Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
"Almost cut my hair
Happened just the other day
It was getting kinda long
I could-a said it was in my way
But I didn't---and I wonder why
I want to let my Cardinals (freak) flag fly
And I feel like I owe it---to someone..." (David Crosby)
Cardinals 24 Dolphins 21
* Team obviously came out flat and un-prepared
* Seriously under-estimated the Dolphins' talent on both sides of the ball
* Having watched every episode of Hard Knocks, what I saw was a very physical training camp---very well structured---very disciplined---and what stood out to me was how sticky their CBs and Ss are in coverage---I think Sean Smith is a Top 5 CB in just his 4th year---Richard Marshall was so good in camp that they traded Vontae Davis for a 2nd rounder---I also was very impressed with rookie QB Ryan Tannehill---he's a big, physical and mobile athlete who doesn't back down to anyone.
* Catfish and I talked a good deal before the game and we were both very concerned---especially with regard to both lines---on the o-line the T/C/G tandem of Long, Pouncey and Incognito is formidable and on the d-line you have a stud edge rusher in Cameron Wake and some very active run stoppers in Solai, Starks and Randall.
* Then---there was concern about Cardinals' backup DE Nick Eason running his mouth off pre-game about Incognito---why do anything to fire the Dolphins up?
Therefore---what's amazing about this game is that the Cardinals, despite being under-prepared and under-motivated...despite getting dominated on BOTH sides of the lines, despite throwing two ill-advised interceptions, the second of which was 2nd and goal where for the first time in 3 1/2 quarters finally all the momentum was on the Cardinals' side with no reason to force anything...and despite giving up nearly 200 yards receiving to Brian Hartline...and despite getting sacked 8 times and basically taking a number of -4 yard losses on running plays...despite like the pre-season game versus the Raiders where the coaches watched and watched and watched one DE spoil every first half drive AND still do nothing about it until the 4th sack...
the Cardinals still managed to win.
The upside was that despite betting battered, Kevin Kolb remained resolute to the end---especially when he connected with Andre Roberts to tie the game with mere seconds left---on play where Kolb niftily stepped inside of the edge rush to his left and thanks to a monster block by Daryn Colledge, was able to set his feet and deliver a strike to Roberts who did a masterful job of deke-ing out Sean Smith (who was on Roberts and not Fitz---tells you something about how smart their staff was to think the Cardinals would go to Roberts in that situation---and how Smith had been making things pretty miserable for Fitz much of the game. The upside for the defense was coming alive just long enough to produce two key turnovers---the Daryl Washington forced fumble being the key defensive play of the game.
After feeling extremely relieved---and feeling for the Dolphins the way we would have felt at New England had the FG been good (a game that the Dolphins clearly deserved to win)---what I kept thinking over and over was what a great teaching tape this was going to be---and how the Cardinals' coaches could help the players make the necessary correction with the luxury of still being undefeated.
The problem was---the short week gave them too little time to prepare for the Rams' packages and do enough in practice to correct their own flaws.
So---having had my eyes on the Rams ever since they hired Jeff Fisher and feeling that it was going to be just a matter of time before the Rams climb to the top of the NFC West, because Fisher, imo, is one of the elite coaches in the NFL, a coach who employs toughness in the trenches, with all-out aggressive, no-nonsense approach and who players genuinely like playing for---
And thus having watched all their games thus far---and seeing Fisher's team grow stronger each week, especially after a heart-breaking loss to the Lions where they dominated the game and got beaten by their own prevent defense on the last drive of that game---which I knew we would never see again from Fisher---and seeing how the previous week they dominated the Seahawks in all aspects of the game---and even how they used some trickeration on the fake FG, where they snuck Danny Amendola out to WR and no one picked him up (a play that I bet Fisher wanted to save for the Cardinals---as a nifty way to spoil the aggressiveness of the Cardinals' FG blocking team)...
And seeing in these games how Fisher has already put his stamp on his defense---a defense that is perhaps the most under-rtated in the NFL, because I can't see any weak links in it---they stuff the run---they play stick arse coverage from horn to horn with some gifted cover CBs in Finnegan and Jenkins and some safeties who can run and deliver big hits---
Plus---the Cardinals had trouble with the one-headed monster of Cam Wake the week before---now they had to face the two-headed monster of Robert Quinn and Chris Long---with two gifted DTs in Langford and Brockers---
Rams 17 Cardinals 3
* What I was hoping for was to see formations on offense where the Cardinals would line up a TE to each side of Quinn and Long and from the start chip and double the DEs to make the statement that this was not going to be a big game for them---instead: nothing. Nada. No chips or doubles until the 4th or 5th sack---AGAIN.
* The running game and the monotonous predictability of the calls---4 yard losses galore---AGAIN. 2nd and 14s are pretty tough to climb out of.
* Key drops---especially from Michael Floyd inside the Rams' 50 at a time when the momentum of the game could have shifted. Similar almost exactly to what happened in the Raiders' pre-season game to Skelton which ended his night pre-maturely.
* When the coaches finally started to assign TEs and RBs to chip the DEs---did you see those efforts? About as pitiful as there is at any level---as all there was was a weak elbow thrown in passing by as they ran out for their routes.
* Kevin Kolb got the Michael Vick treatment the Cardinal laid on him---a total pounding---yet Kolb right to the end was trying to make plays. Give the guy a ton of credit---yes, he could have made things better earlier by connecting on some of the open passes he had, like not under-throwing Roberts or Housler on what could have been TDs, or missing Fitz in single coverage.
* The problem is---because he is getting harried so quickly at times, Kolb now is locked in to his first option and is reluctant to go through his progressions. This is not going to work in the NFL.
* If on the first pass play versus the Bills we don't see a TE or WR plant his shoulder into Mario Williams mid-section on a chip---we will know the Cardinals' coaches are refusing to make the necessary adjustments to their scheme.
* The defense in this game was more than respectable---it took an amazing catch by Amendola to pave the way for the first TD---and it took Greg Toler peeking into the Rams' backfield on a gamble for the Rams to score their second TD. As for what Toler did---because the Cardinals had a blitz called on the play, Toler thought the ball would come out much quicker than it did and he gambled that he could sit on the intermediate throw---instead Bradford had just enough time to throw the ball over the top.
* The run defense wore down in the 2nd half which was disappointing---but clearly the Cardinals' defense looked tired, both physically and mentally---and yet they only surrendered 17 points...which is a total on the road you figure you could win with. Plus---not taking advantage of having Amendola out, who clearly is their best playmaker on offense.
* The real difference in the game was on STs where the both teams played for field position and did well---but the Rams did better.
* The most impressive aspect of the game? How well conditioned that Ram defense is---wow. I never thought Robert Quinn would ever get himself into that kind of tip-top shape. Chris Long for sure, but Quinn? The Cardinals threw over 50 times and went into the hurry-up on several occasions and the Rams' pass rush did NOT take a single snap off. This is why Jeff Fisher is so good---he gets his teams into tip-top shape and they are relentless.
* Catfish and I talked about this a lot---the throwing repeatedly underneath the sticks or the goal-line on 3rd and 4th downs---it's the same reason why the Atlanta Hawks keep throwing passes to Josh Smith behind the three point line with the game on the line---because he's open. nd he's open on purpose. The QB is so happy just to see a man open for a second that he throws it---but just as Josh Smith is apt to throw up yet another 3 point brick and thus turn the ball over by playing perfectly into the other team's hand---as soon as the underneath WR makes the catch he is going to be nailed by the DBs.
* Iv'e never seen Fitz run so many 2 yard shallow crosses---and he wasn't even running them---he was barely drifting on them---which is fine if it's a decoy---but it was so bad that rookie Janoris Jenkins was able to jump the route with perfect ease and nearly had a pick six.
The Cardinals have a very interesting challenge at offensive tackle---Batiste and Massie are both inexperienced and need help versus top-flight DEs---yet the Cardinals can't simulate in practice what they are seeing in the games, one because they have no top-flight edge rusher for the tackles to practice against, and what you don't get either in practice is the adrenaline factor which makes the top-flight DEs even quicker and more explosive in the games.
BUT---the one thing the coaches can do is cater the offense to provide pass pro help---thus, this is now a must---the coaches can't hide anymore on this issue. Expect a good deal of 2 TE sets---and when the Cardinals go 4 WR across, slots Floyd and Doucet to chip and go.
On defense the task is to get the DBs to turn to the ball faster as PP21 did on his interception and as Toler tried to do when he got beat on his gamble. The balls are going to continue to come out faster as teams try to cope with the Cardinals' pressure---when they get the mentality of becoming the receiver when the ball is in the air, this defense could be lights out.
Players on the rise:
TE Rob Housler---looked a little like Aaron Hernandez out there this week---using his athleticism to garner RAC yards.
RB William Powell---he's truly nifty and blocks pretty darned well for a player his size.
RT Bobbie Massie---he improved a great deal during the game versus Chris Long. Means a lot about his makeup and talent.
DE Vonnie Holliday---best effort of the backup DEs. Why David Carter has been quiet and/or missing is real head scratcher. Anyone have a sense as to why?
OLBs O'Brien Schofield and Sam Acho---both had very good games.
CB Greg Toler---good to see him back and he looks like he's rounding into form, save the gamble he took on Givens---although I still think the answer at RC is Jamell Fleming.
Happened just the other day
It was getting kinda long
I could-a said it was in my way
But I didn't---and I wonder why
I want to let my Cardinals (freak) flag fly
And I feel like I owe it---to someone..." (David Crosby)
Cardinals 24 Dolphins 21
* Team obviously came out flat and un-prepared
* Seriously under-estimated the Dolphins' talent on both sides of the ball
* Having watched every episode of Hard Knocks, what I saw was a very physical training camp---very well structured---very disciplined---and what stood out to me was how sticky their CBs and Ss are in coverage---I think Sean Smith is a Top 5 CB in just his 4th year---Richard Marshall was so good in camp that they traded Vontae Davis for a 2nd rounder---I also was very impressed with rookie QB Ryan Tannehill---he's a big, physical and mobile athlete who doesn't back down to anyone.
* Catfish and I talked a good deal before the game and we were both very concerned---especially with regard to both lines---on the o-line the T/C/G tandem of Long, Pouncey and Incognito is formidable and on the d-line you have a stud edge rusher in Cameron Wake and some very active run stoppers in Solai, Starks and Randall.
* Then---there was concern about Cardinals' backup DE Nick Eason running his mouth off pre-game about Incognito---why do anything to fire the Dolphins up?
Therefore---what's amazing about this game is that the Cardinals, despite being under-prepared and under-motivated...despite getting dominated on BOTH sides of the lines, despite throwing two ill-advised interceptions, the second of which was 2nd and goal where for the first time in 3 1/2 quarters finally all the momentum was on the Cardinals' side with no reason to force anything...and despite giving up nearly 200 yards receiving to Brian Hartline...and despite getting sacked 8 times and basically taking a number of -4 yard losses on running plays...despite like the pre-season game versus the Raiders where the coaches watched and watched and watched one DE spoil every first half drive AND still do nothing about it until the 4th sack...
the Cardinals still managed to win.
The upside was that despite betting battered, Kevin Kolb remained resolute to the end---especially when he connected with Andre Roberts to tie the game with mere seconds left---on play where Kolb niftily stepped inside of the edge rush to his left and thanks to a monster block by Daryn Colledge, was able to set his feet and deliver a strike to Roberts who did a masterful job of deke-ing out Sean Smith (who was on Roberts and not Fitz---tells you something about how smart their staff was to think the Cardinals would go to Roberts in that situation---and how Smith had been making things pretty miserable for Fitz much of the game. The upside for the defense was coming alive just long enough to produce two key turnovers---the Daryl Washington forced fumble being the key defensive play of the game.
After feeling extremely relieved---and feeling for the Dolphins the way we would have felt at New England had the FG been good (a game that the Dolphins clearly deserved to win)---what I kept thinking over and over was what a great teaching tape this was going to be---and how the Cardinals' coaches could help the players make the necessary correction with the luxury of still being undefeated.
The problem was---the short week gave them too little time to prepare for the Rams' packages and do enough in practice to correct their own flaws.
So---having had my eyes on the Rams ever since they hired Jeff Fisher and feeling that it was going to be just a matter of time before the Rams climb to the top of the NFC West, because Fisher, imo, is one of the elite coaches in the NFL, a coach who employs toughness in the trenches, with all-out aggressive, no-nonsense approach and who players genuinely like playing for---
And thus having watched all their games thus far---and seeing Fisher's team grow stronger each week, especially after a heart-breaking loss to the Lions where they dominated the game and got beaten by their own prevent defense on the last drive of that game---which I knew we would never see again from Fisher---and seeing how the previous week they dominated the Seahawks in all aspects of the game---and even how they used some trickeration on the fake FG, where they snuck Danny Amendola out to WR and no one picked him up (a play that I bet Fisher wanted to save for the Cardinals---as a nifty way to spoil the aggressiveness of the Cardinals' FG blocking team)...
And seeing in these games how Fisher has already put his stamp on his defense---a defense that is perhaps the most under-rtated in the NFL, because I can't see any weak links in it---they stuff the run---they play stick arse coverage from horn to horn with some gifted cover CBs in Finnegan and Jenkins and some safeties who can run and deliver big hits---
Plus---the Cardinals had trouble with the one-headed monster of Cam Wake the week before---now they had to face the two-headed monster of Robert Quinn and Chris Long---with two gifted DTs in Langford and Brockers---
Rams 17 Cardinals 3
* What I was hoping for was to see formations on offense where the Cardinals would line up a TE to each side of Quinn and Long and from the start chip and double the DEs to make the statement that this was not going to be a big game for them---instead: nothing. Nada. No chips or doubles until the 4th or 5th sack---AGAIN.
* The running game and the monotonous predictability of the calls---4 yard losses galore---AGAIN. 2nd and 14s are pretty tough to climb out of.
* Key drops---especially from Michael Floyd inside the Rams' 50 at a time when the momentum of the game could have shifted. Similar almost exactly to what happened in the Raiders' pre-season game to Skelton which ended his night pre-maturely.
* When the coaches finally started to assign TEs and RBs to chip the DEs---did you see those efforts? About as pitiful as there is at any level---as all there was was a weak elbow thrown in passing by as they ran out for their routes.
* Kevin Kolb got the Michael Vick treatment the Cardinal laid on him---a total pounding---yet Kolb right to the end was trying to make plays. Give the guy a ton of credit---yes, he could have made things better earlier by connecting on some of the open passes he had, like not under-throwing Roberts or Housler on what could have been TDs, or missing Fitz in single coverage.
* The problem is---because he is getting harried so quickly at times, Kolb now is locked in to his first option and is reluctant to go through his progressions. This is not going to work in the NFL.
* If on the first pass play versus the Bills we don't see a TE or WR plant his shoulder into Mario Williams mid-section on a chip---we will know the Cardinals' coaches are refusing to make the necessary adjustments to their scheme.
* The defense in this game was more than respectable---it took an amazing catch by Amendola to pave the way for the first TD---and it took Greg Toler peeking into the Rams' backfield on a gamble for the Rams to score their second TD. As for what Toler did---because the Cardinals had a blitz called on the play, Toler thought the ball would come out much quicker than it did and he gambled that he could sit on the intermediate throw---instead Bradford had just enough time to throw the ball over the top.
* The run defense wore down in the 2nd half which was disappointing---but clearly the Cardinals' defense looked tired, both physically and mentally---and yet they only surrendered 17 points...which is a total on the road you figure you could win with. Plus---not taking advantage of having Amendola out, who clearly is their best playmaker on offense.
* The real difference in the game was on STs where the both teams played for field position and did well---but the Rams did better.
* The most impressive aspect of the game? How well conditioned that Ram defense is---wow. I never thought Robert Quinn would ever get himself into that kind of tip-top shape. Chris Long for sure, but Quinn? The Cardinals threw over 50 times and went into the hurry-up on several occasions and the Rams' pass rush did NOT take a single snap off. This is why Jeff Fisher is so good---he gets his teams into tip-top shape and they are relentless.
* Catfish and I talked about this a lot---the throwing repeatedly underneath the sticks or the goal-line on 3rd and 4th downs---it's the same reason why the Atlanta Hawks keep throwing passes to Josh Smith behind the three point line with the game on the line---because he's open. nd he's open on purpose. The QB is so happy just to see a man open for a second that he throws it---but just as Josh Smith is apt to throw up yet another 3 point brick and thus turn the ball over by playing perfectly into the other team's hand---as soon as the underneath WR makes the catch he is going to be nailed by the DBs.
* Iv'e never seen Fitz run so many 2 yard shallow crosses---and he wasn't even running them---he was barely drifting on them---which is fine if it's a decoy---but it was so bad that rookie Janoris Jenkins was able to jump the route with perfect ease and nearly had a pick six.
The Cardinals have a very interesting challenge at offensive tackle---Batiste and Massie are both inexperienced and need help versus top-flight DEs---yet the Cardinals can't simulate in practice what they are seeing in the games, one because they have no top-flight edge rusher for the tackles to practice against, and what you don't get either in practice is the adrenaline factor which makes the top-flight DEs even quicker and more explosive in the games.
BUT---the one thing the coaches can do is cater the offense to provide pass pro help---thus, this is now a must---the coaches can't hide anymore on this issue. Expect a good deal of 2 TE sets---and when the Cardinals go 4 WR across, slots Floyd and Doucet to chip and go.
On defense the task is to get the DBs to turn to the ball faster as PP21 did on his interception and as Toler tried to do when he got beat on his gamble. The balls are going to continue to come out faster as teams try to cope with the Cardinals' pressure---when they get the mentality of becoming the receiver when the ball is in the air, this defense could be lights out.
Players on the rise:
TE Rob Housler---looked a little like Aaron Hernandez out there this week---using his athleticism to garner RAC yards.
RB William Powell---he's truly nifty and blocks pretty darned well for a player his size.
RT Bobbie Massie---he improved a great deal during the game versus Chris Long. Means a lot about his makeup and talent.
DE Vonnie Holliday---best effort of the backup DEs. Why David Carter has been quiet and/or missing is real head scratcher. Anyone have a sense as to why?
OLBs O'Brien Schofield and Sam Acho---both had very good games.
CB Greg Toler---good to see him back and he looks like he's rounding into form, save the gamble he took on Givens---although I still think the answer at RC is Jamell Fleming.
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