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Commentary: Cardinals offense presents sleepless nights

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by Jim Henderson / WWL-TV Sports Director

Posted on January 11, 2010 at 8:16 PM

Updated Wednesday, Jan 13 at 4:30 PM

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This just in to the newsroom:  The Cardinals have just scored again.  And the Packers have just scored again.

And Gregg Williams has just put another video tape in the machine and another pot of coffee on the stove.

It's going to be a long night.

For the Cardinals it's going to be a short week.  But right now they could probably fly to New Orleans without a plane.

Can the Saints bring them back down to earth next Saturday?

In the course of that classic game yesterday - as a Saints fan - your emotions probably changed as rapidly as the scoreboard.  In the end you probably wanted to play either the Cardinals' or the Packers' defense, neither of the offenses, and neither of the teams.

Somehow the Saints have to find a way to pressure Kurt Warner.  The Packers seldom did, sacking him just once in 33 attempts, and that off a botched flea flicker.  And even when he was being hit, his sensational corps of receivers, playing without 1,000 yard target Anquan Boldin, was making spectacular catches for him downfield.

When a game goes to overtime and each team punts just one time in the course of it, the defenses were little more than speed bumps.

What will they be on Saturday?  How much did that victory take out of the Cardinals?  How much were they invigorated by it?  How much will the Saints benefit from a week's rest?  How much will the Cardinals benefit from the momentum of a thrilling victory?
 
A week's worth of questions will be resolved in an afternoon of answers.  Who'll have the right ones in what will be the "entrance exam" for the NFC championship?
 

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thedoll59 said on January 11, 2010 at 10:07 PM

Maybe Payton shouldn't have let them have a week off. He rewarded them for losing 3 in a row. Hopefully he will have a lot more sleepness nights. Who rewards people for poor playing. Cardinals are hungry and want to win. Saints gave up after the reached their goal of 13 wins. Read to many press releases as they have done every single year. Entrance Exam, the saints failed that after 13 wins.

reaganadams said on January 12, 2010 at 2:14 AM

Jim, Good questions all ... anybody got answers??? All I can say is this: If the Saints are one and done ... I am going to shave my head and join the Hari Krisnas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SAVE ME SAINTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!