Cardinals notebook: Cards game sells out; Boldin’s agent stirs pot

The Cardinals' sellout streak is intact, though this Sunday's game against Miami took longer than any other home game.

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The Cardinals, after getting a 24-hour extension to ensure that the game will be televised locally on KPHO-TV (Channel 5), announced a sellout Friday.

Normally, games must be sold out by Thursday to be televised locally.

Still, a limited number of tickets, including those returned by the Dolphins, are available.

BRANCH PROBABLE

Nose tackle Alan Branch, who missed the opener with a sore ankle, is listed as probable for Sunday. He likely would rotate with Bryan Robinson.

"Today was a good day for him," coach Ken Whisenhunt said of Branch. The Dolphins have a physical offensive line, so "having a big body in there like Alan would be good."

Fellow nose tackle Gabe Watson had a limited practice and is listed as questionable. He is coming back from knee surgery.

Reserve tight end Jerame Tuman, who has a bad hamstring, didn't practice and is listed as doubtful.

BOLDIN CAMP

Anquan Boldin distanced himself from his agent's latest salvo in his campaign to get the receiver traded.

Drew Rosenhaus was quoted Thursday in the Palm-Beach (Fla.) Post, saying, "There's a guy that (the Dolphins are) playing against that wouldn't mind being in a Dolphins uniform in Anquan Boldin. ... It's a shame that he'll be wearing a Cardinals uniform against the Dolphins than the other way around."

Boldin said: "I haven't talked with anybody about going anywhere. I don't know where that came from."

THE PARCELLS EFFECT

The Dolphins may or may not still be the NFL's worst team, as they were last season. But with Bill Parcells as general manager, there's more competition for playing time, veteran linebacker Joey Porter said.

"He's bringing the talent in day by day. Parcells is ... going to squeeze everything out of you. He's made for more competition. You're never supposed to come to work and just feel comfortable.

"He'll make you feel on edge to where you don't know what's going to happen each week.

"When you do it like that, you get the best out of everybody."

PRAISE FOR WILSON

Dolphins coach Tony Sparano calls himself an admirer of Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson.

"I think he's a tremendous player. ... He does a great job," Sparano said.

That Wilson can apply pressure on the quarterback from the secondary is one reason the Cardinals' defense is tough to attack, the Dolphins coach said.

"He's a big guy and he's been a good blitzer and a good pressure player."

Also, he noted that linebacker/defensive end Travis LaBoy "played a tremendous game this past weekend."

Add in linebackers Karlos Dansby and Chike Okeafor and "you've got to be careful with your protections ... and you've got to know where they are all the time.

"From a mental standpoint, that can tax you a little bit in your offensive line, so you need to be a little bit simpler with what you're doing."

3-4 OR 4-3?

Media types often refer to the Cardinals' 3-4 defense. Opponents see things differently.

"When you face the Arizona Cardinals, you face a 4-3 scheme," Miami quarterback Chad Pennington pointed out in a matter-of-fact analysis.

The reason: the defensive position played by Travis LaBoy and Bertrand Berry - a defensive end/linebacker combination that stresses the pass rush - is considered a defensive lineman, not a linebacker, by opponents.

"We're facing a team this week that does an excellent job of penetrating the gaps, attacking, play an attack-style defense," Pennington said.

"They fly around to the football, all 11 guys. You'll see six, seven, eight guys around the football at once, and they're shooting gaps or darting in and out.

"Their safeties are extremely aggressive, so you're looking at a really aggressive defense."