Kurt Warner finally got the Cardinals rolling, throwing a bomb to speedy receiver Steve Breaston for a 45-yard gain to the Rams 14. Fill-in cornerback Danny Gorrer got scorched on the play.
Was he expecting safety help? Perhaps, but he didn’t get it.
Just two plays later, a Warner-to-Larry Fitzgerald TD pass put Arizona on top. Just 2 minutes, 47 seconds into the quarter, Arizona had a 7-0 lead.
Keith Null got deflated while completing a bootleg pass to Brandon Gibson. So Kyle Boller came out of the bullpen to relieve him for a play.
Kenneth Darby welcomed Boller to the action by dropping his swing pass. After that incomplete pass, Null reentered the game — and quickly absorbed another sack. Once again, the Rams had to punt the ball back to the Cardinals.
Warner shrugged off a blitz by James Laurinaitis and gunned the ball to Anquan Boldin for a 23-yard chunk. Another completion to Boldin earned another 22 yards.
On a well-executed draw play, Tim Hightower got loose for 16 yards and got Arizona back into the red zone. It took a quarter, but the Cardinals found their offensive rhythm.
In the face of another blitz, Warner threw his 100th TD pass as a Cardinal — locating Early Doucet for the 18-yard score. Arizona had a 14-0 lead and the Cardinal scrubs started looking forward to some second-half playing time.
With Rams guard Mark Setterstrom out of the game with an arm injury, Roger Allen III is getting his chance to prove he can (or can’t) block at this level.
On third-and-3, the Cardinals blitzed Null and took him for another sack. At what point does this cease to be a good learning experience for the kid?
Rams defensive end Chris Long made a highlight reel play while discarding a blocker to shove Beanie Wells back for a 4-yard loss. Long looks more like a cornerstone defensive player every week. He keeps getting into the Arizona backfield.
But Warner is not easily corralled. He moved the Cardinals back into scoring position, hitting Boldin, Steve Breaston (twice), Hightower and Fitzgerald in his precision two-minute drill. Warner even scrambled for a 10-yard gain, getting the Cardinals into a first-and-goal scenario.
The Rams salvaged a bit of defensive pride by holding Arizona to a last-second field goal and a 17-0 halftime lead.
Of course Mr. Null was helped by a short field, but a TD is a TD.
“Remember to join our postgame chat when this fiasco ends.”
Gordo, say what you really mean for once.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Well, they let him play, and as of the first drive, I have to eat my words. Go Null.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Unfortunately I went to the Bill Coates blog first. Why isn’t yours on the front page of STLToday Gordo?
I agree with you on Null. I don’t see the value of having him play the second half. You can only learn so much by failing. The outcome of this game will not be changed by playing Boller. Without Jackson the Rams have no way of moving the ball, and forcing Null to accept this punishment probably won’t help his development. However the coaches know more than me. If they choose to let Null continue playing, they will have good reasons.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Jeff,
I know it’s the holidays and the writers are trying to spread some cheer, but come on. Hope for this franchise? Where? A GM who can’t identify playmakers, a head coach who can’t coach and a team core that’s as rotten as can be. Bill Polian either never said those comments about the Rams, or he was just trying to be nice. And remember, injuries are part of the game–quit using that as an excuse, coach. Ron Bartell has become the defensive Drew Bennett, a FA signing gone very wrong. I’d love to be proven wrong next year, but I’m tired of having my heart broken by this team and see absolutely nothing to get excited about in the next few seasons.
Report this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0