Carolina at Arizona

The Cardinals have begun to resemble the team that gave the Steelers all they could handle in last year's Super Bowl. They started the season with a Super Bowl hangover losing two of their first three games. But, in looking back, one of those losses came at the hands of Indianapolis which we can't hold against them too much. Last week, they took on a good Giants team on the road and came away with an impressive seven-point win. They have taken their last three after their bye week. QB Kurt Warner has regained his form and has now passed for over 800 yards while throwing five TD passes in the three wins, completing 68% of his passes. The Cards’ biggest change has been on the defensive side of the ball where they are allowing just 18.2 points per game, which puts them in the top seven in fewest points allowed. Outside of the game vs. the Colts (who are putting up big numbers on everyone), that number dips to just 15.6 ppg. Although not grouped with the real uglies in the league (Oakland, KC, Cleveland, St. Louis, Detroit, Tampa Bay), Carolina is a really bad team. They have won two games - against really bad teams in Tampa Bay and Washington. And both of those games lay in the balance until the final minutes of hte game. The Cards are allowing nothing on the ground which puts Carolina in a bad spot as Jake Delhomme is going to have to have a big game - something he hasn't done in quite some time. Delhomme has become a turnover machine with 17 INTs and three lost fumbles in his last seven games. He is now personally responsible for three turnovers per game. And this all started for him in the playoffs last year vs. this Arizona team in a game in which he turned the ball over five times. That will be in his head and right now that's disasterous for him and his team. The Panthers have put Josh McCown on IR, leaving only Matt Moore as the backup to Delhomme. The Panthers' offense has been stalled except against losing teams, and last week they couldn't even reach double-digits vs. Buffalo. With lots of injuries and a QB starving for confidence, Carolina won't be able to put up much of a fight. Arizona should roll here.