A quiet Adrian Wilson is a little like a quiet politician on the eve of an election.
He's a little out of his element, out of his comfort zone, not really that effective.
So to get the former Pro Bowl safety going, the Cardinals devised some aggressive defensive play-calling Nov. 2 at St. Louis.
Wilson rushed the quarterback, stormed past a helpless fullback who was trying to fend him off, and sacked Marc Bulger.
He also forced a fumble that was recovered by the NFC West-leading Cardinals (5-3), who host the San Francisco 49ers (2-6) for Monday Night Football tonight in Glendale.
Wilson credited coaching decisions with allowing him to attack the Rams.
"I look at myself as a playmaker. Any playmaker wants to be involved in the game plan," he said. "It's no different for me.
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"With more opportunities, you have more ways to make a play. We've got to get guys going early."
The Cardinals' approach against St. Louis "kept me interested," he joked.
Statistically, Wilson has been relatively quiet the past couple of seasons, and the usually durable safety had his 2007 season cut short by a heel injury.
He has one sack and one interception this season.
His career totals of 17 sacks and 17 picks put him in position to record 20-20 some day, a feat only a handful of NFL players have been able to achieve.
Wilson set a goal of reaching the 20-plateau in each category this season, meaning he would need four sacks and four interceptions.
"I felt it was attainable this year," he said.
To get it done, he said he needs an aggressive approach by the coaching staff in games and a similar mindset by himself in practice.
"The way you practice carries over to the games. You want to make sure you take care of your end of the deal," he said.
Coach Ken Whisenhunt said the Cardinals called a "couple of things to get Adrian involved, especially early."
"He's a dynamic playmaker for us, especially in and around the line of scrimmage," Whisenhunt said. "That's important for Adrian. Getting him involved early gets him geared up and gets his game going. That was really nice to see."
The Cardinals suspected the Rams would have "some matchup issues" in pass protection and were rewarded with the fumble.
As with all of the Cardinals' playmakers, "You want to try to scheme things and try to put them in position to be successful," Whisenhunt said.
"There are many times where we're trying to get Adrian involved because of what he does. We'll continue to do so because of his ability to be a force in the game."
Wilson's importance was underlined — with emphasis — in the Cardinals' embarrassing performance at the New York Jets.
It was the Cards' worst game of the season, and — though Whisenhunt thinks the Cardinals played poorly from all kinds of standpoints — it may be no coincidence that it was the lone game Wilson has missed this year.
While Wilson must stay aggressive to be effective, he also has to play smart.
Repeated personal fouls over the years have led to a warning by the NFL — which has been increasingly concerned about player safety — stating that he is subject to fines and suspensions for future infractions.
Wilson got both after a hit — for which he wasn't penalized — on Buffalo quarterback Trent Edwards. As Wilson explained it, he was disciplined for landing fully on top of Edwards rather than hitting him late.
Wilson argued he couldn't avoid doing so and is saying all the right things.
The competition committee changes the way the game is played every year. Players have to adjust accordingly.
"Obviously, it's something the players have to be aware of," he said. "I definitely don't want to be suspended or cause my team any type of personal-foul penalty. If you get suspended, you hurt the team."
TODAY
• Who: 49ers at Cardinals
• When: 6:30 p.m.
• TV: ESPN
