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Green Bay - Indications are that Sun Devil Stadium, site of the game Sunday between Green Bay and Arizona, will welcome about 55,000 fans, more than half of whom figure to be backing the Packers.
Welcome? When you're as hard-up as the Cardinals, you sell the ticket quickly to any customer before he changes his mind.
That's the way it is in Phoenix, where after two games the home team has looked more than capable of being the worst team in the National Football League this season. Fresh from a 38-0 home shellacking Sunday at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks in a stadium one-third filled to capacity, the Cardinals are a 71/2-point underdog against the Packers.
"Unless Dave can regroup them I don't think it will be a match," an assistant coach for a recent Cardinals opponent said, referring to coach Dave McGinnis.
"I think they'll play better because they got embarrassed last week. All pros play better the week after they're embarrassed. Usually. But I don't know if they have enough."
The long-range weather forecast Sunday for the 1:05 p.m. (local time) kickoff is for a high of 101 degrees. The Packers will have to wear green jerseys and occupy the east bench area, which doesn't become shaded by halftime as the opposite bench does.
"It was 110 when we finished," Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Lovat said. "We loaded them up with Gatorade and all that through the week and just hoped to hell that they didn't cramp up. We came out all right."
Two of the best players on the Cardinals' poor defense, defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch and cornerback Duane Starks, blew out knees last month and were lost for the season.
On offense, the Cardinals lost their three top wide receivers, including David Boston, and quarterback Jake Plummer in free agency. McGinnis signed old pro Emmitt Smith to run the ball and little Jeff Blake to throw it to a collection of nobodies.
Against Seattle, the game plan was to throw early, which turned into a six-turnover mistake. The Cardinals' best chance is to insert Smith behind some enormous blockers and then let Blake throw deep off play-action.
"Dave will have them ready," another Seahawks assistant said. "His defense will play hard. If they can get that run game going and the quarterback can move around, I think it will be a heck of a war."
Here is a look at the Cardinals based on interviews with coaches and scouts:
OFFENSE
Scheme: Earlier this year, Jerry Sullivan became the team's sixth coordinator since 1995. He's a career wide receivers coach who loves to throw the ball. He uses variations of the I-formation, a moving pocket for Blake and the shotgun on some third downs. They gained 439 yards (344 passing) in a 42-24 loss at Detroit.
Receivers: The starters probably will be rookie Anquan Boldin (6 feet 1 inch, 218 pounds) and Bryan Gilmore (6-0, 200) if Gilmore is back from a knee injury that kept him out of both games. Boldin is off to a tremendous start. He plays faster than he times (4.65 seconds for 40 yards), uses his big body well, goes anywhere for a ball and is excellent after the catch. Gilmore, a blazer who entered the NFL as a free agent in 2000, has one career reception. Rookie Bryant Johnson (6-21/2, 211), a surprise first-round pick, has dropped too many passes and shouldn't be playing as much as he has been. He isn't ready. Another vertical threat with inconsistencies is Jason McAddley (6-11/2, 200). Freddie Jones (6-41/2, 260) ranks among the top half of NFL tight ends. He can run, has good hands and is blocking more physically this year.
Offensive line: Left tackle L.J. Shelton (6-51/2, 335), center Pete Kendall (6-41/2, 279) and right guard Leonard Davis (6-6, 372) were first-round picks, right tackle Anthony Clement (6-71/2, 333) was a second-round pick and left guard Cameron Spikes (6-3, 325) was a fifth-round pick. Davis, the second selection in 2001, might be the best guard in the game. He's light on his feet, aggressive and loves to maul. The cast he wears to protect a broken right hand hasn't limited him. The athletic Shelton is coming off a good pass-blocking game and might be ready to fulfill his immense potential. Clement is a tough guy but doesn't move or adjust like Davis or Shelton. Kendall started at guard for Seattle from 1996-2000 and for Arizona the last two years before making a seamless shift this year to center. He's ultra-smart (41 on the Wonderlic intelligence test) and uses superior technique to overcome size limitations. Spikes has speed and athletic ability but isn't very strong.
Quarterbacks: Blake (5-111/2, 223) exited the Seattle game late in the first quarter with a bruised left heel but expects to play. The Cardinals bypassed Kordell Stewart in March to sign Blake for $7.5 million over three years ($1.5 million signing bonus). Blake is 36-53 as a starter for Cincinnati, New Orleans, Baltimore and the Cardinals. A streaky passer, his forte always has been the deep ball. He doesn't run around as fast as he once did but does throw the ball well on the move. Blake's confidence has never wavered; he still maintains he's a premier quarterback. Backup Josh McCown (6-31/2, 212), a third-round pick in '02, is a good scrambler and has a solid arm. He's just raw.
Running backs: Cast aside by Dallas, Smith (5-9, 221) accepted a $2.5 million signing bonus March 27 to keep playing. At 34, he isn't what he was. However, he still can locate a hole, follow a block and finish a run. The pursuit catches up easier than it did. Marcel Shipp (5-101/2, 230) is a rugged inside runner and good receiver but can't outrun anybody. James Hodgins (6-1, 274) is a fullback impersonating a guard. He's one of the top isolation blockers in the business but offers little as a receiver.
DEFENSE
Scheme: Larry Marmie coordinates this unit for McGinnis, a defensive specialist. They switched from a read-and-react to a penetrating style of play this year. The Cardinals stack their linebackers off the ball and play a four-across secondary in which one or both safeties have easy entry into run support. One of the reasons they've been dabbling with the 3-4 and some other exotic fronts is the desperate need to manufacture a pass rush.
Defensive line: Rookie right end Calvin Pace (6-4, 262), the 18th overall selection, isn't ready to handle double-teams but in this feeble group that's his cross to bear. Pace has long arms, uses his hands well and has good, not great speed off the edge. The other end, Fred Wakefield (6-7, 288), is an overachieving former free agent from Illinois. Based on his great effort, his superb instincts and also by default, he's probably the best of the bunch. Tackle Wendell Bryant (6-4, 303) has been slow to react and could give better effort. At this point, he's just a proverbial guy. Nose tackle Russell Davis (6-31/2, 314) is a good athlete for the position and anchors OK. Top backup Kenny King is out for at least a month after suffering a dislocated big toe Friday in a non-contact onside kick drill.
Linebackers: Ronald McKinnon (5-111/2, 245) has started in the middle since '97, Raynoch Thompson (6-21/2, 224) has started on the left side since '00 and Levar Fisher (6-1, 239) became the right-side starter this year after Rob Fredrickson wasn't re-signed. The best player is Thompson, who makes up for lack of size with ideal toughness, range and desire. Fisher, a second-round pick in '02, is just as fast as Thompson and looks to be an up-and-coming player. McKinnon, 30, never could run. He remains a big hitter and great competitor who too often gets engulfed inside.
Secondary: Starks was replaced at left cornerback in late August by Renaldo Hill (5-11, 194), a seventh-round pick in '01. Although smart and well-schooled, the long-striding Hill is highly vulnerable because he's a step slow and isn't strong enough. The other cornerback, David Barrett (5-10, 208), is built more like a running back. He's tough and will contest underneath routes, but downfield he is much less effective. The Cardinals replaced longtime starting free safety Kwamie Lassiter with the April 1 free-agent signing of Dexter Jackson (5-111/2, 205), most valuable player in the Super Bowl last year for Tampa Bay. Jackson's contract ($14 million, five years, $2.75 million) was panned by some because he isn't fast and has shown poor judgment in the past. Strong safety Adrian Wilson (6-21/2, 226), a third-round pick in '01, is quick to hammer the run but is making too many mental mistakes in coverage. Filling up the 4-2 and 4-1 defenses isn't easy because depth is lacking.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker Bill Gramatica is adequate on field goals but wildly inconsistent on kickoffs. Punter Scott Player, 33, tends to out-kick his coverage and is struggling getting hang time. Boldin, who also returns punts, breaks a lot of tackles but makes shaky decisions. Hank Kuhlmann's units ranked 29th overall last year, miss departed MarTay Jenkins on kickoff returns, lack speed and are making too many errors.
Welcome? When you're as hard-up as the Cardinals, you sell the ticket quickly to any customer before he changes his mind.
That's the way it is in Phoenix, where after two games the home team has looked more than capable of being the worst team in the National Football League this season. Fresh from a 38-0 home shellacking Sunday at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks in a stadium one-third filled to capacity, the Cardinals are a 71/2-point underdog against the Packers.
"Unless Dave can regroup them I don't think it will be a match," an assistant coach for a recent Cardinals opponent said, referring to coach Dave McGinnis.
"I think they'll play better because they got embarrassed last week. All pros play better the week after they're embarrassed. Usually. But I don't know if they have enough."
The long-range weather forecast Sunday for the 1:05 p.m. (local time) kickoff is for a high of 101 degrees. The Packers will have to wear green jerseys and occupy the east bench area, which doesn't become shaded by halftime as the opposite bench does.
"It was 110 when we finished," Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Lovat said. "We loaded them up with Gatorade and all that through the week and just hoped to hell that they didn't cramp up. We came out all right."
Two of the best players on the Cardinals' poor defense, defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch and cornerback Duane Starks, blew out knees last month and were lost for the season.
On offense, the Cardinals lost their three top wide receivers, including David Boston, and quarterback Jake Plummer in free agency. McGinnis signed old pro Emmitt Smith to run the ball and little Jeff Blake to throw it to a collection of nobodies.
Against Seattle, the game plan was to throw early, which turned into a six-turnover mistake. The Cardinals' best chance is to insert Smith behind some enormous blockers and then let Blake throw deep off play-action.
"Dave will have them ready," another Seahawks assistant said. "His defense will play hard. If they can get that run game going and the quarterback can move around, I think it will be a heck of a war."
Here is a look at the Cardinals based on interviews with coaches and scouts:
OFFENSE
Scheme: Earlier this year, Jerry Sullivan became the team's sixth coordinator since 1995. He's a career wide receivers coach who loves to throw the ball. He uses variations of the I-formation, a moving pocket for Blake and the shotgun on some third downs. They gained 439 yards (344 passing) in a 42-24 loss at Detroit.
Receivers: The starters probably will be rookie Anquan Boldin (6 feet 1 inch, 218 pounds) and Bryan Gilmore (6-0, 200) if Gilmore is back from a knee injury that kept him out of both games. Boldin is off to a tremendous start. He plays faster than he times (4.65 seconds for 40 yards), uses his big body well, goes anywhere for a ball and is excellent after the catch. Gilmore, a blazer who entered the NFL as a free agent in 2000, has one career reception. Rookie Bryant Johnson (6-21/2, 211), a surprise first-round pick, has dropped too many passes and shouldn't be playing as much as he has been. He isn't ready. Another vertical threat with inconsistencies is Jason McAddley (6-11/2, 200). Freddie Jones (6-41/2, 260) ranks among the top half of NFL tight ends. He can run, has good hands and is blocking more physically this year.
Offensive line: Left tackle L.J. Shelton (6-51/2, 335), center Pete Kendall (6-41/2, 279) and right guard Leonard Davis (6-6, 372) were first-round picks, right tackle Anthony Clement (6-71/2, 333) was a second-round pick and left guard Cameron Spikes (6-3, 325) was a fifth-round pick. Davis, the second selection in 2001, might be the best guard in the game. He's light on his feet, aggressive and loves to maul. The cast he wears to protect a broken right hand hasn't limited him. The athletic Shelton is coming off a good pass-blocking game and might be ready to fulfill his immense potential. Clement is a tough guy but doesn't move or adjust like Davis or Shelton. Kendall started at guard for Seattle from 1996-2000 and for Arizona the last two years before making a seamless shift this year to center. He's ultra-smart (41 on the Wonderlic intelligence test) and uses superior technique to overcome size limitations. Spikes has speed and athletic ability but isn't very strong.
Quarterbacks: Blake (5-111/2, 223) exited the Seattle game late in the first quarter with a bruised left heel but expects to play. The Cardinals bypassed Kordell Stewart in March to sign Blake for $7.5 million over three years ($1.5 million signing bonus). Blake is 36-53 as a starter for Cincinnati, New Orleans, Baltimore and the Cardinals. A streaky passer, his forte always has been the deep ball. He doesn't run around as fast as he once did but does throw the ball well on the move. Blake's confidence has never wavered; he still maintains he's a premier quarterback. Backup Josh McCown (6-31/2, 212), a third-round pick in '02, is a good scrambler and has a solid arm. He's just raw.
Running backs: Cast aside by Dallas, Smith (5-9, 221) accepted a $2.5 million signing bonus March 27 to keep playing. At 34, he isn't what he was. However, he still can locate a hole, follow a block and finish a run. The pursuit catches up easier than it did. Marcel Shipp (5-101/2, 230) is a rugged inside runner and good receiver but can't outrun anybody. James Hodgins (6-1, 274) is a fullback impersonating a guard. He's one of the top isolation blockers in the business but offers little as a receiver.
DEFENSE
Scheme: Larry Marmie coordinates this unit for McGinnis, a defensive specialist. They switched from a read-and-react to a penetrating style of play this year. The Cardinals stack their linebackers off the ball and play a four-across secondary in which one or both safeties have easy entry into run support. One of the reasons they've been dabbling with the 3-4 and some other exotic fronts is the desperate need to manufacture a pass rush.
Defensive line: Rookie right end Calvin Pace (6-4, 262), the 18th overall selection, isn't ready to handle double-teams but in this feeble group that's his cross to bear. Pace has long arms, uses his hands well and has good, not great speed off the edge. The other end, Fred Wakefield (6-7, 288), is an overachieving former free agent from Illinois. Based on his great effort, his superb instincts and also by default, he's probably the best of the bunch. Tackle Wendell Bryant (6-4, 303) has been slow to react and could give better effort. At this point, he's just a proverbial guy. Nose tackle Russell Davis (6-31/2, 314) is a good athlete for the position and anchors OK. Top backup Kenny King is out for at least a month after suffering a dislocated big toe Friday in a non-contact onside kick drill.
Linebackers: Ronald McKinnon (5-111/2, 245) has started in the middle since '97, Raynoch Thompson (6-21/2, 224) has started on the left side since '00 and Levar Fisher (6-1, 239) became the right-side starter this year after Rob Fredrickson wasn't re-signed. The best player is Thompson, who makes up for lack of size with ideal toughness, range and desire. Fisher, a second-round pick in '02, is just as fast as Thompson and looks to be an up-and-coming player. McKinnon, 30, never could run. He remains a big hitter and great competitor who too often gets engulfed inside.
Secondary: Starks was replaced at left cornerback in late August by Renaldo Hill (5-11, 194), a seventh-round pick in '01. Although smart and well-schooled, the long-striding Hill is highly vulnerable because he's a step slow and isn't strong enough. The other cornerback, David Barrett (5-10, 208), is built more like a running back. He's tough and will contest underneath routes, but downfield he is much less effective. The Cardinals replaced longtime starting free safety Kwamie Lassiter with the April 1 free-agent signing of Dexter Jackson (5-111/2, 205), most valuable player in the Super Bowl last year for Tampa Bay. Jackson's contract ($14 million, five years, $2.75 million) was panned by some because he isn't fast and has shown poor judgment in the past. Strong safety Adrian Wilson (6-21/2, 226), a third-round pick in '01, is quick to hammer the run but is making too many mental mistakes in coverage. Filling up the 4-2 and 4-1 defenses isn't easy because depth is lacking.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker Bill Gramatica is adequate on field goals but wildly inconsistent on kickoffs. Punter Scott Player, 33, tends to out-kick his coverage and is struggling getting hang time. Boldin, who also returns punts, breaks a lot of tackles but makes shaky decisions. Hank Kuhlmann's units ranked 29th overall last year, miss departed MarTay Jenkins on kickoff returns, lack speed and are making too many errors.
