Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
Overall:
Offense: Keith Rowen should learn a lot from this tape. Here are the logical scheme adjustments he can make: (1) Play-action passing is only effective under two conditions..(a) if your team is an established running team; (b) in short yardage situations. Right now, opposing defenses can rush Warner first and defend the run along the way...which is exactly what the Chiefs did. The Chiefs didn't bite at all on the play-action fakes, and thus Warner had no time to look downfield and set his feet. The answer is...scrap play-action, except in short-yardage situations. With an immobile QB like Warner, as a coordinator, Rowen should want to make sure he provides Warner with as much time to throw the football as possible. Straight drop backs will help...as will shotgun snaps whenever possible (when Warner went into the two-minute drill, Leckey's snaps were quick and effective). (2) The guards need to work on their pulling quickness and techniques...not only were the guards slow off the ball, they ran rounded routes, making them even slower to their blocks. In several cases the running back couldn't wait for the guard to clear because the guard was too slow. Good pulling depends on the rest of the linemen getting a good surge off the ball, so that the puller can take a straight line (fastest path) to his block. (3) The passing schemes in this game were spoiled by poor pass protection and flat route running. It is clear that the offensive line is not sure of its blitz assignments...this has to be straightened out, asap. The Cardinals did a good job of exploiting the middle of the field a week ago...but lacked the time to do it in this game, largely due to blitz coverage screwups and ineffective play-action calls. And with Q, Fitz, BJ and Bergen all capable of making plays in the seams and up the deep thirds, the Cardinals need to stress and prioritize this aspect of their attack.
Keith Rowen should go back a review the tapes of Warner's heyday in St. Louis. He was throwing primarily out of a shotgun, plenty of times on first and second downs...and he was taking numerous shots down the middle of the field.
Offensine Personnel:
QB/WR: Warner did a pretty good job keeping his head under pressure. He threw a number of perfect passes...the three (including the beautiful TD throw) passes to Q, for example. His passes to Fitz were on the numbers, but Fitz was uncharacteristically unfocused and it looked like his routes were too shallow. Warner hit BJ in stride up the left seam on a quick post, etc. Warner's feet were pretty solid throughout the half...but, IMO, he was too slow to get the ball to JJ on the fumbled handoff. The rest of Warner's ballhandling skills were excellent. He runs a textbook quick sweep, e.g.
McCown shrugged off a shaky start where he was rushing all his throws, to turn in a solid 2 TD performance. Nice rebound from last week. Charles Lee has locked down the #4 WR spot with this performance...and it looks like Reggie Newhouse now has the inside track on the #5.
Navarre missed Dan Sheldon for a TD at the goalline...and his throws were a tad too quick, even though Fabian Davis and others should have caught the balls thrown their way. Navarre has good vision and a solid arm...he just needs to slow himself down.
OL/TE: Tough night for the first team line. I would give Nick Leckey the highest grade. He got the most consistent surge off the ball and on several occasions, turned his man to the inside, opening up a middle lane. Leonard Davis is still a classic underachiever. He's a major disappointment, IMO. He has all the physical tools, but plays half-heartedly. The thing is...even at half-hearted intensity, Davis grades out decently...but nowhere near what one would expect from a player of his stature. Reggie Wells is not an NFL guard...he's just not physical enough to move anyone. He's smart and nimble...but that's not enough. His pass blocking is pretty solid. I'll give him that. But, his run blocking is flat-out ineffective. Wells belongs at OT...where he matches up reasonably well with DEs. Elton Brown's debut was about what one would expect...he made a number of mental mistakes, but used his physical talents reasonably well when his role was simplified. RT Ian Allen failed to turn in two good weeks of work in a row. He struggled most of the evening...and now will be pushed for the backup role by Fred Wakefield, who played a smart, tough second half. Newly acquired C Bill Conaty held up well in his first taste of action. LG Adam Haayer and LT Alan Reuber formed a pretty respectable left side of the 2nd o-line. What's interesting is that dethroned RG Jeremy Bridges, did not dominate against the 2nd teamers. He was average...as were the others.
As for the TEs...they made no impact on the game...and...if Rowen decides to play to this offense's strengths...the TE will only be used in short yardage...as Rowen spreads the field with 3 or 4 WRs...and lines Warner up in the shotgun with split backs...
RB: I really like JJ Arrington and feel that he can be our version of Brian Westbrook, especially because of the threat he is as a pass receiver out of the backfield. Yes, Arrington must solve his early fumbling issues...but he's got that special burst and a sense for daylight that the great ones have. And I thought he played tough during some heated stretches. Speaking of tough, how about Marcel Shipp? Man, it was great to see him running just like his old self again. The Tugboat is back!
Redmond appears to have locked down the #3...and in light of Damien Anderson's strong special team's play and the release of Scobey and Hambrick, Anderson may indeed be a keeper at #4.
At FB, Ayanbadejo's versatility makes him a lock. James Hodgins still isn't blocking the way he did when he was paving the way for Marshall Faulk in St. Louis. Harold Morrow is a lock, IMO, because of his special team's prowess.
Quick Notes on the Defense:
1. Good stops against Priest Holmes...but obviously not against Larry Johnson. The Giants have a brusing rookie RB in Brandon Jacobs, who they will have to contend with in Game One. The middle of the Cardinal line remains vulnerable. Russell Davis doesn't shed well and gets stood up too easily and Darnell Dockett is hit or miss...all depending on whether he shoots the right gap.
2. In the pass rush, the middle of the Cardinal line has to play much more aggresively to the ball, as the speed rushers funnel the QBs into the middle. I could definatley see Pendergast use Calvin Pace as a rush DT in place of Davis because of Pace's quickness and ability to locate the ball.
3. James Darling is a playmaker wherever he lines up. As long as the interior can occupy the front three, Darling will have clear shots to the ball. Huff and Dansby are playing well on the outside. Lance Mitchell will likely be switched to the outside with the arrival of Lester Towns. Blackstock will need a few more weeks to get his feet wet. The wild card here might be Ernest Shazor, if they switch him to OLB...which he appeared to be playing when he intercepted the ball in the flat.
4. Adrian Wilson was relatively quiet this week...while Ohalete stepped up and made several good hits. I thought Aaron Francisco played well and was surprised he was cut. Adrian Mayes may have secured a roster spot with his tremendous hit on punt coverage. Quentin Harris seemed a step slow this week. I hope the team re-signs Francisco the the practice squad.
5. At CB, who would have figured the Chiefs would have stayed away from the rookie Rolle and attacked Macklin left and right. I thought all the calls against Macklin were dubious...Sammie Parker should have won an Oscar the way he acted interfered with when the ball was in the air. Macklin was squeezing Parker to the sideline in textbook fashion, and Parker initiated the contact because that's all he could do. The one play that Macklin botched was on the TD where he jumped the slant route and didn't recover on the post-fade.
6. CB Eric Green is a significant addition to this secondary. Gotta like his quick feet and nose for the ball. And, other young Cardinal DBs played very well in this game...starting with Jermaine Hardy, who was all over the place making plays (and a nice interception)...to Rhett Nelson who broke up several passes and was in position to break up the fade TD, but never turned to find the ball...to Lamont Reid who played very well at LCB late in the game.
7. Backup DTs Keith Wright and Tim Bulman turned in strong performances. Wright was quick off the ball (when he wasn't losing stamina) and Bulman cleaned up a handful of plays. Bulman finishes off tackles very well.
It was good to get another win in a game the Cardianls can learn a lot from. The first half could have easily been 10-10, with Rackers' made FG and Boldin's TD. One thing is for sure, the Cardinals' depth is getting stronger.
Offense: Keith Rowen should learn a lot from this tape. Here are the logical scheme adjustments he can make: (1) Play-action passing is only effective under two conditions..(a) if your team is an established running team; (b) in short yardage situations. Right now, opposing defenses can rush Warner first and defend the run along the way...which is exactly what the Chiefs did. The Chiefs didn't bite at all on the play-action fakes, and thus Warner had no time to look downfield and set his feet. The answer is...scrap play-action, except in short-yardage situations. With an immobile QB like Warner, as a coordinator, Rowen should want to make sure he provides Warner with as much time to throw the football as possible. Straight drop backs will help...as will shotgun snaps whenever possible (when Warner went into the two-minute drill, Leckey's snaps were quick and effective). (2) The guards need to work on their pulling quickness and techniques...not only were the guards slow off the ball, they ran rounded routes, making them even slower to their blocks. In several cases the running back couldn't wait for the guard to clear because the guard was too slow. Good pulling depends on the rest of the linemen getting a good surge off the ball, so that the puller can take a straight line (fastest path) to his block. (3) The passing schemes in this game were spoiled by poor pass protection and flat route running. It is clear that the offensive line is not sure of its blitz assignments...this has to be straightened out, asap. The Cardinals did a good job of exploiting the middle of the field a week ago...but lacked the time to do it in this game, largely due to blitz coverage screwups and ineffective play-action calls. And with Q, Fitz, BJ and Bergen all capable of making plays in the seams and up the deep thirds, the Cardinals need to stress and prioritize this aspect of their attack.
Keith Rowen should go back a review the tapes of Warner's heyday in St. Louis. He was throwing primarily out of a shotgun, plenty of times on first and second downs...and he was taking numerous shots down the middle of the field.
Offensine Personnel:
QB/WR: Warner did a pretty good job keeping his head under pressure. He threw a number of perfect passes...the three (including the beautiful TD throw) passes to Q, for example. His passes to Fitz were on the numbers, but Fitz was uncharacteristically unfocused and it looked like his routes were too shallow. Warner hit BJ in stride up the left seam on a quick post, etc. Warner's feet were pretty solid throughout the half...but, IMO, he was too slow to get the ball to JJ on the fumbled handoff. The rest of Warner's ballhandling skills were excellent. He runs a textbook quick sweep, e.g.
McCown shrugged off a shaky start where he was rushing all his throws, to turn in a solid 2 TD performance. Nice rebound from last week. Charles Lee has locked down the #4 WR spot with this performance...and it looks like Reggie Newhouse now has the inside track on the #5.
Navarre missed Dan Sheldon for a TD at the goalline...and his throws were a tad too quick, even though Fabian Davis and others should have caught the balls thrown their way. Navarre has good vision and a solid arm...he just needs to slow himself down.
OL/TE: Tough night for the first team line. I would give Nick Leckey the highest grade. He got the most consistent surge off the ball and on several occasions, turned his man to the inside, opening up a middle lane. Leonard Davis is still a classic underachiever. He's a major disappointment, IMO. He has all the physical tools, but plays half-heartedly. The thing is...even at half-hearted intensity, Davis grades out decently...but nowhere near what one would expect from a player of his stature. Reggie Wells is not an NFL guard...he's just not physical enough to move anyone. He's smart and nimble...but that's not enough. His pass blocking is pretty solid. I'll give him that. But, his run blocking is flat-out ineffective. Wells belongs at OT...where he matches up reasonably well with DEs. Elton Brown's debut was about what one would expect...he made a number of mental mistakes, but used his physical talents reasonably well when his role was simplified. RT Ian Allen failed to turn in two good weeks of work in a row. He struggled most of the evening...and now will be pushed for the backup role by Fred Wakefield, who played a smart, tough second half. Newly acquired C Bill Conaty held up well in his first taste of action. LG Adam Haayer and LT Alan Reuber formed a pretty respectable left side of the 2nd o-line. What's interesting is that dethroned RG Jeremy Bridges, did not dominate against the 2nd teamers. He was average...as were the others.
As for the TEs...they made no impact on the game...and...if Rowen decides to play to this offense's strengths...the TE will only be used in short yardage...as Rowen spreads the field with 3 or 4 WRs...and lines Warner up in the shotgun with split backs...
RB: I really like JJ Arrington and feel that he can be our version of Brian Westbrook, especially because of the threat he is as a pass receiver out of the backfield. Yes, Arrington must solve his early fumbling issues...but he's got that special burst and a sense for daylight that the great ones have. And I thought he played tough during some heated stretches. Speaking of tough, how about Marcel Shipp? Man, it was great to see him running just like his old self again. The Tugboat is back!
Redmond appears to have locked down the #3...and in light of Damien Anderson's strong special team's play and the release of Scobey and Hambrick, Anderson may indeed be a keeper at #4.
At FB, Ayanbadejo's versatility makes him a lock. James Hodgins still isn't blocking the way he did when he was paving the way for Marshall Faulk in St. Louis. Harold Morrow is a lock, IMO, because of his special team's prowess.
Quick Notes on the Defense:
1. Good stops against Priest Holmes...but obviously not against Larry Johnson. The Giants have a brusing rookie RB in Brandon Jacobs, who they will have to contend with in Game One. The middle of the Cardinal line remains vulnerable. Russell Davis doesn't shed well and gets stood up too easily and Darnell Dockett is hit or miss...all depending on whether he shoots the right gap.
2. In the pass rush, the middle of the Cardinal line has to play much more aggresively to the ball, as the speed rushers funnel the QBs into the middle. I could definatley see Pendergast use Calvin Pace as a rush DT in place of Davis because of Pace's quickness and ability to locate the ball.
3. James Darling is a playmaker wherever he lines up. As long as the interior can occupy the front three, Darling will have clear shots to the ball. Huff and Dansby are playing well on the outside. Lance Mitchell will likely be switched to the outside with the arrival of Lester Towns. Blackstock will need a few more weeks to get his feet wet. The wild card here might be Ernest Shazor, if they switch him to OLB...which he appeared to be playing when he intercepted the ball in the flat.
4. Adrian Wilson was relatively quiet this week...while Ohalete stepped up and made several good hits. I thought Aaron Francisco played well and was surprised he was cut. Adrian Mayes may have secured a roster spot with his tremendous hit on punt coverage. Quentin Harris seemed a step slow this week. I hope the team re-signs Francisco the the practice squad.
5. At CB, who would have figured the Chiefs would have stayed away from the rookie Rolle and attacked Macklin left and right. I thought all the calls against Macklin were dubious...Sammie Parker should have won an Oscar the way he acted interfered with when the ball was in the air. Macklin was squeezing Parker to the sideline in textbook fashion, and Parker initiated the contact because that's all he could do. The one play that Macklin botched was on the TD where he jumped the slant route and didn't recover on the post-fade.
6. CB Eric Green is a significant addition to this secondary. Gotta like his quick feet and nose for the ball. And, other young Cardinal DBs played very well in this game...starting with Jermaine Hardy, who was all over the place making plays (and a nice interception)...to Rhett Nelson who broke up several passes and was in position to break up the fade TD, but never turned to find the ball...to Lamont Reid who played very well at LCB late in the game.
7. Backup DTs Keith Wright and Tim Bulman turned in strong performances. Wright was quick off the ball (when he wasn't losing stamina) and Bulman cleaned up a handful of plays. Bulman finishes off tackles very well.
It was good to get another win in a game the Cardianls can learn a lot from. The first half could have easily been 10-10, with Rackers' made FG and Boldin's TD. One thing is for sure, the Cardinals' depth is getting stronger.
Good job; as usual!!! 
