Couple Saturday Thoughts.

[gmabel830]

Levi brown has protected many more pass attempts than any other tackle in the NFL in his career. His protected immobile QB is 4-6 in the playoffs with all the SB passing records. His WR has all the playoff passing records.

well over 2000 passes to 1000 runs in the last 3 years without a 1000 yard back on the the team last in rushing attempts and all rushing statics during that 3 year span.

This oline gave up 26 and 27 sacks on the way to the playoffs while passing 64.8 % of the time, that is not giving up a sack over 575 times a year for 08 and 09. last year they gave up 50 sacks out of just less than 600 pass attempts. While Beanie Wells got 116 carries and 3 year starter THT got a career high 153 carries!

No other oline in the history of earth has been asked to do this formerly impossible task, and they took us to the SB for the first time, followed by a playoffs. You put Deuce and Levi on any playoff football team and their work load, pressure reduces not a little but a lot.

Grimm has done a fine job, unorthodox expectations, but his oline has been good enough to protect the most amount of passes with least amount of rushes during a 3 year span, since the birth of earth. We have tripled our 1st 100 years of playoff games !

And I respect that

Correlation does not equal causation -- I think those records are all due to Kurt and Larry's brilliance IN SPITE of Levi, not because of him.

And saying "Levi is asked to pass block more than anyone else" is not an excuse for him not being a good left tackle! Not that ProFootballFocus is the end all and be all, but they have him ranked as the third worst OT this year in pass blocking efficiency, and he hasn't had any more pass attempts to block for than the majority of the league this year. He's usually averaging 4-6 bad plays a game between false starts, sacks, and QB pressures. Elite LTs like Jake Long and Joe Thomas probably have 4-6 bad plays in an ENTIRE season, yet we get this in one game from a guy you think is an elite LT. Saying we should forgive the 4-6 bad plays our LT makes per game that puts us in bad field position -- forcing more throwing plays -- and putting our $80M QB (who is directly tied to our $120M WR) in jeopardy because he's asked to pass block too much isn't good enough reasoning for me to want to support a very below average LT in the league. And that hasn't even been the case this year, when Levi has still proven to not be an effective LT when he hasn't been asked to pass block more than everyone else. I wouldn't go crazy if the Cards kept him and moved him back to the right side or guard at a reasonable price, but he shouldn't be our franchise OT protecting our $200M worth of investment at QB/WR.

I'm all with you on having a more balanced offense and that having a positive impact on EVERYONE, but regardless of how balanced we are, doesn't change my opinion that Levi Brown is not a LT and shouldn't be LT of this team beyond this year (and potentially sooner).

 

[MrYeahBut]

I would bet you anything, that if Levi Brown was cut today, he would never start as a Tackle again in this league.

You'd get no argument from me

 

[Duckjake]

Ugh. Yes, we definitely have personnel problems--pretty much the same ones we had last year. Why are people already defending Davis and getting on Horton's case--he is trying to install the most intricate defense in the league, and had NO TIME to do it. Give it a rest, give him some time, and realize that we're just not going to have a good defense this year. I'll rant and rave about it too, and point out mistakes that Horton makes, but I will also realize that Horton gets a mulligan this year.

Well its not like he's teaching it to a bunch of rookies.

Haggans 12th season, DD 8th season, Calais 4th season,Porter 13th season

Lenon 10th season, Rhodes 7th season, Wilson 11th Season,

Bradley 5th season, Marshall 6th season.Hamza 7th season, Rjohnson 3rd, Money Mike 5th, Eason 9th, Holliday 14th.

 

[Stout]

Stout--do you know what a "mulligan" is? It's a do-over. If you're giving them both a mulligan, it means that you're not going to judge them on anything they do this year, because they get an essential do-over next year (when apparently there will be a whole new rash of excuses for each, I'm assuming).

These guys are professionals, they're getting paid the same for this season as they got paid for the previous, and for the next. There's no excuses for Polian and the Colts, no excuses for Reid and the Eagles, no excuses for Matt Ryan and the Falcons. Everyone has to play with the same rules and issues, so everything's fair across the board.

Only an idiot comes in with (according to you) the most complex defensive system in the NFL, lays it all in on Day 1, and then expects people to be good. If you're a teacher, if two students in the class are confused, that's the students' problem. If 2/3s of the class is confused, that's the teacher's problem. It seems as if we have a failure of a coordinator to anticipate the installation of his own system, and that's a problem.

I thought that Horton was going to tailor his scheme to his players' strengths? Have we heard any of that? No, we've heard Darnell Dockett (two time Pro Bowl player) saying that he's being asked to do things that he hasn't been asked to do in his entire career.

If you looked and asked yourself who the best players on the defense were, you'd probably answer in some order of Dockett-Wilson-Washington-Campbell. Basically, the defense we're playing right now neutralizes three of those players' strengths and highlights one.

You don't get a mulligan for burying the skill set of 2/3 of your top players, while getting your 2010 first-round pick spending the majority of his time on the bench.

Here we go with the definition police. I thought maybe you'd dismount that high horse, but apparently that's too much to ask. Let's just say that Kolb will still be our QB next season, barring injury, and that Horton probably won't be fired in the offseason, 'kay? Sheesh, sometimes you just can't debate and argue without getting all catty.

 

[Duckjake]

Kolb gets no mulligan from me just because he's learning a new system. He played for Art Briles who puts greater demands on his QB than just about any Coach in College. Briles runs an incredibly complex offense predicated on the QB being able to make intelligent judgments on the field. Kolb ran it and did it well. So I'm not buying into the learning process. I might buy that Kevin is rusty from 4 years on the bench.

Does Briles system work? Robert Griffen III, Briles QB at Baylor, has thrown more TDs than incompletions!

Sadly Briles is a Coryell type genius and can never manage to field a Defense.

 

[Cardiac]

Kolb has a QB rating of ~ 93.

Our Defense is in the top ten of fewest points allowed.

Yes there are still issues but anyone not admitting that these are HUGE improvements over last year just enjoy complaining, IMWO.

The D has to get off the field more often.

The O has to put together more drives.

Expecting either of these units to be performing like the Pats or Packers on Offense or the Ravens on Defense is unreasonable.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

I thought Porter took a huge paycut to stay with the team this year.

Correct. Forgot about that.

Sometimes in our effort to "get real" about every actual or imagined weakness on our roster, we forget that few if any other NFL teams are that close to perfection either.

Despite all our failings, what beat us in Washington was a fumble on our final drive, and the difference between victory and defeat in Seattle was a couple of missed field goals.

Lesson to be learned - We can't change our roster at this point in the yearly cycle, but we can play hard and clean up all the dumb stuff. That's where games figure to be won or lost.

Agreed. But it is not too crazy for fans to question the positioning of talent.

Antrel Rolle being the prime example of someone who should have been moved to safety before it was done.

I didn't think I had an overly negative post. The situation is what it is. Just stuff I was thinking about concerning this team.

When it comes to the offensive line, my thinking is to get a unit that has a better chance for success or one that can dominate at least one phase of the offense. Cause it has been a LOOOONG time, if ever, that I have seen the offensive line be something this team wins in spite of.

Again, the defense is what it is. It is concerning to see players like Porter, Schofield, Lenon, etc., etc who are not up to par, and then hear and know Calais Campbell is as good as gone. Just doesn't make any sense.

Kolb has a QB rating of ~ 93.

Our Defense is in the top ten of fewest points allowed.

Yes there are still issues but anyone not admitting that these are HUGE improvements over last year just enjoy complaining, IMWO.

The D has to get off the field more often.

The O has to put together more drives.

Expecting either of these units to be performing like the Pats or Packers on Offense or the Ravens on Defense is unreasonable.

The team is better than last year. There is no doubt about it, and I have state as much multiple times on the board.

Yet, there still is a A LOT of work to do.

 

[Cardiac]

The team is better than last year. There is no doubt about it, and I have state as much multiple times on the board.

Yet, there still is a A LOT of work to do.

My post really wasn't a direct response to you but since I didn't quote anyone and you were the OP then I understand any confusion. We have several fans who have gone all darkside (I fully understand why) at this point so my post was more towards them. Firing Horton or cutting Kolb etc is a bit outlandish at this point but again I understand the frustration.

I think your tone in your OP was a bit snarky but nothing unreasonable.
So we agree that the team is better at this point then last year and we do have A LOT of work to do.

 

[Duckjake]

Kolb has a QB rating of ~ 93.

Our Defense is in the top ten of fewest points allowed.

Yes there are still issues but anyone not admitting that these are HUGE improvements over last year just enjoy complaining, IMWO.

The D has to get off the field more often.

The O has to put together more drives.

Expecting either of these units to be performing like the Pats or Packers on Offense or the Ravens on Defense is unreasonable.

I just can't get excited just because our team isn't as bad as last year's team which was the worst team in the worst Division in the NFL and one of the 2-3 worst Cardinal teams in the last 15 years and they're 1-2 and haven't played one of the top 10 teams yet.

I also don't think it is unreasonable to expect, want would be a better word actually, our team to be as good as the Packers, Pats, or Ravens. We were that good just 21 games ago and the team has had 2 offseasons to adjust to the loss of all those players. We have a roster loaded with guys who have been in the NFL for a long time and they are struggling to pick up the new schemes?

I also don't think it is unreasonable to expect this team to be able to score the 14 points that were all that was needed to beat Seattle.

But you are right the Cards are what they are and so we just have to accept that they probably won't win a lot of games this season. Sucks to have to do that.

 

[kerouac9]

My post really wasn't a direct response to you but since I didn't quote anyone and you were the OP then I understand any confusion. We have several fans who have gone all darkside (I fully understand why) at this point so my post was more towards them. Firing Horton or cutting Kolb etc is a bit outlandish at this point but again I understand the frustration.

I think your tone in your OP was a bit snarky but nothing unreasonable.
So we agree that the team is better at this point then last year and we do have A LOT of work to do.

Can you point to a single poster that isn't maybe THESMEL (I have him on ignore) that says these things? Either of them? Nice straw man.

Horton can still be bad and Kolb can still be average (the median QB rating in the NFL is 86.4 and Kolb hasn't played any good defenses so far--but I guess good job on having your rating be 6 points better than Rex Grossman's), and no one would be calling for them to be fired.

Sorry, but this team is 1-2 right now and staring down the barrel of 1-3 with the toughest part of their schedule still ahead of them. They're third in their division and the offense has gotten worse the last three games. It's not all peaches and cream out here.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

was a bit snarky

Good word. Agreed. "snarky"

 

[Cardiac]

Can you point to a single poster that isn't maybe THESMEL (I have him on ignore) that says these things? Either of them? Nice straw man.

I can't because after reading this post and then coming back to it hours or a day later I forgot all the exact posts made on the first 2 pages. I do recall some posters debating or calling for Horton's head on some thread so please pardon the mistake.

Horton can still be bad and Kolb can still be average (the median QB rating in the NFL is 86.4 and Kolb hasn't played any good defenses so far--but I guess good job on having your rating be 6 points better than Rex Grossman's), and no one would be calling for them to be fired.

Sorry, but this team is 1-2 right now and staring down the barrel of 1-3 with the toughest part of their schedule still ahead of them. They're third in their division and the offense has gotten worse the last three games. It's not all peaches and cream out here.

This team has sucked the fight out of me at this point. I do agree with Rugby that the losses (gawd I hope I'm remembering this correctly) don't kill me like they use to. I'm numb at this point. I'll continue to watch the games (unless I cancel the NFL Ticket) but I'm just going to treat a loss like a bad movie, a little upset I spent the time & money on something I didn't enjoy but not devastated.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

This team has sucked the fight out of me at this point. I do agree with Rugby that the losses (gawd I hope I'm remembering this correctly) don't kill me like they use to. I'm numb at this point. I'll continue to watch the games (unless I cancel the NFL Ticket) but I'm just going to treat a loss like a bad movie, a little upset I spent the time & money on something I didn't enjoy but not devastated.

I understand your point.

But I think many missed mine.

We could be 4-0 right now, and I don't think I would care as much as I used to or "get into the team" as much as I used to.

It is just football...win, lose or draw, it is just not that important. I dunno.

I will admit I was getting into the game a little more yesterday.

Oh, and I was dead wrong about Beanie Wells. Happy to be wrong on that.