SB Nation Arizona - Steelers Too Much For Cards, 32-20; Changes Could Be Coming; Wells Injury Updatehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46593/arizona-fave.png2011-10-24T14:49:41-07:00http://arizona.sbnation.com/rss/stream/22608742011-10-24T14:49:41-07:002011-10-24T14:49:41-07:00Cardinals Whisenhunt Says Change Is Coming, Doesn't Rule Out Benching Kolb
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<p>We <a href="http://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-cardinals/2011/10/23/2509401/arizona-cardinals-ken-whisenhunt/in/2260874" target="_blank">heard it after the game on Sunday</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Arizona Cardinals</a> coach Ken Whisenhunt repeated it Monday: He's looking for guys that can make plays and every position is under scrutiny. Many feel that <span>Kevin Kolb</span> would be excluded from that but Whisenhunt didn't rule out a change when asked specifically about the quarterback position.</p>
<p>"The quarterback is obviously the focal point of a lot of things when you don't win games -- when you lose five games in a row. Like I said, every position is going to be looked at from that standpoint," he said.</p>
<p>Most likely, that's just a message being sent and not indication that Kolb is going to get benched. At the same time, Whisenhunt is certainly ratcheting up the pressure on Kolb and making it clear that missing plays is not acceptable. </p>
<p>Whisenhunt repeatedly mentioned the missed throw to TE <span>Rob Housler</span> that should have gone for a touchdown. It was very similar to a play Kolb missed against Minnesota.</p>
<p>"Looking at our football team, we're looking for guys that can make plays and if we have to make changes across the board at different positions in order to do that, that's what we're going to do."</p>
<p>As has been much discussed, Kolb's got to get better at his footwork to allow him to stand in the pocket and make some of the throws. Whisenhunt stressed that he has made some big plays but the missed throw to Housler was purely footwork. </p>
<p>In case you are wondering what a change would look like, <span>John Skelton</span> has regained the number two quarterback job over Rich Bartel but Whiz says he's comfortable with either guy.</p>
<p>Barring injury, however, we still think it is highly unlikely that a move would be made any time soon.</p>
<p>The public pressure on Kolb is interesting, however, given how much pressure Kevin already puts on himself. Perhaps this is all more about deflecting attention or giving fans the impression that the coaching staff is "doing" something.</p>
<p>More likely candidates for change are outside linebackers <span>Sam Acho</span> and <span>O'Brien Schofield</span> who both played well on Sunday according to their coach, "Those guys are getting a better feel for our defense and we're going to integrate them more."</p>
<p><b>Other Notes:</b></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Unblocked rushers on the interception and safety: The first one was an interior line mistake. The second was a scheme thing. Gave a different front. Stayed in base defense. Got to get rid of the ball in that situation.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">"A good way to assess our team right now is: other teams are making us pay for our mistakes and we're not making other teams pay for their mistakes," Whisenhunt said. Example, they complete 95-yard pass to <span>Mike Wallace</span>. Kolb not making pass to Rob Housler.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><span>Rashad Johnson</span> did ok. Solid performance.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><span>Stewart Bradley</span> getting better and getting used to rushing the quarterback which is new for him. He's improving.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">"I think we judge progress of an offensive line by wins and losses. Ask anyone who knows anything about football, games are won or lost in the trenches. No, I don't think we're doing as good as we could because we're not winning," Lyle Sendlien on the offensive line's performance</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">"Absolutely, I thought we were just getting ready to get a groove going in there. I was feeling pretty good. We were starting to get comfortable with the pressure they were bringing and we were picking everything up. Lanes were just starting to open up. It sucked," <span>Beanie Wells</span> on the running game before he got injured. Wells wouldn't say much about the injury or his timetable. The plan before the injury was definitely to run the ball more and try and wear down the injury-riddled defense front for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Steelers</a>.</span></li>
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<p><b>For more on the Cardinals, visit <a href="http://www.revengeofthebirds.com" target="_blank">Revenge of the Birds</a> blog.</b></p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-cardinals/2011/10/24/2511439/cardinals-whisenhunt-says-change-is-coming-doesnt-rule-out-benchingSeth Pollack2011-10-24T11:30:48-07:002011-10-24T11:30:48-07:00Beanie Wells Injury Update: Cardinals Dodge Bullet, No Structural Damage
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<p>The <a href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Arizona Cardinals</a> have had their fair share of bad news this season and with the way this team is playing, they can't afford to lose any more important pieces. Running back <span>Beanie Wells</span> left Sunday's game in the second quarter with what was described at the time as a right knee sprain. The team, however, initially thought it could be season-ending but the report on Monday is much more favorable.</p>
<p>Head coach Ken Whisenhunt announced that Wells suffered swelling in the knee and that it "locked up" after he took a hit in the game. The examination revealed no structural damage and surgery is not required.</p>
<p>The injury was <a target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/#!/JasonLaCanfora/statuses/128523807978827776">reported </a>as a bone bruise with 1-2 week prognosis by the NFL Network. Whisenhunt wouldn't comment on the specifics or timetable.</p>
<p>"I don't know if bone bruise is accurate. I don't want to get into specifics of what it is. I don't want to put a time frame on it because I don't want to set the young man up for failure," Whisenhunt said.</p>
<p>The news for former Arizona Cardinals running back <span>Tim Hightower</span> (now with Washington) is not so good. It's <a target="_blank" href="http://dc.sbnation.com/washington-redskins/2011/10/24/2510957/tim-hightower-injury-update-acl-washington-redskins-knee/in/2273020">believed</a> that Hightower suffered a torn ACL and will be out for the season.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-cardinals/2011/10/24/2511059/beanie-wells-injury-update-cardinals-dodge-bullet-no-structural-damageSeth Pollack2011-10-24T09:36:18-07:002011-10-24T09:36:18-07:00Cardinals Vs. Steelers, Monday Morning Quarterback: It's Not Good, But It's Not All Bad
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<p>The Arizona Cardinals lost another game thanks to mistakes that cost the team. There were positive signs, however, including a better performance from Kevin Kolb and three young players who stood out.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Arizona Cardinals</a> lost their fifth-straight in what can barely be considered a home game considering the amount of <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pittsburgh Steelers</a> fans in the crowd. <span>Kevin Kolb</span> had a better game, going 18-34 for 272 yards with two touchdowns and one interception off a deflection with an unblocked rusher in his face. The defense didn't step up at a crucial time and mistakes once again plagued the team. There were bright signs though, including progress from Kevin Kolb and some nice play from a few young players.</p>
<p><b>Kolb making progress</b></p>
<p>Kolb made mistakes, including another blown throw to a wide open <span>Rob Housler</span> across the middle, but he did seem somewhat improved over the previous week. The Steelers were the second-ranked defense against the pass going into Sunday's game, allowing just 155 yards through the air and Kevin bested that number by quite a bit.</p>
<p>We <a target="_blank" href="http://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-cardinals/2011/10/18/2497071/arizona-cardinals-pittsburgh-steelers-beanie-wells-kevin-kolb-nfl/in/2260874">said going into this game</a> the Cardinals were going to have to run the ball and <span>Beanie Wells</span> needed a big day. The Steelers were missing three starters and two backups from their front seven and were 20th in the league against the run. If Wells doesn't go down with a knee injury, he very well could have been the difference. </p>
<p>Beanie ran 12 times before going out in the second quarter and had 42 yards. His back up, <span>Alfonso Smith</span> only carried the ball five times the rest of the game. Between losing Wells and falling behind, that put even more pressure on Kolb and he didn't do that bad.</p>
<p>"I felt from a personal standpoint, operation, in and out of the huddle, the plays, it all came a lot smoother to me today," Kolb said. "Obviously, there's a couple of throws that I would like to have back. Those plays need to be made."</p>
<p>Kolb looked more comfortable in the pocket at times and made some nice plays. The touchdown to <span>LaRod Stephens-Howling</span> was a good read. Kolb explained that he was originally looking for Fitzgerald but saw he was covered so he moved to the speedy LSH matched up against a linebacker.</p>
<p>" Once I gave him my eyes, he knows he can move," Kolb said. "He is very good in those one-on-one situations and he did a great job with the run run after the catch. Everyone was playing well in that play and that is how this offense is supposed to work. Get to the right guys at the right time and make plays after the catch.<span style="line-height: 9px;">"</span></p>
<p>People clamoring for more <span>Larry Fitzgerald</span> should note that he was targeted 10 times, the most of any player on the field. It should also be noted that Kolb put up a lot of numbers in his final drive that went 11 plays for 71 yards in what was essentially "garbage time". </p>
<p><b>Interception and safety</b></p>
<p>Two key plays in the game were the interception on the first possession that gave the Steelers great field position and an early 7-0 lead and the safety that add two points to a 10-point third quarter deficit. </p>
<p>Both plays share something in common -- unblocked rushers getting to Kolb. In both cases an outside linebacker was allowed a free pass and in both cases the Arizona tackle turned their attention to the inside rusher while rookie TE Rob Housler lined up nearest to the defender released without any contact. Neither were blitz situations.</p>
<p>On the safety, the pressure came from <span>LaMarr Woodley</span> from the right side of the line and Kolb wasn't able to either elude the defender or dump the ball quickly enough like <span>Ben Roethlisberger</span> did all game. It should be noted that the Cardinals started from their seven yard line thanks to a holding penalty on the kick return.</p>
<p>On the interception, the pressure came from the left side and Kolb was at least able to make a throw to Housler that hit the rookie and deflected for an INT. It appeared on the replay that contact was made on Housler well before the ball arrived and his arm was pinned. </p>
<p><b>Allowing a score after a score</b></p>
<p>The Cardinals were down 17-7 going into the second half and claimed to be fairly confident they could win the game. They got a stop on the first series and then engineered a six-play, 89 yard touchdown drive capped off by a beautiful 73-yard TD play from Kolb and Stephens-Howling to make it a three-point contest with tons of time left.</p>
<p>At this point, the defense has to hold. They don't.</p>
<p>The Steelers went 80 yards on 11 plays and converted two third downs to get the touchdown right back. While the game was full of penalties, this drive only had one and it was declined. Roethlisberger threw a couple of great passes including a 3rd and 6 to tight end <span>Heath Miller</span> who jumped over <span>Daryl Washington</span> to complete a 21 yard play. </p>
<p>Miller beat Washington again in the middle of the field on a sit-and-go route and then ran over <span>Patrick Peterson</span> to get an extra six yards on a 17-yard play. Washington had hurt his foot earlier in the game and the Steelers seemed to be picking on him and it worked.</p>
<p>The Steelers then got a great one-handed grab from <span>Antonio Brown</span> for 13 yards and ended up with WR Emmanuel Sanders against ILB Paris Lenon over the middle for a 20-yard completion to the Arizona two-yard line. Touchdown two plays later.</p>
<p>What stood out on that drive was the amount of time Roethlisberger had in the pocket. He was sacked early in the possession but after that, he wasn't touched or hurried once.</p>
<p><b>Some good things from the youngsters: Peterson, Schofield and Acho</b></p>
<p>As we <a target="_blank" href="http://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-cardinals/2011/10/23/2509401/arizona-cardinals-ken-whisenhunt/in/2260874">talked about after the game</a>, the young outside linebacker duo of <span>O'Brien Schofield</span> and <span>Sam Acho</span> played well. They came in on the possession that straddled the third and fourth quarters and put some hits on Big Ben. Schofield got in a good shot but Roethlisberger was still able to complete the pass. Acho got to Ben, hit him high and bounced off and ended up with the sack by grabbing his leg. Almost any other quarterback goes down hard in that situation.</p>
<p>These young guys, along with Washington, are the future and it was good to see them get pressure that <span>Clark Haggans</span> and <span>Joey Porter</span> couldn't.</p>
<p>Haggans acknowledged as much, "I don't want to beat a dead horse, but being in the NFL those are plays that you have to make. Those are the plays that I missed. Those are the plays that I should have made."</p>
<p>The other bright spot was rookie Patrick Peterson who essentially took WR Mike Wallace out of the game. Wallace had the 95-yard touchdown play but that was against CB Richard Marshall and possibly blown coverage over the top by Rashad Johnson. Other than that, he had just two receptions for 23 yards.</p>
<p>Wallace gave a lot of credit to Peterson, "Patrick Peterson, he's going to a be a hell of a player. He's going to be an All-Pro, I can guarantee it. For years. He's a great player. To say this is his rookie year, he has great technique. He's going to be a great player."</p>
<p>I think it's clear that Wallace thinks Peterson is going to be a great player.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-cardinals/2011/10/24/2510584/arizona-cardinals-vs-Pittsburgh-steelers-monday-morning-quarterback-kevin-kolbSeth Pollack2011-10-24T05:01:35-07:002011-10-24T05:01:35-07:00Cardinals vs. Steelers Recap: Ben Roethlisberger Shreds Arizona Defense In Victory
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Arizona Cardinals</a> are not a very good team right now and their defense was torn apart by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a> and <span>Ben Roethlisberger</span> on Sunday afternoon.</p>
<p>Big Ben racked up 361 yards through the air and threw for three touchdowns. <span>Heath Miller</span> hauled in the first, <span>Mike Wallace</span> scored the second on a 95-yard strike and <span>Emmanuel Sanders</span> recorded in the third quarter on a four-yard pass.</p>
<p>To Arizona's credit, they did a solid job containing the Steelers and their rushing attack. <span>Rashard Mendenhall</span> had just 32 yards on 13 carries and was unable to break away throughout the day. Fortunately for the Steelers and their many fans in attendance, the Cardinals had no answer for the passing attack.</p>
<p><span>Kevin Kolb</span> played well against a tough Steelers secondary and tossed for 272 yards and two touchdowns. <span>Beanie Wells</span> was held to just 42 yards on 12 carries and appeared to injure himself midway through the game. <span>LaRod Stephens-Howling</span> and <span>Early Doucet</span> both hauled in touchdown passes. <span>Larry Fitzgerald</span> had four receptions for 78 yards.</p>
<p>All-in-all, the Cardinals were outmatched on Sunday. They kept it close through the third quarter, but Pittsburgh pulled away late for a 32-20 win.</p>
<p><i>For more on the Cardinals, check out </i><a href="http://www.revengeofthebirds.com/" target="_blank">Revenge of the Birds.</a></p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-cardinals/2011/10/24/2509925/cardinals-vs-steelers-recap-nfl-scores-ben-roethlisberger-kevin-kolbScott Coleman2011-10-23T18:10:08-07:002011-10-23T18:10:08-07:00After Loss To Steelers, Hamza Abdullah Calls Out Arizona Cardinals Fans On Twitter
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<p>After a frustrating 32-20 loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Arizona Cardinals</a> reserve safety <span>Hamza Abdullah</span> decided to vent a little bit of frustration on Twitter and essentially<a href="http://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2011/10/23/2509382/hamza-abdullah-calls-out-arizona-cardinals-fans-on-twitter" target="_blank"> called out the Cardinals fans </a>for their lack of noise and support when the game was close at 17-14. The Cardinals had momentum at the time, but with the number of Steelers fans in the stadium, the crowd noise just wasn't there and the Steelers responded with an 80-yard TD drive.</p>
<p>Tweeted Abdullah:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"20,000 out of 60,000 were Pittsburgh fans. That's absurd and uncalled for. The #BirdGang is better than that...It is what it is. Yeah, you can call us names, and say we haven't given anyone anything to cheer for, but it's 17-14, and we have momentum. But the crowd is pro steelers, so we can't even use our greatest asset, Our Home Crowd... Home field is huge in sports."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>To call out fans publicly when they shell out good money to watch a game is out of bounds. But that doesn't mean he isn't right. He is...and wrong. The problem is that fans here in Phoenix are as good as in any other market when there is a reason to cheer. The issue with the Cardinals is that they neither have longevity nor a history of success. Steelers fans have that. </p>
<p>Abdullah did, though, follow up his comments in a perfect way. He is offering 100 tickets to Cardinals fans to get more of them out to see them play against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">Rams</a>. He is putting his money where his mouth is. </p>
<p>Solution for the players and the fans? The players need to give the fans a reason to cheer, and the fans need to show a little faith when there is a little adversity. </p>
<p>The other real solution takes much longer -- a long history of relevance. </p>
<p>At the Cardinals' rate, that will take an awful long time. There is simply too much yuck to unremember. </p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/2011/10/23/2509489/cardinals-steelers-twitter-fansJess Root2011-10-23T17:43:56-07:002011-10-23T17:43:56-07:00Cardinals Suffer Fifth-Straight Loss, Whisenhunt Hints At Personnel Changes
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<p>When you start the NFL season 1-5 there's a lot going wrong. It's easy and obvious to point the finger at quarterback <span>Kevin Kolb</span> but he's clearly not the only problem on the football field for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Arizona Cardinals</a>. For his part, Kolb thought he played better in this game and sees progress in some aspects of the offense. At the same time, he knows he can't miss open receivers and needs to get better for this team to turn the corner.</p>
<p>Kolb is not going anywhere, however. It's almost impossible to envision a situation where the team decides to bench him in favor of back ups <span>John Skelton</span> or Rich Bartel barring injury. After trading so much to get him and signing him to a big contract, the Cardinals have no choice but to ride it out and hope that Kolb improves. </p>
<p>That doesn't mean everyone else on the team should feel secure about their jobs. A frustrated Ken Whisenhunt suggested that changes could be coming.</p>
<p>"We've got to look at everything we're doing and look at the guys that we're doing it with. I think it's not just one position, it's a number of positions. That's what we're trying to do to put our best guys in there to give us a chance to win," he said after the game.</p>
<p>One area to watch closely is the outside linebackers. Veterans <span>Joey Porter</span> and <span>Clark Haggans</span>, both 34, have not made many plays this season and making plays, according to Whisenhunt, is what's needed most. The pair have combined for just 2 sacks and 19 tackles on the season. </p>
<p>Backing up these aging warriors are two young guns in <span>O'Brien Schofield</span> and <span>Sam Acho</span> who've combined for 1.5 sacks in very limited playing time. The two played together to start the fourth quarter and were able to at least make life uncomfortable for <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Steelers</a> QB <span>Ben Roethlisberger</span>. Acho's sack in the red zone helped the defense prevent a touchdown.</p>
<p>"We're just waiting our turn," Schofield said. "When the coaches give us time like that in games it's very valuable for the learning experience and just to show them we can get it done."</p>
<p>Other than perhaps playing rookies <span>David Carter</span> at nose tackle, <span>DeMarco Sampson</span> more at wide receiver and TE <span>Rob Housler</span>, there's not a lot of other positions where the Cardinals have the depth to make changes aside from those outside linebackers.</p>
<p>ILB <span>Daryl Washington</span>, himself only a second-year player who's already emerging as one of the brightest talents on the team, recognizes where things are headed.</p>
<p>"Those young guys, Sam Acho and O'Brien Schofield, have bright futures ahead of them," Washington said. "These guys will continue learning and communicating. It's good for us to get in the game and work together because we're the future."</p>
<p>He's absolutely right. Washington, Acho and Schofield are the future and at 1-5, it's time to start giving them more opportunities to play together.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-cardinals/2011/10/23/2509401/arizona-cardinals-ken-whisenhuntSeth Pollack2011-10-23T16:24:15-07:002011-10-23T16:24:15-07:00Cardinals Vs. Steelers Final Score: Ben Roethlisberger Takes Advantage Of Penalties, Big Plays For 32-20 Win
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Arizona Cardinals</a> could not avoid mistake or the big play in Glendale. They allowed a 95-yard touchdown pass to <span>Mike Wallace</span>, were penalized 10 times and got hit with a safety. They were able to pull within three points twice, but the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a> pulled away and beat <span>Kevin Kolb</span> and the Cardinals 32-20.</p>
<p>The game started inauspiciously as the Cardinals' first drive ended in a Kevin Kolb interception off a pass that hit Robert Housler and bounced in to the hands of the waiting Ryan Clark. The Steelers then took five plays to score a touchdown, as either <span>Clark Haggans</span> or <span>Adrian Wilson</span> messed up the coverage, allowing <span>Heath Miller</span> free to score a touchdown from 12 yards out. </p>
<p>The rest of the first quarter consisted of exchanged punts.</p>
<p>After another two punts by the Cardinals and one by the Steelers, the Steelers started their next drive at their own five-yard line after a penalty. That is where the biggest play of the game happened. <span>Ben Roethlisberger</span> then hit Mike Wallace over <span>Patrick Peterson</span>, who then raced to the endzone for a 95-yard score, the longest in Steelers history.</p>
<p>The next drive for the Cardinals was as good a drive as we have seen this season. They marched down the field in 13 plays for 80 yards and scored a touchdown on a one-yard run by Alfonso Smith. Smith was in the game because <span>Beanie Wells</span> left with a sprained right knee. He did not return. It was the first career touchdown for Smith.</p>
<p>That drive gave the Cardinals a little momentum, but they allowed the Steelers to march down the field and kick a field goal. The Arizona defense was flagged for three penalties during the drive. Pittsburgh led 17-7 at halftime.</p>
<p>Arizona pulled with three points again, 17-14, as Kevin Kolb hit <span>LaRod Stephens-Howling</span> on a 73-yard catch and run for a touchdown. It was the perfect mix of pass protection by the offensive line, pocket awareness by Kolb and route running by LSH. </p>
<p>After that, nothing really went right. the Steelers drove 80 yards to go ahead 24-14. Then Kevin Kolb was flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone for a Pittsburgh safety after LaMar Woodley was left unblocked. Had Kolb not been penalized, the result woudl have been a sack with the same result. 26-14 Steelers.</p>
<p>Pittsburgh's Shane Suisham kicked a pair of field goals to extend the lead to 32-14, and the Kevin Kolb hit <span>Early Doucet</span> for a TD in what was essentially garbage time. </p>
<p>Kolb finished the game 18/34 for 272 yards, two TDs and one interception. Beanie Wells before leaving rushed 12 times for 42 yards. Early Doucet had five catches for 30 yards and a score. <span>Larry Fitzgerald</span> caught four for 78 yards.</p>
<p>For Pittsburgh, Ben Roethlisberger threw for 340 yards and three TDs. Both Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace had over 100 yards receiving. <span>Rashard Mendenhall</span> was held to 32 yards rushing on 13 carries. </p>
<p>Both teams played sloppily with penalties. Arizona was penalized 10 times for 88 yards, while Pittsburgh was flagged nine times. </p>
<p>The loss is the fifth straight for the Cardinals, who now are four games behind the division leading <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">San Francisco 49ers</a>. They go on the road to play the Baltimore ravens next week.</p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-cardinals/2011/10/23/2509213/steelers-vs-cardinals-nfl-week-7-mike-wallace-beanie-wellsJess Root2011-10-23T15:44:42-07:002011-10-23T15:44:42-07:00Cardinals Vs Steelers Score Update: Safety Slows Cardinals Comeback
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<p>Just when you thought things we're getting interesting, <span>Kevin Kolb</span> tossed a pass at the feet of his lineman as he was being wrapped up by linebacker <span>LaMarr Woodley</span> in the back of the endzone resulting in a safety (his league-high third intentional grounding penalty of the year). While the flag was <i>extremely</i> late, it was the correct call nonetheless, giving the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Steelers</a> a 26-14 lead.</p>
<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Cardinals</a> did strike first in the third quarter when <span>LaRod Stephens-Howling</span> turned a simple crossing pattern into a 73-yard touchdown when he outran the entire Steelers defense. But it wasn't 17-14 for long, as the Steelers responded by driving back down the field and extending the lead to 10 with a 4-yard touchdown pass to <span>Emmanuel Sanders</span>. Quarterback <span>Ben Roethlisberger</span> juked Cardinals linebacker <span>Clark Haggans</span> out of his shoes on the play, avoiding what should have been an easy sack to find Sanders standing alone in the back of the endzone.</p>
<p>For the most part, Roethlisberger has had all the time he's needed to tear up the Cardinals secondary for three touchdowns. The Cardinals inability to pressure the quarterback doubled with the fact that the Cardinals have been bottling up <span>Rashard Mendenhall</span> and Co. all game have caused head coach Mike Tomlin to almost entirely abandon the run despite a 12 point lead. </p>
<p>The Cardinals haven't been able to muster up any sort of running game their selves, with <span>Alphonso Smith</span> only totaling five carries for 17 yards since the <span>Beanie Wells</span> injury.</p>
<p>The Cards will definitely have to start moving the ball better if they are to surmount this deficit within the final fifteen minutes. </p>
https://arizona.sbnation.com/arizona-cardinals/2011/10/23/2509175/arizona-cardinals-pittsburgh-steelers-third-quarterCody Ulm