1 – I’m kind of proud that I watched the game all the way to the end.
2 – I became a fan after the Monday Night Meltdown against the Bears (don’t ask me why because I can’t tell you), but this entire season is, for me, easily the biggest embarrassment I have experienced with the Cards. I really feel for you guys who have followed the team for much longer than me.
3 – Doesn’t seem like Arians is coming back to save the Cards, but I was wondering that if he does indeed come out of retirement to coach the Browns, wouldn’t the Cards still hold his contract rights since he was never fired, making it necessary for the Browns to acquire him? You know, like the Raiders traded with the Seahawks for Marshawn Lynch when he came out of retirement. If so, what would Arians be worth to the Browns? At least a second round pick, right?
4 – I have been wondering if Steve Keim and Steve Wilks are simply not in sync? I mean, I don’t think Keim has suddenly become a bad general manager, but maybe he hasn’t provided the pieces that the coaching staff wanted either? I guess that actually would make him a bad general manager in some regard, but I still think it falls mostly on the coaching staff as the common distinction between a general manager and a head coach is that the general manager assembles the team while the head coach picks the coaching staff to coach said team. Obviously, it is best if the two are on the same page as Keim and Arians were, and I just think that since Keim did a good job back then, while the team is horrendous now, the arrow points at Wilks.
5 – After cornerbacks Leonard Johnson and Bené Benwikere got beat like a drum it did get better when David Amerson was put out there.
6 – It’s probably ignorant to believe that Nkemdiche has finally turned the corner, but I would keep him as a backup next season (and this thought is not based on this game, but it did confirm it). I think Corey Peters is a stud, and Rodney Gunter has probably played well enough to earn a contract extension, but I don’t think Olsen Pierre has followed up on last season’s promising play. I wouldn’t mind them spending a draftpick on a defensive tackle, but Nkemdiche has all the talent in the world, so why not giving him another chance if the alternative is worse anyway?
7 – At some point, T.J. Logan or Christian Kirk are going to break one for a kick six.
8 – I think it was a mistake by Al Holcomb to have the defense play flag football.
9 – Ken Whisenhunt humiliating the Cards. I’ve seen that before.
10 – I really, really, really hope Fitzgerald don’t retire after this season only because I don’t want to see him go out like this. On the other hand, I would certainly understand him.
11 – I didn’t agree with most others last week that offensive tackle Korey Cunningham played well, but I thought he did this time. After all, that was Melvin Ingram he held in check for most of the game. That’s one of the premier edge rushers in the game.
12 – Since they activated quarterback Charles Kanoff from the practice squad reportedly because other teams were sniffing around him, I guess he has a good chance to be the #1 backup next year.
13 – I am not at all sure that Michael Bidwill will fire Steve Wilks (in fact, I expect him not to), but neither do I see how he can defend not to.
14 – It’s not only how you act in successful times. It’s also how you react to adversity. I really look forward to following Rosen next year.
15 – I know some are hoping that the Cards will tank to get a better draftpick, and I know that some consider that to be a bad mentality, and – in my opinion – pretty badly calls out the people who disagree with that. Now, last week I described why tanking doesn’t exist in the NFL, but that doesn’t mean that fans can´t wish for their team to lose, and this is where my view comes in. Why is it not okay to want your team to be better next season? That can obviously happen in many ways, but if some feel that the best way is to get a better draftpick, why are those people not entitled to their opinion? Why must they endure being called losers for viewing things differently than others?
I don’t hope for it myself, but I understand the notion that sometimes you must lose in order to win.
Also, it’s almost unfair to all Cards-fans if these pathetic showings don’t result in at least some consolation with the #1 overall draft selection.
On that note it might interest some (as you might have guessed, I am one of them) that Football Outsiders has the Niners as a huge favorite to get the #1 pick with 43.7% chance while the Cards are second with 29.5% chance and the Raiders third with 21.5% chance. ESPN ranks the Cards with the best chance to get the pick with 43%, and they have the Niners second with 31% and the Raiders third with 18%. Obviously, the two sources use different metrics, so take it for what it’s worth. What I can calculate myself is the combined records of the remaining opponents for each of the three teams:
The Cards: 28-26-1
The Niners: 35-20
The Raiders: 35-19-1
So, as you can see, on paper, the Cards have by far the easiest remaining schedule, and lowest Strength of Schedule gets the highest pick if teams have equal records. Now, the Strength of Schedule will change from week to week, but if all three teams lose out, it looks like the Cards will have the #1 pick.
2 – I became a fan after the Monday Night Meltdown against the Bears (don’t ask me why because I can’t tell you), but this entire season is, for me, easily the biggest embarrassment I have experienced with the Cards. I really feel for you guys who have followed the team for much longer than me.
3 – Doesn’t seem like Arians is coming back to save the Cards, but I was wondering that if he does indeed come out of retirement to coach the Browns, wouldn’t the Cards still hold his contract rights since he was never fired, making it necessary for the Browns to acquire him? You know, like the Raiders traded with the Seahawks for Marshawn Lynch when he came out of retirement. If so, what would Arians be worth to the Browns? At least a second round pick, right?
4 – I have been wondering if Steve Keim and Steve Wilks are simply not in sync? I mean, I don’t think Keim has suddenly become a bad general manager, but maybe he hasn’t provided the pieces that the coaching staff wanted either? I guess that actually would make him a bad general manager in some regard, but I still think it falls mostly on the coaching staff as the common distinction between a general manager and a head coach is that the general manager assembles the team while the head coach picks the coaching staff to coach said team. Obviously, it is best if the two are on the same page as Keim and Arians were, and I just think that since Keim did a good job back then, while the team is horrendous now, the arrow points at Wilks.
5 – After cornerbacks Leonard Johnson and Bené Benwikere got beat like a drum it did get better when David Amerson was put out there.
6 – It’s probably ignorant to believe that Nkemdiche has finally turned the corner, but I would keep him as a backup next season (and this thought is not based on this game, but it did confirm it). I think Corey Peters is a stud, and Rodney Gunter has probably played well enough to earn a contract extension, but I don’t think Olsen Pierre has followed up on last season’s promising play. I wouldn’t mind them spending a draftpick on a defensive tackle, but Nkemdiche has all the talent in the world, so why not giving him another chance if the alternative is worse anyway?
7 – At some point, T.J. Logan or Christian Kirk are going to break one for a kick six.
8 – I think it was a mistake by Al Holcomb to have the defense play flag football.
9 – Ken Whisenhunt humiliating the Cards. I’ve seen that before.
10 – I really, really, really hope Fitzgerald don’t retire after this season only because I don’t want to see him go out like this. On the other hand, I would certainly understand him.
11 – I didn’t agree with most others last week that offensive tackle Korey Cunningham played well, but I thought he did this time. After all, that was Melvin Ingram he held in check for most of the game. That’s one of the premier edge rushers in the game.
12 – Since they activated quarterback Charles Kanoff from the practice squad reportedly because other teams were sniffing around him, I guess he has a good chance to be the #1 backup next year.
13 – I am not at all sure that Michael Bidwill will fire Steve Wilks (in fact, I expect him not to), but neither do I see how he can defend not to.
14 – It’s not only how you act in successful times. It’s also how you react to adversity. I really look forward to following Rosen next year.
15 – I know some are hoping that the Cards will tank to get a better draftpick, and I know that some consider that to be a bad mentality, and – in my opinion – pretty badly calls out the people who disagree with that. Now, last week I described why tanking doesn’t exist in the NFL, but that doesn’t mean that fans can´t wish for their team to lose, and this is where my view comes in. Why is it not okay to want your team to be better next season? That can obviously happen in many ways, but if some feel that the best way is to get a better draftpick, why are those people not entitled to their opinion? Why must they endure being called losers for viewing things differently than others?
I don’t hope for it myself, but I understand the notion that sometimes you must lose in order to win.
Also, it’s almost unfair to all Cards-fans if these pathetic showings don’t result in at least some consolation with the #1 overall draft selection.
On that note it might interest some (as you might have guessed, I am one of them) that Football Outsiders has the Niners as a huge favorite to get the #1 pick with 43.7% chance while the Cards are second with 29.5% chance and the Raiders third with 21.5% chance. ESPN ranks the Cards with the best chance to get the pick with 43%, and they have the Niners second with 31% and the Raiders third with 18%. Obviously, the two sources use different metrics, so take it for what it’s worth. What I can calculate myself is the combined records of the remaining opponents for each of the three teams:
The Cards: 28-26-1
The Niners: 35-20
The Raiders: 35-19-1
So, as you can see, on paper, the Cards have by far the easiest remaining schedule, and lowest Strength of Schedule gets the highest pick if teams have equal records. Now, the Strength of Schedule will change from week to week, but if all three teams lose out, it looks like the Cards will have the #1 pick.
