Kevin Kolb to Buffalo: What it means for Bills, Jets

BY NICK ST. DENIS

The Buffalo Bills inked free agent quarterback Kevin Kolb Saturday to a two-year deal reportedly worth a maximum of $13 million.

With that, let the ripple effect begin. (photo: AZKodiak, Flickr)

Buffalo's acquisition of the seven-year veteran not only readjusts its depth chart, but it also changes the look of its approach to the draft and ends talk of a possible Kolb-Marty Mornhinweg reunion via the New York Jets.

Pats pick up Adrian Wilson, return Kyle Arrington

BY SEAN DONOVAN

The New England Patriots, in the hunt for veteran defensive help, brought in three free agents on Friday for official visits. By Friday night, they had one signed.

The Patriots agreed to terms with 12-year veteran and former All-Pro safety Adrian Wilson on a three-year deal, according to Mike Jurecki of XTRA 910 radio. New England also hosted veteran defensive ends Dwight Freeney and John Abraham. (photo: Victor Dorantes, Wikimedia Commons)

Financial terms of the deal have not yet been announced.

Bell joins Cardinals, Landry likely to sign elsewhere

BY NICK ST. DENIS

For the second season in a row, the New York Jets will have an all new starting safety corps.

While LaRon Landry was being courted by the Indianapolis Colts Wednesday, the Arizona Cardinals snagged veteran Yeremiah Bell.

The 35-year-old Bell was solid for the Jets in 2012 and provided some continuity and leadership. He was the rock of the centerfield while Landry flew around and made plays.

Ex-Jet Kerry Rhodes has field day vs. former team

BY NICK ST. DENIS

Before the 2010 season, the New York Jets traded safety Kerry Rhodes to the Arizona Cardinals for a pair of late-round draft picks. Jets coach Rex Ryan later called Rhodes "selfish" in his book.

Rhodes was plenty selfish Sunday against his former team. (photo: Football Schedule, Flickr)

Rhodes intercepted Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez twice and forced a fumble in the Cardinals' 7-6 loss. He also had six tackles and defensed three passes.

The former Jet's performance helped get Sanchez benched. Rhodes told Kimberly A. Martin of Newsday that he told Sanchez "to keep his head up" throughout the game, adding that it's been a tough year for Sanchez with fans "calling for his head."

Gameday Deciding Factors: Cardinals at Jets

BY NICK ST. DENIS

Things were as dark as ever for the New York Jets last week after a blowout loss to the division rival New England Patriots. But Gang Green (4-7) had 10 days to put that one behind them, and they now begin a very favorable five-game finish to the schedule, starting with the Arizona Cardinals (4-7). (photo: Football Schedule, Flickr)

The Jets will host the Cardinals in their first home game without Fireman Ed, though Arizona, loser of seven straight games, should give New York the boost it needs to get through.

DECIDING FACTORS:

Third down, again. This seems to be a weekly thing with the Jets, but it's especially noteworthy this time around. The Jets' second-worst third-down defense is up against the worst third-down offense in the league. If New York can't get off the field against this pitiful defense, then, well... we'll see what happens.

Sound alarm on pass rush. This week, Rex Ryan called his team's sack total of 17 "alarming." Well, Rex, now's the time to turn it around. Arizona has given up 46 sacks this season, which is by far the most in the NFL. Second-year defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson is quietly having a very good season, and look for him to wreak having on the Cardinals' terrible offensive line that is now missing its starting center.

Non-factor Fitzgerald. Larry Fitzgerald is one of the most talented receivers in the NFL, but his goods are being wasted in an offense that can't get him the ball, albeit it because of bad pass protection or awful quarterbacking. Normally, Fitzgerald would require a lot of attention, but since Lindley is at the helm, the Jets will likely just stick Antonio Cromartie on him 1-on-1 and use the other bodies elsewhere until Lindley proves they need to do otherwise.

Play special for Westhoff. The Jets' special teams unit has embarrassed soon-to-be-retired coach Mike Westhoff, who doesn't deserve to go out like this. Gang Green has made regular errors on special teams, whether it's blocked field goals, fumbles, giving up long returns or surrendering onside kicks -- all things uncharacteristic of a Westhoff unit. It's time they gave Westhoff a performance he deserves. The Cardinals punt more than any team in the league, so the Jets will have ample opportunities in the return game.

Week 13 AFC East game picks: Cardinals at Jets

Lead writer Nick St. Denis and AFC East Daily contributors Dan Begnoche and Sean Donovan pick the New York Jets' home bout with the NFC's Arizona Cardinals.

Nick's take:

The Jets stink as of late, but there are worse teams. The Cardinals are one of them. Arizona is down to its third-string quarterback, a rookie sixth-rounder named Ryan Lindley, and his four-interception debut last week didn't breath much life into a team that has lost seven straight after a 4-0 start. Arizona will play scared on offense, and its top-teir pass defense will go to waste against a Jets offense that won't need to throw the ball a whole lot.

Prediction: Jets 24, Cardinals 6

Sean's take:

The Jets can't seem to catch a break these days. Luckily, this week they get a visit from an Arizona team averaging just 16.4 points per game, which is next-to-last in the NFL. If Rex Ryan stays true to his roots of aggressive defense and his offense stays at least a little stable in this one, it should be a comfortable win for Gang Green.

Prediction: Jets 21, Cardinals 3

Jets expect 'run, run, run, play-action' from Cardinals

BY NICK ST. DENIS

The Arizona Cardinals will be starting sixth-round rookie quarterback Ryan Lindley Sunday when they play visitor to the New York Jets, and the Jets don't expect the Cardinals to leave much to chance. (photo: Football Schedule, Flickr)

“They have a rookie quarterback, so they are going to try to keep the game plan conservative — run, run, run and play-action," Jets linebacker David Harris told Eric Allen of NewYorkJets.com.

If you thought the Jets' offense was anemic, you'll get a major dose of reality when the Cardinals take the field at MetLife Stadium Sunday.

Thanks to Jets, Cards can relate to Jets' meltdown

BY NICK ST. DENIS

Ken Whisenhunt can sort of relate to how the New York Jets were feeling in their second-quarter, 35-point collapse against the New England Patriots last week. He can thank the Jets for that.

The last time the Cardinals head coach faced Gang Green was in 2008, when Brett Favre threw six touchdown passes in a Jets victory. New York scored 34 points in the second quarter of that game and led 34-0 at the half. (photo: GMO66, Flickr)

Last Thursday, an unlikely series of miscues saw the Jets cough up up 21 points in 52 seconds to the Patriots en route to 35 straight points. New York mustered a measly field goal at the end of the half to go into the break down 35-3.

"It’s tough. It’s unusual that you see something happen like that and there’s not a lot you can do about it," Whisenhunt told the Jets media Monday, via NewYorkJets.com. "They continue to play hard and they have good players. That’s one of the unfortunate things that happen.

Rex 'cherishes' first NFL experience with Cardinals

BY NICK ST. DENIS

Regardless of what you may think of Rex Ryan as head coach of the New York Jets, the guy has a pretty impressive coaching resume.

Ryan went from a graduate assistant at Eastern Kentucky in the late 1980s to one of the best defensive coaches in the game leading the mid-2000 Baltimore Ravens' defense. A few years later, he's the lead guy for New York's green team.

But Ryan held a lot of gigs in between, one being his first NFL job -- coaching linebackers and defensive linemen with the Arizona Cardinals under his father, Buddy Ryan, who was head coach at the time. (photo: Marianne O'Leary, Flickr)

"... that’s something I was grateful for. I think that’s the best thing that really ever happened to me from a career standpoint," Ryan told reporters Monday, via NewYorkJets.com. "I got to coach under my father for two years and see how he would approach offenses and game planning and specific things to opponents and he really was 20 years ahead of his time at least."

Gailey, Jackson explain value of staying out West

BY NICK ST. DENIS

The Buffalo Bills knew staying out West between their Week 5 game against the San Francisco 49ers and Week 6 bout with the Arizona Cardinals would be beneficial for jet lag and practice routine purposes.

It might've been even more valuable than they thought.

After getting blown out 45-3 in San Francisco following a 52-28 stinker against the New England Patriots, Buffalo camped out in Arizona in preparation for the overachieving Cards. The Bills left the desert with a 19-16 overtime victory and a share of the AFC East lead, tiebreakers aside, at 3-3.

“Guys had to lean on each other while we were out here and we had to lean on each other during the game," Bills running back Fred Jackson told reporters after the game. "Defense, special teams, and offense played well. I think guys are growing up and coming together.”

Bills ride waves of emotion in 'gut check' victory

BY NICK ST. DENIS

The Buffalo Bills rode waves of emotion in the final minutes of their road bout with the Arizona Cardinals Sunday, but they ultimately left feeling pretty good after a 19-16 overtime victory.

Over the course of the final seven minutes of regulation and overtime, Buffalo got two crucial interceptions from defensive back Jairus Byrd and saw opposing kicker Jay Feely make a 61-yard field goal but have a 38-yarder tipped and hit the left upright.

"There are highs and lows," Bills coach Chan Gailey told reporters after the game. "As football teams, you have to handle highs and lows not only in a game but in a season. You just keep fighting. That was impressive by our football team."

Byrd picked off Kevin Kolb with just over six minutes left in the fourth quarter as the Bills were nursing a 3-point lead. Buffalo, however, was unable to extend the margin, and Feely was good on the crazy-long kick with just over a minute to go. The Cardinals, however, couldn't put the game away on the shorter kick as time expired.

Gameday Deciding Factors: Bills at Cardinals

BY DAN BEGNOCHE

The Buffalo Bills camped out in Arizona this week to avoid another dose of West Coast jet lag, but what they’re really looking to avoid is another embarrassing loss and a three-game losing streak. The Bills will face the Cardinals, who were knocked down a peg from their unbeaten record last week at the hands of a stout defensive attack from the St. Louis Rams. While Buffalo has struggled on both sides of the ball in recent weeks, Sunday could be a turnaround game against a team banged up on the offensive side of the ball and struggling to accumulate yardage.

DECIDING FACTORS:

Under “D” microscope. Let’s face it: the Bills’ defense has been atrocious the past two weeks, and it didn’t get any better this week with the loss of defensive tackle Mark Anderson. The team’s change in formation and roster in the offseason is starting to raise questions about its effectiveness, but Sunday’s game in Phoenix could change that. Cards quarterback Kevin Kolb has been sacked 17 times in two games, and with their top two running backs out of the picture, Buffalo’s defense has a chance to show that they can stand up to the preseason hype and accumulate more than two sacks a game.

Still kicking around. Flying under the radar this year for Buffalo has been its special teams squad, which has been performing above and beyond any other aspect of the Bills' game. The punt return squad, led by Leodis McKelvin, is tops in the league, and the kick return group isn’t too shabby either. McKelvin is averaging around 30 yards per return in both situations, including two for more than 40 yards and one touchdown. That could play in the Bills’ favor Sunday, as the Cardinals have struggled to defend on special teams.

Young vs. old. If the Cardinals are going to make an offensive splash on Sunday, it’s going to be in the passing game, and only one name comes to mind when talking about Cardinals playmakers: Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is primed for another big season, tallying strong stats thus far, and it will be a true coverage test for Bills’ rookie cornerback Stephon Gilmore this week against the future Hall of Famer. The Bills will likely try to play a bunch of press coverage on Fitzgerald to lean toward Gilmore’s strengths, but they better be sure to play a safety over the top or Fitzgerald could be the one showing his strengths. (Photo: Broderick Delaney, Flickr)

Home again. Arizona has been a force at home, touting an eight-game winning streak at University of Phoenix Stadium. In those eight games, however, the Cardinals’ margin of victory has only been an average of 6 points, with two tight victories already this season against the Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins. If the Cards win, it would be a 10-2 record at home with Ken Whisenhunt at the helm; with that many close games, however, it only takes one big play to turn the tables. Keep an eye on Buffalo’s speedsters in that regard, specifically running back C.J. Spiller and wide receiver T.J. Graham.

Week 6 AFC East game picks: Bills at Cardinals

Lead writer Nick St. Denis and AFC East Daily contributors Dan Begnoche, Sean Donovan and Sam Hollingsworth pick the Buffalo Bills' road matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.

Nick's take:

Bills center Eric Wood said it best this week: Enough is enough. The Bills have been bullied in three of five games, giving up an average of 48.3 points a game in their losses. Buffalo needs to put its foot down in Arizona, and it starts with generating penetration on defense against the Cardinals' mediocre offensive line. Offensively, Buffalo, has to focus on ball security, something it has neglected thus far. The Bills do enough Sunday to win this one.

Prediction: Bills 20, Cardinals 17.

Dan's take:

Victims of two crushing losses the past two weeks, expect Buffalo to come out throwing haymakers on both sides of the ball against a Cardinals team down two running backs and coming off a wake-up call beating in St. Louis. Against a weak rushing attack, the Bills can get back to the business of rushing the passer, a task that will be made a bit more difficult without defensive tackle Mark Anderson. Keep an eye on the speedsters on the Buffalo side in this game, particularly running back C.J. Spiller and rookie receiver T.J. Graham.

Prediction: Bills 21, Cardinals 17

Bills' Jackson: We haven't done anything to help 'D'

BY NICK ST. DENIS

The Buffalo Bills are giving up a league-most 35.2 points per game, which isn't a good look for a defense that was highly-touted before the season.

But the Bills' offense hasn't been much help, as Buffalo has a minus-4 turnover ratio. The Bills are also coming off a blowout loss the the San Francisco 49ers that saw them score just three points and convert just two third downs.

"That is just it. Our defense has taken a lot of heat, but we have not done anything to help them as an offensive unit," Fred Jackson told reporters Thursday, according to the Bills' website. "... We have not made big plays consistently in our offense for the last two weeks and that is hurting us. We have to be able to establish the running game with myself and C.J. (Spiller). We have to get that going early. If we do that it is going to take some pressure off of myself and everybody else in the offense."

"We have turned the ball over and teams have taken advantage of that and gotten points off of them. We have to eliminate that and we have to convert third downs. ... To get points and sustain drives, you have to be able to convert third downs and that is going to be a big part of what we do. If we can get that done, eliminate the turnovers, then we can be a pretty dangerous offense."

Film Review: Good, bad of Tannehill vs. Cards' blitz

BY SEAN DONOVAN

The Miami Dolphins had easily their most statistically productive day of the season this past Sunday in Arizona, setting a number of franchise marks in passing, receiving and sacks. But despite the outstanding play on both sides of the ball, the Dolphins committed costly turnovers and the Cardinals were able to win in overtime, 24-21.

The game was a case study in how poorly-timed mistakes can erase even the most complete game of football by one team.

Rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill set the Dolphins' rookie record with 431 passing yards, 253 of which went to wide receiver Brian Hartline, which was also a Dolphins' single-game record. All while facing a talented, blitz-happy Arizona defense.

In fact, Tannehill's most effective work came in the face of extra pressure. But it would also result in his most egregious errors.

Plethora of positives still translate to Dolphins loss

BY SEAN DONOVAN

By nearly every measure, the Miami Dolphins out-played the unbeaten Arizona Cardinals on the road Sunday. But, as has been the case in Miami's other two losses of this season, poorly timed mistakes doomed the upstart Dolphins as they suffered a 24-21 overtime loss.

Seventeen of the Cardinals' 24 total points came off either a Ryan Tannehill turnover or a missed field goal. Arizona picked off two passes and recovered two fumbles, which gave the Cardinals the opportunities they needed to win despite a historic passing performance by Tannehill.

Tannehill completed 26-of-41 passes and threw for one touchdown, and his 431 passing yards were the most ever by a Dolphin not named Dan Marino, and he set the franchise record for a rookie. The total is also good for the fifth most passing yards by a rookie in NFL history.

But Tannehill wasn't the only Dolphin who etched his name in the record books in this game.

Brian Hartline broke the franchise mark for receiving yards in a game with 253 on 12 receptions, and his 80-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter was the Dolphins' longest play since 2008.

Gameday Deciding Factors: Dolphins at Cardinals

BY SEAN DONOVAN

When the schedule was released back in April, the Miami Dolphins' Week 4 game in Arizona looked like one of the most winnable matchups of the early season. But after victories over contenders New England and Philadelphia, the 3-0 Cardinals are playing the role of a juggernaut.

With a strong defense and some steady play from the much-maligned Kevin Kolb, the Cardinals are now sizable favorites on Sunday. Rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins will have their hands full but will have their say in the outcome with a surprisingly-good defense and offensive playmakers of their own.

Deciding Factors:

Limit Larry Fitzgerald. Poor quarterback play has kept Fitzgerald somewhat under the radar of late, but make no mistake; the guy is a top-3 receiving weapon in this league. The Dolphins will have to do everything in their power to keep him from beating them deep and gaining yards after the catch. Possibly losing starting cornerback Richard Marshall to injury will hamper this effort, so it will be up to coordinator Kevin Coyle to put together a gameplan that can slow down Fitzgerald (Photo: Broderick Delaney, Flickr).

Rattle Kevin Kolb. If Kolb has proven anything since signing a massive free agent deal with Arizona last season, it's that he's prone to committing turnovers. His play has been relatively clean through three games, but if the Dolphins can disrupt the pocket, it should force Kolb into mistakes. Outside of Cameron Wake, Miami's defensive front has not yet generated consistent pressure this season. Arizona's atrocious offensive line should provide opportunities for that.

Utilize the West Coast offense. The Cardinals' front seven is big and strong, and it pursues laterally very well. It'll be tough for Miami to have the same success on the ground that it's had so far this season, so it'll be up to Tannehill to move the ball some more through the air. Problem is, Arizona's secondary is just as difficult to beat. The Dolphins need to use their West Coast principles and get their players out in space with the short passing game. Tannehill will need to be decisive and concise with his throws for it to work.

Week 4 AFC East game picks: Dolphins at Cardinals

Lead writer Nick St. Denis and AFC East Daily contributors Dan Begnoche, Sean Donovan and Sam Hollingsworth pick the Miami Dolphins' road bout with the Arizona Cardinals.

Nick's take:

The Cardinals' 31st-ranked offense, which has gained just 262.3 yards a game through three weeks, has been good enough for an undefeated record. That's probably because Arizona's defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks a combined 12 times while forcing four fumbles -- all if which it recovered -- including one for a touchdown. The Cards' top-tier defensive unit will overpower Miami's developing offense and make enough plays to compensate for its not-very-good offense against a stout Dolphins defense.

Prediction: Cardinals 24, Dolphins 17

Sean's take:

The Cardinals are the biggest surprise of the young season, not just because they're 3-0 but because they've beaten favorites New England and Philadelphia to get there. But after three weeks, their team is decimated by injuries while relying on quarterback Kevin Kolb to sustain the success. In a matchup between two teams with under-the-radar defenses and inconsistent offenses, the Dolphins take a step forward and eek out the upset on the road.

Prediction: Dolphins 23, Cardinals 20

Week 3 Poll: Patriots' loss a fluke or an indication?

BY NICK ST. DENIS

Find me a non-Cardinals fan with a pre-game prognostication that Arizona would beat the New England Patriots last Sunday. I won't hold my breath.

The Cardinals stunned New England, in Foxborough, handing the Patriots their first-ever loss at Gillette Stadium in a home-opener.

New England scored on just one of three red zone trips, was 5-for-15 on third down and saw quarterback Tom Brady throw an interception on the offense's first play from scrimmage before tossing just a single touchdown pass in a 20-18 loss.

Every team gets upset from time-to-time. Even the Patriots. But not in this fashion, at home as two-touchdown favorites. At least not until now.

Was the Patriots' Week 2 stumble a fluke, or is it an indication that the Patriots aren't as good as we all thought?

Vote: Poll at the top-right of the page.

Pats' first home-opener loss at Gillette a sloppy one

BY NICK ST. DENIS

Numbers didn't lie in the New England Patriots' 20-18 upset loss to the Arizona Cardinals Sunday.

There's no way around it -- the Patriots' Week 2 casualty was an absolute stunner. Prior to Sunday, the Patriots had never lost in 10 straight home-openers at Gillette Stadium.

“Yeah. We didn’t play very good," Patriots guard Logan Mankins said, according to the team's website. "Not scoring a touchdown until the fourth quarter, kicking field goals, penalties, pressures, negative runs – the offense, we didn’t bring our best game and it really showed.”

Quarterback Tom Brady was sacked four times, his offense was five-for-15 on third down, and he tossed just one touchdown to one interception.

New England also converted on only one of four red zone trips.

And to cap it off, the Patriots had a punt blocked, which set up an Arizona touchdown, and kicker Stephen Gostkowski missed a 42-yard field goal at the end of the game to seal the loss.