Going into this game, it was tough not to feel more than a little uneasy. For one, for anyone who has watched the Vikings closely this year, their blowout loss to Seattle was an anomaly. Not only are the Vikings very physical, they are extremely well coached, by two of the most distinguished, battle tested coaches in the NFL: Mike Zimmer and Norv Turner.
Not sure how you felt but when i heard the Vikings were missing 4 starters on defense, it made me even more nervous, because we saw what happened at SF when they were down a few defensive starters, yet they are well coached and play hard. Still, let's not forget, the Vikings have quality pass rushers in Griffin, Robison and Hunter---a good young ILB in Kendricks---to go with savvy veteran OLB Chad Greeway---two 1st round CBs in Rhodes and Waynes. Plus, a solid #3 CB in Munnerlyn. And on the other side of the ball---they have "All Day" AP---a young and prolific young QB in Bridgewater, a very good TE in Rudolph and a cadre of fast WRs in Diggs, Wallace, Patterson and Wright (slot).
Compounding the issue was the short week and all the lofty expectations of an easy Cardinals' win from the pundits and many of the fans.
Plus---Carson Palmer reminded everyone of what a tough physical stretch the team has endure the past several weeks.
The Cardinals needed the Red Sea to help spur them on---which they got. They also needed timely contributions from some of the younger, more unsung players on the team, along with the expectation that a few of the important veterans would carpe the noctem and lead the way.
A good team knows it is gaining strength and momentum when unsung players make big plays.
First case in point---TE Darren Fells. With Jermaine Gresham nursing a knee injury, Fells became Palmer's main TE target, and Fells delivered in a big way, literally and figuratively. The big man has developed into a tough, sure handed, hard to bring down middle-of-the-field D-Rex.
Second case in point---RB David Johnson. Coming off a very good 99 yard effort versus the physical Rams, one had to wonder whether Johnson could get right back on the horse and duplicate such an effort. In some ways one could argue this week's effort was stronger than last week's, as 54 of his 92 yards came after first contact, and as for how timely his receptions were out of the backfield. Plus, he has the one fumble glitch last week. This week, nary a bobble. Interesting 2 game stat: Johnson 191 yards...Gurley & AP 115 yards. Hmmm.
Third case in point---DE Josh Mauro. With Frostee Rucker still out, Mauro has been garnering added minutes and showing flashes of excellence. One of the key plays of the game was Mauro's blowing up of the Peterson lateral on the reverse, which resulted in a momentum building turnover.
Fourth case in point---ILB Deone Bucannon, whose toughness and explosiveness were on full display at ket times, like the end he put to a drive when he stripped slot WR Jarius Wright of the ball in one super quick swoop and recovered the ball just as quickly himself.
Fifth case in point---nickel LB Alani Fua, who made a clutch third down stop in the second half.
Sixth case in point---K Chandler Catanzaro, who calmly and confidently split the uprights from 48 yards with the game on the line. And then booms the ensuing kickoff out of the end zone. Heck, he even made a tackle on one of the kickoffs.
The savvy veterans who stepped up:
QB Carson Palmer---his double crow hop throw to WR Smokey Brown was a thing of beauty, as was so many of his throws, like the other long TD to WR Michael Floyd where Palmer quickened his delivery to get the ball out asap.
LG Mike Iupati---not only has he become the best interior pass blocker, which coming into the season was the one question mark about his game, he showed the awareness to gobble up a tipped pass and lumber with it ten big yards.
WR Larry Fitzgerald---for playing tough in all phases of his game and providing unselfish leadership.
DE Calais Campbell---for rising to the occasion and having his best game in weeks at a time when the team most needed it.
DT Red Bryant---no question that the Cardinals defense started corralling and crowding AP once Big Red was inserted into the game.
DE/OLB Dwight Freeney---he dug down deep when it mattered most and got what the Cardinals have been desperately needing at the end of close games---the big edge sack that seals the victory.
S/CB Tyrann Mathieu---for being the spark plug from every angle of the football field and chasing plays down like a mad terrier chasing a frisbee.
CB Patrick Peterson---for once again shutting down the opponents' top WR in rather dominating fashion.
LS Mike Leach---who, as seemingly always, delivered his snaps right on the money with perfect zip, not only on the GW FG, but on the punt where Drew Butler was run into and yet which inexplicably did not draw a flag. if that snap on that play is not on the money it's quite possible that punt could have bee blocked.
What was tantalizing about this game---which Carson Palmer aptly called a "weird game" was how many times the Cardinals managed to narrowly avoid some potentially game-changing mistakes. As Phil Sims pointed out---defenses are aware that Palmer will have his 2 or 3 throws a game that could wind up right in their hands. In this game, Xavier Rhodes could have had two relatively easy pick sixes...the first on what was kind of lob out pass to TE Darren Fells early in the Cardinals' first possession, which for some reason Rhodes didn't react to and Fells made a nice third down conversion on---the second on an ill-advised out pass to Michael Floyd which hit Rhodes right in his extended hands, but that maybe he was fighting off because of the wrist he injured earlier in the game.
The deflection to Iupati could have easily gone the wrong way. Bridgewater's bomb to Wallace was a fraction off the mark. The big holding play late on the game which negated another big gain. And then the icing on the cake was Mike Zimmer electing to try another pass with 13 seconds left where the margin for error is so much higher than trying to convert a 48 yard field goal with a kicker who has been great from that distance.
BA was down on the defense for giving up 10 4th quarter points---but one has to wonder whether he felt as down on the defense after he saw the tape. The reason is that Norv Turner called a superb game. When the Cardinals were sending the house on blitzes---Turner had the answers and Bridgewater cooly delivered them. The third down tying TD pass to Mike Wallace was a perfect call at the perfect time in that situation. It was full man to man with no safety help, and no CB in the NFL (let alone Justin Bethel) can cover a crossing pattern to the opposite side of the field, having to sift through traffic in the middle---plus, Bridgewater did the perfect thing by backpedalling for a second more time to let the play develop, before throwing a perfect pass.
The defense was trying to create all kinds of pressure on Bridgewater---it wasn't for lack of effort. But when the defense sells out and the offense has the answer, you have to be able to accept the consequences.
The irony is that the pressure finally got to Bridgewater on his final play of the game.
As Dwight Freeney said after the game---"We made one more play than they did and that often is the key to winning games in December."
As for BA's seemingly ultra conservative play-calling in the second half---for one he wanted to shorten the game by making sure the clock kept running. Pretty smart for a team that is banged up and playing with three days prep. Secondly, all the WR screens BA was calling was an effort to get the young Vikings' safeties conscious of having to run quickly down the alleys to the ball---that way BA was hoping they would start inching forward---but in the second half, Mike Zimmer made sure he kept them in a deep cover 2 to prevent another long TD pass. BA then kept thinking that John Brown or Fitz could break one of those screens for a huge gain, but Fitz got funneled inside on his where the help was and John Brown got tackled by Munnerlyn when for some reason Michael Floyd ran right past him. maybe Floyd was confident that Smokey could shake the first tackle. The point is, these were plays that were dictated by what Zimmer's defense was giving them and by BA's intention to run high percentage runs and passes that would keep the clock moving.
Had Carson Palmer connected with Fitz on the 3rd down pass late in the game, where for some strange reason Troy Nicklas was crowding, BA's control of the clock in this game would have been masterful.
The short yardage running game has been an issue for weeks now---man, on the 3rd and 1 dive right that Kerwynn Wiiliams was stuffed on, did anyone see Bobby Massie's effort on that play? Massie was supposed to block down inside and root out the player in the B gap, but he stood up (mistake right there) and took way too deep an angle and wound up standing alone three yards ahead of the play. Now---that's precisely what BA is going to chew his and the rest of the offense out on when they break down the film. Massie played a decent game---but he got beat badly on a couple of plays and those are the kinds of mental errors and lapses in concentration that BA is talking about---like the blown coverages on defense where a man is left wide up, like a few of the Vikings' TEs who galloped for chunk yards. The question is---sometime when the defense sells out and sends the house, are they leaving a man wide open, like the TE whom they think is going to block? Or is it a blown assignment? Why was no one covering the FB in the flat on a key third down?
The reality is that in certain ways the team lacks discipline....but fortunately they are finding ways to overcome such lapses. Let's not underestimate how determined and resolute and unified this Cardinals' team is in their efforts. Every team in one way or another has its flaws. BA knows that in close playoff-type games, the margins for error are very slim, which is why his going to continue to ride the players like Red Pollard rode Seabisquit, whispering and shouting all the way to the tape.
