Arizona offense vs. Washington defense

	CARDINALS OFFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	Run	28
	Pass	29
	Tot. Yds.	29
	Scoring	30
	Int's allowed	21
	Sacks allowed	34
	REDSKINS DEFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	vs. Run	26
	vs. Pass	30
	Total yds. allowed	31
	# of Ints.	17
	# of Sacks	31
	Turnover differential	+2

The Cardinals had one of their worst offensive outputs in recent memory against Philadelphia in the first half of their game last week, totaling only 56-yards of total offense. The Cardinal running game, which had averaged 110 yards per game over the previous three weeks, evaporated against one of the most undersized front fours in the NFL.

The Cardinals need to get back to the run this week, both to keep the talented Redskin offense off the field and to take the pressure off QB Jake Plummer, who is much more productive when Arizona is effective running the football. To do so against a struggling Redskin defense, the Cards must employ the simplified blocking schemes the team has used over the last few weeks, utilizing drive blocking and a size and strength advantage at both tackle positions. RBs Adrian Murrell and Michael Pittman have to hit the holes without dancing at the LOS and get into a Redskin back seven that is one of the more suspect tackling units in the league.

The Redskin defense must approach this week's game with the intent of stopping Cardinal QB Plummer. With Arizona's three-wideout attack, Plummer will be looking to unload the ball quickly and this means that first and foremost, the Redskins have to practice sound tackling.

All of the Cardinal WRs have good athletic ability, particularly Moore and Boston, and will make you pay if you miss tackles. Washington's corners, Champ Bailey and Darrell Green also need to stop jumping the short routes and getting burned deep. Bailey was victimized last week, and this is an aspect of the rookie's game that needs to drastically improve.

The play of the Redskins defensive line continues to improve on a weekly basis, and last week against the Lions, this group accounted for five sacks. Against an inexperienced Arizona offensive line, strong play of this unit could be the difference in what promises to be a close game.

To slow the Cardinal running attack, the Redskin defensive tackles, Dana Stubblefield and Dan Wilkinson, need to create a pile at the point of attack, forcing the Cardinal runners outside where the team's quick linebackers can make tackles.

LOLB Shawn Barber is one of the best athletes on the team, and has the AA to run down the football anywhere on the field, but he's playing with a shoulder sprain, and could be a liability if his health doesn't improve this week.

Arizona will undoubtedly blitz Redskin QB Brad Johnson, who was ineffective last week while getting tossed around by an aggressive Lion front seven. When Johnson is hit a lot or forced to throw on the run, he tends to hurry his throws and not go through his progressions the way he normally would.

Washington needs to get back to basics by giving the ball to RB Stephen Davis. Davis is averaging 4.8 per carry and leads the NFL with 16 touchdowns. When Davis is effective running the football, the Redskins are one of the best offensive units in the NFL. Davis draws opposing linebackers closer to the LOS, creating space on the underneath routes for WR Albert Connell, TE Stephen Davis and FB Larry Centers.

LOT Andy Heck will need to have a good game this week against Arizona RDE Simeon Rice, who leads the NFL with 12 + sacks. Heck has the feet and hands to contain Rice in pass protection, but does not have the size and strength to dominate him in the running the game the way many tackles would.

The Cardinal defense has been successful over the past four weeks for several reasons. First, quality play by an underrated defensive line; and second, a talented secondary that always seems to come-up with a big play when the team needs one.

The secondary and the line share a symbiotic relationship in that the pressure that the line is generating up front is forcing opposing QBs to hurry their passes into the talented, playmaking secondary. RDE Simeon Rice has been more effective this season, largely because the Cardinals have allowed him to line-up further outside and use his speed to get around opposing tackles and get to the quarterback.

Against the Redskins, the Cardinals face some match-up problems, particularly if Washington runs the ball a lot. With two undersized DEs, Arizona is susceptible to off-tackle and outside running plays. To counteract this, the Cardinal DTs must create a pile in the middle of the field, take away the Washington inside running game entirely, and free-up the linebackers to help support the DEs on the outside.

In passing situations, the Cardinals have to get to Johnson and force him to throw on the run. When the Cardinal front seven creates chaos, it frees up the likes of LDC Aeneas Williams and FS Kwamie Lassiter to make plays. Williams will be matched up with the Redskins' Westbrook for much of the day, and his success against Westbrook will dictate how successful the Cardinals will be defensively.