Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
I don't think i have ever heard a team and a coach mention the game conditions, time, place, weather, etc. more than BA and the Cardinals. It's to the point where it even because the focus of the FOX crew.
Freaking A. It's football...it's the NFL you only get 16 games a year. Buckle up your chinstraps and play, for crying out loud.
The way the Cardinals came out in this game signaled that mentally it was over even before it started.
Everybody knows that going to Carolina you have to be prepared to account for a front seven that is going to come out flying and swinging.
Interestingly, Bruce Arians, arguably one of the brightest and most experienced offensive coordinators in the NFL, has had zero answers as to how to back their defense off. Clearly the Panthers are having trouble covering---why not start in a shotgun and throw an array of quick to intermediate passes, even with max protection?
Tom Brady once started a game versus a ferocious front 7 by throwing the ball 18 times in a row to start the game and it backed them off quickly.
Then versus Carolina what the QB HAS to know is he has to take a sack and not panic---he cannot turn the ball over.
Surely, it looked like Palmer tried to throw a short armed flick pass---but it was a pure panic move on his part. Why? He wasn't throwing it to anyone. David Johnson was not in a clear passing lane and there is no way a shovel pass could make its way downfield to the WR 15 yards away. That's why the refs didn't blow the whistle---if the pass lands near Johnson, they probably make that call, if they had a clear shot of it.
What the play should have been is intentional grounding (even Mike Perreira said it was a forward pass)---which Palmer had issues with on the ensuing drives. But...better than turning the ball over.
It's too bad the Cardinals were not able to weather the early storm, because Palmer, despite getting sacked 8 times and hit 7 others, was game---and was on target on almost every one of his throws. He deserves a lot of credit for not going totally into the tank like he did last year.
It's too bad too that once again Bruce Arians commits a major error by not throwing the challenge flag on the Olsen non-catch. He made the same egregious mistake versus the Bills.
if anyone needs to wake up in these early games it is Bruce Arians.
It's inexcusable.
By not coaching Palmer not to panic early in the game and take sacks if necessary---and by not challenging an obvious out of bounds catch, that cost the Cardinals 11 points---and they wound up losing by 10.
Finishing up on the offense---David Johnson was going to have a tough time running the ball versus their front and LBers---that much you have to pretty much concede going in---but he was able to pick his spots and it's too bad that some of his best runs and some of the best plays (like the great pass to Ellington) were called back by trifling-type penalties.
It seems likes the Cardinals get no love form the officials---just maybe it is tied into the officials getting no love from Bruce Arians. I can't think of another NFL head coach who drops more f-bombs on officials than Arians. You don't see the past three Super Bowl HCs treating the officials with such blatant disrespect---do you? Carroll, Belichick and Kubiak. You don't see Ron Riveira cussing refs out.
There comes a point where refs will retaliate---it is human nature.
BA said nationally last week that he would call the NFL and get another "BS" answer. While we all get his frustration---but it obviously isn't helping his cause or the team's.
The reality is---the NFL doesn't care. Not the Roger Goodell NFL.
It was a tough afternoon for the offensive line---but they kept trying to thwart that ferocious rush.
Earl Watford and D.J. Humphries are really struggling---the right side of the line is weak---and with the trading deadline coming up and a bye week to work in a new player or two, it will be interesting to see if Steve Keim addresses this Achilles heel. It's bad. It's costly bad.
The one sub who has been fantastic is John Wetzel, whom I was hoping would get the start over Watford at RG today---but Wetzel went in for an injured Veldheer and played excellently at LT.
Fitz, J.J. Nelson, Smokey Brown and Gresham all had some good catches---but there could have been plenty more had the Cardinals played with a greater cohesiveness, discipline and urgency.
On defense---the top performers were Calais Campbell, Deone Bucannon, Tony Jefferson and D.J. Swearinger. They all matched the physicality of the game and Jefferson created the turnover the Cardinals so desperately needed, only to have Palmer hold the ball too long and then panic on first down and throw the ball right into the arms of a defender.
One of the nuances that David Johnson is still learning is how to keep a clear passing lane for his QB when he is the safety valve---on the TD fumble and on the game-sealing interception, Johnson was standing behind defenders.
Very disappointing games from Minter, Jones, Bethel (until the last breakup), Cooper, and all the other DEs and DTs not named Campbell. Very disappointing too that Tyrann Mathieu suffered a shoulder injury. Not having him in the NFC Championship game hurt and now not having him making plays on Newton passes hurt.
The ST's play wasn't terrible---it just wasn't very good---very inconsistent. Watching Ellington take another dive on a 12 yard kickoff return kind of highlights to me why the Panthers think they can intimidate the Cardinals...
But the Cardinals finally fought back some in that second half and if Steve Keim and Bruce Arians can regroup the team, set higher standards of accountability (starting with themselves and the coaches) and take their preparation to a higher level, who knows?
Right now this team isn't really sure who or what they are...which is very frustrating for those of us who really bought into the "All or Nothing" mantra, Right now that hype feels like a real tease.
Freaking A. It's football...it's the NFL you only get 16 games a year. Buckle up your chinstraps and play, for crying out loud.
The way the Cardinals came out in this game signaled that mentally it was over even before it started.
Everybody knows that going to Carolina you have to be prepared to account for a front seven that is going to come out flying and swinging.
Interestingly, Bruce Arians, arguably one of the brightest and most experienced offensive coordinators in the NFL, has had zero answers as to how to back their defense off. Clearly the Panthers are having trouble covering---why not start in a shotgun and throw an array of quick to intermediate passes, even with max protection?
Tom Brady once started a game versus a ferocious front 7 by throwing the ball 18 times in a row to start the game and it backed them off quickly.
Then versus Carolina what the QB HAS to know is he has to take a sack and not panic---he cannot turn the ball over.
Surely, it looked like Palmer tried to throw a short armed flick pass---but it was a pure panic move on his part. Why? He wasn't throwing it to anyone. David Johnson was not in a clear passing lane and there is no way a shovel pass could make its way downfield to the WR 15 yards away. That's why the refs didn't blow the whistle---if the pass lands near Johnson, they probably make that call, if they had a clear shot of it.
What the play should have been is intentional grounding (even Mike Perreira said it was a forward pass)---which Palmer had issues with on the ensuing drives. But...better than turning the ball over.
It's too bad the Cardinals were not able to weather the early storm, because Palmer, despite getting sacked 8 times and hit 7 others, was game---and was on target on almost every one of his throws. He deserves a lot of credit for not going totally into the tank like he did last year.
It's too bad too that once again Bruce Arians commits a major error by not throwing the challenge flag on the Olsen non-catch. He made the same egregious mistake versus the Bills.
if anyone needs to wake up in these early games it is Bruce Arians.
It's inexcusable.
By not coaching Palmer not to panic early in the game and take sacks if necessary---and by not challenging an obvious out of bounds catch, that cost the Cardinals 11 points---and they wound up losing by 10.
Finishing up on the offense---David Johnson was going to have a tough time running the ball versus their front and LBers---that much you have to pretty much concede going in---but he was able to pick his spots and it's too bad that some of his best runs and some of the best plays (like the great pass to Ellington) were called back by trifling-type penalties.
It seems likes the Cardinals get no love form the officials---just maybe it is tied into the officials getting no love from Bruce Arians. I can't think of another NFL head coach who drops more f-bombs on officials than Arians. You don't see the past three Super Bowl HCs treating the officials with such blatant disrespect---do you? Carroll, Belichick and Kubiak. You don't see Ron Riveira cussing refs out.
There comes a point where refs will retaliate---it is human nature.
BA said nationally last week that he would call the NFL and get another "BS" answer. While we all get his frustration---but it obviously isn't helping his cause or the team's.
The reality is---the NFL doesn't care. Not the Roger Goodell NFL.
It was a tough afternoon for the offensive line---but they kept trying to thwart that ferocious rush.
Earl Watford and D.J. Humphries are really struggling---the right side of the line is weak---and with the trading deadline coming up and a bye week to work in a new player or two, it will be interesting to see if Steve Keim addresses this Achilles heel. It's bad. It's costly bad.
The one sub who has been fantastic is John Wetzel, whom I was hoping would get the start over Watford at RG today---but Wetzel went in for an injured Veldheer and played excellently at LT.
Fitz, J.J. Nelson, Smokey Brown and Gresham all had some good catches---but there could have been plenty more had the Cardinals played with a greater cohesiveness, discipline and urgency.
On defense---the top performers were Calais Campbell, Deone Bucannon, Tony Jefferson and D.J. Swearinger. They all matched the physicality of the game and Jefferson created the turnover the Cardinals so desperately needed, only to have Palmer hold the ball too long and then panic on first down and throw the ball right into the arms of a defender.
One of the nuances that David Johnson is still learning is how to keep a clear passing lane for his QB when he is the safety valve---on the TD fumble and on the game-sealing interception, Johnson was standing behind defenders.
Very disappointing games from Minter, Jones, Bethel (until the last breakup), Cooper, and all the other DEs and DTs not named Campbell. Very disappointing too that Tyrann Mathieu suffered a shoulder injury. Not having him in the NFC Championship game hurt and now not having him making plays on Newton passes hurt.
The ST's play wasn't terrible---it just wasn't very good---very inconsistent. Watching Ellington take another dive on a 12 yard kickoff return kind of highlights to me why the Panthers think they can intimidate the Cardinals...
But the Cardinals finally fought back some in that second half and if Steve Keim and Bruce Arians can regroup the team, set higher standards of accountability (starting with themselves and the coaches) and take their preparation to a higher level, who knows?
Right now this team isn't really sure who or what they are...which is very frustrating for those of us who really bought into the "All or Nothing" mantra, Right now that hype feels like a real tease.
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Noo Wayy. That was huge at that point of the game. Refs need to know when to let teams play, unless something is blatantly affecting the play at hand. This is what happens in the other leagues especially in the playoffs. No harm No foul.Let the teams decide the outcomes, NOT YOU.
