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Calais Campbell had many things on his side heading into contract negotiations with the Arizona Cardinals.

Campbell is young (25 years old). His career appears to be ascending. He can rush the passer. He can play the run effectively. He's smart and, by all accounts, a good teammate.

Those qualities added up to $31 million in guaranteed money. Update: Thanks to Diehard49er for pointing me toward a PFT item noting that Campbell's deal could work out to $17 million over one year. I'm not sure of it, but that sounds even better than $31 million guaranteed for an ascending young player.

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic made me chuckle by noting that Campbell's new contract "is front-loaded and back-loaded." Can there be any better kind of contract than that? Somers: "I noted the salaries defensive end Calais Campbell is due to receive over the five years of his new contract ($2 million, $3 million, $5.5 million, $9 million, $9.5 million). Here are the bonuses Campbell will earn: $15 million signing bonus and a $10 million option bonus that's due to be paid in 2013. Campbell's base salaries in his first two years are fully guaranteed. In year three, $1 million is guaranteed. The total deal is worth $55 million with $31 million guaranteed -- $25 million in bonuses, plus $6 million of guaranteed salary."

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says Campbell was happy to rejoin his teammates for offseason workouts.

Stu Durando of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says new Rams quarterback Austin Davis worked with Brett Favre during the offseason. Davis: "Just to have the opportunity to meet him and for him to almost mentor me after the season was a huge plus. He lives there, so the connection just kind of happened. The biggest thing is that he was with coach (Brian) Schottenheimer, so he knew the system and helped me out with that as soon as I figured out I was coming (to St. Louis)."

Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch explains why he thinks the Rams' stadium proposal is reasonable.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch chats about the Rams with team executive Kevin Demoff, who has this to say about stadium funding: "The new G-4 provision allows for funds to go to renovations, which is a positive change for all clubs looking to upgrade their stadiums. However, NFL owners must approve all G-4 requests, so it's impossible to predict whether those funds would be available."

Also from Thomas: The Rams hope Mario Haggan can help their run defense. General manager Les Snead: "We targeted him earlier in free agency, but we went with Jo-Lonn (Dunbar) and then we were just going to see how the draft went. Obviously, in the draft we didn't take a linebacker early, so we felt like we needed veteran help."

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com looks at possible ramifications if Dashon Goldson waits til the last minute before signing his one-year franchise offer. Maiocco: "The 49ers have had two protracted holdouts from franchise players in the past eight years. And neither ended well. In 2004, linebacker Julian Peterson reported to camp on Aug. 26 with the 49ers set to open the regular season Sept. 12. He started the first five games of the regular season before sustaining a season-ending ruptured Achilles' tendon. And two years ago, nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin signed his franchise tender on Aug. 28 -- just two weeks before the 49ers' season opener. Franklin did not play well. The 49ers did not want him back last season, and he signed a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints. He struggled with the Saints, and remains a free agent and looking for work." Noted: The 49ers could always withdraw the franchise tag, then attempt to re-sign Goldson for less. They would risk losing Goldson to another team in that scenario, and depth at safety might not allow them to go that route comfortably. It is an option, however.

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com passes along thoughts from newly signed offensive lineman Alex Barron: "I just wanted to get somewhere. I’m pretty confident in my play. I’ve made some mistakes in the past, also. But I’ve gotten to the point where after last season, and coming into the offseason as a free agent, all I want to do is come in and just show that I can play. Because it can’t be talked about, it always has to be shown."

Also from Farnsworth: Korey Toomer wasn't invited to the combine, but the Seahawks liked the linebacker enough to draft him. Coach Pete Carroll: "Korey Toomer did very well, probably more comfortable than we thought. We thought he might be a little bit more raw and it would be a process where he could show that he could fit in. But we played him at the SAM (strong side) spot, played him at WILL (weak side) and nickel, and he had some very good rushes. He looked like we had hoped, so we’re excited about him getting into it."

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune sizes up the Seahawks' offensive line after Barron's addition.

The Seattle Seahawks appreciated Anthony Hargrove's contributions to their defense in 2011, including the pivotal safety Hargrove provided during a comeback victory over the New York Giants.

That the Seahawks decided to replace Hargrove with veteran free agent Jason Jones this offseason appears fortuitous now that the NFL has levied an eight-game suspension against Hargrove for his participation in the New Orleans Saints' bounty program.

The NFL announced its bounty investigation March 2. Seattle reached agreement with Jones two weeks later. Hargrove signed with Green Bay in late March.

Hargrove, who defended his play with the Saints in a statement earlier this offseason, signed with Green Bay, where the Packers expected him to fit well. The league hammered him in a statement released Wednesday:

"Hargrove actively participated in the program while a member of the Saints. Hargrove submitted a signed declaration to the league that established not only the existence of the program at the Saints, but also that he knew about and participated in it.

"The evidence showed that Hargrove told at least one player on another team that Vikings quarterback Brett Favre was a target of a large bounty during the NFC Championship Game in January of 2010. Hargrove also actively obstructed the league’s 2010 investigation into the program by being untruthful to investigators."

The NFL also suspended Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma for the 2012 season. Will Smith received a four-game suspension. Scott Fujita received a three-game suspension.

"Fujita, Hargrove and Smith may participate in all off-season activity, including preseason games, prior to the suspensions taking effect," the NFL said." Each player disciplined today is entitled to appeal the decision within three days. If an appeal is filed, Commissioner [Roger] Goodell would hold a hearing at which the player may speak on his behalf and be represented by counsel."

Scott Wells, one of the newest members of the St. Louis Rams, just finished an introductory conference call with reporters.

The Pro Bowl center, formerly of the Green Bay Packers, emphasized intelligence, consistency, preparedness and professionalism when asked what he brings to the Rams.

The center position lends itself to leadership on the line and on offense in general. Pairing Wells with quarterback Sam Bradford looks like a wise move based on Wells' reputation and his experience with high-profile quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre.

Many things happen quickly from multiple angles on the interior of an offensive line. Centers must coordinate protection on the fly and work well with the guards next to them. The best ones read defenses nearly as well as quarterbacks do. I would expect Wells, 31, to handle some of the protection responsibilities that St. Louis' previous staff placed on Bradford, 24.

The word professionalism came up again when Wells was asked what his former teammate, Matt Flynn, will bring to the Seattle Seahawks.

"As far as his professionalism on and off the field, he studies the film as if he is going to start," Wells said, and he added he thought Flynn was an "excellent talent" as well.

The St. Louis Rams are getting one of the better centers in the NFL. They're also getting a veteran with the ability to assist Sam Bradford's development as a quarterback.

That is the immediate takeaway from news the Rams have agreed to terms with veteran center Scott Wells, who earned a Pro Bowl berth with the Green Bay Packers last season.

The Rams loaded up Bradford with additional responsibilities last season, including making protection calls at the line of scrimmage. Wells, the Packers' starting center since 2006, became a resource for Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers has recently credited Wells for helping take pressure off him mentally. The Rams are looking to help Bradford with a strong running game. Having a veteran center known for his attention to detail also looks like a Bradford-friendly move.

"Scott knows the offense as well as anybody in the building," Rodgers told Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee. "I'd say, if you look at guys who really are the smartest players on the team -- and I'm not going to include myself in that mix -- Scott Wells and (fullback) John Kuhn know the offense as well as anybody and they're able to make checks without me even saying anything."

That should be a huge asset for Bradford.

"It takes a ton of stress and pressure off of me and my film study and my preparation when I know that if I guess wrong, or if I'm unsure about a look, that I know Scotty is going to be right there next to me, a step ahead of me at times, knowing what the call needs to be," Rodgers said. "Scotty and his smarts take a ton of pressure off me."

Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc., speaking to Paul Kuharsky of the AFC South blog when Wells and Chris Myers were under consideration for Tennessee, had this to say about the 31-year-old center: "Myers is the better player -- and in his prime -- but Wells is a top-seven or -eight center, too. ... Wells is a tough guy that Mike Munchak will love."

Jason Brown was the Rams' starting center last season. The previous coaching staff benched him for Tony Wragge. The Rams released Brown, 28. Wragge, 32, is an unrestricted free agent.

Brown was already the starter when the Rams drafted Bradford in 2010.

Anthony Hargrove's story is one of redemption.

The former St. Louis Rams and current Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman has fought through a series of obstacles, some of them self-constructed, to become a productive player and valued teammate.

But recent attention focusing on Hargrove's role in the New Orleans Saints' bounty scandal -- he was fined for a hit on Brett Favre and reportedly reveled in the quarterback's injury during the 2009 NFC Championship Game -- has cast Hargrove in a negative light.

Hargrove has taken notice and issued the following statement:

"First of all, the purpose of this statement is simply to address the comments that have been made about me in the media. I will not address anything to do with anyone else but myself.

"In regards to the hit I made on Brett Favre that has been talked about: it was one of about five times I got to him and the only one that was late. I agree it was a late hit, but in the heat of the moment I was simply trying to make a play. I can assure you that when I got up, I was thinking two things, one, that I cost my team, and two, that I might have just cost myself some money if the NFL fined me.

"To put things in perspective, I received a game ball for my play that day and yet got fined while receiving nothing and expecting to receive nothing for the play some keep referencing. Kudos to Brett, he even asked me if that was all I had! Gotta love him.

"And in regards to my comments that have been talked about where I say that Favre is done, I readily agree that it sounds bad in retrospect. A lot of things look bad when we look back and realize how they sound. Trust me, I've said much, much worse. Heck, I probably say worse every day.

"But did I personally want Favre INJURED? Absolutely and categorically NO! Did I feel like we, the Saints, had a better chance of being in the Super Bowl with Favre on the sideline? Of course. Would the Patriots and their fans have probably been excited to see Eli [Manning] on the bench with his foot up whispering that he was done [in Super Bowl XLVI]? Would players on the sideline have made comments to that effect? Right or wrong, I'm guessing yes.

"Probably every Saints fan, player and coach got an adrenaline rush when thinking Minnesota might be in trouble. I said what many people were probably thinking, though maybe I said it in a way that sounded a bit too excited. Those who know me best know that I lean toward the animated side a bit. Okay, a lot! It's who God made me. I do regret saying it, though.

"I have made many mistakes in my life and have paid dearly for some of them, and the late hit and the comments were both mistakes, in my opinion. But players all over the league do the same thing every Sunday, make late hits and say stupid things. But I can say with absolute certainty that neither the late hit nor the comment have anything whatsoever to do with the issue being so hotly discussed in the media."

In my view, Hargrove deals honestly with the emotions players and fans feel when their team knocks a key player out of a game. The adrenaline rush comes from knowing victory might be that much closer, not from knowing a player from the other team is injured.

Hargrove says he received nothing and expected to receive nothing, bounty-wise, for the hit. But he sheds no light on other hits from that game or the bounty program in general.

Bobby McCray and Remi Ayodele, not Hargrove, were the players responsible for delivering the high-low hit that sent Favre limping to the sideline with an injured ankle. Neither of those players has confirmed or denied receiving a bounty payment, to my knowledge. Their thoughts would be welcome.

The Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers have some experience with highly successful older quarterbacks.

Peyton Manning will be 36 if and when he resumes his career with a still-unknown team.

With Mike Greenberg steering the Manning conversation this way, I visited Pro Football Reference for precedent. A search for the most productive seasons from quarterbacks at least 36 years old turned up memorable ones from NFC West alums Steve Young, Kurt Warner and Warren Moon.

The chart shows quarterbacks meeting that age criteria. Each passed for at least 25 touchdowns in a season. I've sorted them by NFL passer rating.

Manning is in another category while recovering from neck problems that sidelined him for the 2011 season. He also would be switching teams for the purposes of this discussion. Brett Favre (2009) and Warren Moon (1997) appear in the chart for their work in debut seasons with new franchises.

None of the players listed was coming off a career-threatening neck injury, however. Rich Gannon's career ended following one.
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INDIANAPOLIS -- Only at the Super Bowl would comedian "Larry the Cable Guy" pose as Brett Favre while answering questions about Peyton Manning.

Hey, it was worth a shot.

With Brian Schottenheimer in line to become the St. Louis Rams' offensive coordinator, I'll republish a chart we discussed recently. This one shows the New York Jets' offensive production with Schottenheiemer as coordinator.

About one year ago, our AFC East blog featured an item leading this way: "Brian Schottenheimer's prospects for being a head coach never have been higher."

That item noted that Schottenheimer had worked with Tony Banks, Jeff George, Drew Brees, Doug Flutie, Philip Rivers, Chad Pennington, Kellen Clemens, Brett Favre and Mark Sanchez over the years -- quite a varied group.

Clemens' presence on the Rams' roster right now could mean the team already has its top two quarterbacks for 2012, with Sam Bradford as the starter. Clemens would presumably know Schottenheimer's offense. That would enable him to assist Bradford and other players as the Rams learn a new system.

Opinions on Schottenheimer are mixed. Some think he became too predictable as a play caller and contributed to Sanchez's stunted development. A case could also be made that Schottenheimer did the best he could with a limited quarterback.

It's possible neither of those things is true. Those seeking context should check out this Newark Star-Ledger piece on Schottenheimer and the Jets from earlier in the 2011 season.

The Rams also interviewed former Oakland Raiders coach Hue Jackson for the role. They are also working on additional staff hires.

There can be no fourth-quarter comeback victories in football without a team first falling behind.

That partly explains why Drew Brees (three), Tom Brady (one) and Aaron Rodgers (zero) have combined for fewer of them than either Alex Smith (five) or John Skelton (four). Still, tis better to come back and win than to lose quietly.

The chart, built from information available at Pro Football Reference, ranks quarterbacks by fourth-quarter comeback victories this season. Smith and the New York Giants' Eli Manning lead the NFL with four apiece on the road, including one sustained by Smith's 41-yard pass to Michael Crabtree at Seattle in Week 16.

Smith, Skelton, Kevin Kolb (two), Sam Bradford (one) and Charlie Whitehurst (one) own fourth-quarter comeback victories for NFC West teams in 2011. The Cardinals lead the NFL with six.

Seattle's Tarvaris Jackson heads into Week 17 without one this season. He had three with Minnesota, matching Brett Favre and Gus Frerotte for most by a Vikings quarterback since 2006.

Hearing Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh gush about their starting quarterbacks can create confusion over their teams' intentions.

How serious are Carroll's Seattle Seahawks and Harbaugh's San Francisco 49ers about moving into the future with Tarvaris Jackson and Alex Smith as their respective quarterbacks?

Both coaches have had their quarterbacks' backs, and then some. Even before Seattle rebounded from a 2-6 start to reach 7-7, Carroll said he could envision Jackson as the Seahawks' long-term starter. Harbaugh recently called Smith a Pro Bowl-caliber player and long-term answer at quarterback for the 49ers.

What coaches say does not always line up with what NFL owners pay.

Smith has earned a raise, but would the 49ers pay him what Pro Bowl quarterbacks typically earn?

Fourteen QBs earned Pro Bowl honors over the 2009-10 seasons: Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Matt Cassel, Brett Favre, David Garrard, Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb, Philip Rivers, Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub, Michael Vick and Vince Young.

Most were playing under and/or subsequently earned massive contracts.

Jackson is entering the final year of a contract that scheduled to pay him $4 million in base salary. Smith is earning $4 million in base salary this season.

Those salaries represent good money for backup quarterbacks.

The 49ers should be able to keep Smith without paying him what those Pro Bowl passers earned. They've already paid millions to him as the No. 1 overall choice in the 2005 NFL draft. Smith has expressed in the past an interest in rewarding the 49ers for an investment that did not work out as intended before this season.

Smith has proven to be a good fit for the 49ers under Harbaugh. Jackson is fitting with Seattle under Carroll. I suspect both have come on strong with their public support to combat lingering negative perceptions about both quarterbacks.

If Jackson or Smith were obviously franchise quarterbacks and long-term solutions behind center, their coaches wouldn't have to convince anyone. It would be obvious. The praise from Carroll and Harbaugh has likely helped both quarterbacks exceed outside expectations no matter what their teams have in mind for them beyond this season.

Chris Brown's piece for Grantland on the San Francisco 49ers' passing game is a must-read for anyone hoping to better understand how Alex Smith is avoiding mistakes.

The premise, in short, says the 49ers have eliminated sight-adjustment routes from the playbook, instead building into the offense alternatives against blitzes by design, not simply in reaction to what the defense might be doing. This is spot on, and a reflection of what Harbaugh learned from Lindy Infante during his days as the Indianapolis Colts' quarterback.

I've tried to explain those Infante-based roots at various points. Brown's piece has brought into focus the application of those coaching principles. And, as joe_cool35 noted in the comments section, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle has covered some of this ground as well.

The changes Harbaugh has made are not specific to Smith. They are philosophical. The Green Bay Packers are using similar principles to an even greater degree. The 49ers would be using the same concepts if Aaron Rodgers or Peyton Manning were their quarterback. They are running their offense, not an Alex Smith offense, independent of whether or not the team would be more pass-oriented with another quarterback.

The approach suits Smith well because it eliminates doubt about whether or not the receiver has seen the same thing and reacted the same way. Smith knows what the receivers are going to do before the snap. He adjusts based upon what he sees from the defense. He should not have to wonder whether or not the receiver read the defense the same way he did.

"If you are in a three-step tempo to one side of the field, you could run a three-step tempo to that side, check it out, if it's not there, you are in rhythm to a five-step tempo to the other side," Harbaugh said when I asked him about the concepts during training camp. "Or you could go a five-step tempo to this side, check it out, it's not there, then come back to the other side of the field, you didn’t take any more steps, but you are still in seven-step timing on a five-step drop."

Smith's college coach, Urban Meyer, has long maintained that Smith is at his best when he's comfortable with every aspect of an offense. Some of the NFL's top quarterbacks have similar mindsets. Manning, Tom Brady and others, including Matt Hasselbeck, also covet more certainty. Others -- think Jay Cutler and Brett Favre -- have an easier time cutting loose.

The principles Harbaugh and his offensive staff have implemented were new to Harbaugh when he signed with Infante's Colts in 1994. Infante had expanded upon the option-route concepts Don Coryell used in San Diego.

I'm not certain how the 49ers are using these concepts, but the basic idea is relatively simple. Let's say a receiver has two options on a route. If the quarterback doesn't throw to him on the first option, the receiver goes to the second option. Either way, the quarterback knows the options and throws the ball when he's comfortable with what he sees.

"You could be reading two receivers," Harbaugh explained. "They are in a principle, say, a 'go' and then you come back to a deep option route. Five-step tempo back to a seven. If it is open, you throw it. If it is not open, I come back. It's open or it’s not."

One key for the 49ers and other teams using these concepts is to make sure the the routes designed to beat blitzes don't compromise the offense if the defense plays coverage instead.

For example, let's say the offense is facing facing third-and-7. The play might feature longer routes on the front side, with slant routes on the back side. The longer routes would be set to five- or seven-step timing, but if the quarterback noticed trouble quickly, he could still throw the slant on a three-step drop. But you're still running slant routes on third-and-7.

Smith has 10 touchdown passes and only two interceptions this season. He had eight touchdowns with one interception while posting a 3-2 record in his final five starts last season, before Harbaugh arrived. For that reason, I wouldn't attribute all Smith's success to Harbaugh or eliminating sight adjustments, etc. But if Smith appears more comfortable with the offense, the changes are very likely playing a role.

The St. Louis Rams' stunning upset over the New Orleans Saints makes Pishy17 a stunning winner in the "You called it" predictions contest from Week 8.

Pishy17 predicted not only a Rams victory, but also the final score, 31-21. That final score required a furious push by the Saints to score a touchdown in the final seconds, preserving Drew Brees' streak of consecutive games with a scoring pass. That streak stands at 35 games, one behind Brett Favre for second in NFL history.

Great work, Pishy17.

Four others predicted the San Francisco 49ers' 20-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns: 84Seattleite, noodles1179, dlpmsp3 and marcsousa. Well done.

We've added all your names to the Wall of Fame below and we'll add yours next week if you correctly predict winners and final scores for the following Week 9 games involving NFC West teams:

• Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys, 1 p.m. ET.
• San Francisco 49ers at Washington Redskins, 1 p.m. ET.
• St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals, 4:15 p.m. ET.

Happy predicting. I'll make my predictions Friday, as usual.

For years, San Francisco 49ers president Jed York has lobbied against 10 a.m. PT kickoffs for West Coast teams playing in the Eastern time zone.

All he needed was a new coaching staff led by Jim Harbaugh, apparently.

The 49ers are 2-0 in non-division games kicking off at 10 a.m. PT this season, up from 2-25 (.074) over the previous six seasons.

They'll get a chance to turn 2-0 into 3-0 when they face the 5-0 Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Sunday. I'm making my way across the country to Detroit and looking forward to the game.

This trip marks the 49ers' fourth against an NFC North team on the road since 2009. They lost at Green Bay last season and in 2009. They nearly beat Minnesota in that memorable 2009 game featuring Brett Favre's improbable touchdown pass in the final seconds.

The chart shows the 49ers' record in 10 a.m. PT games outside the division and excluding the team's game in London, a victory against Denver.

NFC West teams went 0-3 last season against the teams they face in Week 5.

They lost those games by a combined 99-31 score.

Much has changed since then. Let's take a look:

Cardinals at Vikings

Score last season: Vikings 27, Cardinals 24 (OT)

Key play: Brett Favre's 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe in the final minute of regulation tied the game, forcing overtime after the Cardinals had built a 24-10 fourth-quarter lead. Favre threw for a career-high 446 yards in the game.

Biggest change: Both teams have new quarterbacks, Kevin Kolb for Derek Anderson in Arizona, and Donovan McNabb for Favre in Minnesota. Also, the Vikings have a new head coach (Leslie Frazier) while the Cardinals have a new defensive coordinator (Ray Horton).

Storyline: McNabb keeps a home in Arizona and was available to the Cardinals when their quarterback situation was in flux, but the team showed no interest in him. He is now trying to hold off a change to rookie Christian Ponder.

Lineup changes for Arizona (12): Beanie Wells for Tim Hightower at running back, Kolb for Anderson at quarterback, Daryn Colledge for Alan Faneca at left guard, Rex Hadnot for Deuce Lutui at right guard, Todd Heap for Ben Patrick at tight end, Andre Roberts for Steve Breaston at receiver, Anthony Sherman for Reagan Maui'a at fullback (although the team opened its 2010 game at Minnesota without a fullback), Dan Williams for Bryan Robinson at nose tackle, Daryl Washington for Gerald Hayes at linebacker, Clark Haggans for Will Davis at linebacker, A.J. Jefferson for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie at cornerback, Patrick Peterson for Greg Toler at cornerback.

49ers vs. Buccaneers

Score last season: Buccaneers 21, 49ers 0

Key play: Josh Freeman's 1-yard scoring pass to tackle Donald Penn midway through the fourth quarter put an exclamation point on the 49ers' first home shutout since 1977.

Biggest change: Jim Harbaugh has replaced Mike Singletary as the 49ers' head coach.

Storyline: Alex Smith gets a shot at Tampa Bay after watching Troy Smith struggle against the Bucs as the 49ers' starting quarterback last season. Troy Smith's approach centered around striking for big plays. The Bucs took away the big plays. Alex Smith gives the 49ers a chance to be more efficient.

Lineup changes for San Francisco (12): Alex Smith for Troy Smith at quarterback, Joe Staley for Barry Sims at left tackle, Adam Snyder for Chilo Rachal at right guard, Bruce Miller for Moran Norris at fullback, Isaac Sopoaga for Aubrayo Franklin at nose tackle, Ray McDonald for Sopoaga at defensive end, Ahmad Brooks for Manny Lawson at outside linebacker, NaVorro Bowman for Takeo Spikes at inside linebacker, Carlos Rogers for Nate Clements at cornerback, Tarell Brown for Shawntae Spencer at cornerback, Donte Whitner for Reggie Smith at strong safety.

Seahawks at Giants

Score last season: Giants 41, Seahawks 7

Key play: With Seattle already down 14-0 in the first quarter, the Giants returned Leon Washington's fumbled kickoff return to the Seattle 4, setting up Ahmad Bradshaw's touchdown run on the next play.

Biggest change: Tarvaris Jackson is the starting quarterback for Seattle. Charlie Whitehurst was a fill-in starter for Matt Hasselbeck when the teams played last season.

Storyline: The Seahawks' so-far-unproductive ground game faces a Giants run defense that has struggled. Seattle's young line improved in pass protection last week. Can it take a step forward in run blocking this week?

Lineup changes for Seattle (16): Sidney Rice for Deon Butler at receiver, Jackson for Whitehurst at quarterback, Russell Okung for Chester Pitts at left tackle, Paul McQuistan for Mike Gibson at left guard, Max Unger for Chris Spencer at center, John Moffitt for Stacy Andrews at right guard, James Carpenter for Sean Locklear at right tackle, Zach Miller for John Carlson at tight end, Brandon Mebane for Junior Siavii at defensive tackle, Alan Branch for Craig Terrill at defensive tackle, Red Bryant for Kentwan Balmer at defensive end, K.J. Wright for Aaron Curry at linebacker, David Hawthorne for Lofa Tatupu at linebacker, Leroy Hill for Hawthorne at linebacker, Brandon Browner for Kelly Jennings at right cornerback, Kam Chancellor or Atari Bigby for Lawyer Milloy, depending on Chancellor's availability.

Five things I noticed while watching the Arizona Cardinals during their 31-27 home defeat to the New York Giants:

• Ray Horton wasn't lying. The Cardinals' defensive coordinator promised to blitz. He sent seven pass-rushers after Eli Manning when the Cardinals were protecting a 27-24 lead with 2:46 remaining. The Giants had seven blockers in protection. That meant Arizona had four defensive backs against three receivers. Manning threw the ball within two seconds of taking the snap. Hakeem Nicks caught it at the 7-yard line. Cornerback Patrick Peterson was in coverage, but had no safety help against one of the elite receivers in the game. That was problematic. Strong safety Adrian Wilson was scrambling over but was still about 10 yards away when Nicks made the winning touchdown reception.
• Andre Roberts was invisible. The Cardinals' No. 2 receiver finished the game with more tackles (one) than receiving targets (none). A penalty negated the only play featuring Roberts as a target. Kevin Kolb targeted three tight ends, two running backs and a fullback. He targeted receivers Larry Fitzgerald (11) and Early Doucet (six) a combined 17 times. Roberts has been targeted 15 times this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Seventy-three wideouts have been targeted more times through four games. The trend appears likely to continue as long as Fitzgerald is healthy, Doucet gets ample third-down work from the slot and multiple tight ends factor as well.
• Campbell doesn't know his own strength. After dominating at Seattle in Week 3, defensive end Calais Campbell rocked the Giants' Ahmad Bradshaw and forced him to fumble on the Cardinals' first defensive series. That play was tough to miss. Another less visible one impressed me at least as much. Campbell was rushing from the inside on second-and-7 late in the second quarter when the Giants' left guard, David Diehl, came over to help center David Baas on the play. Campbell, while still locked up with Baas, extended his right arm and decked the 6-foot-5, 304-pound Diehl with a shove to the chest area. I watched the play several times to see if someone had stepped on Diehl's foot, but that did not appear to be the case.
• Wells' power changes the the Cardinals. Giants defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy had his arms around Beanie Wells' legs near the Arizona 12-yard line. Jason Pierre-Paul and Greg Jones were there too. Wells somehow emerged from the pile and advanced the ball to the 20, where Michael Boley finally dragged him down. Wells is averaging 2.7 yards per carry after contact, which ranks tied for fifth in the NFL. He has gained 152 yards after contact; each of the five players with higher totals also have at least nine additional carries. Wells ran over the Giants' Corey Webster with such force at the goal line that Webster, who had gotten too low and dipped his head, flew onto his back and lost his helmet.
• Fitzgerald showed up as a blocker. The Cardinals' receiving leader drove Giants safety Kenny Phillips to the ground to help Wells find the end zone with 10:28 left in the third quarter. The Cardinals were running from a tight formation against an 11-man box. Phillips might have made the tackle had Fitzgerald not cleared him out of the way. Fitzgerald also made a key block on Wells' 39-yard run in the fourth quarter. He threw his body into former teammate Antrel Rolle, getting the worst of the collision but getting the job done. Wells' running behind rookie fullback Anthony Sherman also caught my attention. Sherman appeared more consistent in this game than he appeared earlier in the season. He also gained 19 yards on a reception. The Wells-Sherman combination could be a very good one for Arizona if they get enough time on the field together.

I'm looking forward to seeing how Wells fares against Minnesota in Week 5. More than two years ago, Kevin Seifert and I considered whether Wells or the Vikings' Percy Harvin would be more productive as rookies. Harvin ran away with that one thanks to his special-teams production and the Vikings subsequently adding Brett Favre at quarterback. Wells has come on strong this season.