10 thoughts - Dolphins game

[Gandhi]

1 – The best thing about the game was to see the connection Murray-to-Harrison, but really, it was almost more relief than joy. I pray they can keep it up and build on it.

2 – First time in three seasons (more than 1000 days) that the Cardinals win two in a row.

3 – Don’t trade Budda Baker. Please, Mr. Monti. In fact, sign him to a long-term contract instead. He is the heart and soul of the defense, and without him it would have been much worse.

4 – Trey McBride is a bonafide superstar.

5 – Is there a kicker battle brewing?

6 – Due to the safety of my blood pressure, I got to believe that they will hire some sort of consultant to Nick Rallis before next season. Gannon’s former mentors, George Edwards and Jerry Gray, come to mind. Hey, Bill Belichick is available and has relationships with both Gannon and Ossenfort! Or If Matt Eberflus is fired in Chicago (he has been dead man walking for more than one season), or Gannon’s best bud, Brandon Staley, don’t like San Francisco. They both have clear connections to Gannon. Just do something.

7 – Jalen Thompson is having an under-the-radar very good season.

8 – I don’t understand the frequent substitution of Isaiah Adams for Trystan Colon at right guard during games. Everyone says that cohesiveness is key to the offensive line, so why mess with it?

(Edito… well, me: And when coming to post this column, I see that @BACH has covered this exact topic. The thing is, though, that I have already deleted the rest of the thoughts I wrote down, and my memory sucks, so I have to let this stay in order to comply with the 10-thoughts rule).

Link to Bach’s great analysis: Offense and O-line analysis - week 8 | Arizona Sports Fans Forum

9 – The game could still be going on, and the Cards would not yet have gotten any pressure on Tagovailoa.

10 – Now that Harrison woke up, my man Dortch had to find other ways to impact the game. Great special teams play on downing that punt.

 

[Shane]

Reference number 8 the OL has not given up a sack in three games so who cares?

 

[Cardsfaninlouky]

#8. I like the rotation of both because it gives us more experience at that spot.

 

[Card'em]

#8. I think they're giving Adams game experience because they view him as a starting guard either this year or next. Makes sense to me to give him small doses of game experience with minimal disruption to our offensive line. He's a beast in the run game.

 

[GeorgiaCard88]

1 – The best thing about the game was to see the connection Murray-to-Harrison, but really, it was almost more relief than joy. I pray they can keep it up and build on it.

2 – First time in three seasons (more than 1000 days) that the Cardinals win two in a row.

3 – Don’t trade Budda Baker. Please, Mr. Monti. In fact, sign him to a long-term contract instead. He is the heart and soul of the defense, and without him it would have been much worse.

4 – Trey McBride is a bonafide superstar.

5 – Is there a kicker battle brewing?

6 – Due to the safety of my blood pressure, I got to believe that they will hire some sort of consultant to Nick Rallis before next season. Gannon’s former mentors, George Edwards and Jerry Gray, come to mind. Hey, Bill Belichick is available and has relationships with both Gannon and Ossenfort! Or If Matt Eberflus is fired in Chicago (he has been dead man walking for more than one season), or Gannon’s best bud, Brandon Staley, don’t like San Francisco. They both have clear connections to Gannon. Just do something.

7 – Jalen Thompson is having an under-the-radar very good season.

8 – I don’t understand the frequent substitution of Isaiah Adams for Trystan Colon at right guard during games. Everyone says that cohesiveness is key to the offensive line, so why mess with it?

(Edito… well, me: And when coming to post this column, I see that @BACH has covered this exact topic. The thing is, though, that I have already deleted the rest of the thoughts I wrote down, and my memory sucks, so I have to let this stay in order to comply with the 10-thoughts rule).

Link to Bach’s great analysis: Offense and O-line analysis - week 8 | Arizona Sports Fans Forum

9 – The game could still be going on, and the Cards would not yet have gotten any pressure on Tagovailoa.

10 – Now that Harrison woke up, my man Dortch had to find other ways to impact the game. Great special teams play on downing that punt.

3- budda is such a physical player and great role model- it's going to be a tough off season, but push comes to shove- I don't think the majority of our salary cap on our defense being tied into 2 safeties has worked out well for us. We need a more rounded defense/front 7

6- if you are implying that rallis is a bad defensive coordinator- I respectfully disagree- there is no man out there that can make this roster a decent defensive unit. Just not enough talent.

8- if this eventually leads to Isiah Adams getting the experience he needs to lock up the guard position, I'm all for it

 

[oaken1]

Rallis?? Really??

Dude is making chicken soup out of chicken shyte...why would anyone be down on him??
We were underpowered before the injuries to our top young pass rusher and our first round pick....then the others...

Folks need to be inviting Nick Rallis to their wedding. Not poo talking him on the internet

 

[Broseph]

Do you know how nice it is to finally have a competent TE?

 

[BirdGangThing]

rallis is doing fine - jt has been so up and down

 

[PJ1]

Thompson a disappointment in my opinion.

 

[oaken1]

Do you know how nice it is to finally have a competent TE?

And we seem to have more than one

 

[Goodyear Card]

Harrison is still a rookie so we should expect a learning curve. Yesterday was impressive. On the radio today they talked about WR reading the defensive and deciding what route to run. Then Kyler needs to make the same decision. hopefully our young receivers will continue to improve. I did like the deeper throws over the middle. I have been waiting years for that to happen.

 

[gmabel830]

#5 - I hope there's not a kicker battle brewing. I hope Ryland keeps being lights out and never gives the job back. Ryland is 15 years younger and already looks like he might be a steal of a pick up for us. Prater is in the last year of his contract, and I'd be perfectly fine with them keeping him on IR rest of the year and moving on to Ryland.

 

[Gandhi]

Reference number 8 the OL has not given up a sack in three games so who cares?

And that is obviously a good stat, but every game Murray has done his Houdini-thing to avoid at least two-three sacks. I think that is pretty obvious.

 

[Gandhi]

#8. I think they're giving Adams game experience because they view him as a starting guard either this year or next. Makes sense to me to give him small doses of game experience with minimal disruption to our offensive line. He's a beast in the run game.

As long as it gives minimal disruption to the group I certainly agree. Do you think he will get the job over Hernandez or Evan Brown? Adams is a natural left guard, but definitely he can also play to the right.

 

[Gandhi]

6- if you are implying that rallis is a bad defensive coordinator- I respectfully disagree- there is no man out there that can make this roster a decent defensive unit. Just not enough talent.

GC, you bring up a great point, but I have some thoughts on it.

First, I don’t like to make excuses for coaches and teams. The guys he deploys are NFL players. No, they are not as good as some others, but they can still be expected to be skilled. And I actually think most of them are. I think that many of them could be in rotational groups and not be completely overmatched. It is just that they cannot be the main guy.

Second, the best coaches make their players better. The best coaches scheme up things that suit their players, and they put them in positions to succeed. Circling back to my first arguing, the players that Rallis deploy are good enough to make plays if they are put in the right situations.

I am not at all saying that Rallis is a bad coordinator, but I am saying that he could use help from more experienced people. And he is 31, so it makes perfect sense that he needs that.

 

[Gandhi]

#5 - I hope there's not a kicker battle brewing. I hope Ryland keeps being lights out and never gives the job back. Ryland is 15 years younger and already looks like he might be a steal of a pick up for us. Prater is in the last year of his contract, and I'd be perfectly fine with them keeping him on IR rest of the year and moving on to Ryland.

Oh, I certainly agree, gmabel. I just think that a (arguably) future Hall of Famer has a lot of credit in the back. I would also keep Ryland, though. Did you see how much air was under the 57-yard field goal? That would easily have been good enough for ten yards further out.

 

[Osbern61]

#9 is the most disturbing for me. A guy that hasn't played for a bit and you can't get near him?

 

[Card'em]

As long as it gives minimal disruption to the group I certainly agree. Do you think he will get the job over Hernandez or Evan Brown? Adams is a natural left guard, but definitely he can also play to the right.

I think Adams will start at either right or left guard next season. Evan Brown and Hernandez are both free agents, and I assume one or both will be signed to small dollar free agent contracts for next season.

 

[slanidrac16]

6. Any help for Rallis would be good. However a couple of beasts coming off the edge would also make him a better coach.

 

[602 Native]

I would add our young corners might start looking elite if we had an actual pass rush.

 

[slanidrac16]

I would add our young corners might start looking elite if we had an actual pass rush.

I agree. I think they have been playing pretty darn good. The problem is all we really see ( or remember) are plays where their man catches the ball.

 

[Russ Smith]

Reference number 8 the OL has not given up a sack in three games so who cares?

That's in large part due to Kyler. I know he occasionally runs into sacks but the last 3 games he's probably avoided 2-3 sacks in each game that were complete free runners he just avoided. The TD to Wilson is the perfect example complete free running Jalen Ramsay and he avoids it.

 

[speedy]

And that is obviously a good stat, but every game Murray has done his Houdini-thing to avoid at least two-three sacks. I think that is pretty obvious.

Yep. It’s why we drafted him.

 

[phillycard]

I agree. I think they have been playing pretty darn good. The problem is all we really see ( or remember) are plays where their man catches the ball.

And hey, LESS Murphy Bunting is always a good thing!!!!

 

[daves]

That's in large part due to Kyler. I know he occasionally runs into sacks but the last 3 games he's probably avoided 2-3 sacks in each game that were complete free runners he just avoided. The TD to Wilson is the perfect example complete free running Jalen Ramsay and he avoids it.

It seems as though all year, and perhaps going back to last year, we've seen FAR fewer plays where Murray runs backwards and takes huge sacks. His evasiveness has been much better than earlier in his career (even during his great run in the first half of 2021).

Better O-line play may factor into that, and perhaps some combination of coaching and self-scouting.