Chicago Tribune article worth reading

[FrustratedFan04]

Cards 'need' a hug
Cardinals keep plugging holes—except the one in their won-loss record

Don Pierson - On Pro Football

October 11, 2006

PHOENIX -- All the Cardinals needed was a new stadium. They got that.

All the Cardinals needed was more fans in the stands. They got that.

All the Cardinals needed was a proven coach with a winning record. They got that in Dennis Green.

All the Cardinals needed was another 100-catch receiver to pair with Anquan Boldin. They got that in Larry Fitzgerald.

All the Cardinals needed was a proven winner at quarterback. They got that in Kurt Warner.

All the Cardinals needed was a Heisman Trophy draft choice quarterback. They got that in Matt Leinart.

All the Cardinals needed was a running back. They got that in Edgerrin James.

All the Cardinals needed was a home opener for the first time in Arizona and more home games early in the season. They got that.

So why are the Cardinals 1-4 for the third year in a row under Green, staggering into their first Monday night appearance since 1999 when they face the Bears here?

"We have made progress in everything except the record," Green said.

All the Cardinals need is a better record.

Until then, continued optimism mixed with rationalization will do.

"We're not sitting by ourselves," Green said. "Misery has company. Don't like it, but there are other one-win teams and some didn't expect to be. We surely didn't expect to be."

The Cardinals are as good as the 1-3 defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. They're as good as the preseason darling 1-4 Miami Dolphins. They're as good as the 1-4, once-mighty Green Bay Packers. They're better than the defending NFC South champion 0-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Cardinals blew a 14-0 first-quarter lead and lost at home to the Kansas City Chiefs 23-20 on Sunday. They lost 16-14 at home to the St. Louis Rams.

Cardinals boss Michael Bidwill echoes Green's sentiments: "Are we far away or close away? Games like [Kansas City], when one or two plays go differently, we walk away with a victory. If we were able to execute a little better on one or two plays, we'd be 3-2 right now."

All the Cardinals need are one or two plays.

Frustration is building. It will take the upset of the season against the Bears for the Cardinals to avoid 1-5.

"I'm not going to lie," linebacker Calvin Pace told the Arizona Republic after the Chiefs loss. "This is my fourth year here. Some of the things that happen to us, I can't understand it. This is our fifth week playing, and we've been better than every team we played. It always comes down to something.

"When it's time to close it out, we can't close the deal. Good teams do that. Next week we've got an even better opponent. We come out half-stepping against [the Bears], we'll get embarrassed on national TV."

The Cardinals have sold out their new stadium for the season. But judging from the noise, there were an awful lot of Chiefs fans among Sunday's crowd of 63,445.

"A lot of people from Kansas City live here," Bidwill said. "The Cards may be the team they root for until the Chiefs come to town."

That means there will be a significant Chicago presence in the stands on Monday night. There are thousands of transplanted Chicagoans in Arizona and it's a sponsors' trip for the Bears.

Chicagoans will feel at home because of the historical signage in the building, starting with the origin of the oldest NFL franchise as the Morgan Athletic Club from Chicago's South Side in 1898. On the new stadium's Ring of Honor, the first names inducted had Chicago roots—Charles W. Bidwill Sr., Jimmy Conzelman, Paddy Driscoll, Marshall Goldberg, Dick "Night Train" Lane, Ollie Matson, Ernie Nevers, Charlie Trippi.

Dan Dierdorf, who played in St. Louis, will be inducted Monday night. Larry Wilson, who also played in St. Louis, was inducted in the preseason.

"A lot of guys on this team you're looking at are going to be on the Ring of Honor someday," Michael Bidwill said.

Green points to star safety Adrian Wilson as "all a third-round pick could possibly be," and says, "We have some dynamic young players here. They have a lot of time on their contracts."

But Green also notes, "We're not throwing the ball as well as we did last year. We're not running the ball very well. We have pretty good run defense at times. Our pass defense is OK. We're not rushing the passer very well. Special teams have been extremely inconsistent."

After a 32-10 loss at Atlanta two weeks ago, Green sounded even more frustrated, saying, "This is ludicrous. This is absolutely ludicrous. We started the season feeling we would be one of the best offenses in the National Football League."

On his radio show, Green was asked about the criticism the line has taken since training camp.

Green interrupted and said, "They need to quit whining so much. Half those guys are making over $3 million a year. They need to just get off their butts and start doing their job.

"I don't like to feel sorry for guys. There's no room for crybabies, no room for a soft side. When you're an offensive lineman, you're getting paid big money, then do your job.

"A 75-year-old woman in the stands can tell if you're doing the job or not. Because what happens is the guy got blocked or he didn't."

Since he arrived in Arizona, Green has cut center Pete Kendall and tackle Anthony Clement, both now starting for the Jets, and tackle L.J. Shelton, now starting for the Dolphins.

Teams rarely win with rookie quarterbacks, but James said after Leinart's debut, "I'm not worried about Matt."

James also said: "Anytime you have this much talent, you just wonder what's wrong."

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Copyright © 2006, The Chicago Tribune

 

[Redheart]

...Since he arrived in Arizona, Green has cut center Pete Kendall and tackle Anthony Clement, both now starting for the Jets, and tackle L.J. Shelton, now starting for the Dolphins....

*sigh*

Jets 2-3
Miami 1-4

 

[Pariah]

"We're not sitting by ourselves," Green said. "Misery has company. Don't like it, but there are other one-win teams and some didn't expect to be. We surely didn't expect to be."

I. Hate. This. Quote.

 

[FrustratedFan04]

I. Hate. This. Quote.

I thought the same thing. Does that make it better?

 

[Pariah]

I thought the same thing. Does that make it better?

No. I still hate it.

 

[MadCardDisease]

All the Cardinals need is an Offensive line!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How could they forget that one!

I need a hug.

 

[AZCB34]

I. Hate. This. Quote.

You almost wonder if this is why Denny hates dealing with the media so much. He seems to have a certain charisma but his language usage often defies all logic. He seems to use the word HOPE too often and in strange places.

He seems too preoccupied with what other teams are doing and less on what is going on in his own house. Denny seems to be the perfect politician sometimes...more concerned with keeping his job than actually doing it right.

 

[vince56]

All the Cardinals need is an Offensive line!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How could they forget that one!

I need a hug.

man, no crap. An offensive line, and maybe a corner, and we're a playoff team. Without those, we're 1-4. It's insane our OL is this bad!!

 

[CardLogic]

That article started really well, then it went nowhere! Kind of like the team that it was written about!

 

[Cheesebeef]

can someone please put a muzzle on Calvin Pace?

 

[Arizona's Finest]

man, no crap. An offensive line, and maybe a corner, and we're a playoff team. Without those, we're 1-4. It's insane our OL is this bad!!

Guys I will tell you this. This is not personnel. We have GREAT talent and adequate enough depth. Under Belichek or Marvin Lewis i guarantee we are a playoff team.

This is about talented players not executing. Plain and simple. And that lies at the feet of our coach and his "players coach" attitude. You can't be a softy and cow-tow to the guys and then when things go wrong try to be a hard a$$. No one respects that. You have to demand perfection from the get -go in the NFL. These guys are getting paid. There's no such thing as "Win one for the Gipper" in todays NFL. As a shining example see Carroll, Pete. Or to hit closer to home McGinnis, Dave.

Sure we can go get some all-pros on the line and two more shut down corners - but until we get someone to coach them up - and coach up the talented players we have into all world mistake free (for the most part) forces- sadly we will continue to do do enough stupid stuff juuuussst to lose the game.

Mike Bidwill is right. We are not that far away. Theres only one guy we need to replace.

 

[AZCB34]

can someone please put a muzzle on Calvin Pace?

Same could be said about Edge but he is one of the big boys.

Ever notice how Denny always preached (and for the first couple seasons under his...ummm...leadership it was real) keeping things in house with regards to the media and now this year guys are more and more shooting off at the mouths to media?

 

[vinnymac]

You almost wonder if this is why Denny hates dealing with the media so much. He seems to have a certain charisma but his language usage often defies all logic. He seems to use the word HOPE too often and in strange places.

He seems too preoccupied with what other teams are doing and less on what is going on in his own house. Denny seems to be the perfect politician sometimes...more concerned with keeping his job than actually doing it right.

first of all hope is the approiate term to use when you keep on shooting yourself in the foot. i would hope the players will get their head out of their butts. that is basically what he is saying. the bottom line it is up to the players to exicute the plays.

second of all, your analysis that green spends to much time preoccupied with other teams is way off. it is his job to see what other teams are doing in the league. maybe he can pick something up to turn this season around. this season isn't lost, but it is an uphill battle. i think green is more worried about winning than his job. he knows if he wins then his job is secure.

 

[ReddBird]

I agree with Arizona's Finest (although, y'know, I don't think that's his real name). There's alot I like about Green -- but it's his way or the highway and he's cut some players we've needed because of that particular personality disorder. Worse, on game day, penalties erupt, he manages the clock badly, and he never challenges the right play.

I can't help but wonder how this team would do with a less ego-centric coach.

 

[Pariah]

a less ego-centric coach.

coughcough*JeffFisher*coughcough

 

[john h]

You almost wonder if this is why Denny hates dealing with the media so much. He seems to have a certain charisma but his language usage often defies all logic. He seems to use the word HOPE too often and in strange places.

He seems too preoccupied with what other teams are doing and less on what is going on in his own house. Denny seems to be the perfect politician sometimes...more concerned with keeping his job than actually doing it right.

Concerning Dennys excuses one can only remember Vince Lombardi's words or was it some General "There is no substitute for Victory!".