Beanie will have his hands full

[Cbus cardsfan]

Hightower is not going to be easy to unseat as the starting RB. He looked the part of a confident starting RB last night. Whiz already loves his attitude. I'm thinking instead of a Kevin Smith type season for Wells where he takes over the job mid-year that maybe we'll see more of Jonathon Stewart type season where he's a great compliment to an productive TH,forming a very strong RB by committee.

 

[187]

I agree. THT looked like so much better tonight, he's running like he's angry and that's definitely good for our offense! One thing is for certain, he has no intentions on handing Beanie the starting role on a silver platter. I think we will see a carry split similar to J-Stew and D-Will last year. I think Hightower will be somewhere in the low/mid 200's and Beanie in the 180 range unless he completely explodes. Either way, I think our rushing attack will be vastly improved this year.

 

[Perfectionist]

Hightower looked good tonight. When Wells is healty I think we might see a preseason game where we focus on the run game. That will be interesting, as I want to be able to see this team have some run success even when the other team knows you are going to run.

 

[AZ Sports Native]

If defenses have to worry even the tiniest bit about our run game this year, our offense may be damn near unstoppable.

 

[Duckjake]

I agree. THT looked like so much better tonight, he's running like he's angry and that's definitely good for our offense! One thing is for certain, he has no intentions on handing Beanie the starting role on a silver platter. I think we will see a carry split similar to J-Stew and D-Will last year. I think Hightower will be somewhere in the low/mid 200's and Beanie in the 180 range unless he completely explodes. Either way, I think our rushing attack will be vastly improved this year.

That scenario should work fairly well. The Cards "dual backs" combined for over 1000 yards 5 years in a row, 2000-2004. And that was when our team was terrible.

 

[Cody]

anyone want his jersey for $100?

 

[joeshmo]

I wasnt all that impressed to be honest. Besides the one 9 yard gain and the one short yardage situation he still look hesitant and and slow to react to what hole he wanted to hit. One time he went outside when he should have hit it up field, another he went inside when he should have went outside, probably becuase the coaches got on him about the first incident so he over compenstated.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I wasnt all that impressed to be honest. Besides the one 9 yard gain and the one short yardage situation he still look hesitant and and slow to react to what hole he wanted to hit. One time he went outside when he should have hit it up field, another he went inside when he should have went outside, probably becuase the coaches got on him about the first incident so he over compenstated.

That's what I saw too. Gruden was talking him up, but I didn't see much. I saw dancing in the backfield and indecision. Only the 9 yard gain did he make a move that impressed me.

Actually LSH impressed me more.

 

[blindseyed]

I think with Beanie in there we could have a nice RB combo. It's the 1st pre-season game not the 8th game of the season so I was fine with it since it can take some time to get a rythmn going.

 

[NHEIB84]

I still think the Cardinals run way too many draw/delay plays and Hightower gets the raw end of it. They're in good position with Hightower and Wells. Neither guy will have to carry a huge load and it will keep both healthy and fresh.

I liked the Gruden AC DC reference to Hightower.

 

[SoCal Cardfan]

I still think the Cardinals run way too many draw/delay plays and Hightower gets the raw end of it.

I agree.

I'm also not quite as high on Russ Grimm as the media is.. Good O-lines can run just about any RB and get decent results, I was hoping for more in the running game last night, looked like same old same old to me.

So hard for me to understand how such a prolific passing team can be so easy to stop on the ground.

 

[CardinalChris]

The one thing Hightower did that impressed me was make an extra yard or two after contact. Now without re-watching it I can say I thought to myself and even told my wife "I love the running plays they are using" There seemed to be some extra pizzaz in the design and motion on a lot of the successful runs last night. Hightower ran hard, but didn't create much.... but the truth is he never has and I doubt he will be that type of back. That's why Wells is a threat to him.

 

[football karma]

I still think the Cardinals run way too many draw/delay plays and Hightower gets the raw end of it. They're in good position with Hightower and Wells. Neither guy will have to carry a huge load and it will keep both healthy and fresh.

I liked the Gruden AC DC reference to Hightower.

not thrilled to see that the oh-so-slow to develop draw play is still in the playbook and being called

I would love to see the collective stats on that play over last season to see the average yards per attempt. I would be surprised if it were a positive number.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

There aren't many ways to run out of the 3 WR formations. Couple that with the fact that KW might have the slowest QB/RB exchange and that severly limits the type of plays you can run.

 

[NHEIB84]

There was a point last year where they almost exclusively ran out of the shotgun. This was the period Hightower started. It baffles me to this day. It was some of the most predictable play calling I have seen, and the team struggled during this period. As soon as James started again, they went back to running more traditional run plays. I just want to see the guy get a chance running smash mouth running plays. Then we can evaluate him.

 

[joeshmo]

not thrilled to see that the oh-so-slow to develop draw play is still in the playbook and being called

I would love to see the collective stats on that play over last season to see the average yards per attempt. I would be surprised if it were a positive number.

I dont like the draw for Hightower either for the simple fact he cant diagnose holes very well. Watch the one draw play they did last night, he had about 20 yards of open field on the left side but instead shot it upfield right into the DE who was being blocked well I might add.

 

[clif]

I will reserve judgement until Beanie gets game action. Sorry but Hightower lacks explosion. He is very determined, very hardworking, and very likeable, but you can't replace talent and I'm sure you will notice the difference once Wells is on the field. Hightower just looks stuck in mud half the time.

 

[seesred]

IMO Hightower had a solid game last night. He is quicker than last year and apppears stronger. He was making yards after the first couple of hits moving the pile. His average of 4 Yard per carry was good and we would take that any day. He only carries 6 times, most RB's will tell you it takes constant banging from the line so that as they get into third gear the D is being pushed. If he had 25 carries last night I think everyone would be impressed. I would bet that he will share the job in the end but Tim will be number 1 all year.

GBR
40

 

[dreamcastrocks]

IMO Hightower had a solid game last night. He is quicker than last year and apppears stronger. He was making yards after the first couple of hits moving the pile. His average of 4 Yard per carry was good and we would take that any day. He only carries 6 times, most RB's will tell you it takes constant banging from the line so that as they get into third gear the D is being pushed. If he had 25 carries last night I think everyone would be impressed. I would bet that he will share the job in the end but Tim will be number 1 all year.

GBR
40

I'd bet you 1M ASFN that Beanie will be #1 by the end of the year barring injury. Because you don't have it, I'll give you 1M if he doesn't.

 

[BigRedArk]

There aren't many ways to run out of the 3 WR formations. Couple that with the fact that KW might have the slowest QB/RB exchange and that severly limits the type of plays you can run.[/QUOTE]

Agree dcr. To be so great as a Passer and in his accuracy and all of that and to struggle so noticeably in the QB/RB exchange is curious. I now realize how much I have taken that for granted over the years of watching football after seeing Kurt struggle with it so much.
Don't we have a new QB coach this year? Maybe he can find the root of the problem and help Kurt with it.

 

[conraddobler]

In years past seeing the same thing in preseason as the regular season would bother me but Whiz is so much better as a coach than we are used to he's probably smart enough to at least surprise the first team we play with something new, to do that you don't show it in the preseason.

I wouldn't put much stock in the draws at all, play action though, yeah that's the ticket.

 

[PJ1]

I was impressed with TH last night. I thought he made something out of nothing on a couple of plays and ran hard on each carry. I was not impressed with him last year but let's see what he can do this year.

 

[BirdMan21]

I'd bet you 1M ASFN that Beanie will be #1 by the end of the year barring injury. Because you don't have it, I'll give you 1M if he doesn't.

Can I take that bet? I agree with you 100% that Beanie will be the starter, but it would be nice to have A$FN again. And this bet really sounds like a great no lose situation.

 

[lauraw]

I want Beanie to start, but I Think TH looks great!!

 

[gohard83]

Sorry guys but I disagree. Hightower is not starting material unless it is 3rd and short. He's like a poor man's Marion Barber and MB3 is not a starter either. I think Wells and Hightower will be a good combo though. Glen Coffee already look better than Hightower to be honest.