Cards notebook: Team not in rush thanks to staying in East

VIENNA, Va. - The Cardinals are hoping their decision to stay in the East for more than a week pays off Sunday. Quarterback Kurt Warner thinks the big difference will come this weekend.

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They’ll take a leisurely train ride to the New York area instead of a cross-country plane trip.

By contrast, the trip from Arizona last week was the typical approach to a game in the East.

“That’s a tough process … coming in late Friday, try to get acclimated, get your rest, get everything done by Sunday,” Warner said.

“The one big benefit, we’ll be acclimated in a normal routine Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We’re not going to be out of sorts and rush to get anything done.”

FAVRE’S STATUS

Brett Favre was listed as questionable Friday for Sunday’s game against the Cardinals with a sore left ankle, but is expected to start against the Cardinals.

The 38-year-old quarterback twisted his left ankle Monday in New York’s loss at San Diego. His ankle was tightly wrapped, but he appeared hardly hobbled during the half-hour of practice the media were allowed to watch Friday.

“I felt pretty comfortable a few days ago,” coach Eric Mangini said of Favre’s progress. “He hasn’t missed many games in the last however many years.”

Favre has started 256 consecutive regular-season games, an NFL record for quarterbacks, and neither he nor Mangini has seemed concerned that the streak is in jeopardy.

INJURY UPDATE

Safety Adrian Wilson sat out practice Friday with a sore hamstring. Because of the cool weather in Washington D.C. and the tightness in the hamstring, coach Ken Whisenhunt said, “I didn’t want him risking pulling it today. … So it was precautionary. We’ll see how he feels on Sunday.”

Wilson is listed as questionable for the game at New York.

Receiver Anquan Boldin and defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, who also have sore hamstrings, are listed as probable.

Tight end Jerame Tuman, who continues to struggle with hamstring problems, is doubtful.

Receiver Sean Morey (Achilles) is questionable, as is nose tackle Gabe Watson (knee).

Defensive end/linebacker Bertrand Berry is out with a groin pull.

PATS, CARDS THINK ALIKE

The Cardinals aren’t the only team making a weeklong stay on the country’s opposite coast.

With road games against the 49ers (Oct. 5) and Chargers (Oct. 12) after their bye week, the Patriots will stay out West for the week.

The team also has back-to-back road games in the West in December — at Seattle (Dec. 7) and Oakland (Dec. 14). If things go well on their first stay out West, they’ll probably do it again.

JETS STRUGGLE ON 'MNF’

Anyone who watched the Jets take a beating Monday night at San Diego had to wonder about a team that was supposed to be markedly improved after acquiring high-priced free agents.

Mangini blamed ”self-inflicted wounds against a good team on the road.”

“They got seven points off a turnover, they got the ball at the 15 (yard line) and on a turnover, again they got the ball in our territory. Those things are hard to overcome.”

It didn’t help that the Chargers have a high-octane attack.

“They score points against everybody,” Mangini said. “We knew what we had to do and just didn’t do it well enough.”

CLOSE TIES

Mangini played in college at Wesleyan in Connecticut for Kevin Spencer, who is now the Cardinals special-teams coach.

Spencer helped Mangini break into the NFL when he got him a job with the Browns.

“Personally, there is a strong connection there,” Mangini said.

In looking at Spencer’s special teams, “They are solid. That is how (Spencer) has always been. They are sound, they don’t make mistakes, they are disciplined and it reflects in how they play.”

BONUS SHOT

The Cardinals practiced in cool, drizzly weather Thursday and Friday. The forecast for New York on Sunday calls for a high of 73 with scattered thunderstorms.

The Associated Press contributed to this report