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The Cards’ decade of note — and other notes

Just a few tidbits here on the Cards’ extra day off:

– Sports Illustrated is putting together best-of-the-decade lists, and the Cardinals are all over them. To begin with, the Cardinals were in the decade’s best game (the most recent Super Bowl — I know, ouch), they were part of one of the magazine’s best NFL covers (Pat Tillman), and had one of the decade’s best players (Sean Morey). They also had one of the decade’s top 20 individual performances in Larry Fitzgerald’s 2009 playoff run (although they have ties with not one but two others).

– The Cardinals, given their recent success, have done big TV numbers this season locally. But with the Vikings coming in and the Cards getting another appearance on “Sunday Night Football,” their TV numbers were huge last weekend. In the Valley, the Cards got a 31.9 rating and 46 share, reaching 598,000 homes. Those stats set a local market record for a Cards’ regular-season game. The game was also the most-watched TV show in the nation last week. It averaged 20.9 million viewers, six million more than the No. 2 show, ABC’s “Desperate Housewives.”

– The Big Red Rage is set for Thursday night at 6 p.m. at Majerle’s Sports Grill. Bertrand Berry’s guest this week is Karlos Dansby. As usual, if you can’t make it, it will air on Sports 620 KTAR.

Remember, it’s Sunday NIGHT Football

I’d think this goes without saying, because it’s kind of a big deal, but don’t forget the game Sunday against the Vikings was “flexed” by NBC for their “Sunday Night Football” telecast, meaning kickoff is at 6:20 p.m. (actually, the ball won’t be kicked off officially until 6:30) and NOT the 2:15 p.m. original time it will say on almost everyone’s tickets. Sure, I would guess most people think this blog post is unneeded, but trust me, it’s needed.

The parking lots will open at 2 p.m. and stadium doors open at 4:45 p.m. Also keep in mind there is a concert going on at the arena next door, so traffic may be more congested that usual. Factor that into your planning.

Finally, the Cards and Chicanos Por La Causa are hosting a toy drive for underprivileged children at the game. New, unwrapped toys and donations will be collected at each stadium entrance, if you’re in the giving mood. The donations will benefit the “Angeles Del Barrio” program, which distributes toys to more than 13,000 children in Phoenix and San Luis.

Flexed and other odds, ends

The game against the Vikings was always going to be high-profile, with the Vikings rolling along and Brett Favre and Adrian Petersen, etc., etc. But now that it’s been moved to “Sunday Night Football” it’ll be interesting to see how the Cardinals respond given their last home game under the lights didn’t go so well.

Still, it’s Titans first, right?

Anyway, some other things to throw out there while I am thinking about them:

– The Big Red Rage this week will have Bertrand Berry hosting Adrian Wilson. Because of Thanksgiving, the show will be held tomorrow (Wednesday) at 6 p.m. at Majerle’s Sports Grill in Chandler. The show will be tape delayed on Sports 620 KTAR after the Suns’ game, and then re-aired on KTAR on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

– Linebacker Karlos Dansby will be making an appearance next week, Dec. 1, at the Chandler Village Verizon Wireless store (2491 W Frye) from 6-7 p.m. Cheerleaders and Big Red will also be on hand.

– Finally, running back Beanie Wells is up for the league’s Pepsi Rookie of the Week award, for which you can vote for by clicking here.

A sellout and Giants’ fine fallout UPDATE

The Cardinals’ game Sunday is officially sold out, meaning it will air on local TV (Fox) and not be blacked out. There are still a handful of various tickets available, though, so don’t hesitate to look into it if you want to attend.

But some final news from the Giants’ game. Many were wondering if there would be any fines levied from the game. Yes there were. Safety Antrel Rolle was fined $7,500 for his hit on TE Kevin Boss (which was not flagged) for unnecessarily striking a defenseless receiver. Giants defensive back Michael Johnson was fined $5,000 for striking Cards QB Kurt Warner in the head area (which also didn’t get flagged and left Warner very angry at the time). Two fines were handed out for penalties that were called: $5,000 each to Cardinals tackle Levi Brown for his chop block and to Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw for his punch to the head area of defensive end Darnell Dockett.

UPDATE: For those wanting clarification on the Rolle fine, this from the NFL: “His actions violated Rule 12, Section 2, Article 8(k) of the NFL Official Playing Rules, which states that it is unnecessary roughness ‘if the initial force of the contact by a defender’s helmet, forearm or shoulder is to the head or neck area of a defenseless receiver who is catching or attempting to catch a pass.’ “  

The rule was new player safety rule just approved by teams at the NFL meetings last March. It’s not just helmet-to-helmet that’s illegal. It includes any shoulder- or forearm-to-head hits on defenseless receivers as well.

McFadden’s huddle

At the end of the Giants’ game, cornerback Bryant McFadden — who, along with hurting safety Antrel Rolle, held the secondary together late through a host of injuries — brought together the defense on the sideline and huddled, holding hands on one knee as the offense ran out the clock.

(It was important the defense was off the field too. Rolle, whose sore foot was bad enough that he admitted he would have come out if teammates Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Adrian Wilson weren’t already out, said his thoughts after his game-clinching interception were: “Get this ball and get this game over with and get to the bus, because it was painful. I was hurting.”)

McFadden said his message for his teammates was simple. “I just felt like we, as a unit, needed to give thanks to the Man above,” McFadden said. “The game we play, it’s a blessing to be able to do it. And to be a part of this unit we have … we don’t want to take it for granted. We played outstanding, and nobody believed we would except the guys in this building.”

That said, when the huddle broke, the Cardinals also made sure they delivered a message to the Giants’ fans who had not held back from their verbal slings and arrows through the game. “That’s one of the best situations,” McFadden said. “They were on us the whole game. We just wanted to be patient. ‘Be patient, wait, wait, wait … finally! Now we can say something!’ That was a great feeling right there, to say something and (the fans) just put their heads down and quietly walked away.”

Could NBC flex the Cards?

Here’s one benefit of the Cards’ big win on “Sunday Night Football” in New York: It could earn them another NBC appearance.

Right now, NBC doesn’t have the Vikings on their schedule and are missing out on the Brett Favre gravy train (however irritating that may sound to some). The Vikings come to University of Phoenix Stadium Dec. 6 in what could be a perfect opportunity to flex out of the current Patriots-Dolphins game that night (NBC can’t start flexing games until the week of Nov. 22). Now, the Dolphins could get hot and that AFC game could still be attractive. Or the Vikings — or Cards — could hit a bump and not look as good by then. But it is possible. Fox and CBS can “protect” games from being flexed, but those week-by-week choices have already been made and Fox didn’t touch Cardinals-Vikings.

Going into the weekend

It’s a Friday, and I wanted to try to get back to the late afternoon, wrap-up of the week blogs that I had been doing last season. Big weekend for the Cards, especially going into the bye. There is such a huge difference between 2-1 and 1-2, knowing that with the latter it means an 0-2 record at a home field the Cards thought they could turn into a 6-2 or 7-1 massive advantage. With the Texans, Panthers, Vikings and Packers still left on the home schedule, that’d be a rough goal with a loss Sunday.

But I feel good about this one for the Cards, and I’d like to believe it’s not because I’m drinking the Kool-Aid. This is the kind of game in which these Cards tend to thrive, on national TV, at home, against a good team (and one that many are picking to win on the road). I’ll guess we’ll see Sunday night.

– Coach Ken Whisenhunt on getting hyped for “Sunday Night Football”: “It all started many years ago with the Monday Night games when there were no other games and everybody was watching and you knew everyone was watching,” Whisenhunt said. “Now, it’s Sunday night and the emphasis put on it, it’s the same thing. There is so much more coverage with the NFL than there ever has been which is great. But when you are the only game playing and it is on national TV, your juices do get flowing.

“Now, our team gets excited for 1 o’clock games on Sunday. We’re not just going through the motions. But there is a little bit different air. Everyone talks about how the speed and intensity picks up with the playoffs. Well it’s like that when you play a Sunday night game or a Monday night game.”

– The Cardinals catch a break with Colts stud safety Bob Sanders still out. The Colts’ defense is simply better when Sanders plays. I’ve noticed that over the years watching them from afar. I don’t know exactly what it is, but it just changes the complexion, beyond just what Sanders does tangibly. It’s a lot like when Adrian Wilson is missing for the Cards (see: Jets and Favre against the Cards’ D, 2008).

– This will be Kurt Warner’s 34^th consecutive start for the Cards. Never thought he’d reach such heights, but with the dings he plays with, it makes his record-setting game last week even more amazing – even if he says he feels he “stole” the record because of how the game played out.

– I am much more worried about what tight end Dallas Clark will do against the Cards than Reggie Wayne. I think the Cardinals can deal with a top receiver. They don’t see good tight ends often.

– This stat has been making the rounds: If you include playoff games, the Cardinals are 17-0 under Whisenhunt when they hold an advantage in the turnover battle. When they are even, they are 3-2. When they have more turnovers than the other guys, they are 1-15. Guess we know what stat to look at to analyze the end. (That one victory when losing the turnover battle? The electrifying overtime win over the Cowboys last season, when the Cards scored twice on special teams – the ultimate equalizer. Thanks for that off-the-top-of-the-head info, Little Whiz).

– Anquan Boldin needs 61 yards receiving to move into fourth place in the franchise’s history. As of today, Boldin is 1,913 yards shy of Roy Green’s top mark of 8,497.

– This is a huge test for this defense. They have had two pretty decent games (although I don’t think they were thrilled with the fourth quarter in either outing). But last year, the D surrendered 13 and 10 points in the first two games, respectively, and that didn’t hold up. They aren’t going to shut out Peyton Manning. But they have to slow him.

That’s it. Time to go spend some time with the family. Going to take in a football game at the high school where my wife teaches, and count on the Cards being ready in that atmosphere Sunday night. I haven’t been on the field pre-game yet this season, but I think we’ll have to give that a go this week. When you go to a Super Bowl, these are the games you’re supposed to be part of the next season.