100%CardsFan
100% embarrassed
I agree alot with this article but seriously I can not get the KC game and the Bears game out of my mind. Thinking of those missed kicks, Pt return, fumble return....etc seriously brings me down. I hope the players can block it out and look forward.
Time to shake things up
Cards must be combative again and try new approaches
Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 1, 2006 12:00 AM
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]It seems like seven years, not seven weeks, since the Cardinals began the season with a rousing victory over the San Francisco 49ers, leaving the field to the cheers of adoring fans who had packed the team's new stadium.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Since then, the Cardinals have not won a game. They have benched a quarterback and fired an offensive coordinator. They have blown leads and have been blown out. They have lost in odd, creative ways and in old, mundane ones.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Last week, team Vice President Michael Bidwill asked coach Dennis Green and Rod Graves, the top football administrator, how things had gone so awry. Maybe the question was rhetorical, because everyone else seems to know the answer. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The question the Cardinals should be asking is not how they got into this mess. That's obvious: The offense has produced only sporadically, the defense has taken unscheduled time off, the special teams have been anything but, and Green has provided little direction.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The more important question is: What can the Cardinals do to salvage some respectability in the final eight games? [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Here are eight suggestions:[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Forget about it [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]There's no question the Monday night loss to the Chicago Bears was a devastating blow to the Cardinals' hopes this season. But it's time to let it go. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]It was one regular-season game, not a playoff loss. Get over it. Bad stuff happens to every team. Bad teams let games like that define the season.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Provide direction [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Green must give his players a plan to salvage respectability in the second half of the season. You don't do that by firing assistant coaches and distributing blame.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]He and his staff need to not only define the Cardinals' shortcomings during this off week but they must find ways to overcome them in the second half. Green always has loved the underdog role. We'll see how well he does in it as he coaches perhaps his final NFL games.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Speak up [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Over the past few years, all we have heard from the Cardinals is how many talented, young players they have. But where are the leaders?[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Where are the players demanding excellence from their peers? This team's best players - receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, safety Adrian Wilson and defensive end Bertrand Berry - prefer to let their performances speak for them.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]But this team needs to be shaken up, and if it takes grabbing a teammate by the collar and getting in his face, it needs to be done.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Boldin said this team needs an attitude change in the second half of the season, but you can't expect people to do that on their own.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Fulfill the promise [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]When Mike Kruczek took over as offensive coordinator two weeks ago, he promised a bold, passionate approach. Instead, the Cardinals have been outscored 38-10 in the first half of the two games since. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Green fired Keith Rowen after the team turned conservative in the second half against Chicago and blew a 20-0 lead. But multiple sources have said it was Green's call to milk the clock in the second half, and that Rowen was just following orders.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The Cardinals' biggest priority in the off-season was developing a running game. But they have failed miserably at that. They should trash the idea of using the tight end and fullback to create some room for Edgerrin James to run. It's not working.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The offense has had no rhythm the past two weeks. It has no identity, nowhere to turn in times of trouble.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]It's time for the Cardinals to do what they do best - spread the field with three or four receivers and start throwing it. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Maybe that will give James more room to run.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Use Boldin in different ways. Line him up at receiver, in the slot, as a running back. Throw downfield to Fitzgerald.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Cut down on the number of running plays, and keep it as simple as possible while this offensive line develops.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Stick with a line [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The Cardinals have tried nearly every combination of starting offensive lines available to them. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]They could have moved guard Reggie Wells to right tackle when Oliver Ross suffered a knee injury on the second day of training camp. Instead, the club held auditions for the job, and nobody impressed. Meanwhile, weeks of important developmental work were wasted.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Now, Ross has been benched, and Wells is playing right tackle. He needs to stay there. Against the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 12, coaches plan to start Milford Brown and rookie Deuce Lutui at the guard spots, with Nick Leckey at center and Leonard Davis at left tackle.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]That's the line they should stick with for the rest of the season.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Be combative [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]People have made fun of Green's tirade after the loss to the Bears, but it showed a passion this team has been missing too often this season.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]They have started the past two games like they were going to work at a job they don't like. They were listless and disinterested. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Green must find a way to rekindle some emotion. Create it, inspire it or fake it. That's why he has the big office and the big paycheck.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Dust off some trick plays [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]With the offense in a malaise, the Cardinals need something to ignite them.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]How about a trick play? A halfback pass? A receiver pass? Boldin played quarterback at times in college, yet he has thrown just two passes in four NFL seasons and none this year. Fitzgerald can throw, too. Kicker Neil Rackers can do amazing things with the ball, so why not try an onside kick? [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Do something. Anything. So what if it smacks of desperation? You'll never get spark if you just stare at the match.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Don't look back [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The 1-7 record in the first half of the season is like the highway patrolman who follows you for miles. The tendency is to concentrate on what's going on behind you instead of paying attention to what's ahead.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The Cardinals need to rip the rearview mirror out of the car. There is nothing to be gained from looking back at the past two months. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Players must find a cause to rally around in the final eight weeks. Maybe it's trying to save Green's job, although it's doubtful that 53 players would rally around that. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Maybe it's self-preservation. Maybe it's a new contract. Maybe it's just acting like a professional.[/FONT]
Time to shake things up
Cards must be combative again and try new approaches
Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 1, 2006 12:00 AM
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]It seems like seven years, not seven weeks, since the Cardinals began the season with a rousing victory over the San Francisco 49ers, leaving the field to the cheers of adoring fans who had packed the team's new stadium.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Since then, the Cardinals have not won a game. They have benched a quarterback and fired an offensive coordinator. They have blown leads and have been blown out. They have lost in odd, creative ways and in old, mundane ones.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Last week, team Vice President Michael Bidwill asked coach Dennis Green and Rod Graves, the top football administrator, how things had gone so awry. Maybe the question was rhetorical, because everyone else seems to know the answer. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The question the Cardinals should be asking is not how they got into this mess. That's obvious: The offense has produced only sporadically, the defense has taken unscheduled time off, the special teams have been anything but, and Green has provided little direction.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The more important question is: What can the Cardinals do to salvage some respectability in the final eight games? [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Here are eight suggestions:[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Forget about it [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]There's no question the Monday night loss to the Chicago Bears was a devastating blow to the Cardinals' hopes this season. But it's time to let it go. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]It was one regular-season game, not a playoff loss. Get over it. Bad stuff happens to every team. Bad teams let games like that define the season.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Provide direction [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Green must give his players a plan to salvage respectability in the second half of the season. You don't do that by firing assistant coaches and distributing blame.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]He and his staff need to not only define the Cardinals' shortcomings during this off week but they must find ways to overcome them in the second half. Green always has loved the underdog role. We'll see how well he does in it as he coaches perhaps his final NFL games.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Speak up [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Over the past few years, all we have heard from the Cardinals is how many talented, young players they have. But where are the leaders?[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Where are the players demanding excellence from their peers? This team's best players - receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, safety Adrian Wilson and defensive end Bertrand Berry - prefer to let their performances speak for them.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]But this team needs to be shaken up, and if it takes grabbing a teammate by the collar and getting in his face, it needs to be done.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Boldin said this team needs an attitude change in the second half of the season, but you can't expect people to do that on their own.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Fulfill the promise [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]When Mike Kruczek took over as offensive coordinator two weeks ago, he promised a bold, passionate approach. Instead, the Cardinals have been outscored 38-10 in the first half of the two games since. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Green fired Keith Rowen after the team turned conservative in the second half against Chicago and blew a 20-0 lead. But multiple sources have said it was Green's call to milk the clock in the second half, and that Rowen was just following orders.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The Cardinals' biggest priority in the off-season was developing a running game. But they have failed miserably at that. They should trash the idea of using the tight end and fullback to create some room for Edgerrin James to run. It's not working.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The offense has had no rhythm the past two weeks. It has no identity, nowhere to turn in times of trouble.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]It's time for the Cardinals to do what they do best - spread the field with three or four receivers and start throwing it. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Maybe that will give James more room to run.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Use Boldin in different ways. Line him up at receiver, in the slot, as a running back. Throw downfield to Fitzgerald.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Cut down on the number of running plays, and keep it as simple as possible while this offensive line develops.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Stick with a line [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The Cardinals have tried nearly every combination of starting offensive lines available to them. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]They could have moved guard Reggie Wells to right tackle when Oliver Ross suffered a knee injury on the second day of training camp. Instead, the club held auditions for the job, and nobody impressed. Meanwhile, weeks of important developmental work were wasted.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Now, Ross has been benched, and Wells is playing right tackle. He needs to stay there. Against the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 12, coaches plan to start Milford Brown and rookie Deuce Lutui at the guard spots, with Nick Leckey at center and Leonard Davis at left tackle.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]That's the line they should stick with for the rest of the season.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Be combative [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]People have made fun of Green's tirade after the loss to the Bears, but it showed a passion this team has been missing too often this season.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]They have started the past two games like they were going to work at a job they don't like. They were listless and disinterested. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Green must find a way to rekindle some emotion. Create it, inspire it or fake it. That's why he has the big office and the big paycheck.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Dust off some trick plays [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]With the offense in a malaise, the Cardinals need something to ignite them.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]How about a trick play? A halfback pass? A receiver pass? Boldin played quarterback at times in college, yet he has thrown just two passes in four NFL seasons and none this year. Fitzgerald can throw, too. Kicker Neil Rackers can do amazing things with the ball, so why not try an onside kick? [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Do something. Anything. So what if it smacks of desperation? You'll never get spark if you just stare at the match.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Don't look back [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The 1-7 record in the first half of the season is like the highway patrolman who follows you for miles. The tendency is to concentrate on what's going on behind you instead of paying attention to what's ahead.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The Cardinals need to rip the rearview mirror out of the car. There is nothing to be gained from looking back at the past two months. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Players must find a cause to rally around in the final eight weeks. Maybe it's trying to save Green's job, although it's doubtful that 53 players would rally around that. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Maybe it's self-preservation. Maybe it's a new contract. Maybe it's just acting like a professional.[/FONT]