Cardinals Finish Preseason Strong With 20-10 Win Over Redskins

Touring the web for post-game brilliance:

Someone loves the new black uniforms and really, this was the most important out come from the game. Feel me?

Points After: Arizona Cardinals Defeat Washington Redskins In Final Preseason Game - Revenge Of The Birds
At first I wasn't quite sure how I'd feel about the uniforms -- mostly because I thought they'd look like the Falcons and anytime Phoenix can avoid being compared to Atlanta is a good time-- but after tonight and seeing them pared with the Cards white helmets and pants, I really liked them.

They seem to embody the change in this franchise from those days. They have an edge and a swagger about them just like the team wearing them.

Our Redskins blog wasn't too happy with the sloppy Hogs and really to be honest, they lost this game as much as the Arizona defense won it.

Kool-Aid Report: Some Spillage with Backups; Roster Questions Answered - Hogs Haven
If the creators of the Bad News Bears were looking to make a football movie, they should start with footage from last night's game. The Skins had a whopping 12 penalties for 110 yards, multiple fumbles, and late conditioning woes. We all knew this would be an ugly game with fumbles and false starts, but I didn't expect the backups to be THAT inconsistent.

You think the Leinart sitch is a mess? Try some Fat Albert on for size (make it an XXXXXXL).

Morning Commute: Albert Haynesworth's Punishment Continues - Half Smokes - SB Nation DC
If Haynesworth knew, then how does one explain all the pouting, isolation and frustration he showed on the sidelines throughout the game?

Those images do not show a player who knew he had to go through the entire game. At best, they show a player who did not exactly accept what he was told by the coaching staff.

Hey, I'm all for making Haynesworth go through what he did tonight, and I'm totally on board with Shanahan's motives. I'm just saying that it seems Haynesworth is still being punished for all the stuff he pulled in the offseason. I strongly doubt he fully went along with the plan to play him the entire preseason game.

Of course, topic No. 1 (and 2 thru 12) is on the Cardinals Quarterback debacle.

Leinart and other Week 4 preseason topics - NFC West Blog - ESPN
# Matt Leinart played long enough to attempt five passes for the Arizona Cardinals. The offense didn't do much. Leinart passed for 14 yards.

The fact that he played at all suggests there could still be a spot for him on the roster, but it's an upset if he has a future in Arizona.

Third-stringer Max Hall has a much greater chance of sticking around long term. The Cardinals like his intangibles, and the way he has produced during preseason. Hall outplayed fellow rookie John Skelton. The Cardinals might be best off keeping Derek Anderson, Leinart and Hall for now, then figuring out what to do with Leinart depending on what other options come available.

Cards Get Max Effort In Win
With questions about Leinart’s Arizona future as a backdrop, Hall – the soon-to-be-25-year-old local guy who attended BYU – looked sharp in spearheading the Cards’ 20-10 victory.

Maybe, just maybe, Hall will end up as Anderson’s backup if Leinart doesn’t stay.

“I am very comfortable in doing that,” Hall said. “I have a long way to go to be successful as a starter in this league but I feel comfortable as a backup, to keep learning and to get an opportunity to play once in a while and prepare myself for the future.”

Matt Leinart's preseason ends quietly | ProFootballTalk.com
Matt Leinart's Cardinals career likely wrapped up on Thursday night during an odd, almost sad performance in Arizona's fourth preseason game. Leinart directed two drives as the Cardinals backup.

One drive was a three-and-out; the other picked up two first downs before stalling. He completed 3-of-5 passes for 14 yards as he mostly just dumped off his passes.

KTAR.com - E: Leinart hanging by a string
Here was ESPN's Darren Woodson: "If you can't be the quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, who are really thin right now there, I don't know if you have a future in the NFL."

Mark Schlereth also chimed in: "If you look behind you and no one is following you, you probably aren't a leader and I think that is what is happening here (with Leinart)."

Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden: "He hasn't taken advantage of his opportunities. He's clearly been average. He hasn't been a guy who's really taken control and choked the opportunity that's been given to him, and obviously there's something missing there."

azcentral.com blogs - Kent Somers - KentSomers - Wrapping up the preseason
Still, his (Hall's) mobility, intelligence and toughness are going to take him a long way. He moves around well in the pocket and throws accurately on the run. Most importantly, not much flusters him.

And he thinks he belongs in the NFL. I asked him after the game if he was ready to be No. 2 if asked. "Absolutely," he said.

Coach Whiz was cautiously optimistically prudently vague with his praise / disappointment in the game/preseason.

Word From the Birds Blog
“You have to understand this was preseason, and they weren’t doing a lot defensively,” the coach said. “Sometimes you get a little too excited about those situations.” “But,” Whiz continued – and it was an important but – “I like the way he handled himself and I like the way he handled our team.”

Video Gallery
Whisenhunt's Presser After 20-10 win over Redskins

"I don't know how comfortable I am being 3-1 in the preseason," Whisenhunt said. "This is new territory for us."

Non-quarterback roster spots were on the line as well. Really.

Last Arizona Cardinals preseason game critical for roster-spot seekers
Cornerback and receiver are a couple of those positions. Rookie Marshay Green, Trumaine McBride and Trevor Ford are battling for jobs. At receiver, Max Komar, Onrea Jones and Ed Gant are competing for just one spot. The Cardinals have to trim the roster from 75 to 53 by Saturday but are expected to announce most of the cuts Friday.

More Fat Albert Schadenfreude

Albert Haynesworth goes the distance in Washington Redskins' preseason finale
The Pro Bowl defensive lineman started for the first time in the preseason and played right defensive end most of the night in front of 61,509 people at University of Phoenix Stadium.

On a night when the Redskins' other top performers relaxed and 31 players did not dress, Haynesworth played the entire game, participating in 49 of Washington's 55 defensive plays.

Having such a big workload in the final preseason game may not have sat well with Haynesworth. As a reporter approached Haynesworth in the locker room, he said, "I have no comment."

Glendale, AZ (Sports Network) – Rookie Max Hall connected on 7-of-9 passes for 126 yards and ran for a touchdown and Jay Feely kicked a pair of field goals to lead Arizona to a 20-10 victory over Washington in the final preseason tuneup for both teams.

Derek Anderson, bidding to become the Cardinals starter, was 2-for-3 for 47 yards in his lone series, while Matt Leinart, trying to win the same job, went 3-for-5 for 14 yards as the defending NFC West champions finished exhibition play at 3-1 in preparation for the season opener at St. Louis on September 12.

John Beck, playing while the injured Donovan McNabb and backup Rex Grossman sat out the game, completed 11-of-21 throws for 132 yards while Richard Bartel went 12-of-14 for 125 yards and a touchdown for the ’Skins, who finished the preseason at 2-2.

Willie Parker ran for 35 yards on seven carries while Terrence Austin made five catches for 94 yards and a score. Brandon Banks also caught five balls for 65 yards for the visitors who will take on arch-rival Dallas in their season starter September 12.

For more post game reaction visit Revenge of the Birds