Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
QB (4): Leinart, Anderson, Skelton, Hall
The future seems more important than the present at this point, and after Max Hall's nifty, albeit inconsistent, performance on national tv no less, there is a risk that he might get claimed off waivers.
Hall has the feet and vision that the others lack. Simple as that. And he can deliver the ball, too.
Leinart looks numb. Anderson looks panicky. Neither set up well at all. In fact, Anderson's setup is just plain awful. He's just winging it...playing hot potato...no poise.
Funny that Whiz has basically frozen Leinart thus far: did not let the offense go for it on 4th and short on 2 of ML's 3 series...yet Whiz sticks with Anderson for almost two whole quarters...and goes for it on 4th and short with Anderson in the game.
Whiz looked excited when Anderson first went in and the ball was moving.
But then, despite a couple of good passes, Anderson played like an awestruck rookie in the red zone and then basically lapsed into goofiness.
It looks like his signing was just as we all feared: a poor football decision made by a team that had multiple opportunities to make a move for a viable contender at QB.
It looks like it will be Leinart or bust and to this point we have no idea what ML will do. The scrutiny on him is relentless...and will persist if he remains a three and out machine.
RB (4): Hightower, Wells, Stephens-Howling, Wright
The Titans did the Cardinals the best favor possible by blitzing like madmen almost every play...because, guess what? This is what every team is going to do to the Cardinals...for 2 reasons:
1) It stifles and disprupts the running game...as we saw tonight where it was hard to even advance the ball back to the l.o.s.
2) It forces erratic QBs like ML and DA make super quick decisions.
This is one of the many reasons why Warner was so good...teams were loathe to blitz him because they knew he'd find the hot reads with great skill.
Why Wells is still running behind the 2nd string line well into the second half is a total head scratcher. If he gets hurt...imagine what the outcry would be.
LSH and Wright were the bright spots tonight...albeit short and quick ones. Wright made a good STs tackle as well. And LSH made a great open field tackle on the interception. Made me wonder whether he could play nickel safety.
FB (1): Broughton.
Didn't see Mauia...and even though Broughton played...didn't see much from him either, although he had to pick up first sign of color all night (closest blitzer) and didn't do it well.
TE (3): Patrick, Becht, Spach.
Not a great unit but it's pretty well settled.
WR (5): Fitzgerald, Breaston, Doucet, Williams, Roberts.
Komar is knocking on the door. That kid has been very good...not as flashy good as Williams, who made the longest catch of the night again and is now a lock to make the team.
OL (9): Brown, Faneca, Sendelin, Lutui, Bridges, Keith, Hadnot, Wells, Johnson.
Wells got schooled and tooled...as did Levi Brown and Keith...time to change the right side, IMO, to Lutui and Bridges. Keith may need more time. Wells is just not physical enough...not for this offense.
Too bad there's now too much bad tape on Wells...the team might have gotten something for him in a trade to an o-line desperate team like the Patriots.
NT (2): Watson, Williams (my choices here---the Cardinals will go with B-Rob, no doubt...and get no push up the middle).
B-Rob does so little out there...it's a joke that the team's first round pick, Dan Williams does not get into the game until late in the second half.
Bill Davis cannot and will not coach up rookies and assimilate them into the defense...This defense should rock people and they don't finish much of anything...and once again WRs and TEs were wide open...gee, I guess Davis didn't want to show anything different...like showing his team could finally cover and tackle this year.
Funny that a total surprise like Stephen Williams is already playing early in games and finding a niche in the offense...and on the flip side, Dan Williams and Daryl Washington don't look any closer to playing more this week than they did last week when they were second halfers.
DE (4): Dockett, Campbell, Iwebema, Branch
Iwebema is excellent! Branch made one good play...took a few off and then should be fined for totally giving up on the TD run to his side where he got pushed wide like a bureau on wheels and stopped trying as the RB ran right past him.
ILB (4): Togafau, Lenon, Washington, Walker
Togafau was one of the only bright spots...he's playing hard and tough. Lenon was poor...Washington was missing in action this week and Walker still hasn't been able to play, but may still be favored by the coaches.
It's totally unrealistic to think that Gerald Hayes can get healed and be in shape to play early in this season.
OLB (5): Haggans, Porter, Davis, Baggs, Brown
Haggans, Porter and Baggs made some good plays from the edge...got abused on a few too. We should be seeing much more from Will Davis and Cody Brown...but besides an occasional assist on a ST tackle, not much at all from either Davis or Brown. The team needs another good edge rusher...but it will be hard to find one off waivers especially when the Cardinals have 25 teams in front of them to make and be awarded claims.
CB (6): Rodgers-Cromartie, Toler, Adams, McBride, Miller (STs), Green (STs)
This unit was slow and behind all night, save DRC who they avoided and Adams who made the best breakup of the night. Green remained excellent on STs.
S (4): Wilson, Rhodes, Ware, Johnson
Ware's missed tackle at the goal-line epitomized the Cardinals' defensive effort in this game. Rhodes was the only player in this unit who looked good...he and Abdullah who may be advancing hard on Ware.
ST (3): Feeley, Graham, Leach
Feeley looked stronger...Graham botched a very good snap which was unusual...but it was that kind of night.
PS (8): RB-Smith; FB-Mauia; WR-Komar; TE-Dray; T-Pestock; LB-Johnson; CB-Jefferson; CB-Calvin;
Jefferson played well this week...he's such a good athlete.
Even though Matt Leinart himself was saying this is the pre-season...the disparity of how the Cardinals played tonight and how the 49ers played last night is sizeable.
It's so frustrating to think that the Cardinals are $15M under last year's salary cap and have left themselves so vulnerable and uncompetitive at some key positions.
It's frustrating too to think that this performance tonight came at the end of a week where pracgtice was canceled in favor of going to the movies. After last week's first half no-show, the moveis should have been out of the question.
The future seems more important than the present at this point, and after Max Hall's nifty, albeit inconsistent, performance on national tv no less, there is a risk that he might get claimed off waivers.
Hall has the feet and vision that the others lack. Simple as that. And he can deliver the ball, too.
Leinart looks numb. Anderson looks panicky. Neither set up well at all. In fact, Anderson's setup is just plain awful. He's just winging it...playing hot potato...no poise.
Funny that Whiz has basically frozen Leinart thus far: did not let the offense go for it on 4th and short on 2 of ML's 3 series...yet Whiz sticks with Anderson for almost two whole quarters...and goes for it on 4th and short with Anderson in the game.
Whiz looked excited when Anderson first went in and the ball was moving.
But then, despite a couple of good passes, Anderson played like an awestruck rookie in the red zone and then basically lapsed into goofiness.
It looks like his signing was just as we all feared: a poor football decision made by a team that had multiple opportunities to make a move for a viable contender at QB.
It looks like it will be Leinart or bust and to this point we have no idea what ML will do. The scrutiny on him is relentless...and will persist if he remains a three and out machine.
RB (4): Hightower, Wells, Stephens-Howling, Wright
The Titans did the Cardinals the best favor possible by blitzing like madmen almost every play...because, guess what? This is what every team is going to do to the Cardinals...for 2 reasons:
1) It stifles and disprupts the running game...as we saw tonight where it was hard to even advance the ball back to the l.o.s.
2) It forces erratic QBs like ML and DA make super quick decisions.
This is one of the many reasons why Warner was so good...teams were loathe to blitz him because they knew he'd find the hot reads with great skill.
Why Wells is still running behind the 2nd string line well into the second half is a total head scratcher. If he gets hurt...imagine what the outcry would be.
LSH and Wright were the bright spots tonight...albeit short and quick ones. Wright made a good STs tackle as well. And LSH made a great open field tackle on the interception. Made me wonder whether he could play nickel safety.
FB (1): Broughton.
Didn't see Mauia...and even though Broughton played...didn't see much from him either, although he had to pick up first sign of color all night (closest blitzer) and didn't do it well.
TE (3): Patrick, Becht, Spach.
Not a great unit but it's pretty well settled.
WR (5): Fitzgerald, Breaston, Doucet, Williams, Roberts.
Komar is knocking on the door. That kid has been very good...not as flashy good as Williams, who made the longest catch of the night again and is now a lock to make the team.
OL (9): Brown, Faneca, Sendelin, Lutui, Bridges, Keith, Hadnot, Wells, Johnson.
Wells got schooled and tooled...as did Levi Brown and Keith...time to change the right side, IMO, to Lutui and Bridges. Keith may need more time. Wells is just not physical enough...not for this offense.
Too bad there's now too much bad tape on Wells...the team might have gotten something for him in a trade to an o-line desperate team like the Patriots.
NT (2): Watson, Williams (my choices here---the Cardinals will go with B-Rob, no doubt...and get no push up the middle).
B-Rob does so little out there...it's a joke that the team's first round pick, Dan Williams does not get into the game until late in the second half.
Bill Davis cannot and will not coach up rookies and assimilate them into the defense...This defense should rock people and they don't finish much of anything...and once again WRs and TEs were wide open...gee, I guess Davis didn't want to show anything different...like showing his team could finally cover and tackle this year.
Funny that a total surprise like Stephen Williams is already playing early in games and finding a niche in the offense...and on the flip side, Dan Williams and Daryl Washington don't look any closer to playing more this week than they did last week when they were second halfers.
DE (4): Dockett, Campbell, Iwebema, Branch
Iwebema is excellent! Branch made one good play...took a few off and then should be fined for totally giving up on the TD run to his side where he got pushed wide like a bureau on wheels and stopped trying as the RB ran right past him.
ILB (4): Togafau, Lenon, Washington, Walker
Togafau was one of the only bright spots...he's playing hard and tough. Lenon was poor...Washington was missing in action this week and Walker still hasn't been able to play, but may still be favored by the coaches.
It's totally unrealistic to think that Gerald Hayes can get healed and be in shape to play early in this season.
OLB (5): Haggans, Porter, Davis, Baggs, Brown
Haggans, Porter and Baggs made some good plays from the edge...got abused on a few too. We should be seeing much more from Will Davis and Cody Brown...but besides an occasional assist on a ST tackle, not much at all from either Davis or Brown. The team needs another good edge rusher...but it will be hard to find one off waivers especially when the Cardinals have 25 teams in front of them to make and be awarded claims.
CB (6): Rodgers-Cromartie, Toler, Adams, McBride, Miller (STs), Green (STs)
This unit was slow and behind all night, save DRC who they avoided and Adams who made the best breakup of the night. Green remained excellent on STs.
S (4): Wilson, Rhodes, Ware, Johnson
Ware's missed tackle at the goal-line epitomized the Cardinals' defensive effort in this game. Rhodes was the only player in this unit who looked good...he and Abdullah who may be advancing hard on Ware.
ST (3): Feeley, Graham, Leach
Feeley looked stronger...Graham botched a very good snap which was unusual...but it was that kind of night.
PS (8): RB-Smith; FB-Mauia; WR-Komar; TE-Dray; T-Pestock; LB-Johnson; CB-Jefferson; CB-Calvin;
Jefferson played well this week...he's such a good athlete.
Even though Matt Leinart himself was saying this is the pre-season...the disparity of how the Cardinals played tonight and how the 49ers played last night is sizeable.
It's so frustrating to think that the Cardinals are $15M under last year's salary cap and have left themselves so vulnerable and uncompetitive at some key positions.
It's frustrating too to think that this performance tonight came at the end of a week where pracgtice was canceled in favor of going to the movies. After last week's first half no-show, the moveis should have been out of the question.
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