Arizona at Dallas
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 8:19 am
First of all, the hits keep coming on defense...
Triggering instant memories of the mysterious Thomas Jones injury in 2002, more than a few eyebrows were raised in the Valley last week when it was learned backup DE Calvin Pace would likely miss the remainder of the season after falling through a window in his Atlanta apartment and severely cutting his right arm during the team’s bye weekend. It turns out team insiders’ suspicions that hanky-panky might have been involved in Pace’s injury were well-founded, when an Atlanta police incident report obtained by the East Valley/Scottsdale Tribune disclosed that the former first-round draft pick was “playing around wrestling” with a childhood friend at the time of the incident. With Pace joining starting NT Russell Davis and reserve DT Kenny King on the injured list, the Cardinals have already lost three of their top six D-linemen this season. As was the case with Jones, who told the Cardinals he broke his hand the Saturday night before a game while reaching for a phone at his home, Pace was placed on the non-football injury/reserve list, which gives the team the option of withholding the balance of his salary. If past form holds true, Pace could be off the payroll the rest of the season — with a very unsure future in Arizona.
http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NF ... efault.htm
Meanwhile in Dallas...
Though OLT Flozell Adams was labeled an underachiever last season, he had been playing a pretty solid left tackle (three penalties, two sacks allowed) through the first six games before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament against the Giants and had started 107 straight games before missing last week. Now the mercurial Torrin Tucker — a washout at right tackle last season who was beaten out in camp by sixth-rounder Rob Petitti — has taken over for Adams. But one has to wonder how effective Tucker and the rest of the offense will be considering that Petitti has been just so-so and usually has blocking help in the form of a tight end. Does that mean Dallas will use more max-protection schemes? It could, and don’t be surprised if that eliminates some of the team’s effectiveness on third downs — they were ranked second in the NFL in that category entering Week Seven, converting an amazing 46.6 percent.
http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NF ... efault.htm
I'm thinking the edge on the line should go to the Cards, they have depth on their D-line and it's their (banged up) defense that's been keeping them in games, whereas Dallas seems to be scrapping the bottom of the barrel here.
Take the Cards and the points.
Triggering instant memories of the mysterious Thomas Jones injury in 2002, more than a few eyebrows were raised in the Valley last week when it was learned backup DE Calvin Pace would likely miss the remainder of the season after falling through a window in his Atlanta apartment and severely cutting his right arm during the team’s bye weekend. It turns out team insiders’ suspicions that hanky-panky might have been involved in Pace’s injury were well-founded, when an Atlanta police incident report obtained by the East Valley/Scottsdale Tribune disclosed that the former first-round draft pick was “playing around wrestling” with a childhood friend at the time of the incident. With Pace joining starting NT Russell Davis and reserve DT Kenny King on the injured list, the Cardinals have already lost three of their top six D-linemen this season. As was the case with Jones, who told the Cardinals he broke his hand the Saturday night before a game while reaching for a phone at his home, Pace was placed on the non-football injury/reserve list, which gives the team the option of withholding the balance of his salary. If past form holds true, Pace could be off the payroll the rest of the season — with a very unsure future in Arizona.
http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NF ... efault.htm
Meanwhile in Dallas...
Though OLT Flozell Adams was labeled an underachiever last season, he had been playing a pretty solid left tackle (three penalties, two sacks allowed) through the first six games before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament against the Giants and had started 107 straight games before missing last week. Now the mercurial Torrin Tucker — a washout at right tackle last season who was beaten out in camp by sixth-rounder Rob Petitti — has taken over for Adams. But one has to wonder how effective Tucker and the rest of the offense will be considering that Petitti has been just so-so and usually has blocking help in the form of a tight end. Does that mean Dallas will use more max-protection schemes? It could, and don’t be surprised if that eliminates some of the team’s effectiveness on third downs — they were ranked second in the NFL in that category entering Week Seven, converting an amazing 46.6 percent.
http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NF ... efault.htm
I'm thinking the edge on the line should go to the Cards, they have depth on their D-line and it's their (banged up) defense that's been keeping them in games, whereas Dallas seems to be scrapping the bottom of the barrel here.
Take the Cards and the points.