The Arizona Cardinals' injury report was mostly unchanged after Wednesday's practice. Derek Anderson is still suffering from concussion symptoms, so he sat out of practice. No one else sat out, but seven other players were limited. Beanie Wells is still recovering from his stomach illness. The other players were Jay Feely (groin), Steve Breaston (knee), Calais Campbell (ankle), Clark Haggans (groin), Joey Porter (knee) and O'Brien Schofield (hamstring). Schofield and Wells were the only new additions, based on who was limited last week. With the exception of Anderson, whose status for Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers is unknown because he has to be symptom-free, no one is expected to miss the game on Sunday.
Obviously the most concerning issue is that of Anderson's concussion. While to this point no one has been able to pinpoint the play that caused his concussion during the game against the Rams, it has clearly been a serious thing. To have symptoms lingering 10 days later is disconcerting. And while one can certainly joke about Anderson's performance and his head over the course of the season, head injuries are no laughing matter. The team hopes he can be symptom free by the end of the week so he can back up John Skelton on Sunday instead of newcomer Richard Bartel.
In other news, kicker Jay Feely, who personally scored 25 of the Cardinals points on Sunday against the Denver Broncos, was named NFC special teams player of the week. There are many who believe he should have been named the offensive player of the week, but in any case it is a nice feather in Feely's cap. Feely is having a superb season, having missed only two field goals all season. In a radio interview earlier this week, he talked about his performance this year:
"I’ll be real honest with you, I’ve felt that way the last three or four years. I felt like I’ve gotten better and better every year and you understand how to approach the position from a mental state of mind. I think that’s where most of the success is determined from the kicking position. … If you watch me in warmups, I’m running around, I’m fielding punts, I’m catching passes, I’m throwing the ball. I’m really trying to have fun and embrace the moment and enjoy it."
With Pro Bowl voting in full swing, punter Ben Graham still leads NFC punters in votes. It should be noted that former Cardinal Antrel Rolle leads all NFC free safeties in voting, while current starter Kerry Rhodes is not even in the top five. Considering the season Rhodes has had, this is disappointing, but it should not be a surprise. Rolle plays in New York, where fans are passionate and the defense is good. With the Cardinals' season in the tank and a defense that has underachieved based on the talent in its personnel, Arizona fans aren't likely voting in large numbers. However, a look at Rhodes statistics will show that he deserves to be in the discussion.
When it comes to the Cardinals and the Pro Bowl, it will likely be disappointing. Previous Pro Bowlers Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Alan Faneca, Darnell Dockett and Larry Fitzgerald are not having impact seasons. Calais Campbell has not progressed as expected. The only players that likely will get any consideration are Graham, Feely (his season has been superb, but outside of his game Sunday, has been unmemorable on a bad team), maybe Rhodes and definitely LaRod Stephens-Howling.