By Dan Arkush
Sept. 29, 2008

Arizona’s 56-35 loss to the Jets in the Meadowlands Sunday was an undeniable eyesore. But Jets S Eric Smith’s direct full-speed hit on Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin in the game’s final 27 seconds turned the team’s second road loss of the season into an immediate afterthought.

Scary visions of Boldin lying motionless on the Meadowlands turf will linger for a long time, but the news that X-rays revealed no serious injuries to the Cardinals’ star pass catcher made what turned out to be a very disappointing 10-day road trip out East a bit more tolerable.

It’s too early in the week to know just how quickly Boldin might be able to return to action, but the fact that he was able to walk out of a Manhattan hospital late Sunday under his own power was a welcome relief to the Cardinals' players and coaches, all of whom have the utmost respect for arguably the team’s most popular player. Boldin, who flew home Sunday night in team president Michael Bidwill’s private plane, will no doubt be received warmly at whatever point he returns to team headquarters early this week.

What won’t be well-received under any circumstances was the team’s subpar effort against Brett Favre and the Jets, its 21-point third-quarter rally notwithstanding.

Before that comeback, the Cardinals had managed to fall behind 34-0. Favre carved up the team’s subpar pass defense like a master surgeon, while his counterpart, Kurt Warner, had one of his sloppiest games in recent memory, registering six turnovers (three interceptions, three fumbles) before getting his act together in the second half.

The 56 points the Cardinals allowed tied a team record, while the 34 points allowed in the second quarter set a franchise record for ineptitude. Arizona Republic columnist Dan Bickley put the dreadful first half in perspective, writing that the second quarter “might have been the most embarrassing 15 minutes of football in team history, and that’s saying something.”

The PFW spin

Cardinals DE Darnell Dockett went as far as to say after the Jets game that the team’s shaky performance on both sides of the ball actually could serve as a badly needed wake-up call, especially if Boldin emerges from his collision with Smith unscathed. Being back home the next two games will certainly help, but the opponents in those games — the undefeated Bills followed by the 3-1 Cowboys — could come up smelling like roses if the Cardinals stink as much as they did against the Jets.

Warner was ragged enough to trigger queries from the team’s beat writers regarding the possibility of him being replaced by Matt Leinart, but head coach Ken Whisenhunt said after the game that he intended to stick with the two-time league MVP under center. Warner wasn’t helped at all by his interior line, which was totally dominated by Jets NT Kris Jenkins. The Cardinals’ continued failure inside the red zone was another notable problem.

As for the defense, it couldn’t have been more disappointing, even though a pair of key performers (SS Adrian Wilson and DE Bertrand Berry) were out with injuries. Granted, Clancy Pendergast’s unit wasn’t helped any by an offense that just kept on coughing the ball back to the Jets. But the defense's pass coverage was practically nonexistent, and missed tackles were another major problem.

After the way they performed in the first two games, it looked like the Cardinals could be on their way to replacing the Seahawks as the NFC West’s most solid team. But their road woes the past two weeks have now become cause for genuine concern.     

Our fantasy take

Forget about reality. In the fantasy football world, the Cardinals continue to fly high. Warner still managed to pass for 472 yards and TDs to go with his three interceptions. Boldin and fellow WRs Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston each had more than 100 yards receiving. And RBs Edgerrin James and rookie Tim Hightower combined for three TDs. Keep close tabs on the condition of Boldin, whose status will probably remain questionable well into the coming week.