There is something eerily similar about the 2007 Arizona Cardinals; something we've all seen before. Unfortunately, it's not difficult to put a finger on -- it's something that stands out like a sore thumb. They're not particularly good on defense and they can't run the ball to save a life.
I can hear Dennis Green now: "I told you we had to pass it 90% of the time!"
Sure, the second and thirds teams came in and did a good job, but the starting offense failed to provide a significant rushing threat. When Edgerrin James got to the line, he seemed indecisive, didn't follow lead blockers and danced around entirely too much. By comparison, Marcel Shipp hit the line hard and fast. He knew where he was going and exploded -- J.J. Arrington had a similar approach.
But as bad as the rushing game looked, the passing game made up for it. As I expected, Matt Leinart began the day with a few short passes before finally opening it up a little bit. He ended the day seven of seven for 70 yards and a touchdown. One of those seven passes was a deep ball over the middle to Larry Fitzgerald for 41 yards.
