Optimism rang about in Glendale Arizona as the Cardinals were set for the start of the 2006 NFL season. They draft one of the best QB prospects in recent memory, they open a brand new stadium, and hopes are high for the team to make a playoff push…then they woke up.

The 2006 campaign has been anything but enjoyable for the Cardinals so far this season. After blowing a 20 point lead at home against a team that many feel is the best in football, the Chicago Bears, they follow it up with consecutive loses to the Raiders and Packers, whom many feel are two of the worst teams in the league. On paper the Cardinals looked like an offensive juggernaut before the season started. With a former MVP at quarterback, two Pro Bowl receivers and a former NFL rushing champion. However, eight weeks into the season, that MVP quarterback has been benched for a rookie, one half of that pro bowl receiving core has missed considerable time and that former NFL rushing champ has yet to break the century mark and has rushed for over 80 yards just three times.

Of course it doesn’t make matters any better when one of your team leaders comes out and rips his teammates through the media…or does it? In a radio interview with KMVP-AM in Arizona, Cardinals defensive end Bertrand Berry expressed his frustration with some of his teammates and even went as far as to say that many of his teammates don’t get along. “There are a lot of guys in the locker room who don’t like each other”…“There are certain people that I don’t like to be around…because I don’t like them [or their attitudes, or their actions on the field.” Some of you may remember that I had some unkind criticism of Randy Moss after he voiced his displeasure with his team, the Raiders. However, unlike Randy Moss, who just throws his hands in the air and says, “No one else, cares, so why should I?”, according to the Arizona Republic, Berry has already set up a meeting with head coach Dennis Green and will also coordinate a players only meeting during the bye as well; something a TRUE team leader should do.

You can blame Dennis Green all you want, the fact of the matter is that in the NFL, most team that win have an above average offensive line and a solid defense. The Arizona Cardinals have neither (averaging 69 yards rushing per game which ranks dead last in the NFL, and giving up 343 yards per game, which ranks 23rd). That is recipe for another 4-win season for the red birds. "When you are more worried about where you're going for the bye week as instead of why you're 1-7, i'm not sure what your motivation is." I know what it is Bert, they’re motivated by the fact that there are only 9 more weeks left till tee time!