Cardinals Wide Receivers: Little Slow on the take ?

[RugbyMuffin]

http://blog.azcardinals.com/2013/05/21/frustration-with-the-offense/

New year, new coach, but this complaint goes all the way back to last year with Whiz.

I specifically remember Whiz talking about the wide receivers making mental errors after the Jets game.

To Quote Bruce Arians - May 2013:

“I don’t like mistakes and I really don’t like mental mistakes. Especially if you made the same one last week. Correct it and have it in the books right now. The receivers are not getting that done.”

From Blog in - Dec 2012: http://blog.azcardinals.com/2012/12/02/jets-aftermath/

Whiz noted there were some poor routes/adjustments by receivers – one time, it seemed Michael Floyd just slowed up on a deep pattern, and the ball ended up well over his head – but Lindley knew he struggled. To have 10 three-and-outs as an offense (one ended on an interception), plus a four-and-out when the Cards couldn’t pick up a first on fourth down, was just devastating. When you lose a game by a single point, it’s that much more magnified.


Maybe this receiver group is not as good as advertised ?

 

[Russ Smith]

THey're talented but last year we had a very real problem with a couple of guys with respect to where they were supposed to be. Floyd was the obvious one and it got to where it was a real issue on the team because it was so common he was lined up incorrectly or running the wrong route.

I think we even saw the issue with Fitz last year there were times where he was simply so frustrated with the bad QB play that he let it impact his play too.

With a new offense, a new QB and a year under their belts I expect to see much better passing offense this year.

 

[jmt]

You try to catch a pass from Skelton or Lindley.
Seriously though, with Palmer they have to better this year

 

[Chopper0080]

The one thing I like to hear is how both our head coach and QB are focused on the pursuit of perfection in practice. In the past it seemed like we would hear of these issues and the statement would be that it is a natural thing and it would naturally get better. Now it seems like the very idea of it is unacceptable.

Hopefully this is a May issue and won't turn out to be a Sept issue.

 

[Goldfield]

I have been a wait and see guy on the new coaching staff but everything sofar I have liked. Arians come off as a player's coach, but then I see him barking and teaching to everyone Palmer and Fitz included. That is a big deal. It is clear Arians runs the show and hold everyone accountable.

Color me impressed sofar.

 

[crisper57]

When I heard his comments, I immediately thought of Floyd.

 

[Russ Smith]

When I heard his comments, I immediately thought of Floyd.

the other one at times last year was obviously Housler. Both missing blocks and just going the wrong way sometimes on routes(or blocking assignments). You could see the staff on Housler at times for this last year but obviously the rookie Floyd was the obvious one.

Those first few games it seemed half the plays he was in, Kolb had to move him because he lined up wrong.

 

[cardpa]

Well from the way I read the article at least our QB is getting it.Sounds like Palmer and Arians are on the same page.

 

[MoeIsBetter]

I think it goes all the way to the top. If you watch the OTA video from yesterday, even Fitz is getting his fair share of being talked to. The ball Floyd let go through his hands for an INT was terrible. Shoulda caught it.

 

[Catfish]

I think it goes all the way to the top. If you watch the OTA video from yesterday, even Fitz is getting his fair share of being talked to. The ball Floyd let go through his hands for an INT was terrible. Shoulda caught it.

I saw that too. At first I thought that he was just calling Larry out so that he could set the example that no one is exempt during any practice. Then, he took Larry aside and chastised him for a slow, (or improper), cut and said that he needed to get it right so he could get that guy off his butt, (meaning the defender). This may not be exactly right, but this is the general context of things as they were I believe.

I had not been paying much attention to what was happening, (and I now suspect that Larry hadn't been either). It got me thinking though, that Warner used to call guys out, (even in the games), Larry included, for poor route running. This has not happened since Warner retired, to my knowledge, at least with any degree of frequency. I was happy to see BA taking Larry to task on this, and I noted that BA seemed especially perturbed because apparently they had discussed this same matter previously. Clearly BA was not enamored with Larry's progress, (or lack of it).

This incident gave me pause to consider that maybe our entire receiver corps had gotten lax since Warner retired, and really needs work, then suddenly made me realize that BA was certainly not letting this go, (not even for Larry), and I suddenly got a good feeling that all this stuff will be addressed and hopefully fixed before TC begins. A HC can't expect rookies and new acquisitions to perform properly if he lets the vets play lazy in practice.

I am glad to see him calling the veterans out in practice. This is part of the culture change that I envisioned when Keim and BA laid out their plan in their first couple of presser's. Maybe he was able to convince Michael of the need for a lot of teachers on his staff, from what he had seen on tape of our offense from last year. In any event, it appears that his thoughts on the need for a large staff were well founded, and that he will not tolerate lax practice habits to allow their ways into HIS practices, because as the old adage says, 'you play like you practice'. Apparently BA isn't having any of this going on in HIS practices. Good for him, and good for us.

 

[Buckybird]

I'm not shocked, being a new staff with probably some new techniques & new plays being run. But I am concerned with Floyd's ability to run routes & not being as fast as his 40 time. IMO Roberts should start until #15 proves he's the better player on the field.

 

[Russ Smith]

I'm not shocked, being a new staff with probably some new techniques & new plays being run. But I am concerned with Floyd's ability to run routes & not being as fast as his 40 time. IMO Roberts should start until #15 proves he's the better player on the field.

I'm actually expecting a much better year from Floyd. Not just because he's not a rookie but I think the coaching change will do wonders for him. Sometimes I get the impression players think a coach is just picking on them because they're "mean" or they don't like me. So when Floyd is at OTA's and Arians is yelling at him for the exact same stuff Whiz was last year, I think it's going to open his eyes. Maybe it wasn't "hate" maybe it was coaching and maybe I ought to listen this time and learn the plays and the routes and sight adjustments.

I think Floyd is going to catch many more balls for more yardage and more TD's this year. I still don't like the pick because but getting Cooper eases a lot of that because we did this year what I felt we should have done last year.

 

[Gee!]

I think its all the WR's.. There is a show on local TV called Cardinals: Flight Plan.. It came on this past Sunday and it showed Arians yelling at all the WR's individually, even Fitz, during the first weeks OTA's..

 

[Duckjake]

I think its all the WR's.. There is a show on local TV called Cardinals: Flight Plan.. It came on this past Sunday and it showed Arians yelling at all the WR's individually, even Fitz, during the first weeks OTA's..

I agree. I wrote that our WRs were a problem during last season. They're slow off the los and simply don't get much separation. With Fitz it's ok that he doesn't get separation because as Warner said "open" for Larry isn't "open" for most people. But when you have the exact same thing with all the rest of your WRs it's a real problem. You can see the problems clearly watching the all 22 now available on nfl game rewind.

Housler simply cannot block and it was insanity to run plays where he was expected to make the key block but they were run anyway.

Of course it didn't help that on the few occasions one of our WRs was actually open our QBs would throw the ball 20 yards over their heads or to a sideline reporter.

 

[desertdawg]

If folks aren't where they are supposed to be, especially when it's everybody, than in my opinion it reflects really poorly on last year's coaching staff. I don't think they did anything right on offense last year, I can't blame the receivers either.

If you go from Skelton to Kolb to Skelton to Lindley to Hoyer all in the same season...how the hell would anybody know where to be. Some QBs drop back slower, some QBs throw it 5 yards over your head every time and you try to adjust, some throw at your toes or lob it to where you have to break on the ball immediatly.

I credit this new coaching staff for the things they are paying attention to, it might not be hard to score a TD in every game this year, much less go through the drouts we witnessed last year.

 

[Duckjake]

If folks aren't where they are supposed to be, especially when it's everybody, than in my opinion it reflects really poorly on last year's coaching staff. I don't think they did anything right on offense last year, I can't blame the receivers either.

If you go from Skelton to Kolb to Skelton to Lindley to Hoyer all in the same season...how the hell would anybody know where to be. Some QBs drop back slower, some QBs throw it 5 yards over your head every time and you try to adjust, some throw at your toes or lob it to where you have to break on the ball immediatly.

I credit this new coaching staff for the things they are paying attention to, it might not be hard to score a TD in every game this year, much less go through the drouts we witnessed last year.

Excellent point. Many people overlook that Warner had been working with Fitz and Boldin for 3 years at the start of the 2008 season. That's extremely important.

Crazy stat of the week: in 1997 Plummer, Graham and Case combined to complete only 52% of their passes yet Rob Moore had 1,584 yards receiving and 8 TD catches and was first team All-Pro. You gotta love Cardinal football.

 

[WildBB]

It's so early in the learning process. Another new QB. It'll take a while for things to become more natural. Even Fitz has been talked to. It's normal, Arians wants to set a tone to be proficient, so he has to sweat the details right off the bat and get on his players. He knows it'll come around but he has to demand excellence right away.

 

[Duckjake]

It's so early in the learning process. Another new QB. It'll take a while for things to become more natural. Even Fitz has been talked to. It's normal, Arians wants to set a tone to be proficient, so he has to sweat the details right off the bat and get on his players. He knows it'll come around but he has to demand excellence right away.

I agree but sometimes new coaches uncover problems that we as fans have overlooked. I remember how the few fans we had in 2001,2002,2003 thought Small Play Ray Thompson and Wrong Gap Ron McKinnon were excellent LBs. Yet one of the first things Denny Green commented on after being hired as HC was how weak the Cards were at LB.

 

[desertdawg]

Excellent point. Many people overlook that Warner had been working with Fitz and Boldin for 3 years at the start of the 2008 season. That's extremely important.

Crazy stat of the week: in 1997 Plummer, Graham and Case combined to complete only 52% of their passes yet Rob Moore had 1,584 yards receiving and 8 TD catches and was first team All-Pro. You gotta love Cardinal football.

Absolutely, there's two different ways to run a route in desertdawg land. The first being to be at your designated spot by a designated time to be a viable option for the QB to pass to, a specific throw they can practice over and over and get very good at.

The second way to run a route is to sorta follow what the chalkboard says, but more just trying to get seperation. That's what the Cards looked to be doing a lot last year. Trying to get open before which ever QB scrambled or got sacked....anarchy!!!! I can understand with the musical chairs we had at QB, and the timing wasn't there to run the crazy routes being called, folks got to freestyle if you will, out of desperation.

I think Arians wants it the first way, I don't think Whiz cared.

 

[Cardiac]

Whiz ran an option route offense most of the time. It's why it took QB's and WR's quite some time to become good at it. Both the QB and WR had to see the D unfold and react to what they were doing.

So as Dawg stated the QB carousel certainly didn't help the situation. I still believe if Kolb stays healthy the Cards win at least 9 games last year.

Back on topic; WildBB says it for me.

 

[D-Dogg]

I freaking love BA. Accountability is no longer just being paid lip service.

 

[Mulli]

Time for more rhymes:

Bruce Arians:


You will run proper routes
You will run proper routes
Anyone who doesn't will be
On the sideline when he pouts
I won't be friends with whiz anymore
After a few more weeks
Of fixing the reasons
Whiz was shown the door.

 

[BigRedRage]

Time for more rhymes:

Bruce Arians:


You will run proper routes
You will run proper routes
Anyone who doesn't will be
On the sideline when he pouts
I won't be friends with whiz anymore
After a few more weeks
Of fixing the reasons
Whiz was shown the door.

I tried it in a little john voice but it didnt work. somethings broken in the last 4 sentences

 

[RugbyMuffin]

I tried it in a little john voice but it didnt work. somethings broken in the last 4 sentences

Don't worry, we will put a house beat to it, add a catchy noise in there, and have a piece of ********* sing it while half naked....... it will sell millions.

 

[SissyBoyFloyd]

If Floyd does turn out to be worth his draft position, we may be really hurting in the WR department. Larry may have seen his better days already. If so, and Floyd never becomes anything but a routine WR, we may be needing to find a younger faster #1 sooner than we think. That makes using that high number one on Floyd even more of a disaster. It is amazing the difference in those 2 high first round picks of ours: Fitz vs Floyd. Still impossible for me to imagine Floyd being worth it. I imagine I will be regretting that pick on my death bed.