2006 Cardinals: Game 10 (ARI 17 DET 10) Analysis

[PJ1]

Yeah, an energized Dansby make a world of difference for this team...too bad Orlando Huff is so poor on the other side.

It really is amazing that Huff is still starting. He is pathetic and yet stays in game after game. Easily the weakest starter on D.

 

[arthurracoon]

 

[az1965]

Its amazing what winning does... even the average performers today like Macklin are getting praises... Except for Macklin, who I thought did not have a good game, I agree with rest.

 

[Totally_Red]

I thought the offense was inconsistent, especially in the second half. We got a big break with all the Detriot injuries. Take away the top 3 or 4 D-lineman, including Shaun Rogers, and play a team with mediocre linebackers and DB's, and this offense should have scored 35 points.

This was the 25th ranked NFL defense with several starters hurt, and the offense still looked pedestrian for most of the second half IMO.

I'll glady take the win, but 99% of the credit goes to the defense and special teams. The D-line played extremely well, All four starters, including Chike Okeafor were outstanding.

 

[Wild Card]

I thought the offense was inconsistent, especially in the second half. We got a big break with all the Detroit injuries. Take away the top 3 or 4 D-lineman, including Shaun Rogers, and play a team with mediocre linebackers and DB's, and this offense should have scored 35 points. This was the 25th ranked NFL defense with several starters hurt, and the offense still looked pedestrian for most of the second half IMO.

I'll gladly take the win, but 99% of the credit goes to the defense and special teams. The D-line played extremely well. All four starters, including Chike Okeafor were outstanding.

TR:

I'd add that Detroit lost their leading rusher and receiver midway through the first quarter, which might have had something to do with the Cardinals' defensive performance. The defense also gave up a 97-yard drive to let the Lions back in the game late, highlight hit by Robert Griffith notwithstanding.

I know that Mitch has been letting the hyperbole pile up for the last eight weeks, so I'm inclined to give him a pass. But much of the praise he's doled out here is over-the-top, based on what I saw on Sunday. A healthy Cards team eked out a one-possession win at home over one of the league's worst teams, winless on the road, which came into this game with a badly depleted defense and lost a critical playmaker on offense early.

I'm encouraged that Matt Leinart seemed to regain his poise and was more effective after the first quarter--during which he looked much as he had the last three weeks--and that Edgerrin James had his most-productive game as a Cardinal. I thought the defense played reasonably well against an offense that was largely one-dimensional (normally the Cards' modus operandi) for 3-1/2 quarters. I'm glad that the Cardinals delivered the win I'd predicted. But I'm a long way from calling most of the individual performances I saw "stellar," or handing out game balls like Halloween candy.

Get similar results a week from now in Minnesota against the Vikings, and I'll start to think some kind of corner is being turned. Not yet.

WC

 

[RON_IN_OC]

TR:

I'd add that Detroit lost their leading rusher and receiver midway through the first quarter, which might have had something to do with the Cardinals' defensive performance. The defense also gave up a 97-yard drive to let the Lions back in the game late, highlight hit by Robert Griffith notwithstanding.

I know that Mitch has been letting the hyperbole pile up for the last eight weeks, so I'm inclined to give him a pass. But much of the praise he's doled out here is over-the-top, based on what I saw on Sunday. A healthy Cards team eked out a one-possession win at home over one of the league's worst teams, winless on the road, which came into this game with a badly depleted defense and lost a critical playmaker on offense early.

I'm encouraged that Matt Leinart seemed to regain his poise and was more effective after the first quarter--during which he looked much as he had the last three weeks--and that Edgerrin James had his most-productive game as a Cardinal. I thought the defense played reasonably well against an offense that was largely one-dimensional (normally the Cards' modus operandi) for 3-1/2 quarters. I'm glad that the Cardinals delivered the win I'd predicted. But I'm a long way from calling most of the individual performances I saw "stellar," or handing out game balls like Halloween candy.

Get similar results a week from now in Minnesota against the Vikings, and I'll start to think some kind of corner is being turned. Not yet.

WC

Detroit is like the Cardinals, in that they are not as bad as their record. Remember, they beat the same Atlanta team that smoked our asses!

 

[joeshmo]

Mitch, you need to tell the whole story when bringing up the discusion the fox crew had with Green not just a tid bit of it.

Green told the fox crew that he did not want to be a lame duck coach next year, becuase lame duck coaches do not work. So if he isnt fired he would ask for an extension. Any other coach would say or ask for the same.

There a ton of things to bag on Green about this just isnt one of them.

 

[Wild Card]

Detroit is like the Cardinals, in that they are not as bad as their record. Remember, they beat the same Atlanta team that smoked our asses!

MP:

The Detroit team that beat Atlanta 30-14 at home in week 9 had a healthy Kevin Jones for all four quarters, during which he rushed 26 times for 110 yards and 2 TDs. Add to that Jones' 4 catches in that game for an additional 30 yards, and you get some sense of the impact his first-quarter loss had to the Lions' offense on Sunday.

WC

 

[Totally_Red]

MP:

The Detroit team that beat Atlanta 30-14 at home in week 9 had a healthy Kevin Jones for all four quarters, during which he rushed 26 times for 110 yards and 2 TDs. Add to that Jones' 4 catches in that game for an additional 30 yards, and you get some sense of the impact his first-quarter loss had to the Lions' offense on Sunday.

WC

Atlanta is in free fall. They lost again at Baltimore and looked bad doing it. Their defense is banged up with both ends out and several other starters out or playing hurt. And their offense is one of the worst in the league.

 

[kerouac9]

Mitch, remind us again of what a great coach Scott Linehan is for St. Louis!

 

[CardLogic]

As a final kudo, give CP a lot of credit for shutting WR Josh McCown out!

Well done!

 

[Mitch]

Mitch, remind us again of what a great coach Scott Linehan is for St. Louis!

OK-K9: In my NFC West Coaching and Position rankings prior to the season I ranked the coaches as follows: (1) Holmgren; (2) Nolan; (3) Linehan; (4) Green. Interesting that as of right now the coaches rank right where the standings are (which corroborate the notion that with such parity in the NFL talent-wise, coaching makes all the difference). I paused long and hard as to whether to rank Mike Nolan as the top coach and said so at the time...for he gets more out of little than any coach on this list. Mike Holmgren has won a Super Bowl and he got his Hawks there last year...which made it impossible for me to rank Nolan higher.

As for Scott Linehan...I think he's done a good job in St. Louis thus far. He got them off to a 4-1 start (thanks in part to fumbled snaps)...and Marc Bulger has been about as accurate as a QB could possibly be...but even after the 4-1 start, I said and several others predicted that the Rams would not sustain that pace. They just aren't talented enough on defense to win more games than they lose at this point. But, give credit where credit is due...Linehan runs a very efficient offense...and at least he steps in and calls the plays, which these days is a real bonus.

Here's another question right back at you, K9. How about Aaron Francisco! Yes, you won the bet that he wouldn't be starting by the bye week, but he has made a very positive impact on this defense...and while Robert Griffith has stepped up and played well the past several weeks, Francisco looks like the future at FS for the Cards.

 

[Mitch]

Mitch, you need to tell the whole story when bringing up the discusion the fox crew had with Green not just a tid bit of it.

Green told the fox crew that he did not want to be a lame duck coach next year, becuase lame duck coaches do not work. So if he isnt fired he would ask for an extension. Any other coach would say or ask for the same.

There a ton of things to bag on Green about this just isnt one of them.

Joe: I did mention this on a follow-up post. But...not all lame duck coaches fail (many do, but not all)...some of them earn their extensions by delivering in the clutch. Wouldn't you think Green would and should be embarrassed to even mention a contract extension?

How about this line of rhetoric instead...something to the effect of, "Gee, I hope I will have the opportunity to fulfill my contract...while we haven't been winning, the roster is stronger and with another good off-season, it is my contention that we will start to win on a regular basis. If we win next year, then I believe I will deserve an extension."

 

[kerouac9]

Aaron Francisco is doing well as what he is: a third safety. I think that Robert Griffith has been very, very good this season despite all the opporobrium that was heaped upon him by yourself and others. From what I saw, it was Griffith who tipped Francisco's interception, not Gerald Hayes, as it was reported somewhere. Francisco still isn't near the starting position, and it seems like he's taking the same side of the field as Adrian Wilson when the strong nickel comes out, not taking the transitional free safety position.

I still think that we need another free safety this offseason, but it's not the dire need that it seemed at the beginning.

Saying that Scott Linehan is better than Dennis Green is not going far out on a limb. But his offense was stinky yesterday against a defense that is not all that great. Steven Jackson got all of 14 total touches? Seriously?

I don't disagree with your ranking, but you never qualified your praise for Linehan at the start of the Rams' slide, but he now possesses the longest active losing streak in the NFL, and were blown out by a Chiefs team identical to the ones the Cards--with a rookie quarterback and the worst offensive line in the NFL--played down to the final seconds. Hardly worth the praise that you were heaping upon him after the first month of the season.

I'm not ready to jump on the Mike Nolan bandwagon just yet. The defense did okay against a crippled Seahawks team, but that squad still has a long way to go.

 

[ajcardfan]

Joe: I did mention this on a follow-up post. But...not all lame duck coaches fail (many do, but not all)...some of them earn their extensions by delivering in the clutch. Wouldn't you think Green would and should be embarrassed to even mention a contract extension?

I can't think of any lame duck coaches who did well. (Not saying you are wrong Mitch.) Who were some who did well?

 

[joeshmo]

But...not all lame duck coaches fail (many do, but not all

Didnt say they did or didnt, but it is without question how coaches feel.

Again Green has not asked for an extension he said that he would ask for one when he does become a lame duck coach.

The fact is what Green said is exactly what any other coach has ever said when it comes to talking about being a lame duck coach, unless they are already looking to retire. It is a fact of the NFL. It is a fact of life, everyone in every business will ask for an extension in the last year of their contract, everyone, players, coaches, some dude sitting in a cube at work.

The issue you have on this is a whole lot of nothing.

 

[Mitch]

Aaron Francisco is doing well as what he is: a third safety. I think that Robert Griffith has been very, very good this season despite all the opporobrium that was heaped upon him by yourself and others. From what I saw, it was Griffith who tipped Francisco's interception, not Gerald Hayes, as it was reported somewhere. Francisco still isn't near the starting position, and it seems like he's taking the same side of the field as Adrian Wilson when the strong nickel comes out, not taking the transitional free safety position.

I still think that we need another free safety this offseason, but it's not the dire need that it seemed at the beginning.

Saying that Scott Linehan is better than Dennis Green is not going far out on a limb. But his offense was stinky yesterday against a defense that is not all that great. Steven Jackson got all of 14 total touches? Seriously?

I don't disagree with your ranking, but you never qualified your praise for Linehan at the start of the Rams' slide, but he now possesses the longest active losing streak in the NFL, and were blown out by a Chiefs team identical to the ones the Cards--with a rookie quarterback and the worst offensive line in the NFL--played down to the final seconds. Hardly worth the praise that you were heaping upon him after the first month of the season.

I'm not ready to jump on the Mike Nolan bandwagon just yet. The defense did okay against a crippled Seahawks team, but that squad still has a long way to go.

Wow, K9. You never cease to amaze me.

First of all, your praise of Griffith is a tad generous. Yes, Griffith has improved this year, but he's still a very limited FS because of his lack of range. Francisco has much better range and he's a more sudden tackler. If Griffith wasn't the QB of the secondary, Francisco would have already beaten him out, by virtue of the aforementioned reasons.

Secondly, Carolina's defense is a lot better than what you are giving them credit for (yes, they have underachieved this year, but they are still one of the better defenses-talent-wise-in the NFL)...and the Rams' o-line is banged up.

Thirdly, Mike Nolan has his lowly 49ers one game out of first place after 10 games and you give him no love? Unreal.

 

[Mitch]

Didnt say they did or didnt, but it is without question how coaches feel.

Again Green has not asked for an extension he said that he would ask for one when he does become a lame duck coach.

The fact is what Green said is exactly what any other coach has ever said when it comes to talking about being a lame duck coach, unless they are already looking to retire. It is a fact of the NFL. It is a fact of life, everyone in every business will ask for an extension in the last year of their contract, everyone, players, coaches, some dude sitting in a cube at work.

The issue you have on this is a whole lot of nothing.

Well, Joe, I guess we disagree (that this issue is a whole lot of nothing). For Green to even mention a contract extension is a joke...and if one had to surmise why he chose to mention an extension to the FOX crew, one would probably come to the realization that Green's purpose is to put further pressure on the Cardinals' management to get rid of him sooner rather than later (so he can sit on his ass counting the $2.5M owed him, rather than have to work for it). And therefore the point is: is this a coach hungry to keep his job and redeem himself?

 

[kerouac9]

Wow, K9. You never cease to amaze me.

First of all, your praise of Griffith is a tad generous. Yes, Griffith has improved this year, but he's still a very limited FS because of his lack of range. Francisco has much better range and he's a more sudden tackler. If Griffith wasn't the QB of the secondary, Francisco would have already beaten him out, by virtue of the aforementioned reasons.

Secondly, Carolina's defense is a lot better than what you are giving them credit for (yes, they have underachieved this year, but they are still one of the better defenses-talent-wise-in the NFL)...and the Rams' o-line is banged up.

Thirdly, Mike Nolan has his lowly 49ers one game out of first place after 10 games and you give him no love? Unreal.

A free safety's role is as the quarterback of the defense; it's like that for most every team in the NFL. Griffith is having a very, very good season this year. A Pro Bowl season? That's ludicrous. But he's not the problem on this defense, and that's enough.

One game out of first place in the worst division in football? I guess that's an achievement, but if he played in the AFC he's be the Raiders, so I don't really get what the big deal is. If Mike Nolan gets that squad to 8-8, he'll get votes for Coach of the Year, but how much of that is his defense and leadership and how much is Frank Gore doing a Marshall Faulk impression? They beat a limping team at home. Isn't that what you're supposed to do in the NFL? They're taking advantage of a weak schedule in a way the Cardinals were unable to. Let's see how they come out of the next 5 games on their schedule. You don't get a lot of credit from me for beating the teams they have.

 

[joeshmo]

Well, Joe, I guess we disagree (that this issue is a whole lot of nothing). For Green to even mention a contract extension is a joke...and if one had to surmise why he chose to mention an extension to the FOX crew, one would probably come to the realization that Green's purpose is to put further pressure on the Cardinals' management to get rid of him sooner rather than later (so he can sit on his ass counting the $2.5M owed him, rather than have to work for it). And therefore the point is: is this a coach hungry to keep his job and redeem himself?

Well then I guess it is a big deal when you do a whole lot of speculating and reading into what someone said such as you have.

It isnt like he is asking for an extension right now. He said he would ask for one if he was in a lame duck situation. It is a "what if" answer to a "what if" question. What is the big deal with saying that when it is something that any other person in any other business would ask for in the last year of their contract, no matter how good or bad they are? I have contractors asking me that everyday.

It is something that any other coach(wining and lossing) would say or has already said in the past and will say in the future when asked about being a lame duck coach. It wasnt a big deal when other coaches have said it and it isnt a big deal now.

 

[Mitch]

Well then I guess it is a big deal when you do a whole lot of speculating and reading into what someone said such as you have.

It isnt like he is asking for an extension right now. He said he would ask for one if he was in a lame duck situation. It is a "what if" answer to a "what if" question. What is the big deal with saying that when it is something that any other person in any other business would ask for in the last year of their contract, no matter how good or bad they are? I have contractors asking me that everyday.

It is something that any other coach(wining and lossing) would say or has already said in the past and will say in the future when asked about being a lame duck coach. It wasnt a big deal when other coaches have said it and it isnt a big deal now.

Joe: it comes down to a simple question of leverege...what kind of leverege does a 13-29 coach in the midst of a miserable 2-8 season have in talking about a contract extension, no matter what the circumstances? None. Zero. Zip. Nada.

 

[Pariah]

K9's seeming distaste for Francisco was the straw that broke the camels back: I just ordered a Francisco jersey.

 

[Mitch]

K9's seeming distaste for Francisco was the straw that broke the camels back: I just ordered a Francisco jersey.

Wow, ordering a Francisco jersey, Pariah! And this was the #47 post...how cosmic is that??? Kind of like #83 Lee Evans of the Buffalo Bills catching not one but TWO 83 yard TD passes yesterday!!!

You da man, Pariah! May the force be with you!

 

[Pariah]

Wow, ordering a Francisco jersey, Pariah! And this was the #47 post...how cosmic is that??? Kind of like #83 Lee Evans of the Buffalo Bills catching not one but TWO 83 yard TD passes yesterday!!!

You da man, Pariah! May the force be with you!

Thanks.

...and I'm not joking about the jersey. I'm hoping it arrives before the Denver game, which I'm tentatively planning on attending.

 

[ajcardfan]

Joe: it comes down to a simple question of leverege...what kind of leverege does a 13-29 coach in the midst of a miserable 2-8 season have in talking about a contract extension, no matter what the circumstances? None. Zero. Zip. Nada.

When asked a hypothetical question, you give a hypothetical answer.

Much ado about nothing!