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There's little sense in taking the bait when San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh tells a radio program Michael Crabtree "has the best hands I've ever seen on a wide receiver."

Anyone with a strong grasp of NFL history would place Cris Carter, Raymond Berry and Steve Largent on a short list for receivers with the surest hands.

Hall of Famer Ken Houston, speaking for a 2008 piece on all-time great wideouts, stood up for AFL stars Otis Taylor and Lionel Taylor.

"Lionel Taylor, I mean, he would catch a BB," Houston said.

Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson, speaking for the same piece, said Randy Moss, then with New England, had the best hands in the NFL at that time (2008).

"A lot of guys can catch," Thompson said then. "He can catch on any platform, as we say in scouting. He can adjust and catch it over the top of somebody's head, catch it falling down, and it doesn't matter if he is covered."

With Moss now on the 49ers, it is possible Crabtree does not possess the best hands among wide receivers on his own team.

Oops. I wasn't going to take the bait on this one, but now it's too late. Time to regroup.

Bottom line, I suspect Crabtree has impressed Harbaugh this offseason, and Harbaugh would like that to continue for as long as possible. By offering such strong public praise for Crabtree, Harbaugh is setting a standard for Crabtree to meet this season. He realizes Crabtree has the ability to meet that standard, or else he wouldn't make the statement.

We should all recall Harbaugh's calling quarterback Alex Smith "elite" and promoting him for the Pro Bowl last season. Then as now, Harbaugh was standing up for his guy. Smith enjoyed the finest season of his career and even outplayed the truly elite Drew Brees at times during the 49ers' playoff victory over New Orleans. The way Harbaugh backed Smith played a role in that performance, in my view.

Back to Crabtree. He has the ability to rank among the most sure-handed receivers in the game. He has not yet earned that status, but now he has little choice, right?

As the chart shows, Crabtree finished the 2011 season with 12.2 receptions per drop, which ranked 28th in the NFL among players targeted at least 100 times. Larry Fitzgerald led the NFL with 80 receptions and only one drop. Those numbers are according to ESPN Stats & Information, which defines drops as "incomplete passes where the receiver should have caught the pass with ordinary effort."

Crabtree suffered six drops last season by that standard, a few too many for the player with the best hands his head coach has ever seen on a wide receiver.

NFL general managers put their reputations on the line come draft day.

Some fare better than others.

The chart shows how many Pro Bowl players current NFC West GMs have drafted or helped draft over the past 10 years.

The numbers are not definitive. Current GMs from the division weren't always primary decision makers during the period in question. They do not deserve all the credit (or blame) for the players their teams drafted.

In some cases -- think first-team All-Pro choice NaVorro Bowman in San Francisco, for example -- very good players have not yet achieved Pro Bowl acclaim. In other cases, a single decision -- say, drafting Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay -- improved an organization's trajectory enough to launch other players to the Pro Bowl.

What we have, basically, is a starting point for discussion heading into the 2012 draft. Here's a look at each current NFC West GM and the associated 2002-2011 draft choices with Pro Bowls on their résumés:

• John Schneider, Seattle Seahawks (10): Schneider is entering his third draft as a GM after joining the Seahawks from Green Bay, where he worked under Ted Thompson. Seattle safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor went to the Pro Bowl after last season. Schneider was in Green Bay when the Packers drafted eventual Pro Bowl choices B.J. Raji, Javon Walker, Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews, Nick Collins, Greg Jennings, Aaron Kampman and Scott Wells. Three notable non-Pro Bowl picks: Jermichael Finley, Richard Sherman, Matt Flynn.
• Trent Baalke, San Francisco 49ers (8): Baalke was with the Washington Redskins when they selected Sean Taylor and Chris Cooley. He was with the 49ers in a sub-GM role when San Francisco selected Vernon Davis, Patrick Willis, Joe Staley, Frank Gore, Dashon Goldson and Michael Robinson. Three notable non-Pro Bowl picks: Bowman, Aldon Smith, Ray McDonald.
• Rod Graves, Arizona Cardinals (7): Graves has been the Cardinals' GM for the entire period in question, although personnel director Steve Keim is ultimately responsible for setting the draft board. Draft choices Larry Fitzgerald, Patrick Peterson, Antrel Rolle, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Anquan Boldin, Darnell Dockett and Antonio Smith achieved Pro Bowl status. Smith went to the Pro Bowl with Houston last season. That counts for the purposes of our discussion. Three notable non-Pro Bowl picks: Calais Campbell, Karlos Dansby, Daryl Washington.
• Les Snead, St. Louis Rams (4): Snead enters his first draft as a GM after a long run with Atlanta. The Falcons selected eventual Pro Bowl choices Matt Ryan, DeAngelo Hall, Roddy White and Matt Schaub when Snead was with the team. Again, the period in question covers only the last 10 drafts, excluding from consideration other players (Michael Vick comes to mind among Snead-era Falcons choices). Three notable non-Pro Bowl picks: Curtis Lofton, Thomas DeCoud, Laurent Robinson.

Whoa, the NFC West chat is getting under way now. Gotta run.

What's going on: Our eight divisional bloggers are participating in an ongoing mock draft Monday. Each blogger can make selections or trade picks for the four teams in his division.

The latest: I selected Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd for the Arizona Cardinals with the 13th overall selection.

My rationale: Tackle Riley Reiff was available and would have filled the greater need. The scouting reports on Reiff suggested he might not be a great value choice at No 13, however. The Cardinals have learned their lesson drafting an offensive tackle for need, having selected Levi Brown fifth overall in 2007. Floyd has the physical dimensions generally associated with receivers drafted among the top three overall selections. He also comes with question marks, but Larry Fitzgerald should be the perfect mentor. Floyd steps into the starting lineup and gives the Cardinals a player scouts consider ideally suited for the "Z" receiver role. With this pick, the Cardinals finally find a No. 2 receiver to succeed Anquan Boldin. Early Doucet is ideally suited for the No. 3 role. And if Andre Roberts takes another step in his development, all the better.

What's next for the NFC West: The Seattle Seahawks are scheduled to pick 27th, followed by the San Francisco 49ers at No. 30 and the Seahawks again at No. 31, following a trade with New England.

Four days until the 2012 NFL draft. In the meantime, the mock drafts are piling up.

The chart below shows new projections from reporters covering the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams.

All three have the Rams and Seahawks drafting for defense. They all have the Arizona Cardinals drafting an offensive lineman and the 49ers drafting a pass-catcher of some sort.


I'll be participating in a live mock draft Monday at 1 p.m. ET, with trades permitted. Details to come.

Moving along ...

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic checks in with Ken Whisenhunt and Rod Graves regarding the Cardinals' draft options. Somers: "Addressing the offensive line in the first round makes considerable sense. The Cardinals haven't drafted a lineman the past two seasons. They haven't taken one above the fifth round since selecting Brown fifth overall in 2007. They have tried to plug holes with veterans at the end of their careers (guard Alan Faneca) and low-round picks they hoped would develop (right tackle Brandon Keith). The results have been mixed at best."

Also from Somers: Whisenhunt points to continuity with Graves and personnel director Steve Keim as keys to success in the draft.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com looks at whether the Arizona Cardinals need a stronger No. 2 receiver to pair with Larry Fitzgerald. Urban: "The Cardinals went to a Super Bowl with Anquan Boldin alongside Larry Fitzgerald, but one of the reasons the Cards were eventually comfortable with dealing Boldin was the success Fitzgerald and the passing game had even in games Boldin missed with injury." Noted: Kurt Warner was the constant.

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune has the Seahawks selecting Alabama inside linebacker Dont'a Hightower in his 2012 first-round mock draft. Williams: "Hawks might move down to get Hightower, but he fills an obvious need and will be the team's quarterback on defense for the next 10 years."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times looks at the Seahawks' need for a linebacker, noting that general manager John Schneider says this draft has more good ones than the previous draft offered. Schneider: "It's completely different than it was last year. There's good numbers up there." Noted: Value could lead the Seahawks to draft a linebacker in the first round, but if there are more to be found throughout the draft, the team could have reason to draft early at a position featuring fewer talented prospects.

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune explains why he thinks Melvin Ingram might have more appeal to the Seahawks than Luke Kuechly. Boling: "Carroll and his staff like to find players with unique skills and then develop ways to work them into a scheme. While Kuechly looks to be a conventional middle linebacker type, Ingram could be more of a fun toy for Carroll."

Brock Huard of 710ESPN Seattle makes two observations after attending a charity event featuring most of the team: Team chemistry appears strong, and the Seahawks have become a much bigger team physically.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch projects LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne to the Rams with the sixth overall pick after teams picking among the top five selected Justin Blackmon and Trent Richardson, among others.

Also from Thomas: The Rams need help at defensive tackle, but none of the top three prospects appears worthy of the sixth overall choice. Thomas: "In a deep defensive tackle class, there should be multiple options for the Rams at the top of the second round and perhaps even at the top of the third."

More from Thomas: a closer look at Claiborne and the cornerbacks. Thomas: "From a pure coverage standpoint, there are those who feel Claiborne is a significantly better prospect than his much-ballyhooed predecessor at LSU, Patrick Peterson, who went No. 5 overall in the 2011 draft to Arizona."

More yet from Thomas: New Rams linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar has good things to say about Gregg Williams.

Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com says HBO has interest in the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers as "Hard Knocks" alternatives to the Atlanta Falcons, who declined to participate. Noted: Tough to envision the 49ers accepting. Their football leadership has sought to close ranks.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com passes along thoughts from 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh on GM Trent Baalke's suggestion the team has one player in mind for the 30th overall choice. Maiocco: "I think Trent's trying to be dramatic with you guys -- build the drama. There's several -- there's a lot of good guys. There are a lot of good guys we'd love to have at that pick. Having been through this once, most of the guys you recognize as great football players are going to be playing against you. That's just the fact of business. But getting the right guy, the right fit for our team, is what we're all focused on."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee has the 49ers drafting receiver Stephen Hill with the 30th pick.

Gwen Knapp of the San Francisco Chronicle looks at history precipitating the 49ers' impending stadium move from San Francisco to Santa Clara.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle says new 49ers running back Brandon Jacobs has great speed -- on the highway.

Phil Barber of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat outlines five positions to watch in the draft for San Francisco.

NFL players won on the lifestyle front in their most recent labor negotiations.

They succeeded in pushing back an offseason that had encroached on their recovery time as teams sought competitive advantages through year-round preparation.

Those victories have come at a price in some situations, however. This would be a perfect time for St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford and other young quarterbacks to spend time with their coaching staffs, but rules prevent that from happening until deep into April. Even Bradford's rehab from an ankle injury became a solo endeavor at times.

Is that what is best for Bradford's career? Is that the path he would choose if given a choice in the matter? It's still only March 29, so perhaps Bradford and other young quarterbacks still have plenty of time. It just seems counter-productive for an outright ban to prevent players from getting in the work some of them would surely welcome.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Bradford recovered from his ankle injury about a month ago, according to coach Jeff Fisher. Fisher: "Now had it been during the season, they probably would've taken a different approach to the rehab. But they felt the best thing for him was to just shut it down. My understanding is that as part of his rehab, he has been doing his drops and sets, and throwing some balls. But we're not permitted to be a part of that."

Also from Thomas: The timing of the NFL's announcement regarding the bounty-related punishments put the Rams and Saints in a difficult spot, perhaps by design. Thomas: "Factor in also the date -- March 2 -- when the NFL released the findings of its investigation. League bylaws prohibit teams from seeking permission to interview a coach under contract with another team after March 1. ... As a result, if Fisher wants to hire a Williams replacement this season, it has to be someone currently out of the league, severely limiting the pool of potential candidates."

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch offers thoughts on Rams owner Stan Kroenke's failed bid to purchase the Los Angeles Dodgers. Miklasz: "Kroenke can still try to move the Rams. Unless he can make a deal to extend the lease at the Edward Jones Dome, Stan the Businessman almost certainly will have an escape clause to leave St. Louis after the 2014 season. ... I'm still among the seven or eight people in St. Louis who believe Kroenke will stay. As one NFL owner told me recently, Kroenke still has one of the best lease arrangements in the NFL. So what's the problem? Kroenke is a cold guy, but he isn't a bad guy. Stan just can't help himself; tough negotiations, and the art of the deal, excite him. So he'll push hard to get the necessary stadium improvements here." Noted: Kroenke is most likely going to want a new stadium, not a refurbished Edward Jones Dome. That is the likely end game. The dome's design is outdated.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle looks into Brandon Jacobs' reputation as a soft runner. Jerry Rice: "I like Brandon Jacobs, but I feel like Brandon Jacobs is a little bit soft. He can’t get away from a defender. This guy is 265 and it upsets me when I see him get tackled by a guy that’s like 190 or 200 pounds."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says Pro Football Weekly draft analyst Nolan Nawrocki thinks the 49ers can find a receiver after the first round. Nawrocki: "You can find them anywhere throughout this draft, so I don't know if they should reach for one that early."

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com checks in with former center Blair Bush, now 55 and a financial analyst. Farnsworth: "Bush anchored the Seahawks’ line from 1983-88, starting 78 games on teams that averaged 9.5 victories, played in the AFC Championship game (1983), won the team’s first division title (1988) and advanced to the playoffs four times (1983, 1984, 1987 and 1988)."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times links to a photo gallery from the movie set where Marshawn Lynch is working this week. O'Neil: "Lee Majors is in it. So is Edward Furlong, aka the young John Conner from 'T2' who is not so young anymore. And then there's Lynch, whose role is detailed as 'Massive Goon.' He's a security guard for the bad guy, and while he does have a line, the script also calls for him to get aced during a bank robbery before he even gets in the building."

Brock Huard of 710ESPN Seattle sees the Seahawks addressing linebacker and pass-rusher early in the draft. Huard: "Todd McShay's latest mock draft would be a dream scenario with a prototypical pass-rusher with the length and strength Carroll desires in UNC's Quinton Coples, and the rare burst and acceleration at linebacker with Cal's Mychal Kendricks. However, the mock draft script could be flipped with the draft's most dynamic and instinctive linebacker at No. 12 with Luke Kuechly going first, and at No. 43 a pass-rusher such as USC's Nick Perry or Marshall's Vinny Curry."

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic quotes Ken Whisenhunt and analyst Daryl Johnston on the Cardinals' quarterback situation. Johnston on whether Kevin Kolb or John Skelton is the best choice: "Kevin Kolb. You have the financial commitment to him. The big thing that happened to Kevin last year is the fact that he didn’t have the offseason to work in, and it was a big change from his style of offense from Philadelphia to Arizona. So he struggled at times. You look at John Skelton did and you look at the record and you say, 'How can you pick Kevin Kolb? [Skelton] has a better win-loss record and football is all about winning.' They won with fewer points per game with a higher turnover ratio, so there are some other things that go there."

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com checks in with Larry Fitzgerald, who is working with Anquan Boldin to fight the effects of drought and famine in Ethiopia. Fitzgerald: "There are so many needs here, basic ones to us back home. Just having clean drinking water or having water at all, (which is) something we never even think about at home. You turn the faucet on and you get clean drinkable water. (Here there is) no water for the livestock who plow the fields for vegetables and food. It’s an ugly cycle."

Kevin Kolb did not meet expectations during his first season with the Arizona Cardinals.

Looks like quarterbacks coach Chris Miller will pay the price.

The bigger question is whether or not Miller's firing Monday clears the way for Todd Haley's rehiring three years after Haley left the Cardinals to become head coach in Kansas City. Firing Miller makes less sense on the surface unless the team has other plans for its staff.

Haley could have opportunities outside Arizona. It's also not clear whether or not Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt wants to shuffle his staff beyond firing Miller. The team promoted Mike Miller to offensive coordinator a year ago. Haley presumably would not take a job as a position coach. He would need to be coordinator. That would affect Mike Miller.

Wedging in the sometimes brash Haley at the expense of two assistants would affect broader staff dynamics as well.

Miller, 46, became the Cardinals' quarterbacks coach in 2009, Kurt Warner's final season with the team. He was a finalist to become head coach at Southern Oregon University a year ago. Miller played extensively in the NFL, but he did not have coaching experience in the league until the Cardinals hired him as a coaching intern in 2007.

Chris Miller obviously wasn't solely to blame for the Cardinals' issues at quarterback or for their offensive decline.

Warner retired and the team parted with receivers Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston. Derek Anderson and Max Hall were not necessarily viable quarterback alternatives in 2010. The team went into 2011 with the unproven Kolb and John Skelton atop its QB depth chart. A lockout prevented Kolb from working with the team much before the season.

The Cardinals have done little to improve their offensive line through the draft. Injuries affected Kolb and both top running backs, Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams.

Notable NFC West appearances on the Advanced NFL Stats player pages tracking measurable contributions through Week 13:

• Seattle's Chris Clemons and Arizona's Calais Campbell appear with Minnesota's Jared Allen and the New York Giants' Jason Pierre-Paul among the top four defensive ends. Clemons and Campbell are strong against run and pass. The interception Campbell made against Philadelphia stands out as a highlight. Michael Vick's pass hit Campbell in the upper body from close range. Campbell seemed to absorb the ball.
• Seattle's Doug Baldwin ranks ninth among receivers. Wes Welker, Victor Cruz, Anquan Boldin, Jordy Nelson and Greg Jennings comprise the top five. Baldwin ranks just ahead of Calvin Johnson and Mike Wallace. The rankings consider only how players' contributions affected their teams' probability for winning. Baldwin is tied for the NFL lead in third-down receptions for first downs. He has 18, one more than Welker.
• Arizona's Darnell Dockett and San Francisco's Justin Smith top the list of NFL defensive tackles. Both play defensive end in 3-4 base defenses. They also play tackle. The NFL has listed them as defensive tackles for years. That is the position they would play in a 4-3 defense. Smith has stood out all season; he leads the defensive tackles listed with 14 quarterback hits. Dockett made impact plays against Dallas in Week 13. This is a strong list. Haloti Ngata and Ndamukong Suh are in the top six.
• San Francisco's Delanie Walker outranks Vernon Davis among tight ends. Davis has outproduced Walker, but Walker's contributions have been more pivotal to winning. For example, Walker caught the winning touchdown pass against Detroit. Walker's 29-yard scoring catch against Dallas broke a 14-14 tie late in the third quarter. Davis and Walker both rank among the top 13.
• Seattle's Kam Chancellor tops the list of safeties.
• The New York Jets' Darrelle Revis leads cornerbacks, but the 49ers' Carlos Rogers and the Seahawks' Brandon Browner are next, just ahead of ex-49ers corner Nate Clements. Rogers and Browner have combined for nine interceptions.

More: offensive and defensive players by position. It's easy to sort columns by various statistical criteria. These aren't definitive player rankings. They're one way to differentiate player contributions beyond the raw yardage stats available everywhere.

The Seattle Seahawks' Kam Chancellor incurred a $20,000 NFL fine for a helmet-to-helmet hit on a defenseless receiver, Anquan Boldin, during the team's victory over Baltimore in Week 10.

Chancellor could be subject to another fine after a helmet-to-helmet hit on St. Louis Rams tight end Lance Kendricks during Seattle's victory at St. Louis in Week 11. If the league determines Chancellor committed the same penalty in back-to-back weeks, a fine of at least $40,000 would seem likely, in my view.

I've put together a chart showing the NFL's schedule of fines for the 2011 season. Fine amounts are minimums. Players and owners agreed upon the fine schedule as part of their latest labor agreement. Per that agreement, the league reserves the right to issue larger fines and also to suspend players, depending on the circumstances.

"This will include a determination of whether the infraction occurred 'during the normal course of the game' (e.g., was consistent with the competitive tempo, pace and situation) or 'outside the normal course of the game' (e.g., was flagrant, unnecessary, avoidable or gratuitous)," the league wrote in explaining its fine schedule.

Fine information usually becomes available on Fridays unless players disclose the information earlier.

Beyond Chancellor's case, I'll be interested in finding out whether Arizona's Early Doucet and/or San Francisco's Dashon Goldson face fines for fighting. First-time offenders can incur fines of at least $25,000 for fighting.

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A quick look at where NFC West rookie first-round draft choices stand at roughly the midpoint of the 2011 season:

• Patrick Peterson, CB, Arizona Cardinals (5th overall): Peterson has started all seven games. He has one interception and has not yet upgraded the Cardinals' pass defense. Peterson has had problems with penalties, but he generally wasn't the one in coverage when Arizona appeared helpless against Anquan Boldin last week or, for one play, Mike Wallace the previous week. Peterson has dramatically upgraded the Cardinals' punt-return game. His touchdown was the difference in the team's victory against Carolina in the opener. He scored again as the Cardinals nearly upset Baltimore. It's fair to say the Cardinals might be winless without him.
• Aldon Smith, OLB, San Francisco 49ers (7th overall): Smith has become a legitimate candidate for defensive rookie of the year. He has 6.5 sacks, most in the NFC West and seventh-most in the league. Smith also collected a key safety during a 25-19 victory at previously unbeaten Detroit. The 49ers' 6-1 record and lofty standing on defense work in Smith's favor regarding rookie honors. Smith is improving as the season progresses and playing a more prominent role. He has collected all of his sacks in the 49ers' last four games. He has a realistic shot at double-digit sacks.
• Robert Quinn, DE, St. Louis Rams (14th overall): Quinn improved his standing substantially with a sack and blocked punt during the Rams' upset victory over the New Orleans Saints in Week 8. The Rams did not plan for Quinn to start this season. James Hall remains the starter ahead of him. Quinn's performance against the Saints suggests his playing time should continue to increase. I thought Quinn started to come on against Washington a few weeks ago. The Rams haven't scored enough points to create the favorable pass-rush situations that would play to Quinn's strengths, particularly at home.
• James Carpenter, RT, Seattle Seahawks (25th overall): Carpenter has started every game for the Seahawks, mostly at right tackle, but also at left guard. His conditioning was a problem early. Carpenter was making strides, but the last couple games have been difficult. Officials flagged Carpenter for two penalties in third-and-long situations against the Bengals. The trend could continue as the Seahawks prepare to face the Dallas Cowboys on the road in Week 9. Overall, though, Carpenter appears on track as the starting right tackle.

Teams aren't getting much from their second-round picks. Arizona's Ryan Williams is on injured reserve. San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick is the No. 2 quarterback, as expected. Lance Kendricks is playing for St. Louis, but his role has diminished lately. The Seattle Seahawks did not make a second-round selection.

Thoughts on the Arizona Cardinals' 30-27 road defeat against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8:

What it means: The Cardinals have now blown second-half leads in losing to Washington, Seattle, the New York Giants and Baltimore, making it tough to build on what progress they did show while building a 24-6 halftime lead against the Ravens. At 1-6, the Cardinals face three consecutive road games following a Week 9 home date with St. Louis, which appeared reborn while upsetting New Orleans.

What I liked: Kevin Kolb absorbed quite a bit of punishment early, but hung tough and drove the Cardinals in position to take a first-quarter lead. His 66-yard completion to Larry Fitzgerald was the longest play against the Ravens this season. Beanie Wells played despite a knee injury and scored a go-ahead touchdown in the second quarter. Rookie first-round pick Patrick Peterson, having already revived the Cardinals' punt-return game this season, scored on an 82-yarder to give Arizona welcome breathing room. The Cardinals finally turned the page at outside linebacker, giving rookie Sam Acho the start over an inactive Joey Porter while also finding time for O'Brien Schofield. Both players recorded sacks. Richard Marshall's interception was a big play for Arizona. The Cardinals held Joe Flacco without a touchdown pass. They allowed only 107 yards rushing, a respectable number.

What I didn't like: The passing game remained inconsistent. The pressure Baltimore put on Kolb was a big factor. Kolb remained hit-and-miss in how he dealt with the pressure. Sometimes, he scrambled to make plays, as when he found Early Doucet in the first half. He somehow avoided a sack that might have moved the team out of realistic field-goal range while trailing 27-24. Other times, Kolb risked sacks and turnovers. He's an adventure at a position where teams need consistency over time. The Cardinals converted just twice on 11 third-down opportunities. The offense managed only 207 yards compared to 405 for the Ravens. On defense, cornerback A.J. Jefferson had a rough game against Anquan Boldin. The Cardinals eventually changed up their coverage plan as a result. Jefferson was not on the field late.

What's next: The Cardinals are home against the St. Louis Rams in Week 9.

The weekly "Final Word" item scheduled for later Friday includes a note about the defenses NFC West teams face in Week 8.

Basically, three of four opponents rank fourth or higher in yards allowed this season. All four have faced NFC West offenses, too.

There is a connection, in case you missed the Seattle Seahawks' 6-3 defeat to Cleveland or the San Francisco 49ers' 13-8 victory at Cincinnati. I'm not predicting a sudden scoring run for NFC West offenses this week, suffice to say.

A look at Week 8 predictions for division teams after a 2-1 showing last week left my record at 16-6 for the season:

• Arizona Cardinals at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m. ET. Something tells me Anquan Boldin finishes this game with at least one touchdown reception. The Ravens have generally been much better than they showed in losing to Jacksonville last week. They'll presumably look to right some wrongs here. Sando's best guess: Ravens 27, Cardinals 9.
• New Orleans Saints at St. Louis Rams, 1 p.m. ET. The Saints, despite their 62-7 pummeling of Indianapolis last week, have posted unimpressive defensive rankings almost across the board, including No. 31 in yards per carry allowed. It's an upset if A.J. Feeley does much about it. Sando's best guess: Saints 37, Rams 7.
• Cleveland Browns at San Francisco 49ers, 4:15 p.m. ET. The 49ers' linebackers keep getting their hands on the football without collecting interceptions. The odds should even out at some point. Why not against Colt McCoy and the Browns? Sando's best guess: 49ers 20, Browns 9.
• Cincinnati Bengals at Seattle Seahawks, 4:15 p.m. ET. The Seahawks aren't as bad as their offense made them appear at Cleveland. The Bengals aren't as good as their record appears after claiming victories over Cleveland, Jacksonville and Indianapolis. Still, this pick is made based solely on venue, and with some hesitation. Sando's best guess: Seahawks 17, Bengals 14.

That works out to 53 points from the NFC West this week. OK, where am I wrong this week?

Sam Bradford played every offensive snap for the St. Louis Rams in 2010.

The quarterback has missed 70 snaps so far this season, a total that figures to grow in Week 8.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch expects Bradford to miss the Rams' game against New Orleans. Bradford has not been able to bounce on his toes since suffering a high-ankle sprain. He tested the ankle during a workout Friday, two days before the team played Dallas. Thomas: "When Bradford woke up the next day following that light workout, the ankle was substantially more sore than it had been during the week. It was then that the decision was made not only to scratch Bradford from the lineup against Dallas, but also to put him in a firmer cast as opposed to the walking boot he had been wearing. The cast helped, Bradford said. But with the ankle feeling better than it did Saturday, the cast was taken off Wednesday and Bradford was back in the boot. He began light strengthening exercises on the ankle Wednesday."

Also from Thomas: The Rams signed offensive lineman Mark LeVoir after losing right tackle Jason Smith to head and neck injuries. It's unclear when Smith might return.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says 49ers punter Andy Lee and Browns returner Josh Cribbs are renewing a rivalry that took root in 2007, when Cribbs' long return in the final game of the season prevented Lee from setting an NFL single-season record for net average.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says 49ers receiver Braylon Edwards spoke with coach Jim Harbaugh immediately before addressing his injury situation with reporters. Not that the head coach would want to control the message regarding injuries. Edwards, on whether he experienced swelling in his surgically repaired knee after practicing Tuesday: "No. Not swelling. Just making sure everything is right. When you come off an injury like that, you have to make sure the mental matches the physical. Your physical may be ready but your physical may not be. Or your mental may surpass your physical performance. It's just making sure everything is aligned with the stars so that when I go out there, I'm there for the long haul as opposed to a couple of plays."

Dan Brown of the San Jose Mercury News says Harbaugh's parents will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary one day after their sons' NFL teams face one another on Thanksgiving. Brown: "Jack and Jackie got married in Ohio on the morning of Nov. 25, 1961. To pass the time before the evening reception, the entire wedding party retreated to Jackie's parents' home to watch the Ohio State-Michigan game on television. The next day, the newlyweds spent their honeymoon -- where else? -- at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, where they watched the New York Giants defeat the Browns 37-21."

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com runs through the injury situation for four offensive starters. Also: "Andy Dalton is a player the Seahawks considered drafting, and the rookie quarterback for the Bengals is showing why. He has the highest completion percentage (.624) and passer rating (84.3) of all the first-year QBs in the league who have thrown at least 100 passes -- not to mention a 4-2 record as the starter."

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune says Tarvaris Jackson's input will play a role in determining whether the quarterback plays against Cincinnati, according to offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. Bevell: "It probably comes down to that at this point. Because the injury is something that there’s really not a lot of background on, and so we have to go by how he feels, and how he feels he can perform. There’s as certain level that you have to be able to meet obviously. And so he’ll have to tell us how close he is to that."

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune says the Seahawks cannot take the Bengals for granted.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic checks in with former Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin, who takes a low-keyed approach to facing his former team. Somers: "For me, it's just get back on the field and get a win. Around here, we're all about winning. We're trying to build something, and each week it's the same thing. It's a 16-game schedule. We take it one week at a time."

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says first-round draft pick Patrick Peterson has shown improvement and generally played well against the Steelers, but the Cardinals need him to become a star. Urban: "His job was to cover speedy Mike Wallace and he did pretty well. The big play by Wallace, the 95-yard bomb, it was Richard Marshall and not Peterson on Wallace (and, after watching the replay, it looks like Marshall got caught cheating up and thinking about jumping an underneath route — the intended play Ben Roethlisberger talked about afterward — which was too deadly of a start for Marshall to keep up with Wallace). The rest of the day, Wallace didn’t make much of an impact." Noted: Peterson has made his greatest impact as a punt returner. His 89-yarder was the difference in the one game Arizona won this season. He is averaging 15.9 yards per return. The Cardinals averaged 7.0 yards per return last season. That's a nearly 9-yard improvement in field position every time the Cardinals return a punt. Huge difference.

The debate over whether the Arizona Cardinals need a No. 2 receiver should not exist.

In a perfect NFL world, Anquan Boldin would have re-signed with the team and finished his career alongside Larry Fitzgerald, giving the Cardinals the league's best one-two punch at receiver. In a perfect world, the Cardinals' struggling pass defense would not be bracing for Boldin and the Baltimore Ravens' offense in Week 8.

Arizona, with young cornerbacks and an unreliable pass rush, has allowed 30 pass plays of at least 20 yards, third-most in the league. The Cardinals' opponents have posted a league-high 87.4 Total QBR when Arizona sends four or fewer pass-rushers, an indication opposing offenses have ample time to find open receivers. And when the Cardinals send added pressure, they still rank only 25th in Total QBR allowed.

Boldin has 27 receptions for 394 yards and two touchdowns for the Ravens this season. He had 64-837-10 in 16 games for Baltimore last season.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, keeping Boldin in Arizona wasn't realistic for reasons dating to the day Arizona signed Fitzgerald to a 2004 rookie contract with long-term ramifications. That deal, combined with Fitzgerald's stellar performance on the field, put Fitzgerald in position to leverage a second contract large enough to complicate any efforts to keep Boldin.

When Arizona traded Boldin to Baltimore in 2010, it was time for the team to get value for an asset with depreciating value to the organization, to use business terms.

The Cardinals used one of the picks received from the Boldin trade for Andre Roberts, their current starter opposite Fitzgerald. Roberts has 13 receptions for 133 yards and no touchdowns this season, less than half the production of Boldin. But third receiver Early Doucet has flourished with 26 receptions for 339 yards and two scores, pretty much the same numbers Boldin has produced this season.

And the Cardinals have gotten better production from their tight ends, including former Raven Todd Heap, a player who, like Boldin, ideally would have finished his career without changing teams.

A hamstring injury might prevent Heap from playing Sunday. Something tells me the Cardinals will regret the Boldin trade, inevitable as it became, at least for a day.

Five things I noticed when watching the Arizona Cardinals' 34-10 defeat at Minnesota in their most recent game (Week 5):

• Setting tone early matters. The pass Larry Fitzgerald dropped early in the game recalled the field goal try St. Louis missed on its first drive against Green Bay last week. Struggling teams need to get something positive going early. Fitzgerald almost never drops passes. This one hurt.
• About those batted passes. Quarterback Kevin Kolb has had too many passes batted near the line of scrimmage this season. One apparently batted pass against the Vikings actually clanked off defensive tackle Kevin Williams' helmet. That's a pretty good indication the quarterback threw too low. Kolb's accuracy seemed wildly inconsistent in this game. That must change. He threw an early pick off a batted pass and a late one when he badly overthrew his receiver after scrambling.
• Early Doucet is playing hungry. The third-year receiver becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency after this season. He looks like a guy playing for a new contract. Kolb targeted Doucet 16 times in this game, twice as many times as he targeted any other Arizona player, including Fitzgerald. Kolb targeted Doucet seven times on third down, completing five of them for 57 yards and four first downs. Kolb never targeted Fitzgerald on third down. Doucet is making effort plays. He dove along the sideline and extended the ball in an effort to get a first down, gaining 11 yards on the third-and-12 play. He blocked his man aggressively through the whistle during a special-teams return.
• Wilson not really enforcing much. At his best, strong safety Adrian Wilson plays the role of enforcer, dealing out big hits and making quarterbacks pay when they scramble. He made no physically dominant plays in this game, as far as I could tell. The Vikings were ready for Wilson when he blitzed. They didn't have to worry about Wilson lighting up anyone on runs along the sideline. Might Wilson get more pass-rushing opportunities under new coordinator Ray Horton? He has no sacks this season and only 6.5 since 2007. He had 13 over the 2005-06 seasons.
• The little things matter. Andre Roberts has made little impact as a starting receiver opposite Fitzgerald. Some of that is understandable. The team loaded up on tight ends this season. Fitzgerald leads the team in targets overall. Doucet has seized third down. One play by Roberts caught my attention even though he wasn't the intended receiver. One play after Doucet's diving extension of the ball gained 11 yards on third-and-12, the Cardinals tried to fool the Vikings with a handoff to Beanie Wells from the shotgun. Roberts tried to block cornerback Asher Allen, but couldn't quite get enough of him. Allen affected Wells just enough to help the Vikings make a stop. Sometimes the Cardinals miss Anquan Boldin more as a blocker than as a receiver.

This item nearly got away from me. Figured it was time to get it posted before Arizona played another game. I'll have an easier time getting to these earlier in the week because I'm not traveling Monday. The plan is to watch games from my home office this weekend.

One day after Arizona Cardinals president Michael Bidwill gave his assessment of the team, former quarterback Kurt Warner weighed in Thursday with Arizona Sports 620 radio.

Warner's basic take: The Cardinals are lacking in the playmaking department. He's right. Injuries and personnel changes have hurt Arizona in an area where the team was once quite strong, the ability to score touchdowns from just about anywhere on the field.

A hand injury and new rules governing kickoffs have largely silenced LaRod Stephens-Howling. Kerry Rhodes, who scored twice on returns last season, wasn't making plays before suffering a foot injury that will sideline him at least a month. Adrian Wilson has let a couple chances at interceptions get past him. Linebacker Daryl Washington, who scored on a return last season, has battled a calf injury.

Two other big-play threats in the past, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Steve Breaston, are gone. Others, such as Anquan Boldin and Antrel Rolle, are long gone. Andre Roberts, who flashed big-play ability last season, hasn't factored at all this season.

When new quarterback Kevin Kolb missed wide-open tight end Rob Housler for what should have been a touchdown at Minnesota in Week 5, the Cardinals had found a signature play for their dearth of playmaking during a 1-4 start.

"I've watched every play of every game and there are plays out there to be made that are not being made," Warner said. "Flat out, there are guys wide open. Last week, I know Kevin would love to have the one back down the middle of the field that he just overthrew. Just a little more touch on the football, that is a touchdown. It can change the complexion of the game."

Warner rode to coach Ken Whisenhunt's defense, blaming players for failing to capitalize on opportunities. His comment regarding the play Kolb missed wasn't part of a broader criticism of the quarterback. Warner did say he thought Kolb wasn't yet comfortable enough in the offense to trust his options and stay in the pocket longer. That will presumably change over time.

"What is going to define this team is, down the road, when they feel comfortable, are they going to make those plays then that they are not making now?" Warner said.

Asked about Kolb's comments regarding players' approach to their jobs, Warner said teams around the league experience the same issues. The winning culture Arizona established in its locker room a few years ago doesn't necessarily carry over given all the personnel changes.

This team must find its own way.