AZ 26 BAL 18 Thoughts

[Mitch]

Defense:

* Good bounce back game---especially good to see them come out strong in the 3rd quarter. Gave up a mere 50 yards rushing, kept Steve Smith in check, got enough pressure on Joe Flacco to make a difference.

* Standouts: Calais Campbell, Tyrann Mathieu.

* Big Plays: Freeney, Rucker, Jefferson.

* Unsung Performance: Gunter (dude is pushing his man 2-3 yards into the backfield and causing havoc and spoiling the timing of the running game).

* Wanna see more of...Mathieu blitzing, Peterson shadowing his man w/o getting PIs.

* Wanna see less of...zone coverage, making for easy third down and long conversions, especially the one to Steve Smith up the seam with Patrick Peterson in deep third coverage 5 yards behind him. Was Bethel playing zone on the easy wide open sideline pass to Givens? Even so, the rule in the underneath zone is you stick with the man in your zone until top help is there. That play was inexcusable in that situation.

Offense:

* Well balanced, well orchestrated, highly productive (over 400 yards, 150+ on the ground, 3 TDs, 2 FG.

* Good for Chris Johnson for playing until the whistle---kind of makes up for the quick whistle on Cunningham in the Rams' game that bailed them out.

* Standouts: Carson Palmer, Chris Johnson, Smokey Brown, Jared Veldheer, Larry Fitzgerald.

* Big Plays: Michael Floyd, Andre Ellington (one handed catch and 3rd down conversion, even better if he stays in bounds), Jermaine Gresham.

* Unsung Performance: Jonathan Cooper (really solid in this game), A.Q. Shipley (man, he is a bulldozer at FB).

* Wanna see more of...nifty screens (Gresham & Fitz) and short passes (Ellington, David Johnson)....power running on 3rd and 1s (David Johnson made one nice power run in short yardage)...staying aggressive with the lead...and more max protections on key passing plays.

* Wanna see less of...zero backfields (the Cardinals can put 4 across and still have 1 RB in the backfield and be just as difficult to defend)...Massie isolated on best DE without help or chip...Iupati pulling and the DT blowing up the play in the backfield...play action passes when the other team is desperate and is bringing the house (no wonder that late play (intentional grounding) blew up on Carson Palmer (the Patriots were in the exact same situation and they just kept Brady in the shotgun, no play-action, because they knew Todd Bowles would send the house and when Bowles did Brady made an easy wide open throw to Gronk which clinched the win---I personally like it when BA stays aggressive (just as Belichick does---keep playing to win, don't play not to lose, unless you actually can run out the clock or down under 40 seconds without having to get a first down---but play action in that situation made the QB especially vulnerable. And, Palmer overthrows every fade pass in the end zone---might be time to try back shoulder passes instead.

Special Teams:

* Was going very well---until Catanzaro missed the extra point---and then Butler (who had been punting much better this week) took forever and a day in that situation to punt the ball, following a false start penalty by Sean Weatherspoon, plus the blocking in the middle was far too poor in that situation.

* Standout: Justin Bethel (big strip fumble).

* Big Play: Butler's final punt was good enough---and he did quicken his steps.

* Unsung Performance: Alani Fua---emerging as a good STs player.

Ready For Primetime:

This game was good for the Cardinals---they showed up well on national TV---they showed too that they can come up big when they need to. They respected the opponent and the process. This is team that is showing a desire to correct past mistakes and the mettle to make plays under pressure under the big lights. This team appears to be maturing.

 

[SoCal Cardfan]

Want to see less of:

Throwing deep on almost every 3rd and short.
Is it awesome when it works? Hell yes!
But way more have ended in drive killers than huge gains.

 

[b8rtm8nn]

Good review Mitch.

 

[frankeegee1]

They showed a play or two where Shipley just manhandled the defender. Was nice to see. Would like to see that a little more.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Cardiac]

I really like this format Mitch and agree with mostly everything. My quibble is that BA does stay aggressive but does mix in play action pass as to hope he catches the opposition selling out on the run.

I would like to see more of Bethel blitzing as well, he is very quick and fast and has at least one move.

Again, love the format.

 

[NJCardFan]

Iupati looked horrible on that pull(my apologies for saying it was Watford. Thought I saw #78).

 

[Mitch]

I really like this format Mitch and agree with mostly everything. My quibble is that BA does stay aggressive but does mix in play action pass as to hope he catches the opposition selling out on the run.

I would like to see more of Bethel blitzing as well, he is very quick and fast and has at least one move.

Again, love the format.

Thank you, I think I will stick with it!

There's enough tape on BA that teams know he will try to pass when one least expects it. Thus---when a team is desperation mode they are going to storm the gaps and edges and try to create a turnover in the backfield---which is play-action in that situation doesn't work---the DTs and DEs and OLBs and ILBs are coached to blitz the gaps and edges and defend the run along the way if necessary. But the hope is to to get to the RB or QB asap.

 

[Catfish]

Defense:

* Wanna see less of...zero backfields (the Cardinals can put 4 across and still have 1 RB in the backfield and be just as difficult to defend)...Massie isolated on best DE without help or chip...Iupati pulling and the DT blowing up the play in the backfield...play action passes when the other team is desperate and is bringing the house (no wonder that late play (intentional grounding) blew up on Carson Palmer (the Patriots were in the exact same situation and they just kept Brady in the shotgun, no play-action, because they knew Todd Bowles would send the house and when Bowles did Brady made an easy wide open throw to Gronk which clinched the win---I personally like it when BA stays aggressive (just as Belichick does---keep playing to win, don't play not to lose, unless you actually can run out the clock or down under 40 seconds without having to get a first down---but play action in that situation made the QB especially vulnerable. And, Palmer overthrows every fade pass in the end zone---might be time to try back shoulder passes instead.

Special Teams:

* Was going very well---until Catanzaro missed the extra point---and then Butler (who had been punting much better this week) took forever and a day in that situation to punt the ball, following a false start penalty by Sean Weatherspoon, plus the blocking in the middle was far too poor in that situation.

Really nice job Mitch----------I hate the zero backs in the backfield offense. Have you noticed how wild eyed Palmer looks when he is alone in the backfield knowing that he has to find a receiver to throw to before he gets mauled by the pass rush? He is not, (and never will be), a Kurt Warner when he is given serious time constraints. Whereas Warner would go thru his read progression and deliver the ball calmly while taking a hit, Palmer almost always seems to have a spot throw already in mind and if it isn't there panic sets in and he almost always throws deep, even when the yardage needed is short. I would like to see much more of David Johnson in the backfield, accompanied by AQ Shipley, and straight ahead blocking instead of pulling the guards on third and short.

I called the blocked punt on Butler. My son was watching with me, and when Butler did his practice routine, he was faster than I have ever seen him in getting his punt off properly. He was clearly concentrating on the proper footwork to get the ball away quickly. His motion was catch, short right step to start the motion, full left stride to gather momentum, and right punt. I told Nooch that he won't do that when the ball is snapped. It is almost like there is a disconnect when the snapped ball touches his hands. He suddenly goes into another mode where he becomes extremely deliberate, and takes a tiny false step with his left foot, then a longer right, then a longer left, not only eating up time, but also closing the distance to any blocking attempt so that the block becomes easier. It costs him at least a half a stride in distance, and a full count in time, longer than his practice routine was, and we have seen for two years now, how often he nearly gets blocked, forcing poor punts because of proximity to blocker. Watch for this in the future and you will see exactly what I am talking about. His practice routine is flawless, but his real time routine is clueless because no matter how well he does his practice routine, his real time performance is a brain disconnect from that practice routine and he reverts to old (poor) habit.

 

[BillsCarnage]

Wanna see more of...Mathieu blitzing, Peterson shadowing his man w/o getting PIs.

If Mathieu keeps developing we'll see him in Adub territory of the 20int/20sack club. Being shorter than Adub i think it's easier to disguise his blitzes.

 

[D-Dogg]

A:

Honey Badger is a bad, bad, bad man. Instincts, quicks and is a ferocious player. Heart for days. He's a freaking joy to watch and I hope he's a Cardinal for life. ROH for him if so.

B.

I hate the 5 wide, empty backfield so often. It takes away the PA option, and even the mere threat of a run. You can have the back go into a nice wheel route or something else, but we seriously underuse the PA pass...especially since we've improved on the ground and have weapons back there, even a half-assed PA feint would open up the deep ball.

C.

John Brown had a LB on him several times in those 5WR fronts, or no safety help with a CB, but the ball has to be released so quick that it never developed. More than once he had a step or two, but Carson had already looked him off and went to other options.

 

[Garthshort]

Mitch, the thing I agreed most with:
That you wanted to see more screens and short passes. They almost always seem to work, and yet with a lot of 3rd and short situations, we attempt many down the field passes. They look great when they work, but if you want to move the chains, they don't work as well as the short/screen pass. JMO.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Still don't see how people are putting any blame on Butler for the blocked punt. Any time there is a free unblocked runner right up the middle on a punt it is likely to be blocked regardless of how fast the punter gets the kick off.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Still don't see how people are putting any blame on Butler for the blocked punt. Any time there is a free unblocked runner right up the middle on a punt it is likely to be blocked regardless of how fast the punter gets the kick off.

Agreed, but Butler has the slowest punt release time I have ever seen.

 

[b8rtm8nn]

Agreed, but Butler has the slowest punt release time I have ever seen.

Hate to say it, but this was Butler's best game - wasn't he punting in the 50 yard range?

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Hate to say it, but this was Butler's best game - wasn't he punting in the 50 yard range?

In the pregame, I was watching him and he was absolutely booming the ball and had incredible height on the ball. He hasn't done that yet in games, at least prior to this one but he does need to speed up his release. Still, I can't blame him for that block.

 

[Russ Smith]

Still don't see how people are putting any blame on Butler for the blocked punt. Any time there is a free unblocked runner right up the middle on a punt it is likely to be blocked regardless of how fast the punter gets the kick off.

Agreed. he's a terrible punter and should be replaced but that block wasn't on him. I read yesterday that the Cards timed the kick as being kicked at 1.88 seconds from snap to ball kicked. Most NFL teams want to get the punt off in 2 or 2.1 seconds, so even though Butler stinks, that particular punt he got off faster. It got blocked because the guy came free up the middle.

 

[CFLredzoned]

* Wanna see more of...nifty screens (Gresham & Fitz) and short passes (Ellington, David Johnson)....power running on 3rd and 1s (David Johnson made one nice power run in short yardage)...staying aggressive with the lead...and more max protections on key passing plays.

I was really happy to see how he ran the ball on that play - full speed, head down, right smack into the hole, which was tiny, but just enough to get the first down. No dancing, no running too upright, no turning backwards Mendenhall style. He really went kamikaze on that one.

I think this is the Chris Johnson effect. It's making the other guys hungry. I don't think I've ever seen Ellington run between the tackles with such authority on those few runs that he had. I think these guys are watching CJ do it for 3 quarters and they're saying "hey I think I can do that too!"

 

[WisconsinCard]

Nice write as usual Mitch. I would only add that we really need to work on clock management. That last 2 and half minutes changed an easy victory to a we had to bare down and hold on for the win.