayes
* Kansas City CB Ty Law vs. Arizona WR Larry Fitzgerald
* Kansas City LB Derrick Brooks vs. Arizona RB Edgerrin James
* Kansas City OT Kyle Turley vs. Arizona DE Bertrand Berry
Scouts' Edge
The Arizona Cardinals desperately need a win at home to salvage a horrible beginning to such a promising year, and help build some sort of positive morale.
After so much offseason anticipation with the addition of running back Edgerrin James, the Cardinals are still looking for their offensive line to come together and create run lanes for James. With Leinart starting his first game in the NFL, he must have confidence his offensive line will protect him in the pocket and the Cardinals will need to rely on their running game to take some of the pressure off Leinart.
The Cardinals will play better this week and the Chiefs will be prepared for the focus of the Cardinals. On the other side of the ball, Chiefs QB Damon Huard must continue to execute the game plan that has been implemented on offense and not try to go out and win the game on his own. The Chiefs will continue to rely on RB Larry Johnson to shoulder the load in the absence of Trent Green.
Prediction: Chiefs 24, Cardinals 16
[my edit] Chiefs 31 Cardinals 16 (D pick 6)
Thanks for reformat Firemeboy....