Audio By Carbonatix
It was ugly, Derek Anderson played like crap — again — but it was a win.
The Arizona Cardinals eked out a 24-23 victory over the Oakland Raiders yesterday, and aside from the team’s record, Cards’ fans have little to be happy about.
For the second time in three weeks, the Cardinals won a football game they didn’t deserve to win. The offense — Anderson leading the way — struggled against a mediocre-at-best Oakland defense, and the win was only the result of Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski catching a case of Scott-Norwood-itis.
Janikowski missed three field goals yesterday, including a would-be game winner with four seconds left on the clock.
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It should be pointed out that the Cardinals’ defense didn’t block the kick, Janikowski just flat out missed — from 32 yards out.
“It’s very shocking,” Oakland running back Darren McFadden said after the game. “I call him Automatic Seabass, so it’s just one of those things. If he kicked that ball 100 times, he’s going to make 99 of them. It just so happened that he missed that one.”
Unfortunately for the Raiders, “that one” was the one that mattered.
Like last week, penalties hurt the Cardinals. Collectively, penalties cost the Cards 104 yards, including a 39-yard pass interference call on Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie that set up Janikowski’s missed field goal in the final seconds of the game.
The Raiders offset the Cards’ penalties with 11 of their own.
Penalties aside, Anderson’s gotta get it together for the Cardinals to have any chance at making the playoffs.
Anderson went 12 for 26 for 108 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception. He only managed to connect with Larry Fitzgerald twice in seven tries — and he continues to miss his receivers.
Beanie Wells played well in his first game after knee surgery, with 14 carries for 75 yards.
The Cards head to San Diego next week to take on the Chargers. The Cards may want to keep in mind that luck only lasts for so long and theirs seems like it’s about to run out. For more information, see www.arizonacardinals.com.
