Celizic: Cards prove they're not ready for showtime

[jackacid]

If the Cardinals want us to believe that they’re finally a team to be taken seriously, they’re going to have to do better than they did Monday night against San Francisco. They had the attention of NFL Nation all to themselves, and all they proved is that come the playoffs, nobody’s going to be shaking in their cleats at the prospect of facing them.

Let’s start with the positives: Arizona won the game. That’s pretty much it.

You can make excuses for them. The 49ers played with passion if not total precision under new coach Mike Singletary. But San Francisco’s determination didn’t make the Cards commit a host of really dumb penalties down the stretch. And there’s no explanation for what looked like a panicked defense that couldn’t stop the Niners on what should have been the winning drive.

The Cardinals never did stop San Francisco. The 49ers stopped themselves.
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/27654962/

[beasley for pres]

Card proved that they're still a bad team... the just suck less than the other sucky teams(including us) in the suckiest division that has ever sucked.

[White2098]

"The Cardinals never did stop San Francisco. The 49ers stopped themselves. "

That guys about 10 weeks late on that line.

[Gof the Gij]

"The Cardinals never did stop San Francisco. The 49ers stopped themselves. "

That guys about 10 weeks late on that line.

About 5 years too late rather.

[glassrose106]

They will make the playoffs but will lose their first game.

[offtackle24]

the funny thing is that if the refs dont bail out the 49ers on some key turnover the Tards win by 3 scores and all the headlines are completely all over their nuts.

what calls weren't fair?

[AzWins23]

Card proved that they're still a bad team... the just suck less than the other sucky teams(including us) in the suckiest division that has ever sucked.


SCOREBOARD!

[offtackle24]

this game was full of controversial calls. a couple of which saved the 49ers from key turnovers and a blowout loss.

i was just pointing out how funny these headlines are. had even 2 of those calls went another way then the Cards roll us easily.

which offside call was wrong?

[650Niners]

SCOREBOARD!
Playoff wins this decade!

[SBbound49ers]

the funny thing is that if the refs dont bail out the 49ers on some key turnover the Tards win by 3 scores and all the headlines are completely all over their nuts.

The Rolle INT was a bad, bad throw and we got luck on that one. The Wilson INT return looked like Hill threw it to VD knowing Dockett was offsides.

[650Niners]

I'm pretty sure we win that too...

[beasley for pres]

SCOREBOARD!

Yeah, I said the niners suck, but you can't honestly tell me the Cardinals are truly a good team this year.

[Venom]

I've never bought into the "the opposition beat themselves" rhetoric. Every game has mistakes and the winner makes less of them. The Cards are doing two things this year that they haven't done in the past: a)win consistently and
b) win when they aren't playing their best. Only a complete self-destruction is going to stop them from winning the West and how many NFC teams are clearly better than Arizona? The Giants are the only team that comes to mind. I think the Cards will have a chance against any other opponents.

[krowleey]

washington, philly, tampa, and possibly greenbay, chicago and dallas could easily be better than arizona this season.

[Rockyn]

Wins this decade.

From 1998-2007, 68 > 58...including this season, 70 > 64.

Apparently that first taste of football relevance has gone to your brain.

[Venom]

washington, philly, tampa, and possibly greenbay, chicago and dallas could easily be better than arizona this season.

Washington is the best on that list. I give them the edge on 'Zona. I don't see any reason why a Cards victory over the others on this list would surprise anyone.

[Zhero06]

this game was full of controversial calls. a couple of which saved the 49ers from key turnovers and a blowout loss.

i was just pointing out how funny these headlines are. had even 2 of those calls went another way then the Cards roll us easily.

The off-sides called against the Cards was definitely all an attempt by the refs to bail out the 49ers. Get real kid. The hard count got them off sides, fair and square, heck, the Cards were off-sides far more than the amount that they were called for. If anything, the refs blew the game for us, they didn't help us. Even with the three turn overs, our defense did an amazing job keeping the Cards under 30 points, the NFL's top scoring offense.

[RedskinsFan86]

washington, philly, tampa, and possibly greenbay, chicago and dallas could easily be better than arizona this season. the Cardinals this season are better than Tampa, Green Bay, Chicago, and Dallas. for sure. i'd say they're probably a better team than the eagles as well.

they're just dangerous. their defense is very physical and can stop the run, they have a solid pass rush, and their offense speaks for itself. they can wear you down on the ground, hightower can break one if given the opportunity, and their passing game is just waiting to explode in a big play every game.

anyone trying to act like Arizona is some kind of phony team at this point is just living in denial. they've got a good, younger head coach in Whisenhunt, a great o-line coach in Russ Grimm (like Pittsburgh doesn't miss him now), both of whom are starting to pay off with their shared coaching mentality...all they really need to do is to work on their secondary, but they're definitely a legit team.