Cardinals notebook: Blame the offense

[THESMEL]

I want to balance it up and not be near last in the NFL in rushing attempts as a team for the 6th straight year. Yes The Bean had more attempts as a player but needs health and closer to 345 than 245 as a featured back. RWILL will be cocked with the safety off come OTA's.

I think we improved at QB- but how could we not? But QB and oline do not have a chance to succeed without establishing the run, i'm sure we were 3 and out 50% and too many times get a passing first down and then sputter. I mean we have a whole lot of quit in our offense. a lot of very short drives and TOP.

I have no faith in Mike Bidwill and Graves evaluating Whiz and staff. Why? He gets what he wants through the new contract. our staff sucks, I mean Hortons a bright spot- but I aint ready to crown him yet. He has some pretty good talent to start with. As the young OLB's started we got better on defense.

We improved from last in everything last year, but not by a hell of a lot. We might earn middle of the NFL statistically next year it something offense or defense?

Top ten passing? rushing? yards from scrimmage? What do we improve or become great at on offense? Maybe Graves and Bidwill sees something I don't?


link
http://www.foxsportsarizona.com/01/...g_azcardinals.html?blockID=640166&feedID=3616

It doesn't take hours of tape analysis to figure out why the Cardinals didn't make the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The offense still has serious problems, specifically average to poor quarterback play.

Sure, the Cardinals have other offensive problems. They need better play from their tackles and another receiver to complement Larry Fitzgerald. A lack of depth at running back also contributed.

But inefficient quarterback play was the biggest reason the team went 8-8.

Kevin Kolb and John Skelton were upgrades over Derek Anderson, who struggled the previous season. But the trade for Kolb has yet to pay dividends.

Kolb missed seven games due to injury -- four because of a foot problem and the last three games due to a concussion. That obviously hindered his development in an offense that is drastically different than that of the Eagles.

 

[Catfish]

Hey Smel-----this is as good a time as any to talk about this. I too am hoping for more balance in the run/pass ratio this next season. I would like to see what we can do with Beanie, R.Will, and LSH all running healthy for the first 8 games or so. That, coupled with the QB's having time to heal, get into the playbook, and time to get lots of reps in OTA's and the Camps, should help them to get their timing and reads down so that we can hope for an improved passing game to go with the running game. That should lead to longer sustained drives, allowing the Defense time to recover before having to go back out onto the field.

I don't see us doing a lot by way of changing the coaching staff or the FO this year. While both Horton and Kiem are set to interview respectively for the Rams HC and GM jobs, I would think that both will be staying here. It's hard to imagine Horton winning out over Jeff Fisher, (considering Fisher is a proven commodity), and Horton is not. I also read an article that makes me believe that Michael Bidwill intends to keep Kiem in the Cardinals FO, and will be willing to compensate him well to stay here. We MIGHT add Todd Haley however, because we could do so on KC's dime. Whiz will be talking with Haley soon, and it is a good bet that he will return here, (and he still has a year left on his Chief's contract, so the price would be right. I don't think they would have to demote Miller, because they could use this year to get Haley's input into the offense, and not have to concern themselves with replacing anyone till next year, when both Horton and Haley could be courted by several teams. Kiem proved himself to be invaluable to this FO during the 4 day period where we signed 51 players this past off season. His judgement proved to be very good on the personnel we selected to bring in at that time, and most of them will be retained this next year. Kiem had many more hits than misses, and pretty much removed Graves from the role of personnel evaluations, (relegating him to strictly work with contracts).

I do share some of Whiz's optimism about our QB situation. It is clear that he felt that Kolb was on the verge of breaking out when he was concussed in the first series of the Niners game. If Kolb indeed gets it now, and has a full off-season to prepare to be our starter, he could be the guy that Whiz thought we were getting. If so, then I feel really good about our QB situation. If Skelton makes the same kind of improvement this year to next year, as he did last year to this year, then he will be a solid backup to Kolb, and may even push him in competition during the off-season. Bartel is a solid emergency QB.

I don't know how the O-line will play out. I would assume that we stand to pick up some new names there, and we may opt out of a name or two also. Hopefully our O-line will at least be as good to start next season as we were when this past one ended. If that is the case, then we should get much better during the next season.

All in all, this should be a real fun off-season, and I am looking forward to it. I would think we will try to keep the bulk of the Defense around, and add a LB or two and maybe a safety. I also think we will try to get a fast WR to take some of the pressure off Fitzgerald. I am looking forward to seeing whether or not I am in step with the coaching staff.