Cardinals wary of Eagles defense
TEMPE, Ariz. - By most standards, the Eagles have one of the most effective defenses in the NFL.
The numbers are telling - third in the league in total defense, first in the NFC. In the postseason, the Birds are first against the pass.
That sets up interesting matches in Sunday's NFC Championship Game between Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald against Eagles corners Sheldon Brown and Asante Samuel.
Both Brown and Samuel are 5-10. Fitzgerald is 6-3. With Anquan Boldin out against Carolina last Saturday and questionable this week because of a hamstring injury, Fitzgerald likely will be the main focus of the Eagles' defense. And his sure hands and vertical leap will offer a strong challenge.
That is, if quarterback Kurt Warner has time to unload against Jim Johnson's aggressive, creative schemes. For Arizona, there is reason to be concerned.
When the teams met Nov. 27 in Philadelphia, Warner was intercepted three times in a 48-20 loss.
"The first thing I need to do is recognize the pressure and from where it's coming," Warner said. "As a team, we must be able to handle that. A Jim Johnson defense is well-schooled and coached extremely well. Johnson handles a defense as well as any coach."
The Cardinals enter the game as the third-ranked offense in the postseason. In its wins over Atlanta and Carolina, Arizona averaged 115.5 yards on the ground and 243 in the air.
Warner is the leading NFC passer with a postseason rating of 93.9. Still, the Cardinals likely will have one eye on the field and the other on Johnson's schemes.
"What's scary about Johnson is he knows what you're trying to do almost every play," said Todd Haley, the Cardinals' offensive coordinator. "He gets guys to play hard and physical on every play, and we need to watch that, too."
Lights, cameras . . .
The Cardinals are not used to vocal fan support and a growing media blitz. Right now, they are receiving both.
When Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt met the media Monday morning, he looked into a room filled with TV cameras, radio microphones and a slew of print reporters. ESPN and the NFL Network also were among the outlets present, and Whisenhunt remarked, "Good morning, nice to see a full house in here."
The reference was to a handful of media members that regularly cover the Cardinals, including only one daily newspaper, the Arizona Republic.
"Not used to this," echoed defensive end Bryan Robinson, when greeted with a thicket of reporters standing six and seven deep to get a quote or sound bite. "It's a great feeling to have all this media here at this time of the year."
The remaining tickets for the game were scooped up in a matter of minutes Sunday afternoon.
Notes
The Cardinals re-signed tight end Jerame Tuman to replace Stephen Spach. The Cardinals placed Spach on injured reserve because of a torn ligament in his right knee. He had started both playoff games and was injured during the second half of Saturday's 33-13 victory at Carolina. Tuman is a 10-year veteran who appeared in three games for the Cardinals before being released Dec. 24 . . .
Wide receiver Sean Morey, who played three playoff games for the 2001 Eagles and 16 games plus two playoff games in the 2003 season, made the Pro Bowl this season as a special-teamer. He said it's business as usual against his former teammates. "We need to understand our assignments and take it one play at a time" . . . Since the NFL/AFL merger in 1970, this is the Cardinals' first conference championship game. *
