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Cards notebook: Offense improving, but team not satisfied
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After a slow start, the Cardinals’ offense has moved into the No. 10 spot in the league. Still, coach Ken Whisenhunt and quarterback Kurt Warner suggested they can take the offense substantially further.
Read Mike Tulumello's blog, Bird Watching
“We have a long way to go,” Warner said.
“A lot of it comes down to details … Becoming so fine-tuned … where teams can’t cover you … where you become so tight, that — as long as you do it right — you feel like no one can stop you.
“We’re a long way from that.”
Whisenhunt agreed.
Though he called his offense “fairly efficient,” he pointed out they are lagging in third-down conversions (42 percent, No. 17 in the league).
“If we’re better on third down, that will help us sustain drives, which will give us time of possession and get our defense off the field.”
Warner said, “We are by no means even close, in my opinion, to where we can be. That’s the fun part. But it’s a challenge not to get stagnant.
“Who wants to be top five? I want to be the best. Why not?”
RATTAY’S DEBUT
Though he needs to spend plenty of time studying the Cardinals’ playbook, backup quarterback Tim Rattay was “impressive” throwing the ball Wednesday in his first practice, Whisenhunt said.
Warner said, “Tim is a smart guy. And he has a subtle confidence to him.
“He doesn’t seem overwhelmed or jittery.”
Rattay said he understands that he could sit for the season’s final 12 weeks or have to play in the first quarter Sunday at home vs. Carolina.
“It’s a matter of getting comfortable as fast as I can, get a group of plays that I know that — if I did go in there — that they could call.”
He’ll have to spend plenty of time studying, but, “Once the play starts and I get people in the right spots, it’s football.
“I enjoyed being out there. Now it’s just a matter of getting to know people and getting to know the plays and what the receivers do.”
EXTRA POINTS
Receiver Anquan Boldin, who has missed the past two games, once again sat out practice with a sore hip. He said he wasn’t sure if he could practice today. Tackle Levi Brown started to practice, then tweaked his sore ankle. Receiver Bryant Johnson sat out with a quadriceps problem, though Whisenhunt didn’t think the injury was serious. Elton Brown (knee) was able to take part in a full practice.
The team signed receiver Jamaica Rector to their practice squad. Rector played in one game and was inactive in four others for Dallas last year.
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