Lines set as:
Cowboys -6
Over/Under 45.5
Beanie Wells is finally tapping his monstrous potential
ST. LOUIS -- Win the homecoming game, and the big boss is going to be mighty pleased. That's how strong Bill Bidwill feels about St. Louis, a city that once housed his football franchise.
And yet Ken Whisenhunt chose to risk it all.
Instead of running out the clock with a 23-20 victory already in pocket, the Cardinals' coach ordered one more carry for Beanie Wells, who was pursuing a franchise record.
Wells also was limping noticeably, wearing a knee brace, had fumbled earlier in the quarter and isn't always the most reliable man on a football field.
"It was a risk, and I totally understand that," Whisenhunt said. "But we told Beanie to hold onto it, and I was just trying to get one yard. The franchise marks are very important."
Like a deranged bull, Wells snorted and stomped for 14 yards on that final carry, finishing with 228 rushing yards. The number is enormous, enough to catapult Wells into another class of tailbacks. And in a season that ultimately will be stamped a disappointment, Whisenhunt's gesture was a clever play.
It gave his beleaguered offense a moment of glory, a place in the record book. At a time when the defense is doing the heavy lifting, it gave the other side something to feel good about.
Such allegiance can pay off handsomely in the long run. And it was a proper reward for Wells, who finally is tapping his monstrous potential.
"That is what we have been striving to get Beanie to do for a couple of years now, and it's great to see him do that," Whisenhunt said.
Back in the locker room, teammates immediately needled their record-setting running back. Larry Fitzgerald gave him the Paul Pierce Award, a dubious distinction issued to players who recover miraculously from melodramatic injuries.
The award is named after the Celtics' star who left the 2008 NBA Finals in a wheelchair, only to return moments later in perfect health. The Cardinals' Greg Toler is a past recipient. So is former cornerback Eric Green, who once crumpled on the field in New York because of a knee injury, went to the sideline, became confused and started grabbing the other leg.
Wells clearly earned his award. In the fourth quarter, he was stripped of the football and writhed in agony, an apparent victim of a gruesome knee injury. But after the Rams took the occasion to tie the score, Wells struck back.
He went back into the game and immediately ripped off a crucial 53-yard run.
"He Paul Pierced us, and he got caught from behind twice on two long runs," Fitzgerald said. "But we still love him. And there isn't anybody we'd rather have back there running the ball for us."
Ribbing aside, the moment carried great significance. Wells has a rare combination of power and speed. He scares defensive players. He has knocked many out of action in his three-year career.
Before the 2011 season, Wells' lack of durability also led to questions about his toughness. It forced the Cardinals to draft a running back in the second round in the recent NFL draft. It prompted some (including me) to declare him a bust, a player cast in the unfortunate mold of perennial underachiever.
That all changed when an injured Wells answered the call in Baltimore, proving something to his teammates. For an encore, he returned from a fourth-quarter injury Sunday, setting up the game-winning field goal.
"What injury?" Fitzgerald cracked.
Look, this victory was no great feat. The Rams are rancid. Wells' historic performance isn't even the most yards rushing they've allowed in a game this season, as the Cowboys' DeMarco Murray gashed them for 253 in October. Their coach is so dense that he lost a game on a Patrick Peterson punt return for a touchdown in Glendale, and still kicked the ball to the Cardinals rookie on Sunday.
And though only half of a sellout crowd bothered to show up at the Edward Jones Dome, they booed loud enough to make your ears ring.
Nevertheless, this season will be defined by small victories: The Cardinals beat up Michael Vick in Philadelphia. They drafted a game-changing punt returner. They have something special brewing on defense. And if the enigmatic Wells suddenly is morphing into an elite running back, well, maybe the season is not such a waste, after all.
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/car...als-beanie-wells-potential.html#ixzz1f0dDNivH
Cowboys -6
Over/Under 45.5
Beanie Wells is finally tapping his monstrous potential
ST. LOUIS -- Win the homecoming game, and the big boss is going to be mighty pleased. That's how strong Bill Bidwill feels about St. Louis, a city that once housed his football franchise.
And yet Ken Whisenhunt chose to risk it all.
Instead of running out the clock with a 23-20 victory already in pocket, the Cardinals' coach ordered one more carry for Beanie Wells, who was pursuing a franchise record.
Wells also was limping noticeably, wearing a knee brace, had fumbled earlier in the quarter and isn't always the most reliable man on a football field.
"It was a risk, and I totally understand that," Whisenhunt said. "But we told Beanie to hold onto it, and I was just trying to get one yard. The franchise marks are very important."
Like a deranged bull, Wells snorted and stomped for 14 yards on that final carry, finishing with 228 rushing yards. The number is enormous, enough to catapult Wells into another class of tailbacks. And in a season that ultimately will be stamped a disappointment, Whisenhunt's gesture was a clever play.
It gave his beleaguered offense a moment of glory, a place in the record book. At a time when the defense is doing the heavy lifting, it gave the other side something to feel good about.
Such allegiance can pay off handsomely in the long run. And it was a proper reward for Wells, who finally is tapping his monstrous potential.
"That is what we have been striving to get Beanie to do for a couple of years now, and it's great to see him do that," Whisenhunt said.
Back in the locker room, teammates immediately needled their record-setting running back. Larry Fitzgerald gave him the Paul Pierce Award, a dubious distinction issued to players who recover miraculously from melodramatic injuries.
The award is named after the Celtics' star who left the 2008 NBA Finals in a wheelchair, only to return moments later in perfect health. The Cardinals' Greg Toler is a past recipient. So is former cornerback Eric Green, who once crumpled on the field in New York because of a knee injury, went to the sideline, became confused and started grabbing the other leg.
Wells clearly earned his award. In the fourth quarter, he was stripped of the football and writhed in agony, an apparent victim of a gruesome knee injury. But after the Rams took the occasion to tie the score, Wells struck back.
He went back into the game and immediately ripped off a crucial 53-yard run.
"He Paul Pierced us, and he got caught from behind twice on two long runs," Fitzgerald said. "But we still love him. And there isn't anybody we'd rather have back there running the ball for us."
Ribbing aside, the moment carried great significance. Wells has a rare combination of power and speed. He scares defensive players. He has knocked many out of action in his three-year career.
Before the 2011 season, Wells' lack of durability also led to questions about his toughness. It forced the Cardinals to draft a running back in the second round in the recent NFL draft. It prompted some (including me) to declare him a bust, a player cast in the unfortunate mold of perennial underachiever.
That all changed when an injured Wells answered the call in Baltimore, proving something to his teammates. For an encore, he returned from a fourth-quarter injury Sunday, setting up the game-winning field goal.
"What injury?" Fitzgerald cracked.
Look, this victory was no great feat. The Rams are rancid. Wells' historic performance isn't even the most yards rushing they've allowed in a game this season, as the Cowboys' DeMarco Murray gashed them for 253 in October. Their coach is so dense that he lost a game on a Patrick Peterson punt return for a touchdown in Glendale, and still kicked the ball to the Cardinals rookie on Sunday.
And though only half of a sellout crowd bothered to show up at the Edward Jones Dome, they booed loud enough to make your ears ring.
Nevertheless, this season will be defined by small victories: The Cardinals beat up Michael Vick in Philadelphia. They drafted a game-changing punt returner. They have something special brewing on defense. And if the enigmatic Wells suddenly is morphing into an elite running back, well, maybe the season is not such a waste, after all.
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/car...als-beanie-wells-potential.html#ixzz1f0dDNivH
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