Washington used to be a division trip. The first two seasons I covered the Cardinals, there were home-and-home with the NFC East, before realignment. The last time the Cards went there as an NFC East team was in fact Pat Tillman's last game in the NFL. It was played in a freezing rain, and the Cardinals came up short, 20-17 on the scoreboard and therefore in their quest to finish .500 — a rare achievement in those days. That was the 2001 season, the last game of the year and only the last game of the year because, as the Cards' first game of the year, it was bumped because of the cancellations due to the 9/11 tragedy. Tillman talked to us in the locker room after, clad in only a towel, lips blue and teeth chattering, angry at the result.
I also remember the trip to Washington in 2008, because it was the front-end of a week-long trip away, in which the Cards stayed in Virginia to bridge games against the Redskins then the Jets. That was a memorable week despite back-to-back losses. Anquan Boldin famously broke his jaw against the Jets. And before that, with a 2-1 record after a loss to the Redskins, I went to dinner with three co-workers and we talked about what it would be like if the Cardinals won a Super Bowl. None of us really believed it could happen, and then, a few months later, that's exactly where the Cardinals were.
I'm not sure this trip to Washington is going to hold the same memories, although, like the one in the 2001 season, getting to .500 (or above, if the Cards win out) is a goal. When the season started this game looked important for both teams when it came to potential playoff positioning. Now, the Cards have to win to keep breathing, and Washington is already done.
-- So Adrian Peterson is done for the year, something that has certainly been trending that direction for a bit. Kerwynn Williams has entrenched himself as the starter so the Cards have already handled the idea they won't have AD. The question now is whether Peterson — who is under contract for next season, for $3.5 million — returns. Bruce Arians said Friday he can see Peterson on the roster. But there are other factors. David Johnson will be back. Not only do you have to find a way for Johnson and Peterson to co-exist, but Peterson would have to be OK with a reserve role. The Cards will also have to be OK paying a chunk of money to a reserve back.
The roster can go so many different directions this offseason. Peterson's role is just another detail to sort out.
-- No one is getting into the muck of the postseason, really, but know this in terms of the Cardinals and being officially eliminated from the playoffs — it can happen one of three ways:
-- A Cardinals loss -- A Seattle win -- A win by both Atlanta and Carolina.
Just sayin'.
-- Washington coach Jay Gruden praises the toughness of new safety and former Cardinal D.J. Swearinger this season, after Swearinger arrived as a free agent. Swearinger was even named a captain, and he used that to its fullest this week, calling out his team for going through the motions at practice. We'll see how they respond. One thing is for sure, and that's Swearinger is geared up to play the Cardinals.
He said the Cards made him an offer last year but pulled it just before free agency started (which more or less makes sense; I'm sure the idea was that they wanted Swearinger but if they didn't get him at their price, they were going to go in a different direction.)
As for Sunday, "It's definitely extra juice," Swearinger told the Roanoke County-Times. "I'm going to be on the edge. I can't wait to play."
-- Everyone will be watching rookie left tackle Will Holden Sunday. He may just be the key to the game. If he holds up, I think the Cards should be fine. Arians said newcomer Kahlif Barnes will be active, but I'm sure they'd rather not have it come down to him playing on only a couple days of practice.
-- As I write this, the forecast for Sunday is 49 degrees and only a 10 percent chance of precipitation. Perfect football weather.
-- A victory by the Cardinals would give Arians his 49th win as head coach, including playoffs. That would tie him with Ken Whisenhunt for most wins in franchise history with postseason included. Arians already has the most regular-season wins as a head coach, with 47.
On to D.C.
