Excellent analysis

[az1965]

by Sando... everything right on target!

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest

 

[Buckybird]

One thing I have noticed especially the last 3 games is The Cards are using Fitz & Q on 1 side of the field way too much. That basically takes away one side of the field. The defense concentrate on keeping them from beating them. Check out the game tape.

 

[green machine]

"Teams are trying to bang him at the line of scrimmage and get a safety up over the top of him as much as they can when he is singled up," Warner said. "Some of it has been protection at times where we haven't been able to hold it to try and take the shots down the field. Other times it's just the defense hasn't dictated to take those shots."

And quite a few times so far it's been the quarterback missing an open Fitz. But of course, that's not what the QB believes.

 

[MoeIsBetter]

With Boldin either out or limited, the Cardinals might need to reinvent themselves a little.

This one sentence got me thinking. The ONLY reason we throw as much as we do is because we have two stud recievers in Larry and Anquan. What if we sit Q a couple games (or like Sando says, limited) to rest his ankle and try to "reinvent ourselves A LITTLE". This will get Beanie more carries, this will free Fitz up I think. Our line looks better and better running the ball every week. What's everyone think? Should we TRY to run a serious 50/50 pass/run scheme? Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't we run alot more than regular in the post season last year?

EDIT: After I posted this I kept thinking about it. With the offense undoubtable going in this direction when Kurt is gone, why not start this type of offense now? It seems to me that it doesn't make a lot of sense to change the offense the season Matt takes over. Get the offense working in more of a 50/50 now (55/45 at least) so that later on it's a much easier swith with the hopefull QBOF

 

[Evil Ash]

This one sentence got me thinking. The ONLY reason we throw as much as we do is because we have two stud recievers in Larry and Anquan. What if we sit Q a couple games (or like Sando says, limited) to rest his ankle and try to "reinvent ourselves A LITTLE". This will get Beanie more carries, this will free Fitz up I think. Our line looks better and better running the ball every week. What's everyone think? Should we TRY to run a serious 50/50 pass/run scheme? Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't we run alot more than regular in the post season last year?

EDIT: After I posted this I kept thinking about it. With the offense undoubtable going in this direction when Kurt is gone, why not start this type of offense now? It seems to me that it doesn't make a lot of sense to change the offense the season Matt takes over. Get the offense working in more of a 50/50 now (55/45 at least) so that later on it's a much easier swith with the hopefull QBOF

You think Warner would let that happen? He'd audible out of half of the running plays called

 

[MoeIsBetter]

You think Warner would let that happen? He'd audible out of half of the running plays called

Why? He did it in the playoffs and look at where that got them.

 

[Evil Ash]

Why? He did it in the playoffs and look at where that got them.

We weren't 50/50 run to pass in the playoffs last year. It may have seemed that way considering we ran the ball about 4 times a game before our playoff run but we were/are still very much a pass first team.

We'll never be 50/50 as long as Warner is our QB.

 

[MoeIsBetter]

You're probably right but man I wish Whiz could make him do it. If we didn't have to RELY on him to win and take the weight some-what of his shoulders I think he'd play much better than he is now. He knows it and we all know it. Wins and loss's will always fall at his feet as much as we pass the ball. Us getting back to the playoffs rests on how he plays that day.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Arizona's performance demonstrated again that the Cardinals cannot be trusted to perform well consistently.

Amen.

 

[SuperSpck]

One thing I have noticed especially the last 3 games is The Cards are using Fitz & Q on 1 side of the field way too much. That basically takes away one side of the field. The defense concentrate on keeping them from beating them. Check out the game tape.

It's also the reason Hightower gets sprung for those 10 yard catches.
Also, without Anquan running closer to 100% the best things he does come off the table and without his ability to grind after the catch (which he desperately needs a healthy body for) he's an adequate, but average, receiver.

Without Breaston to stretch the C2 look nothing opens up underneath.
Fitz did a lot of his damage leaping in previous years, but also learned how the underneath drag can kill a defense.

Drags like those are sprung by two things: Getting safeties to trail a WR on a stretch and getting the time in protection to let all the routes develop.

The problems the team faced yesterday are simply symptoms of what has continued to be a problem: the offensive line isn't getting the job done.

I'm not piling on for the sake of doing so, this loss doesn't have me overly emotional.

In order for [any] offense to hum it starts up front. Warner's a turnover machine if he isn't in a groove. This isn't new information.

Additionally, there appears to be a disconnect between the rushing and passing games. Defenses seem to be too aware of which is which and when.

There's probably not a magic bullet fix that will magically cure all problems.
The situation feels like a death-by-a-thousand-cuts issue.
A combination of personnel, scheme, planing, and execution all having the smallest of failures is snowballing into something that just barely keeps things from working.

 

[dogpoo32]

Why? He did it in the playoffs and look at where that got them.

Not the same Kurt Warner. This one is a scared checkdown machine who stares down his targets and can't throw the ball 20 yards.

 

[MrYeahBut]

Not the same Kurt Warner. This one is a scared checkdown machine who stares down his targets and can't throw the ball 20 yards.

I appears to me that the passes Warner used to throw as jump-balls for Fitz are now thrown way too flat and have been overthrown for the most part...

JMHO

 

[TJ]

Not the same Kurt Warner. This one is a scared checkdown machine who stares down his targets and can't throw the ball 20 yards.

I think Kurt Warner retired, except he's the only one who knows it.

 

[O]

I think Kurt Warner retired, except he's the only one who doesn't know it.

Fixed that for you.

 

[john h]

It's also the reason Hightower gets sprung for those 10 yard catches.
Also, without Anquan running closer to 100% the best things he does come off the table and without his ability to grind after the catch (which he desperately needs a healthy body for) he's an adequate, but average, receiver.

Without Breaston to stretch the C2 look nothing opens up underneath.
Fitz did a lot of his damage leaping in previous years, but also learned how the underneath drag can kill a defense.

Drags like those are sprung by two things: Getting safeties to trail a WR on a stretch and getting the time in protection to let all the routes develop.

The problems the team faced yesterday are simply symptoms of what has continued to be a problem: the offensive line isn't getting the job done.

I'm not piling on for the sake of doing so, this loss doesn't have me overly emotional.

In order for [any] offense to hum it starts up front. Warner's a turnover machine if he isn't in a groove. This isn't new information.

Additionally, there appears to be a disconnect between the rushing and passing games. Defenses seem to be too aware of which is which and when.

There's probably not a magic bullet fix that will magically cure all problems.
The situation feels like a death-by-a-thousand-cuts issue.
A combination of personnel, scheme, planing, and execution all having the smallest of failures is snowballing into something that just barely keeps things from working.

Is anyone considering the defense played probably the worst game of the year. Even to an untrained eye like mine they looked like they were moving in slow motion in the first half. Siimply put we were outplayed. There is enough blame to go around to all concerned. If you consider those short out passes to Hightower as runs we had one of our better running games but to no avail. Lets just hope this Cardinal team does not show up anytime soon for future games. If we win 9 games we will likely make the playoffs due to the lousy division we play in. Beyond that it all depends on what Cardinal team shows up and how the ball bounces.

 

[dogpoo32]

Is anyone considering the defense played probably the worst game of the year. Even to an untrained eye like mine they looked like they were moving in slow motion in the first half. Siimply put we were outplayed. There is enough blame to go around to all concerned. If you consider those short out passes to Hightower as runs we had one of our better running games but to no avail. Lets just hope this Cardinal team does not show up anytime soon for future games. If we win 9 games we will likely make the playoffs due to the lousy division we play in. Beyond that it all depends on what Cardinal team shows up and how the ball bounces.

They were absolute crap to begin the game. Then they clamped down pretty well. Six turnovers overshadow the Defense, especially since the D made some stops late to give us a chance. The offense has not been in sync and it comes down to three factors. Russ Grimm, Kurt Warner and Whis.

You can blame the individual Olinemen, but we know what we have in them (crap). We have to blame those who put and keep them there.

 

[Russ Smith]

This one sentence got me thinking. The ONLY reason we throw as much as we do is because we have two stud recievers in Larry and Anquan. What if we sit Q a couple games (or like Sando says, limited) to rest his ankle and try to "reinvent ourselves A LITTLE". This will get Beanie more carries, this will free Fitz up I think. Our line looks better and better running the ball every week. What's everyone think? Should we TRY to run a serious 50/50 pass/run scheme? Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't we run alot more than regular in the post season last year?

EDIT: After I posted this I kept thinking about it. With the offense undoubtable going in this direction when Kurt is gone, why not start this type of offense now? It seems to me that it doesn't make a lot of sense to change the offense the season Matt takes over. Get the offense working in more of a 50/50 now (55/45 at least) so that later on it's a much easier swith with the hopefull QBOF

I'm going to keep saying it until we either do it, or explain why we don't. We should be using more 2 TE sets. Boldin isn't healthy, might not be all year, Breaston's knee has limited his acceleration, Urban is unreliable, Morey is a ST guy and Doucet is not a speed guy.

Go 2 TE and run the ball more. Use the FB at times, it'll take pressure off the tackles having to pass block on an island so much, and it'll actually allow Anquan and Breaston to heal. Teams are doubling Fitz, we have to roll with that.

Kurt has to be patient enough to work his way downfield with shorter passes and the run game.

 

[82CardsGrad]

I'm going to keep saying it until we either do it, or explain why we don't. We should be using more 2 TE sets. Boldin isn't healthy, might not be all year, Breaston's knee has limited his acceleration, Urban is unreliable, Morey is a ST guy and Doucet is not a speed guy.

Go 2 TE and run the ball more. Use the FB at times, it'll take pressure off the tackles having to pass block on an island so much, and it'll actually allow Anquan and Breaston to heal. Teams are doubling Fitz, we have to roll with that.

Kurt has to be patient enough to work his way downfield with shorter passes and the run game.

Totally agree with this!

 

[conraddobler]

I'm going to keep saying it until we either do it, or explain why we don't. We should be using more 2 TE sets. Boldin isn't healthy, might not be all year, Breaston's knee has limited his acceleration, Urban is unreliable, Morey is a ST guy and Doucet is not a speed guy.

Go 2 TE and run the ball more. Use the FB at times, it'll take pressure off the tackles having to pass block on an island so much, and it'll actually allow Anquan and Breaston to heal. Teams are doubling Fitz, we have to roll with that.

Kurt has to be patient enough to work his way downfield with shorter passes and the run game.

I'm not saying he can't do this, I'm saying it's not his bread and butter and if forced to do it all game he'll get anxious IMO.

Warner has the skills to be lethal, if he simply would be a tad more adept at two things:

Throwing the ball away.

Checking down more.

He's not terrible at the 2nd one, he is at the first.

However if he was very good at knowing when to do both he'd be a monster no one could stop even without a healthy Q IMO.

He can read defenses very well, he's just always looking for the bigger chunk instead of the more reliable chunk IMO.

 

[MoeIsBetter]

I'm not saying he can't do this, I'm saying it's not his bread and butter and if forced to do it all game he'll get anxious IMO.

Warner has the skills to be lethal, if he simply would be a tad more adept at two things:

Throwing the ball away.

Checking down more.

He's not terrible at the 2nd one, he is at the first.

However if he was very good at knowing when to do both he'd be a monster no one could stop even without a healthy Q IMO.

He can read defenses very well, he's just always looking for the bigger chunk instead of the more reliable chunk IMO.

We have a team that can win right now and he isn't throwing it the way he did last year. I want to see wins, not 400 yards passing. Right now with THIS lineup, the run game is just as explosive as the passing game and it should be used more to get wins. I don't care what Warner wants to do. This is Whiz's team and what he says should go. If not then Warner can sit on the bench cause he isn't giving this team "the best chance to win".

EDIT: After reading my own post this is NOT a bench Warner post. I still believe he is the best QB on the roster but he needs to be the QB we need (just running it a few more times) and not just a gun slinger. Its worked out for Brett.