Lakin: Lucky to be alive

There's nothing flattering about that win.

It was about midway through the 2nd quarter when I began to dread the publication of my thoughts on the Arizona Cardinals-Green Bay Packers match up.

Per our Sports 620 KTAR Roundtable discussion, yours truly "could only see a Cardinals win if the Packers ha(d) an off day with their passing offense."

Very well Rodney, but after a 31-10, 3rd quarter lead on Green Bay, the Cardinals were well onto their way towards an easy trip to the Big Easy, along the way making quite a few pundits (like myself) look pretty bad.

Pretty bad, however, in no way describes how the Cardinals lost that 21 point 2nd half lead, with questionable coaching, awful special teams, and absurdly bad defense nearly resurrecting the ghosts of playoff meltdown pasts; most prominently the Houston Oilers self-destruction in Buffalo circa 1993.

If you were to circle just one advisory or primary concern from this most unflattering of playoff wins, it would undoubtedly be the massive problems in the Cards defensive secondary, which was exploited at near Playstation efficiency by GB QB Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers may be nearly as good, but is not any better than New Orleans QB Drew Brees, and as good as this win may feel right now, it would feel a lot better without another "score 40 or else" proposition on the horizon.

So, in lieu of another web query to the Sports 620 KTAR on-air staff, this time I will not say the Arizona Cardinals can only win if the Saints have an off-day with their passing offense. They just cannot afford another off-day like this from their pass defense.