Well---it's been an uncanny streak of winning these types of games for the Cardinals---and this time, they had to taste what New England felt when Steven Gostkowski misses the game winner after kicking a near 60 yarder minutes earlier.
What was most perplexing about the performance was how listless the Cardinals' offense was to start this game---particularly after 10 days to "clean things up" and atone for the poor performance on TNF.
I had said previously in my post last week that if we didn't see a Cardinal TE or slot WR chip DE Mario Williams square in the ribs from the side on the first passing play, that we were going to see the same old same old, and that we did, only even more conservatively and predictably than 10 days previous.
The thing is---the way Daryl Washington forced a fumble on the Bills' first play and the way the Bills have been reeling, a rejuvenated and determined Cardinal offense could have set the tempo for the entire game---except that what we got is the perfunctory dive left for -1 yards on first down, an errant throw over the middle to a wide open Jeff King on 2nd and 11 and you guessed it a sack on 3rd and 11.
Many teams have a rule of thumb that off of a momentum seizing turnover like the one the Cardinals got right off the bat, you take a shot for the endzone---in other words you let the other team know you are being super aggressive.
After watching the Rams' tape and seeing the painfully redundant 2nd and 11-14s after -1 to -4 yards 1st down run failures---to think that the coaches elected instead to run the same running plays on first down versus their run stuffers makes one wonder if the coaches really watch the tapes or have a strong enough sense of how to pull this offense out of its duldrums.
After watching the QB get hammered for two straight weeks---one might think the coaches would be grateful the QB wasn't in a body cast and on the IR by now---and that they would do everything in their power to protect better for him. Alas, no. No changes. No concerted, sustained efforts to maximize the QBs protection. And when finally there were some attempts to chip, by then their whole defense is fired up beyond their wildest dreams.
The next sack in the game was throughly avoidable if the QB has been properly coached or he himself understands the gravity of the situation. Even where the pocket collapsed, Kolb could have made a move to dive the ball forward over the line
The other thing is---it seems like any time there's a break in routine for the Cardinals under CKW---where the team gets extra days off---the team comes back flat and even listless at times. After the loss in STL, this pattern should have been reversed and it wasn't.
It took a very generous spot for the Cardinals to sustain their one TD drive---and it took a faked punt to create another scoring chance---but by and large, the offense in the first half was about as bad as it has been all year---at home no less and after a 10 day layoff.
Let's face it---this offense just aint no fun.
The defense is fun and fun to watch---so are the STs---but this offense makes even the least squeamish cringe. It's so poorly designed and it is so horribly redundant.
Look at it this way---the Cardinals took TWO deep shots down field all game long---one on the excellent throw and catch fade route to rookie Michael Floyd and the other on the deep seam to Roberts which Roberts very well might have caught---he got both hands on it.
If an offense doesn't threaten the defense deep and if the offense allows easy pressure (as in a 2.84 second flash time for the QB to get rid of the ball)---what can the defense do? They can start to sneak up into the intermediate zones to try to jump routes and force interceptions---which is exactly what the Bills' coaches and FS Jairus Byrd (Game MVP, imo) in key situations did twice---as he was able to see the Cardinals QBs locking in on the TE over the middle---which QBs HAVE to do if they have 2.84 seconds to work with)---just as Skelton did when he threw the perfect strike to Fitz on 4th and long that led to Feely's 61 yarder. You can't throw a strike like that without seeing the spot and aiming for it. The good news was that Fitz was moving away from the inside safety help.
That one wrinkle the Bills coaches put in---to have Byrd come up and hawk the intermediate middle on 3rds and longs---won the Bills the football game. That and a brutally untimely drop by Andre Roberts---and a 5 play meltdown defensive series (with the team now up 13-9) perfectly akin to the one we saw the Rams open up with 10 days ago.
Yes---the Cardinals needed to create more time to throw---and they tried to sneak a flea flicker in there, to no avail---but the time to throw was on first downs, not 3rd and 11s---so that they don't get into 3rds and 11s.
The only real difference in the Cardinals' approach to offense in this game was that kevin Kolb decided, you know what, if I see an opening I am going to run for it---and Kolb was superb at it! We really had something there until alas the botched audible draw play which ended both Kolb's and William Powell's night.
Now---time for what was good---William Powell was good and made running the ball fun and productive again. Powell is nifty and sneaky strong---love the way he lunges the ball forward too when he finishes his runs.
And---CKW played the last three minutes of regulation about as perfectly as he ever has---I mean perfectly---even being gutsy enough to try the 61 yarder---but what helped his cause there was having saved all three of his timeouts to that point.
Then ironically it was the Cardinals' turn visa the football gods to have a relatively easy game winning field goal go awry---
What I loved about Chan Gailey was that when they won the coin toss he took the ball---even when his offense had not been looking very good of late. The PI call on Acho looked questionable---but then again why in that situation is Acho covering a fade route downfield?
The key was that the Bills were able to turn the field position around in their favor---and we saw once again a run on first down for no gain and then another crucial dropped pass (LSH screen right---with blocking ahead and lots of green) on second and long, and then the forced interception over the middle on 3rd and long.
What concerned me about the defense was that our defensive line was going up against a banged up Bills' makeshift unit and aside from O'Brien Schofield, the defensive line was getting handled---there were occasions when Fitzpatrick started scrambling around the pocket when he didn't have to---and neither Dockett nor Campbell were still anywhere close---when Dockett and Campbell are quiet this defense isn't nearly as good.
What concerns me too and I know I keep saying this---is the play of the safeties---Adrian Wilson doesn't tackle anyone---and hasn't now for three years---he hits people---and if they don't drop on their butts, they carom off and continue running for positive yards, like twice in the game where Horton had Wilson shooting the A gap right into ball carriers and Wilson made no effort to tackle (meaning hit and wrap up). he hit once and Jackson just stood Wilson up and continued up the hole.
As for Rhodes---he was what he normally is in open space---hesitant and passive---see the TD run in the first half---Rhodes is right there to stop the run in its tracks, instead he stops in no man's land and allows himself to get juked and then gave the Bills o-lineman enough time to come knock him 5 yards backwards on his arse.
Safeties have to be sudden and they have to wrap up---that's why they are called safeties, because often if they don't make the play, the play is going to be a a TD or a long gain.
Bonehead call of the day? With the lead and momentum late in the 4th quarter in Cardinal territory Chan Gailey calling a Brad Smith flea flicker.
Best call of the day? Chan Gailey electing not to ice Feely. it looked like the Cardinals rushed the kick a little---and the timing looked a little out of sync as well. And then electing to take the ball first in OT.
The teams that are serious about winning and lose a key player at a key spot as the Cardinals did at LT, would be orchestrating a trade or even two---
The thing is---you either have to change the tackles if you want to leave them iso-ed on the DEs or you have to change the protection schemes.
The Cardinals are doing neither and with it their fast start is now turning into a nightmare.
One thing for sure---this offense, how it is coached and designed and built is a QB's nightmare.
The Ryan Lindley/Richard Bartel watch? By mid-season?
Brian in MesaAdvocatus Diaboli
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