Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
* Lady Gaga was sensational singing the national anthem to a simple piano accompaniment. There are photos on the internet right now that liken her appearance to the Cardinals' logo. Hmmm. And just to get the entertainment portion of the spectacular out of the way, I thought the half-time show was a rush. I haven't been a big fan of the half-time ceremonies since Russ Grimm was spotted eating a hot dog and watching Bruce Springsteen, but this half-time show was chock-full of crescendos, psychedelics and high energy bounce.
* The Broncos did everything they could to get in Carolina's head---starting with choosing to wear white uniforms. Still not sure why the team with the worse record gets to be the home team, but the Broncos had had their best Super Bowl performances in white---and---the Panthers had been wearing white at home during their high powered playoff run.
* It was hard not to feel a strong sense of regret and coulda-wouldas for the Cardinals seeing the Broncos get into the Panthers' head by coming out passing. Clearly their mission was to pass in order to set up the run---and it worked. Plus, even though they had to settle for a FG on their first drive, it was important to do something no team had done in the playoffs---take a first quarter lead over the Panthers.
* Watching Von Miller and Demarcus Ware tee off on Cam Newton was very entertaining. Funny how Newton so rarely moved his feet and was so reluctant to step up into the pocket---he does tend to get cement feet deep in the pocket and in this game it really cost him. Funny too that Mike Shula didn't have Cam shift the pocket on rollouts---it's not that hard to do---you crash down on Miller with the TE or slot WR---seal him inside and have Cam drift wide of the pocket. It narrows the field some, but it also give Cam a pass-run option, which poses huge problems for the defense.
* The most under-talked-about aspect of the Broncos' defense and how it is configured is the fact that their inside tackles Malik Jackson and Derek Wolfe are so adept at disengaging from their blocks and cleaning up on the QB who often is forced to step underneath the wide edge rush arcs. Jackson and Wolfe are big-time finishers. Plus they are feisty versus the run. The point is---it not only helps to have ultra-fast and quick edge rushers, but to pair them with athletic finisher types at DT is ingenious. Sure would like to see Steve Keim follow this model. Not only do the Cardinals need speed off the edge, they need athletic finishers on the inside, more than just Calais Campbell, who, partly because of his inordinate height is an inconsistent finisher when the QB is funneled his way. Rodney Gunter could develop as an inside finisher---he has the strength and the short area quickness to be good at it. But the Cardinals need more---which is why a player like DT/DE Sheldon Rankins, who is made to order as an inside finisher would be very appealing if he's on the board at #29, and all the best speed rushers have been taken.
* Cam Newton got shell-shocked in the same way Carson Palmer did. Notice the high throws---notice the rushed decisions---notice the impaired judgement. These are some of the reasons why Newton didn't make an attempt to pounce on the loose ball late in the game at that critical juncture. When QBs get shell-shocked their heads are spinning so fast that they often freeze.
* I thought the other Broncos player who deserved some MVP votes was RB C.J. Anderson. His toughness, both mental and physical, is just what a team needs in order to beat the Panthers. Anderson has such a strong base and such steady feet---man---his game sealing TD where he stood up Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis at the goal-line and then found way to plane the ball over the goal-line was outstanding. I think David Johnson can make plays like this---but I also feel as if the Cardinals really need another tough sob RB for game situations such as this one.
* In a way---Peyton Manning's injuries this season came at the right time. Even though he is not the passer he once was---he was mentally fresh and strong enough to move the offense at key times in the game. His ball handling on run plays and play action is textbook---and if you go back to Manning early in his career, that was a real issue for him. What I worry about Carson Palmer is him being able to stay reasonably fresh mentally and physically come playoff time. It might be a good idea for BA to spell Carson Palmer from time to time. Keeping Palmer fresh is key to the Cardinals' chances to go all the way.
* Cam Newton's dealings with the media the past few days have been miserable. His last press conference with the media before the game was very similar to his press conference after the game with him just rolling his eyes at the questions and offering terse answers and indignant glares. This is a problem. Handling the media is part of the job. Yes, it's often annoying, but it is part of the package when you play QB in the NFL. If anything, Cam compounded his poor play and his egregious decision not to pounce on the loose football by acting like a petulant child in the interview. If you are a Panthers' fan and you saw how he played in that game and how he presented himself afterward, what are you thinking?
* One thing BA might want to consider if the Cardinals get to the Super Bowl is whether to defer---the half-time is so long and if you haven't had the ball last on offense in the first half---that's a long time gap to overcome. But, hey, the Broncos handled it just fine---and it sure was important for them to get an early lead. Kudos to their game plan all the way around. T.J. Ward said it best---"we wanted to see the Cam Newton who mopes and pouts when things don't go his way." Yup. Mission accomplished...and then some.
* Lastly, it was especially gratifying to see Gary Kubiak (fired by the Texans) and Wade Phillips (out of a job in 2014) reap the rewards for their perseverance and diligence. It says a lot about their character---and about giving good, hard-working people second chances.
Click here for Cardinals' image of Lady Gaga:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Caq6uQEWIAAJ7cF.jpg
* The Broncos did everything they could to get in Carolina's head---starting with choosing to wear white uniforms. Still not sure why the team with the worse record gets to be the home team, but the Broncos had had their best Super Bowl performances in white---and---the Panthers had been wearing white at home during their high powered playoff run.
* It was hard not to feel a strong sense of regret and coulda-wouldas for the Cardinals seeing the Broncos get into the Panthers' head by coming out passing. Clearly their mission was to pass in order to set up the run---and it worked. Plus, even though they had to settle for a FG on their first drive, it was important to do something no team had done in the playoffs---take a first quarter lead over the Panthers.
* Watching Von Miller and Demarcus Ware tee off on Cam Newton was very entertaining. Funny how Newton so rarely moved his feet and was so reluctant to step up into the pocket---he does tend to get cement feet deep in the pocket and in this game it really cost him. Funny too that Mike Shula didn't have Cam shift the pocket on rollouts---it's not that hard to do---you crash down on Miller with the TE or slot WR---seal him inside and have Cam drift wide of the pocket. It narrows the field some, but it also give Cam a pass-run option, which poses huge problems for the defense.
* The most under-talked-about aspect of the Broncos' defense and how it is configured is the fact that their inside tackles Malik Jackson and Derek Wolfe are so adept at disengaging from their blocks and cleaning up on the QB who often is forced to step underneath the wide edge rush arcs. Jackson and Wolfe are big-time finishers. Plus they are feisty versus the run. The point is---it not only helps to have ultra-fast and quick edge rushers, but to pair them with athletic finisher types at DT is ingenious. Sure would like to see Steve Keim follow this model. Not only do the Cardinals need speed off the edge, they need athletic finishers on the inside, more than just Calais Campbell, who, partly because of his inordinate height is an inconsistent finisher when the QB is funneled his way. Rodney Gunter could develop as an inside finisher---he has the strength and the short area quickness to be good at it. But the Cardinals need more---which is why a player like DT/DE Sheldon Rankins, who is made to order as an inside finisher would be very appealing if he's on the board at #29, and all the best speed rushers have been taken.
* Cam Newton got shell-shocked in the same way Carson Palmer did. Notice the high throws---notice the rushed decisions---notice the impaired judgement. These are some of the reasons why Newton didn't make an attempt to pounce on the loose ball late in the game at that critical juncture. When QBs get shell-shocked their heads are spinning so fast that they often freeze.
* I thought the other Broncos player who deserved some MVP votes was RB C.J. Anderson. His toughness, both mental and physical, is just what a team needs in order to beat the Panthers. Anderson has such a strong base and such steady feet---man---his game sealing TD where he stood up Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis at the goal-line and then found way to plane the ball over the goal-line was outstanding. I think David Johnson can make plays like this---but I also feel as if the Cardinals really need another tough sob RB for game situations such as this one.
* In a way---Peyton Manning's injuries this season came at the right time. Even though he is not the passer he once was---he was mentally fresh and strong enough to move the offense at key times in the game. His ball handling on run plays and play action is textbook---and if you go back to Manning early in his career, that was a real issue for him. What I worry about Carson Palmer is him being able to stay reasonably fresh mentally and physically come playoff time. It might be a good idea for BA to spell Carson Palmer from time to time. Keeping Palmer fresh is key to the Cardinals' chances to go all the way.
* Cam Newton's dealings with the media the past few days have been miserable. His last press conference with the media before the game was very similar to his press conference after the game with him just rolling his eyes at the questions and offering terse answers and indignant glares. This is a problem. Handling the media is part of the job. Yes, it's often annoying, but it is part of the package when you play QB in the NFL. If anything, Cam compounded his poor play and his egregious decision not to pounce on the loose football by acting like a petulant child in the interview. If you are a Panthers' fan and you saw how he played in that game and how he presented himself afterward, what are you thinking?
* One thing BA might want to consider if the Cardinals get to the Super Bowl is whether to defer---the half-time is so long and if you haven't had the ball last on offense in the first half---that's a long time gap to overcome. But, hey, the Broncos handled it just fine---and it sure was important for them to get an early lead. Kudos to their game plan all the way around. T.J. Ward said it best---"we wanted to see the Cam Newton who mopes and pouts when things don't go his way." Yup. Mission accomplished...and then some.
* Lastly, it was especially gratifying to see Gary Kubiak (fired by the Texans) and Wade Phillips (out of a job in 2014) reap the rewards for their perseverance and diligence. It says a lot about their character---and about giving good, hard-working people second chances.
Click here for Cardinals' image of Lady Gaga:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Caq6uQEWIAAJ7cF.jpg
Last edited:
