By Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The oasis-like setting is part of what lures retirees to the Arizona desert. Jeff Blake went southwest for a different reason.

A journeyman quarterback in every sense, the 32-year-old signed with the Cardinals in March not just because they offered the most money.

They dangled an opportunity to extend a career now in its 12th season with a team desperately trying to shed its status as a perennial NFL loser.

"I can still move pretty good. My arm is still there," said Blake, who played for the Bengals from 1994-99. "You just need a team around you. I still haven't had the opportunity to have that team around me. If we can keep this team together in the next year or two, hopefully we should be able to make something happen."

Only once during his five-team career has Blake played on a winner.

The Saints went 10-6 and made the playoffs during the 2000 season, but Blake dislocated and broke his right foot in the 11th game. He was replaced by Aaron Brooks and waived before last season.

After playing in Baltimore last season, Blake chose Arizona when it offered a three year deal worth $7.5 million.

"When I sat down with Jeff, he had not only all the right answers, but he was very, very honest with how he perceived what was going on here," Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis said, "where we were trying to go and how he felt like he could fit in here and assume the leadership role here. He's been tremendous for me."

The Cardinals are 2-5 entering Sunday's game against the Bengals.

Blake feels Arizona, which has beaten Green Bay and San Francisco, just as easily could be 4-3 right now.

"The turnovers have killed us," he said. "We feel like if we can go out and not turn the ball over that we have a good chance of winning every game we play."

The Cardinals turned the ball over just once Sunday - receiver Anquan Boldin threw an interception on a reverse play - but they still are the NFC's worst with 19 giveaways.

"You cannot turn the ball over in this league and expect to win," McGinnis said. "That's what we've been doing in our losses."

If the Cardinals don't turn the ball over, they have some offensive weapons.

The line, which averages 6 feet 5, 320 pounds, opened enough holes for running back Marcel Shipp to rush 35 times for 165 yards in a 16-13 overtime win against the 49ers on Sunday.

Arizona ranked last in the NFL in rushing (71.2 yards a game) through its first six games. That average jumped 21.4 yards after the Cardinals gained 221 yards last weekend.

"I think any football team in this league benefits from being able to run the football . . . and control the time of possession," McGinnis said.

Blake has completed 58.7 percent of his passes for 1,239 yards and seven touchdowns but has nine interceptions.

His primary target has been Boldin, a rookie out of Florida State. About the only healthy receiver Arizona has had this season, he ranks among the league leaders with 42 catches for 621 yards and two touchdowns.

"If (Blake) hits a streak, he can kill you," Bengals defensive tackle Oliver Gibson said. "On the negative side, if you hit him and get him frustrated, he'll make some mistakes.

"He's a solid player, but sometimes he tries to do a little too much and ends up getting in a little bit of trouble."

Judging by the results so far, Blake can see the Bengals' improvement with Marvin Lewis as head coach.

"When you bring somebody in from the outside, they can bring new ideas, a new flavor, a new aggressiveness," Blake said. "But when you always hire somebody in-house, you're still getting the same thing over and over and over again. Ain't nobody changing. Nobody has any new ideas. They just keep doing the same thing."

He is enough removed from the Bengals to spend time worrying about his former team.

The present is in Arizona, and possibly the future.

"Right now I'm really enjoying myself in Arizona," Blake said. "I would have liked to have won more games (this season), but it's going to come. It's going to come."

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E-mail kkelly@enquirer.com

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