Cardinals - Saints Notes: First Half

> Your Fox heads today include sideline yammerer Tony Siragusa, who last said something of interest... well, never. But on the plus side, probably the last time this season we hear them. Yay, end of season!

> Just like last week in New England, the road team takes it to the house on the first play from scrimmage, a run from RB Tim Hightower where the defense completely whiffed. And just that quickly, some of the home field advantage goes away...

> The Saints answer with a ball control passing game, then move the sticks again with defensive offsides and RB Reggie Bush showing rare power. The Cards went for protection rather than pressure, which seems kind of insane against QB Drew Brees, leading to a big play to WR Marques Colston, then another good looking run by Bush. TE Jeremy Shockey gets in the mix to set up first and goal, then use RB Pierre Thomas to move it to the 1. Short yardage specialist RB Lynell Hamilton converts the touchdown, and with less than six minutes left in the first quarter, we're already at 14 points and a tie score. Six more touchdowns to the over!

> Disaster for the Cards, as QB Kurt Warner hits reserve WR Jeremy Urban in stride for a big gain, but he's stripped by CB Randall Gay, and the fumble is recovered by ever-present S Darren Sharper. Three flags are offset at the end of the play, but no yards happen or players get ejected, which is one of those things that just bug me about football, really.

> Disorder on the Saints side to start the drive costs them a timeout, and on some level, with these offenses, I wonder if the five yards for a delay wouldn't be the better thing to give up there. Brees continues the live surgery, ending in a touchdown pass to Shockey, and right now, I'm not convinced the Cardinals' defense could stop a determined kitten. Shockey limps off as the PAT is made, Fox fellates him for being Tough when he's really just injury-prone, and we're on pace to see 24 touchdowns today. Saints 14, Cardinals 7.

> A very shaky handoff with Beanie Well leads to a fumble recovery by Warner on first, and the Saints bring good pressure on second, leading to an incomplete. Arizona calls time before third, potentially due to crowd noise -- it certainly sounds loud on the telecast -- Warner from the gun settles for a checkdown to fourth WR Early Doucet, who is stopped before the sticks. Punter Ben Graham, who must be well rested, nails a good and deep punt to the sideline for all net, which means the Saints will have to go further to score. What an inconvenience!

> Fox tells us that 8 out of the last 11 drives against the Cardinals have resulted in a touchdown; Ye Gads. WR Devery Henderson shakes off an all contact, no wrap effort by yet another hyphenated Cards defender, and right now, the Saints aren't even being stressed with third downs, and CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who strikes me as an odd choice for the Pro Bowl, is helped off. The next play sees Bush, looking like a man playing against the JV team, takes it for seven points, and I'm not liking my Cardinals pick to cover the spread. Right now, I'm not sure I've ever seen a worse defense at the professional level. Saints 21, Cardinals 7.

> Warner from the gun on first is sacked on what looks like a coverage sack, and this game is starting to look Avalanchish. Wells for no gain with a declined holding penalty, and it's 3rd and 18 with blood in the water. Warner has to take an outlet toss to Hightower, who is stopped five yards short of the sticks, and Red coach Ken Whisenhunt doesn't adapt to the fact that he doesn't have a defense, and punts.

> Brees actually throws an incomplete, and the quarter ends with a screen that should be stopped for a loss, and goes for yards anyway; such is the way of the Red defense right now. The quarter ends before the longish third down, and there's actually a defensive stop as WR Lance Moore can't make a play on very good coverage. The punt is monstrous long, but doesn't check up, and it's Red ball at their own 20.

> Minor draw, then a perfect throw to #2 WR Steve Breaston, who is in no way open, but that's a big first down anyway. Minor draw, then Warner throws early from pressure, leading to an unreal tipped ball drill pick by Sharper; the turnover is negated on a roughing the passer call as Packer Fan throws up. Just a terrible call, which Siragusa defends for some reason. The Saints are getting real pressure on many downs, but in today's NFL, that's probably a bad thing, since it leads to flags. Seriously, at this point, just rush no one, since hitting the QB is so verboten...

> Warner to Hightower for another first on a good play call against pressure, and Breaston makes a great catch on a rollout to set up a short second down. #1 WR Larry Fitzgerald can't come down in traffic in the end zone, and on third, Warner has too much time to find Doucet on a cross to set up first and goal. RB Beanie Wells has an easy touchdown run, and the crowd quiets again. Saints 21, Cardinals 14, and we are three touchdowns from the over. Easy money!

> Why does every KR throw the ball to the ground in anger when tackled? Is it required and drilled into the players? Brees misses reserve WR Robert Mecham on a bomb, and the man was wide open. On third and five from the gun, Bush takes a shotgun draw for the yardage, then Brees finds Colston for thirty six yards down the middle, and if I were Brees, I'd be going after Colston more often. Of course, there is also throwing the ball to Henderson, who collects a 45-yard flea flicker in the end zone for our sixth touchdown in 22 minutes. Yeesh. Saints 28, Cards 14, and if you had the over, you are sweating now. Assuming, of course, that the over was just for the first half.

> The Fox heads drool at What A Wonderful Game This Is; one wonders, really, why they didn't bid on Arena Ball more. The only place where defense is being played? Kickoff returns. Kind of. From their own 28 after an offsides, it's a straight run by Hightower for three. and then Warner is improbably picked by DT Will Smith, then destroyed as he tries to make the tackle. Warner looks concussed or paralyzed as we go to commerce, and it's really not overstating things to say that the game just ended, and his career. Other than that, not a big play, really.

> After the commerce, Warner looks better, and Fox treats us to a shot of his suddenly cougarish wife looking concerned. The Saints convert a third down on a great catch by Bush, then run it to get closer, aided by a late hit on Shockey as Siragusa scolds Red. I'm not seeing it, since there's always a reason to hit Shockey late, since it involves hitting Shockey. Warner goes off to the locker room, probably for a scan; it also means that any more Red possessions this half will involve Trustafarian Matt Leinart. Two flags on the offense (offsides, then holding) make the first and goal long and take a Mike Bell touchdown off the board, and that's the two minute warning.

> Colston wins the one on one matchup on consecutive plays, and that's one more ridiculously easy Saints touchdown. Saints 35, Cardinals 14, and considering that the Saints get the second half kickoff and will be without Warner for the last 70 seconds of this half, I think we can call this one Over. That's touchdowns on five of six possessions, the most Saints points ever in a playoff game, the most points ever in the first half of a playoff game, and the most points ever allowed in back to back games in playoff history. Really not liking that Cardinals to cover pick right now.

> Leinart, probably the biggest underachiever in the league right now, from the gun. He finds Doucet, who loses his helmet as the clock runs; he does it again as the Saints defense gladly gives up short yards for time off the clock. Leinart finds Fitz for 16 yards, but the ball is too high to catch in stride, and he can't get out of bounds. Leinart clocks it with 14 seconds and one time out, and Fitz takes an inside route to get to the sidelines with eight seconds left and the ball on the Saints 39. Leinart to Urban gets it close enough for PK Neil Rackers to try a 51-yard field goal, and the Saints call time just before a Rackers miss to the right. Can we please lose the Kicker Freeze timeout? The re-kick looks tentative and falls a few yards short, and he really doesn't look right. The half ends with the Saints up 35 to 14, and if you are a Red fan, you have to think about an onside kick to start the second. More later.