Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
What's this? A convincing win on the road? Wow!
Credit this win to Mike Kruczek's excellent game plan and play calling, combined with much improved offensive line play and timely playmaking by the defense.
One has to like what Krucz is doing with the offense now that he's settled in as the OC. He has stabilized the offensive line and is getting good results. Yes, the Rams' run defense is sub par, but the Cards didn't run the ball against them with this kind of success earlier in the year. And the Cards didn't pass protect as consistently as they are now...Matt Leinart has been sacked only three times in the last three games...which is excellent for any offensive line.
Krucz's mix of run and pass was excellent, not just between the 20s, but in the red zone, where Marcel Shipp was magnificent (3 TDs!). Why was Shipp in the game? Even the FOX crew of Pat Summerall and Brian Boldinger asked that question. Well, think back to what Krucz asked Edge to do when he became the OC...stop dancing and hit the hole.
Marcel Shipp is the best north-south RB on the team and so Krucz tabbed Shipp for this role, and had so much confidence in him that he called a shotgun draw to Shipp from the eight yard line...which Shipp steamrolled into his third TD on the play.
Matt Leinart was extremely efficient, passing to the tune of 186 yards...and the yards would have been well over 200 if Anquan Boldin hadn't dropped a couple of balls that were right on the money.
Larry Fitzgerald was smooth all day (excellent slant pass TD)...TE Leonard Pope made a couple of nice snatches...and even TE Fred Wakefield caught an 8 yard pass (made a little dubious by a fumble that he quickly recovered).
FB Obafemi Ayanbadejo had two nice catches with good RAC yards, one for a 3rd down conversion.
Up front...the right side of rookie G Deuce Lutui and T Reggie Wells has begun to gel...Lutui gets a good push in the running game, and Wells, as many of us suspected when he was struggling at guard, has shown the feet and balance to be a solid pass protector at RT.
At C, Nick Leckey had his best game as a Cardinal...flat-out pancaking his man on Edge's first 8 yard run...hustling the whole line to the ball and playing with good energy and smarts. The only real mistake I saw was stepping tripping up Leinart on 4th and goal from the one yard line...a play the he needs to work on in terms of generating a forward pivot on his right foot.
LT Leonard Davis and LG Milford Brown were a formidible tandem in the running game today...and when TE Oliver Ross joins them on the short yardage offense, they are a load to run behind. Again, credit Coach Krucz with this strategy...Krucz is making a concerted effort to make full use of his personnel, as evidenced by today's strong contributions from Shipp, Femi, J.J., BJ (nice 3rd down conversion), Walters (another nice 3rd down conversion), Fred Wakefield and Oliver Ross.
If Coack Krucz continues to help this offense get in sync and grow...if the Cardinals do hire a defensive HC such as Ron Riviera...it may be a smart move to hold on to Krucz...right now his impact with the players is impressive (and involving as many players as he does, speaks well to the team aspect of his planning).
Congrats to Edge for recording his first 100 yard game...he ran hard and well all day, squirting upfield for as many yards as he could on occasion.
As for the defense...the tackling was much more secure today on the whole...which is a must when playing versus Steven Jackson. Jackson had his way at times, but he didn't break as many tackles as he usually does, particularly versus the Cardinals.
The pass defense remains a real problem...it was helped significantly today by a good pass rush, led by a rejuvenated Chike Okeafor at RDE, feisty rookie DT Gabe Watson, and impressive 3rd DT Chris Cooper...but, how many times were Ram WRs wide open, especially on 3rd downs? The Cards dodged a major bullet when Tori Holt dropped a sure TD bomb in the second quarter, blowing past double coverage (Macklin and Griffith)...and the defense was able to stall enough drives through timely sacks and turnovers (Adrian Wilson's splendid read of Bolger's eyes and INT right at the 2:00 mark of the first half was HUGE...credit Clancy Pendergast for that play for putting Wilson in covberage where he is best...in the flat or short seams). Also, lets give credit to David Macklin for snuffing out some other deep passes to Tori Holt and for snagging the tipped pass for a timely INT.
The special team were solid...Rackers was good and Player had his best game of the season. The cover teams were inconsistent...but the main tackler again was Aaron Francisco who atoned for a push in the back penalty on the opening kickoff. Other good tackles were made by Monty Beisel, Daryl Blackstock, Eric Green and Neil Rackers himself.
This game broke the away game pattern (scoring a first drive TD surely set the tone for this)...and... that, as much as anything else...is what's so good about this win. It shows the players that they can go into a rival's stadium and take control of the football game. It was also good payback for the gift wrapped win the Cards handed the Rams in game three.
The Cardinals are feeling good about themselves right now...and they should be. They've won two of their last three games and put up big numbers and points in the loss...and the offensive line is no longer the team's Achilles' heel...which makes this team capable of playing well enough to win any week. It will be very interesting to see how these Cards play at home versus the Seahawks next week...there should be plenty of emotion for that one!
And I would like to add that the leadership the Cardinals are getting from FS Robert Griffith is noteworthy. He's made the best and hardest tackles the two previous weeks and his enthusiasm and never give up attitude have really helped the players try to galvanize their will to persevere during a most disappointing season overall. When Marcel Shipp scored his third TD...the proud and elated way Griffith greeted Shipp on the sidelines said it all.
Oooh...it feels so darned gooood to see our Cardinals win, doesn't it?
Credit this win to Mike Kruczek's excellent game plan and play calling, combined with much improved offensive line play and timely playmaking by the defense.
One has to like what Krucz is doing with the offense now that he's settled in as the OC. He has stabilized the offensive line and is getting good results. Yes, the Rams' run defense is sub par, but the Cards didn't run the ball against them with this kind of success earlier in the year. And the Cards didn't pass protect as consistently as they are now...Matt Leinart has been sacked only three times in the last three games...which is excellent for any offensive line.
Krucz's mix of run and pass was excellent, not just between the 20s, but in the red zone, where Marcel Shipp was magnificent (3 TDs!). Why was Shipp in the game? Even the FOX crew of Pat Summerall and Brian Boldinger asked that question. Well, think back to what Krucz asked Edge to do when he became the OC...stop dancing and hit the hole.
Marcel Shipp is the best north-south RB on the team and so Krucz tabbed Shipp for this role, and had so much confidence in him that he called a shotgun draw to Shipp from the eight yard line...which Shipp steamrolled into his third TD on the play.
Matt Leinart was extremely efficient, passing to the tune of 186 yards...and the yards would have been well over 200 if Anquan Boldin hadn't dropped a couple of balls that were right on the money.
Larry Fitzgerald was smooth all day (excellent slant pass TD)...TE Leonard Pope made a couple of nice snatches...and even TE Fred Wakefield caught an 8 yard pass (made a little dubious by a fumble that he quickly recovered).
FB Obafemi Ayanbadejo had two nice catches with good RAC yards, one for a 3rd down conversion.
Up front...the right side of rookie G Deuce Lutui and T Reggie Wells has begun to gel...Lutui gets a good push in the running game, and Wells, as many of us suspected when he was struggling at guard, has shown the feet and balance to be a solid pass protector at RT.
At C, Nick Leckey had his best game as a Cardinal...flat-out pancaking his man on Edge's first 8 yard run...hustling the whole line to the ball and playing with good energy and smarts. The only real mistake I saw was stepping tripping up Leinart on 4th and goal from the one yard line...a play the he needs to work on in terms of generating a forward pivot on his right foot.
LT Leonard Davis and LG Milford Brown were a formidible tandem in the running game today...and when TE Oliver Ross joins them on the short yardage offense, they are a load to run behind. Again, credit Coach Krucz with this strategy...Krucz is making a concerted effort to make full use of his personnel, as evidenced by today's strong contributions from Shipp, Femi, J.J., BJ (nice 3rd down conversion), Walters (another nice 3rd down conversion), Fred Wakefield and Oliver Ross.
If Coack Krucz continues to help this offense get in sync and grow...if the Cardinals do hire a defensive HC such as Ron Riviera...it may be a smart move to hold on to Krucz...right now his impact with the players is impressive (and involving as many players as he does, speaks well to the team aspect of his planning).
Congrats to Edge for recording his first 100 yard game...he ran hard and well all day, squirting upfield for as many yards as he could on occasion.
As for the defense...the tackling was much more secure today on the whole...which is a must when playing versus Steven Jackson. Jackson had his way at times, but he didn't break as many tackles as he usually does, particularly versus the Cardinals.
The pass defense remains a real problem...it was helped significantly today by a good pass rush, led by a rejuvenated Chike Okeafor at RDE, feisty rookie DT Gabe Watson, and impressive 3rd DT Chris Cooper...but, how many times were Ram WRs wide open, especially on 3rd downs? The Cards dodged a major bullet when Tori Holt dropped a sure TD bomb in the second quarter, blowing past double coverage (Macklin and Griffith)...and the defense was able to stall enough drives through timely sacks and turnovers (Adrian Wilson's splendid read of Bolger's eyes and INT right at the 2:00 mark of the first half was HUGE...credit Clancy Pendergast for that play for putting Wilson in covberage where he is best...in the flat or short seams). Also, lets give credit to David Macklin for snuffing out some other deep passes to Tori Holt and for snagging the tipped pass for a timely INT.
The special team were solid...Rackers was good and Player had his best game of the season. The cover teams were inconsistent...but the main tackler again was Aaron Francisco who atoned for a push in the back penalty on the opening kickoff. Other good tackles were made by Monty Beisel, Daryl Blackstock, Eric Green and Neil Rackers himself.
This game broke the away game pattern (scoring a first drive TD surely set the tone for this)...and... that, as much as anything else...is what's so good about this win. It shows the players that they can go into a rival's stadium and take control of the football game. It was also good payback for the gift wrapped win the Cards handed the Rams in game three.
The Cardinals are feeling good about themselves right now...and they should be. They've won two of their last three games and put up big numbers and points in the loss...and the offensive line is no longer the team's Achilles' heel...which makes this team capable of playing well enough to win any week. It will be very interesting to see how these Cards play at home versus the Seahawks next week...there should be plenty of emotion for that one!
And I would like to add that the leadership the Cardinals are getting from FS Robert Griffith is noteworthy. He's made the best and hardest tackles the two previous weeks and his enthusiasm and never give up attitude have really helped the players try to galvanize their will to persevere during a most disappointing season overall. When Marcel Shipp scored his third TD...the proud and elated way Griffith greeted Shipp on the sidelines said it all.
Oooh...it feels so darned gooood to see our Cardinals win, doesn't it?
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