azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Dan Bickley
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 7, 2005 12:00 AM
The belief is gone, and so are most of the Cardinals.
Only a handful of players are lingering in the locker room after another bile-inducing loss. No one is bothering to lie about trying harder and getting closer. It is so empty in this room that Chike Okeafor, on his way to a late shower, reminds the cleanup crew to leave his shoes on the floor, unless they want him to drive home barefoot.
Nothing like rats scurrying off a sinking ship, and it all started with wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, the bonus baby who jogged off the playing field at Sun Devil Stadium with 20 seconds left in Sunday's game.
"I'm not real happy about things," said Rod Graves, vice president of football operations. "But I'd really rather not comment right now."
Whatever.
It doesn't matter. What is there to say at this point?
So the Cardinals sink to 2-6, and the midterm comes back at F-minus. Their running backs have yet to score a touchdown, the offensive line has been shuffled yet again and next week's starting quarterback is again up in the air. How ironic if John Navarre returns to the starting lineup in Detroit, where he took over for Shaun King last season.
Funny (or not) how Dennis Green continues to mock the principles that define winning football, whether it's running the ball, building a sturdy offensive line or placing a heavy premium on continuity.
"I think when you're in a 2-6 year, you're in territory you're not accustomed to nor do you like being," Green said. "There's no telling what you do."
For all the offensive foibles in 2005, the defense has been even worse. At least it has talent, or so we thought. The defense should be good enough to keep its team in these games, if not win a couple of games all by itself.
Instead, it joins games in progress. The defenders sleepwalk at the start of each half, and their play is largely undisciplined. They entered Sunday's game ranked 18th in the NFL in overall defense, and that was before the Seahawks rushed the ball 33 times for 208 yards, a chunky 6.3 yards per carry.
It has been quite a shock, this underachieving unit. Last year, it was ranked No. 12 in the NFL and was flying to the football. This year, it had top five aspirations. The only personnel losses have been a nose tackle (Russell Davis) and a rookie (Antrel Rolle), but the defenders have lost their collective will. They don't have the gumption to stop a running back that is snorting like a mad bull.
To wit, they allowed Shaun Alexander to ramble for an 88-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage in the second half. Alexander is listed at 225 pounds and is built to run through people, not past people. That no one could corral Alexander from behind tells you something.
That the Cardinals lined up illegally for the ensuing extra point tells you something else: They can go from tin men on the field to 12 men on the field without thinking twice.
Midway through the season, there are only three things you can count on with this football team: Neil Rackers making fantasy football owners extremely happy, one really big and really stupid penalty every game and the sight of Fitzgerald bolting for the locker room before anyone else has left the field.
All of these conditions were exacerbated on Sunday, and the program has become a punch line once again.
"We're not going to make excuses," defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast said. "We have to play better."
Sorry, the schedule gets only tougher from here on out. The losses will continue to mount, and the off-field dramas are the only games worth watching.
Will Graves be re-hired? Will Green be forced to fire his friends on the coaching staff and hire people who are actually in demand? Is Matt Leinart envisioning a future in Glendale and kicking himself for staying in school?
The season feels like it should be coming to an end but, incredibly, it's only half over.
A shame that isn't a good thing.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/columns/articles/1107bickley1107.html
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 7, 2005 12:00 AM
The belief is gone, and so are most of the Cardinals.
Only a handful of players are lingering in the locker room after another bile-inducing loss. No one is bothering to lie about trying harder and getting closer. It is so empty in this room that Chike Okeafor, on his way to a late shower, reminds the cleanup crew to leave his shoes on the floor, unless they want him to drive home barefoot.
Nothing like rats scurrying off a sinking ship, and it all started with wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, the bonus baby who jogged off the playing field at Sun Devil Stadium with 20 seconds left in Sunday's game.
"I'm not real happy about things," said Rod Graves, vice president of football operations. "But I'd really rather not comment right now."
Whatever.
It doesn't matter. What is there to say at this point?
So the Cardinals sink to 2-6, and the midterm comes back at F-minus. Their running backs have yet to score a touchdown, the offensive line has been shuffled yet again and next week's starting quarterback is again up in the air. How ironic if John Navarre returns to the starting lineup in Detroit, where he took over for Shaun King last season.
Funny (or not) how Dennis Green continues to mock the principles that define winning football, whether it's running the ball, building a sturdy offensive line or placing a heavy premium on continuity.
"I think when you're in a 2-6 year, you're in territory you're not accustomed to nor do you like being," Green said. "There's no telling what you do."
For all the offensive foibles in 2005, the defense has been even worse. At least it has talent, or so we thought. The defense should be good enough to keep its team in these games, if not win a couple of games all by itself.
Instead, it joins games in progress. The defenders sleepwalk at the start of each half, and their play is largely undisciplined. They entered Sunday's game ranked 18th in the NFL in overall defense, and that was before the Seahawks rushed the ball 33 times for 208 yards, a chunky 6.3 yards per carry.
It has been quite a shock, this underachieving unit. Last year, it was ranked No. 12 in the NFL and was flying to the football. This year, it had top five aspirations. The only personnel losses have been a nose tackle (Russell Davis) and a rookie (Antrel Rolle), but the defenders have lost their collective will. They don't have the gumption to stop a running back that is snorting like a mad bull.
To wit, they allowed Shaun Alexander to ramble for an 88-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage in the second half. Alexander is listed at 225 pounds and is built to run through people, not past people. That no one could corral Alexander from behind tells you something.
That the Cardinals lined up illegally for the ensuing extra point tells you something else: They can go from tin men on the field to 12 men on the field without thinking twice.
Midway through the season, there are only three things you can count on with this football team: Neil Rackers making fantasy football owners extremely happy, one really big and really stupid penalty every game and the sight of Fitzgerald bolting for the locker room before anyone else has left the field.
All of these conditions were exacerbated on Sunday, and the program has become a punch line once again.
"We're not going to make excuses," defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast said. "We have to play better."
Sorry, the schedule gets only tougher from here on out. The losses will continue to mount, and the off-field dramas are the only games worth watching.
Will Graves be re-hired? Will Green be forced to fire his friends on the coaching staff and hire people who are actually in demand? Is Matt Leinart envisioning a future in Glendale and kicking himself for staying in school?
The season feels like it should be coming to an end but, incredibly, it's only half over.
A shame that isn't a good thing.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/columns/articles/1107bickley1107.html
