ARZ 21 PIT 13: Analysis and Player Notes

[Mitch]

All in all, this game was a very successful start to the season for the Cardinals. The brand new state-of-the-art stadium looks magnificent...the field itself is perfect...love the Cardinal logo in the middle...love that the players and fans did not have to suffer in the sweltering heat...love the lights and cozy feeling inside the building...yes, the traffic, sound system and concession stand glitches will have to be ironed out and will be.

The major positives as I see them:

1. This team looks FAR better coached and prepared. As Kurt Warner said, the offense is in much better sync this year. Yes, the running game is still a work in progress...but the passing game is picking up right where it left off last year, only in this game there were far few drive stalling penalties. The defense, scheme-wise, is a joy to watch. And the special teams have been upgraded significantly.

2. The biggest surprises on offense:

A. RT Jeremy Bridges. He looks trim, in good shape and much more athletic and agile than ever before. Was a stalwart yesterday in pass protection.

B. WR Bryant Johnson. It took him three years to stand out at Penn St. and it looks like his time in Arizona has arrived. The balls he caught were wobblers...ones he would have double clutched on in the past.

C. QB Kurt Warner. May not have been throwing tight spirals, but his decisiveness and timing were excellent.

D. LT Leonard Davis. Looks focused and determined.

E. FB John Bronson. Threw more bone jarring blocks from the FB postion in this one game than what we have seen the last two seasons combined. Can't wait to see him lined up in the I with Edge behind him. Has really stepped up. Is not polished yet...and missed a block in pass protection that led to a 3rd quarter Pittsburgh sack of Navarre. But, this kid stood out and could be a huge key to the team's running game renaissance.

3. The biggest surprises on defense:

A. NT Langston Moore. Wow. He looked like Ray "Sugar Bear" Hamilton out there versus the best interior offensive line in the league. The Steelers could not budge him on double teams. This kid looks like he's gone from the bubble to starter.

B. DE Antonio Smith. Looks completely comfortable in the system now and is showing an outstanding blend of size, speed and quickness.

C. The entire defensive line rotation of T's Moore, Dockett, Clancy, Lewis and Watson and DEs Berry, Okeafor, Smith and Pace (in the nickel).

D. FS Aaron Francisco. Looks very able, confident and competent as a cover 2 safety. Broke up two deep pass attempts and nearly intercepted one of them.

E. LB Orlando Huff. Is this the same player who wore #57 last year? Kudos to whomever apllied the term tackling machine to Huff yesterday, because that's exactly what he was.

The biggest surprises on special teams:

A. PR Troy Walters. Displayed confidence, nifty vision and moves.

B. FSs Aaron Francisco and Jack Brewer...I had them each with two unassisted tackles on kick returns.

C. KR J.J. Arrington. Ran hard, found creases and made the most of his chances. Did not look timid in the least.

D. P Fred Capshaw. Man, that 51 yard hanger was picture perfect.
_____________________________________________________________

Player Notes (Alphabetically):

22 Damien Anderson-RB. At times he reminds me of a slightly slower Michael Pittman. He ran his screen yesterday like a man possessed. Got clobbered from behind on another play trying to drag a tackler for an extra yard. A for effort.

28 J.J. Arrington-RB. Showed yesterday that he's already started to mature. Having Edge to lean on is a great thing.

30 Obafemi Ayanbadejo-FB. Supreme effort on the 12 yard TD. Has always been a good pass catcher. Still needs to shine more on STs. Kudos for the TD saving tackle he made on Anthony Smith's interception of Navarre's desperation chuck.

89 Adam Bergen-TE. Quiet afternoon. Did nothing to get noticed. Still like his pass catching talents.

92 Bertrand Berry-DE. Nice momentum breaking 3rd down sack of Big Ben. Looks primed and ready for big season.

12 Damarius Bilbo-WR. Nothing from him yet.

55 Daryl Blackstock-LB. Much more understanding of the system...a step behind in coverage a couple of times but was around the ball a lot and made a couple of nice tackles, including a nice drive ending tackle on Shane Boyd.

81 Anquan Boldin-WR. Like the way KW came right back to Boldin on the first play of the next series after Q's uncharacteristic drop. I was wondering whether the glare on his eye shield was affecting him at all.

41 Jack Brewer-FS. Made two excellent unassisted tackles on special teams...which is his forte. Played FS...made a great helmet flying tackle in the 4th quarter. Looks like a keeper to me.

73 Jeremy Bridges-RT. Aside from comments above, he got stronger run blocks as the game progressed. If he can improve there, he could stave off Oliver Ross, as Bridges clearly looks to be a much better pass protector.

85 John Bronson-FB. A roster locking performance for this undrafted gem, much to Keruoac9's bewilderment!

61 Elton Brown-G. I liked the push he was getting with the second unit. Looks to be in good shapre as he runs better than any Cardinal o-lineman in space...on screens and traps, etc.

67 Milford Brown-G. Tough, gritty player...played well in this game. Very strong at the point of attack and his pass protection was excellent. Credit Steve Loney.

43 Mark Brown-LB. Made a great play on the goalline which caused Cedric Humes' fumble...knifed in there beautifully, took Humes's legs out and the ball with it. This is a younger veteran who may surprise in the next couple of weeks.

93 Tim Bulman-DT. Seems like the odd man out now. Even so, still like his chances to make the practice squad again...and, like Antonio Smith, could profit from a year in NFL Europe.

69 Rolando Cantu-G. Remains a real long-shot to stick.

2 Fred Capshaw-P. Could it be possible? Could he be a legitimate threat to Scott Player? With 51 yard hangers like the one he booted...?

33 Dyshod Carter-CB. Remains long-shot.

70 Kendrick Clancy-DT. Feisty player. Looks a little slowed by injury right now. Battled hard in the game. Nice center of gravity...and quick to react.

18 Zamir Cobb-WR. Remains long-shot.

58 Karlos Dansby-LB. Hopefully his trip to Alabama will expedite his return.

51 James Darling-LB. Made a very nice tackle early. Was solid as usual.

6 Rohan Davey-QB. Wonder if he'll get a good long look against former teammates in NE, esp. in light of Navarre's struggles.

75 Leonard Davis-LT. Like I said, poised and determined. That's the look.

90 Darnell Dockett-DT. Still didn't make many plays...seems to get into a position to, but doesn't finish them off. Looks weighted down this year, as opposed to weighted up.

83 Eric Edwards-TE. Same as Bergen, quiet.

I'll post here and return for more.

 

[Pariah]

Thanks, Mitch.

 

[vince56]

C. The entire defensive line rotation of T's Moore, Dockett, Clancy, Lewis and Watson and DEs Berry, Okeafor, Smith and Pace (in the nickel).

D. FS Aaron Francisco. Looks very able, confident and competent as a cover 2 safety. Broke up two deep pass attempts and nearly intercepted one of them.

I don't always agree with your comments Walter, specifically the past few years, but I'd have to say these points especially are 100% right on. The defensive line looks like it has the makings of the best DL we've ever seen here. Yeah, we don't have an Eric Swann on the line, but we have amazing defensive ends and for the first time, big & strong bulls at defensive tackle. I hope we see a lot of Moore, Watson, & Clancy this year just plugging up the middle, taking on 2 linemen, & freeing up Dockett & the LBs to make plays.

Damn it's amazing we actually have runstuffers!! What a difference a year makes. I'm thoroughly excited about the defense this year because of how the front seven played yesterday.

Francisco looked great too. If he continues to improve, I think he could see a lot of time at FS this year in place of Griffith. You're dead-on right when you say he's getting the cover 2 system down. He puts his body in just the right place to be effective & disruptive.

 

[Chainthroer]

Mitch - Thanks for the comments. You refreshed my recollection on a couple areas. I'm going to watch the replay on TV today. I believe it's 1pm.

 

[Mitch]

36 Diamond Ferri-RB. Nifty performance. Showed remarkable patience and vision...and leap-frogging ability. Making a case for the practice squad?

11 Larry Fitzgerald-WR. Nice chemistry with Warner. Super reliable.

47 Aaron Francisco-FS. Making it tough for coaches to stick with Robert Griffith at FS. Looks to be the stronger option with his range and anticipation.

25 Eric Green-CB. Kept everything in front of him. Would like to see him play a tad more aggressively. He will.

34 Robert Griffith-FS. Good leader...but, still freezes too much and takes poor angles...lack of speed hurts him.

46 Chris Harrell-SS. Came close a couple of times on STs. Practice squad?

54 Gerald Hayes-MLB. Was very active and quick to the ball. Great reaction to the tipped ball resulting in a nice interception. Good comeback performance.

48 Nathan Hodel-LS. As good as they get.

42 James Hodgins-FB. PUP headed for release?

15 Carlyle Holiday-WR. Good game as #5 WR...2 nice catches, one he dragged tacklers for 1st down...and also induced a pass interference penalty on a deep route. Still like him to surprise.

57 Orlando Huff-LB. Best performance as a Cardinal. Can he match it next week?

44 Darrell Hunter-CB. Showed his excellent speed chasing one long screen play down from behind. Nearly made a fantastic play to get to the corner on Pitt's TD...he had the underneath guy covered and then adjusted to the deeper pass, but got there an inch short.

32 Edgerrin James-RB. Took his punishment like a man. While he prefers to run out a one back set...Keith Rowen would be wise to lead Edge with John Bronson, at least until the o-line is dependable.

80 Bryant Johnson-WR. Outstanding performance...which will put all the more consternation in defensive coordinator's minds who have to figure out how to defend the 3 WR sets and Edgerrin James.

59 Brandon Johnson-LB. Was used as a cover LB in the nickel, which will likely be his role this year. Was playing zone...but, with his exceptional speed, will excel in man. Came close a couple of times on special teams.

53 Isaac Keys-LB. Made one nice play in the 3rd quarter.

95 Kenny King-DE. Sad that he just can't seem to get on the field.

62 Tyler King-DE. Got one nice QB pressure. Fought hard. Is stronger.

60 Nick Leckey-C. Was solid, as usual. Smart, instinctive.

9 Greg Lee-WR. Nothing yet.

7 Matt Leinart-QB. Urgency to sign him is and should be stronger than ever. Can we even imagine how excited that crowd would have been yesterday if Leinart was lighting the place up in the second half? Wow!

63 Jonathan Lewis-DT. Good motor...churns and churns and he's a finsher.

76 Deuce Lutui-G. Just a tad tentative...as rookies are. Gained strength as day went on. Gets good push, rides the double team well...sets up well in pass protection, but needs to shift his feet and hands quicker to prevent inside swim moves.

More to come.

 

[ArizonaSportsFan]

Nice that Francisco is playing well. He is from my alma mater (BYU). He is an energy guy and in college would hit like a linebacker from the safety/corner position.

 

[Mitch]

65 Shawn Lynch-C. Remains long-shot.

27 David Macklin-CB. Kept the plays in front of him. Blew a couple of tackles and assisted on a couple. Not as aggressive as one would want. But, that's about to change.

23 Jay McCareins-FS. He made a great tackle on Cedric Humes at the two yard line from the safety position. Was hoping he'd be playing corner where I thought he would suprise and give Lamont Reid a run for his money at #2 LCB. Darrell Hunter has beat McCareins to it thus far.

19 LeRon McCoy-WR. Should not have dropped pass slightly behind him early...but atoned for it nicely, especially with the explosive hitch pass he took up the right sideline.

52 Lance Mitchell-LB. Inactive this game apparently.

91 Langston Moore-DT. To me THE shock and surprise of camp. Hardy Brown first called it...way to go, man...and we all saw it yesterday. Not only does he plug the middle like Ted Washington, he gets to the ball and he has a good bullrush on pass plays. If he keeps playing like this...not only will be be the starter...this defense could...(I don't want to get too far ahead of myself...but I think you all know what I'm thinking).

16 John Navarre-QB. My past posts about Navarre have harped on his 3/4 arm angle, which absolutley negates his greatest asset, his size. Look at Omar Jacobs yesterday, same lousy thing. Because of his 3/4 delivery and flick passing motion, his short and intermediate passes almost always drift to the right...and his long passes float. We saw all of the above yesterday. Why the Cardinal coaches haven't tried to correct these flaws is astounding to me. They've had three years with this guy. He should be ready to at least contend for the #2. He is not.

(Note: did you find yourself liking a lot of what you saw in Pittsburgh's Shane Boyd? I certainly did. I loved his footwork for one (go back and watch him shuffle and set his feet in the pocket) and the ball was coming off his hand at the top of his motion with real zip and accuracy...he threw three perfect passes that were dropped...and one skinny post that was thrown too hard (the Hayes int.)...but, seriously, this kid Boyd is a relative unknown...but he looked like David Gerrard yesterday...and remember how well Garrard played for Jax last year against us? I'll tell you...the Steelers have a tough decision awaiting them...which is why they played Boyd so long in the game. If they intend for the veteran Charlie Batch to be the backup...they are going to have to cut Boyd or 5th round pick Omar Jabobs. If they stick with Jacobs and waive Boyd...the Cardinals should not hesitate to put in a claim for him...he can play #3 behind Warner and Leinart...and would be a good #2 if Warner got hurt.)

3 Nick Novak-K. Good kicker...did a nice job for us last year in a pinch.

56 Chike Okeafor-DE. What Chike doesn't get enough credit for, IMO, is his run defense. He has a knack for taking RBs down by the calves at the point of attack. He's slippery and smart. Plus, he brings the heat off the edge, which is what makes him special.

17 QB Jeff Otis. Practice squad?

97 Calvin Pace-LB/DE. This guy is a player...it doesn't matter where you line him up...he strings plays out and finishes them off and he's quick to the ball. I hope the team makes a strong effort to re-sign him to an extension, sooner rather than later.

50 Lawrence Pinson-MLB. Played hard and aggressively, albeit a tad slow. Seemed to jump into one tackle. But I liked his spirit and passion.

10 Scott Player-P. Does he have a battle on his hands with Fred Capshaw? Probably not. The guy is a flat-out pro. Yeah, his first punt was poor, but his angle punts to the sidelines have gotten better and better each year. Let's not forget too that he's done an excellent job holding for Neil Rackers.

82 Leonard Pope-TE. Was active on running plays...made one nice pop on a stretch play all the way from the other side of the field. Had one reception...the only ball thrown to a TE all day. Looks the part.

1 Neil Rackers-K. Another touchback...and a slow day in the FG department. Love this guy. He's top-notch all the way.

20 Lamont Reid-CB. Seems set as the #2 LCB. Plays smart. Keeps good cushion. Didn't get foloed or beat by the long passes to Willie Reid. Like all the Cardinal CBs yesterday...was a tad too tentative.

Getting there, bear with me.

 

[Snakester]

Great stuff Walter. Keep it coming! I'm just going over the game now and I also see alot of positives. I agree with you about Jeremy Bridges. He already looks alot better than Ross did at any point last year. He also played much better than Wakefield did as well. I also agree that Milford Brown looks very stout at his RG position. He played better than I expected him to this early in the preseason.

 

[Duetto]

NFLE stats for Boyd, he was an int machine. He couldn't hit the side of a barn in NFLE.




S.Boyd, Col (PIT)185
10054.11,1396.1652.780t115.910/3657.0


5 tds, 11 ints, 57.0 rating

 

[Duetto]

(Note: did you find yourself liking a lot of what you saw in Pittsburgh's Shane Boyd? I certainly did. I loved his footwork for one (go back and watch him shuffle and set his feet in the pocket) and the ball was coming off his hand at the top of his motion with real zip and accuracy...he threw three perfect passes that were dropped...and one skinny post that was thrown too hard (the Hayes int.)...but, seriously, this kid Boyd is a relative unknown...but he looked like David Gerrard yesterday...and remember how well Garrard played for Jax last year against us? I'll tell you...the Steelers have a tough decision awaiting them...which is why they played Boyd so long in the game. If they intend for the veteran Charlie Batch to be the backup...they are going to have to cut Boyd or 5th round pick Omar Jabobs. If they stick with Jacobs and waive Boyd...the Cardinals should not hesitate to put in a claim for him...he can play #3 behind Warner and Leinart...and would be a good #2 if Warner got hurt.)

NFLE stats for Boyd, he was an int machine. He couldn't hit the side of a barn in NFLE.




S.Boyd, Col (PIT)185
10054.11,1396.1652.780t115.910/3657.0


5 tds, 11 ints, 57.0 rating

 

[Shane]

Its nice to give players praise like LD, Jeremy Bridges, & Milford Brown. Also nobody has said that Wells played all that bad. I will agree with all of you when it comes to pass blocking. But thats only 1/2 the equation.

This teams RB's yesterday only rushed for 59 yards on 30 carries for a whopping 1.9 yard average. How anyone can say that anyone on the line played well with stats like that is beyond me. We may have pass blocked well but we certainly didnt have an overall good game from the OL.

I dont want to hear that it was Pittsburgh crap either. If we want to compete in this league we are going to have to compete with the big boys like Pittsburgh in the trenches. There really are no excuses. It better get much better in the next 3 games or come regular season we are in big trouble.

 

[conraddobler]

Its nice to give players praise like LD, Jeremy Bridges, & Milford Brown. Also nobody has said that Wells played all that bad. I will agree with all of you when it comes to pass blocking. But thats only 1/2 the equation.

This teams RB's yesterday only rushed for 59 yards on 30 carries for a whopping 1.9 yard average. How anyone can say that anyone on the line played well with stats like that is beyond me. We may have pass blocked well but we certainly didnt have an overall good game from the OL.

I dont want to hear that it was Pittsburgh crap either. If we want to compete in this league we are going to have to compete with the big boys like Pittsburgh in the trenches. There really are no excuses. It better get much better in the next 3 games or come regular season we are in big trouble.

I watched the whole game it was bad with the first teamers in there but sorry to rain on your parade that was against Pittsburg, people don't run on them.

They pass, that's how the Patriots normally knock them off, so we did that.

Honestly our defense and our passing game are enough to get us to the playoffs even with a bad run game.

Now if you want to go anywhere in the playoffs we've got major work to do on the run game, once we face quality teams with quality pass defenses then we'll struggle.

 

[Shane]

I watched the whole game it was bad with the first teamers in there but sorry to rain on your parade that was against Pittsburg, people don't run on them.

They pass, that's how the Patriots normally knock them off, so we did that.

Honestly our defense and our passing game are enough to get us to the playoffs even with a bad run game.

Now if you want to go anywhere in the playoffs we've got major work to do on the run game, once we face quality teams with quality pass defenses then we'll struggle.

We could pass last year and we struggled. So saying that we will only struggle against teams with good pass defenses is silly.

I could care less if its Pittsburgh or not. I will research it but I can guarantee that a year long average against Pittsburghs D would be somewhere at or over 3 yards per carry. Something we werent even close to. Thats just not going to get it done. Saying its Pittsburgh is just an excuse. A lame one at that.

 

[kerouac9]

I watched the whole game it was bad with the first teamers in there but sorry to rain on your parade that was against Pittsburg, people don't run on them.

They pass, that's how the Patriots normally knock them off, so we did that.

Honestly our defense and our passing game are enough to get us to the playoffs even with a bad run game.

Now if you want to go anywhere in the playoffs we've got major work to do on the run game, once we face quality teams with quality pass defenses then we'll struggle.

You don't win games in the NFL by passing 70% of your snaps. The air game may be able to get this team leads, but without averaging 3.5 YPC or better, the offense won't be able to hold them, regardless of how the defense looks right now.

 

[Shane]

We could pass last year and we struggled. So saying that we will only struggle against teams with good pass defenses is silly.

I could care less if its Pittsburgh or not. I will research it but I can guarantee that a year long average against Pittsburghs D would be somewhere at or over 3 yards per carry. Something we werent even close to. Thats just not going to get it done. Saying its Pittsburgh is just an excuse. A lame one at that.

Pittsburgh allowed 3.4 yards a carry last year. Teams can and did run on them. Maybe not great but at least over the course of a season teams were able to average almost 1.5 yards more per attempt than we did.

 

[Mitch]

66 Alan Reuber-T. Didn't see him. Is he hurt? Bridges played RT with the second unit as well.

21 Atrel Rolle-CB. After the noise he's been making in camp, I expected him to play more aggressively. He made a nice break for the ball on his interference call..where he grabbed a little cloth on Holmes' back. He tackled well, as usual...but even on a play where he was supposed to be rolled (Rolled-Up!) up at CB, with Aaron Francisco covering his deep third, he gave up too much cushion and allowed for an easy reception. See, this is why he needs a good FS behind him so he can play all-out aggressive football. He needs that luxury and just as Pendy has fit Adrian Wilson's game to the schemes, he will and should do so with Antrel.

64 A.J. Schable-DE. He was a nice suprise before he got hurt. He held his position at the point of attack well, turning one play inside, where the RB got jammed. And he got the corner one pass play and was close to Boyd when he released the ball. He's a good, strong athlete...a tad shorter than one would like...but feisty and competitive.

50 Kyle Schmitt-C. Remains a long-shot.

35 Ernest Shazor-SS. made a great interception up the seam in man coverage...called back, but great nonetheless. Showed improved speed and was around the ball on defense and STs. Looks to be roster bound.

31 Marcel Shipp-RB. Good strong effort in short yardage...dragging tacklers on one occasion and bursting up the middle on a 4th down conversion on another. Was a tad slow on one perimeter play...but atoned for it with a nifty screen pass reception...sprung by a great block by Jeremy Bridges.

94 Antonio Smith-DE. His improvement has been dynamic...and made itself all the more manifest yesterday with more tackles for losses...a half sack...and a couple of good QB pressures (albeit a roughing call on one). Should be rotated in to keep Okeafor and Berry fresh.

5 Michael Spurlock-WR. I was very impressed with how naturally atheltic he is. Loved his two catches out of the slot...caught the ball with ease and didn't shy from contact. His one return was good seeing as he was pinned to the sideline and made the most of what he had.

71 Alex Stepanovich-C. I thought he played reasonably well, particularly captaining the pass protection. The first play where Edge was stuffed wasn't Step's fault it was Wells'. Step is still a tad slow off the ball...and if he can improve that while gaining stronger leverage, he can get a decent push on the NT. This kid has ability...he needs to stay healthy and keep applying the fundamentals to his game.

87 Andy Stokes-TE. He played a few downs...one in the first half and a couple in the second. He got held up in traffic on the first block...on a stretch play, I think...and he made a nice block on one of Ferri's runs as I recall.

26 Robert Tate-CB. Didn't see him. Did he play?

78 Fred Wakefield-LT. I thought he played pretty well...he's better in pass protection this year...sets his base quicker and squares up stronger. He's a little slow off the ball on running plays and plays too high most of the time.

86 Troy Walters-WR. Nifty returns. Good game.

13 Kurt Warner-QB. Good timing...good, sharp decision making. Looks comfortable and confident, but not cocky, which is good.

14 Todd Watkins-WR. Made nice snag of the on-side kick. Looks a tad smaller than I remember him at BYU. Needs some time...as most rookies do. It would be good to see him get more run this week.

98 Gabe Watson-NT. Is just as advertised...a space eater who brings girth and pop. The rotation is made to order for him, so he can go all-out and not worry about losing stamina.

74 Reggie Wells-LG. Excellent pass protector. Stands up too quickly on running plays and doesn't engage his man quickly enough...doesn't sustain his head-up blocks long enough because being so high in his stance he loses leverege. What's interesting is he fired out and got a great block on the 4th down conversion to Shipp. If he can incorporate that kind of effort and technique into his regular running blocks, he'd be good. He's very good in space...made a crisp wipe-out body block on a good screen pass to J.J. Arrington. (By the way...the Cardinals are running screens much better than ever, aren't they? Their execution is much tighter and cleaner all-around) Wells looks stronger this year...and for the first time I am encouraged with his prospects at guard...although with Lutui and Elton Brown on the roster, I still would switch Wells to center...or RT if need be.

24 Adrian Wilson-SS. Whiffed on sacks...but Big Ben was tough and Wilson hasn't been able to hit red-shirted QBs in camp. There, I cut Wilson some slack. The good news is that apparently Pendy is sticking to his blitzing schmes that feature Wilson. Wilson made a great ear-popping tackle on the 3rd down flat pass...that he tried to take to the house. He's Honolulu bound this year if this aggressiveness continues.

29 Justin Wyatt-CB. Played #3 RCB last night at the end and wasn't thrown at. He's a smart player who looks like a good prospect for the practice squad.

53 Roster Prediction (I'll update each week during the pre-season)...and please, as always, make your own.

1-3 QB Warner, Leinart, Navarre

4-6 RB James, Shipp, Arrington

7-8 FB Bronson, Ayanbadejo

9-13 WR Boldin, Fitzgerald, Johnson, McCoy, Walters

14-16 TE Bergen, Edwards, Pope

17-25 OL Davis, Wells, Stepanovich, M. Brown, Bridges, Wakefield (or Ross), Lutui, Leckey, E. Brown.

26-33 DL Okeafor, Dockett, Moore, Berry, Smith, Clancy, Lewis, Watson

34-41 LB Dansby, Darling, Huff, Pace, Hayes, Blackstock, Johnson, Mitchell

42-50 DB Rolle, Wilson, Griffith, Macklin, Reid, Francisco, Brewer, Shazor, Green

51-53 ST Player, Hodel, Rackers

PS 1-8: WRs Holiday, Spurlock and Lee, DE Schable, DT Bulman, DBs Hunter, Wyatt, McCareins

 

[Mitch]

Correction: Add WR Watkins to PS...in place of Lee...for now.

 

[Redrage]

Good job, Mitch.

 

[spanky1]

All in all, this game was a very successful start to the season for the Cardinals. The brand new state-of-the-art stadium looks magnificent...the field itself is perfect...love the Cardinal logo in the middle...love that the players and fans did not have to suffer in the sweltering heat...love the lights and cozy feeling inside the building...yes, the traffic, sound system and concession stand glitches will have to be ironed out and will be.

The major positives as I see them:

1. This team looks FAR better coached and prepared. As Kurt Warner said, the offense is in much better sync this year. Yes, the running game is still a work in progress...but the passing game is picking up right where it left off last year, only in this game there were far few drive stalling penalties. The defense, scheme-wise, is a joy to watch. And the special teams have been upgraded significantly.

2. The biggest surprises on offense:

A. RT Jeremy Bridges. He looks trim, in good shape and much more athletic and agile than ever before. Was a stalwart yesterday in pass protection.

B. WR Bryant Johnson. It took him three years to stand out at Penn St. and it looks like his time in Arizona has arrived. The balls he caught were wobblers...ones he would have double clutched on in the past.

C. QB Kurt Warner. May not have been throwing tight spirals, but his decisiveness and timing were excellent.

D. LT Leonard Davis. Looks focused and determined.

E. FB John Bronson. Threw more bone jarring blocks from the FB postion in this one game than what we have seen the last two seasons combined. Can't wait to see him lined up in the I with Edge behind him. Has really stepped up. Is not polished yet...and missed a block in pass protection that led to a 3rd quarter Pittsburgh sack of Navarre. But, this kid stood out and could be a huge key to the team's running game renaissance.

3. The biggest surprises on defense:

A. NT Langston Moore. Wow. He looked like Ray "Sugar Bear" Hamilton out there versus the best interior offensive line in the league. The Steelers could not budge him on double teams. This kid looks like he's gone from the bubble to starter.

B. DE Antonio Smith. Looks completely comfortable in the system now and is showing an outstanding blend of size, speed and quickness.

C. The entire defensive line rotation of T's Moore, Dockett, Clancy, Lewis and Watson and DEs Berry, Okeafor, Smith and Pace (in the nickel).

D. FS Aaron Francisco. Looks very able, confident and competent as a cover 2 safety. Broke up two deep pass attempts and nearly intercepted one of them.

E. LB Orlando Huff. Is this the same player who wore #57 last year? Kudos to whomever apllied the term tackling machine to Huff yesterday, because that's exactly what he was.

The biggest surprises on special teams:

A. PR Troy Walters. Displayed confidence, nifty vision and moves.

B. FSs Aaron Francisco and Jack Brewer...I had them each with two unassisted tackles on kick returns.

C. KR J.J. Arrington. Ran hard, found creases and made the most of his chances. Did not look timid in the least.

D. P Fred Capshaw. Man, that 51 yard hanger was picture perfect.
_____________________________________________________________

Player Notes (Alphabetically):

22 Damien Anderson-RB. At times he reminds me of a slightly slower Michael Pittman. He ran his screen yesterday like a man possessed. Got clobbered from behind on another play trying to drag a tackler for an extra yard. A for effort.

28 J.J. Arrington-RB. Showed yesterday that he's already started to mature. Having Edge to lean on is a great thing.

30 Obafemi Ayanbadejo-FB. Supreme effort on the 12 yard TD. Has always been a good pass catcher. Still needs to shine more on STs. Kudos for the TD saving tackle he made on Anthony Smith's interception of Navarre's desperation chuck.

89 Adam Bergen-TE. Quiet afternoon. Did nothing to get noticed. Still like his pass catching talents.

92 Bertrand Berry-DE. Nice momentum breaking 3rd down sack of Big Ben. Looks primed and ready for big season.

12 Damarius Bilbo-WR. Nothing from him yet.

55 Daryl Blackstock-LB. Much more understanding of the system...a step behind in coverage a couple of times but was around the ball a lot and made a couple of nice tackles, including a nice drive ending tackle on Shane Boyd.

81 Anquan Boldin-WR. Like the way KW came right back to Boldin on the first play of the next series after Q's uncharacteristic drop. I was wondering whether the glare on his eye shield was affecting him at all.

41 Jack Brewer-FS. Made two excellent unassisted tackles on special teams...which is his forte. Played FS...made a great helmet flying tackle in the 4th quarter. Looks like a keeper to me.

73 Jeremy Bridges-RT. Aside from comments above, he got stronger run blocks as the game progressed. If he can improve there, he could stave off Oliver Ross, as Bridges clearly looks to be a much better pass protector.

85 John Bronson-FB. A roster locking performance for this undrafted gem, much to Keruoac9's bewilderment!

61 Elton Brown-G. I liked the push he was getting with the second unit. Looks to be in good shapre as he runs better than any Cardinal o-lineman in space...on screens and traps, etc.

67 Milford Brown-G. Tough, gritty player...played well in this game. Very strong at the point of attack and his pass protection was excellent. Credit Steve Loney.

43 Mark Brown-LB. Made a great play on the goalline which caused Cedric Humes' fumble...knifed in there beautifully, took Humes's legs out and the ball with it. This is a younger veteran who may surprise in the next couple of weeks.

93 Tim Bulman-DT. Seems like the odd man out now. Even so, still like his chances to make the practice squad again...and, like Antonio Smith, could profit from a year in NFL Europe.

69 Rolando Cantu-G. Remains a real long-shot to stick.

2 Fred Capshaw-P. Could it be possible? Could he be a legitimate threat to Scott Player? With 51 yard hangers like the one he booted...?

33 Dyshod Carter-CB. Remains long-shot.

70 Kendrick Clancy-DT. Feisty player. Looks a little slowed by injury right now. Battled hard in the game. Nice center of gravity...and quick to react.

18 Zamir Cobb-WR. Remains long-shot.

58 Karlos Dansby-LB. Hopefully his trip to Alabama will expedite his return.

51 James Darling-LB. Made a very nice tackle early. Was solid as usual.

6 Rohan Davey-QB. Wonder if he'll get a good long look against former teammates in NE, esp. in light of Navarre's struggles.

75 Leonard Davis-LT. Like I said, poised and determined. That's the look.

90 Darnell Dockett-DT. Still didn't make many plays...seems to get into a position to, but doesn't finish them off. Looks weighted down this year, as opposed to weighted up.

83 Eric Edwards-TE. Same as Bergen, quiet.

I'll post here and return for more.

Damn Mitch.....maybe already posted but Zamir Cobb has been cut already. Get current,

 

[Cardiac]

Please tell me....

Damn Mitch.....maybe already posted but Zamir Cobb has beeb cut already. Get current,

you're kidding, right.

Thanks for the insight and info Mitch, running through a roster of 80 players takes a great deal of time and effort.

 

[joeshmo]

53 Roster Prediction (I'll update each week during the pre-season)...and please, as always, make your own.

1-3 QB Warner, Leinart, Navarre

4-6 RB James, Shipp, Arrington

7-8 FB Bronson, Ayanbadejo

9-13 WR Boldin, Fitzgerald, Johnson, McCoy, Walters

14-16 TE Bergen, Edwards, Pope

17-25 OL Davis, Wells, Stepanovich, M. Brown, Bridges, Wakefield (or Ross), Lutui, Leckey, E. Brown.

26-33 DL Okeafor, Dockett, Moore, Berry, Smith, Clancy, Lewis, Watson

34-41 LB Dansby, Darling, Huff, Pace, Hayes, Blackstock, Johnson, Mitchell

42-50 DB Rolle, Wilson, Griffith, Macklin, Reid, Francisco, Brewer, Shazor, Green

51-53 ST Player, Hodel, Rackers

PS 1-8: WRs Holiday, Spurlock and Lee, DE Schable, DT Bulman, DBs Hunter, Wyatt, McCareins

Seems about right. Although I think the writing on the wall may be getting clearer for Mitchell. He didnt even play and is buried on the depth chart. I think they take the risk of trying to stash him on the PS. Which may mean we keep a 6th WR, another CB, or a yet to be named 4th DE.

I also think the team will diversify the PS a little more. 3 WR's and 3 DB's seems a bit much. Maybe 2 WR's and 2 DB's instead and add on two of a RB, OL, or a LB.

 

[ajcardfan]

Damn Mitch.....maybe already posted but Zamir Cobb has been cut already. Get current,

Which totally proves Mitch's point that he's a long shot!

 

[SuperSpck]

thumbs up!

 

[Chainthroer]

Got to find a place on PS for Fred Capshaw. What a punting leg!! A Univ. of Miami kicker, from Rock Spring, Wyoming.

 

[ajcardfan]

Got to find a place on PS for Fred Capshaw. What a punting leg!! A Univ. of Miami kicker, from Rock Spring, Wyoming.

Player has to go sometime. This is the first time in many years he seems to have real competition. I'd like to see Capshaw get a chance to punt with the first unit.