Floating under the radar (power ranking)

[BigRedRage]

Well, that truly is a compelling argument.

it is. Im bored of it. the fire is out, no use getting more water, itll flood.

 

[Sam Wise]

Seriously? Or are you just playing devils advocate?

There are lots of rookies and up and comers but you have several proven badasses on each side of the field and tons of potential around and beneath them.

Dockett and Dwash just to name another two complete bad asses.

Cason and powers are above average corners.

Mathieu and Minter are beasts.

I like Andre roberts AND Floyd, floyd will step it up big this year. Housler too now that qbs will actually hit him with the ball. Cooper, levi brown being back, massie being what he was on the final stretch.

This is a good team, no worse than 7-9 and that is a ranking between 14 and 22, not 29.

HOOOMMMEEEERRRR

Ok seriously rookies are rookies and Mathieu and Minter need to prove it first.

Dockett is old and honestly his mpouth is bigger than his play. Dwash is elite, but he needs to get his OF issues sorted.

Cason was replaced by a scrub in SD, never has lived up to his "potential"

Powers was let go by the Colts, one of the first team in like 40 years to make the playoffs while giving up an average of 2.5 pt. more per game last year. Powers is a freaking liablity. He will make us miss, Gay(ok even that one makes me laugh).

Our ranking isn't that far off from 29, but for us to be better we need Seattle and SF to faulter.

 

[BigRedRage]

dockett is a beast!

Cason and powers are an upgrade from gay either way.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

For a preseason power poll.

29 seems right.

What has this team proved to be ranked higher ?

A bunch of question marks, and a dismantled defense.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Sam Acho, Lyle Sendlein and Alex Okafor.

Unproven, Most overrated player on the team, unproven.

 

[earthsci]

Unproven, Most overrated player on the team, unproven.

...and I guess that they are the only University of Texas players on the team was a little over your head?

 

[Goldfield]

And I think Docket, Palmer, and D wash have proven to be good as well K9

Add these for me also. Maybe Cason also.

 

[Mulli]

29 is about right.

 

[Duckjake]

I think this is one place where QBR can be a useful stat. Palmer was 18th in the NFL in DVOA last year, but 29th in QBR. I think that's a reflection of a lot of plays in garbage time but choking when plays need to be made to win games.

In 5 seasons for which data is available, Palmer has had a QBR over 60 once (in 2011) and below 50 three times, including last year.

I don't understand the QBR you are talking about so this means nothing to me. Which page on the Stanford U website do I go to for an explanation? Had to go to MIT's to figure out DVOA.

Again the situational stats just don't back up his getting a lot of pluses in garbage time or choking late in games. 2012 and 2011 he was poor in the 4th down by 7 or less but in 2010 with the Bengals he wasn't.

 

[NashDishesDimes]

Not to quibble too much, but after Fitz, Peterson, Campbell, and arguably Dansby, what talent are you talking about that is proven league-average or better?

Andre Roberts, Rashard Mendenhall, Dockett, Dan Williams, Jerraud Powers, Darryl Friggin Washington, Carson Palmer.

???

 

[Cheesebeef]

As I said, there are a bunch of teams lumped together in the middle-bottom of the league. If you read that ranking as being "we're the best of the terrible teams," then you're probably right that it's an unfair ranking. If you read it--as I do--that we might be the worst of the below-average teams, then you might consider that a fair ranking.

I don't understand people who "believe" that a bunch of guys are going to be awesome, and then bellyache that national reporters don't have that same faith. Our defensive coordinator has played that role for 8 games in the last decade, and in those 8 games his defense was the worst in the NFL.

Didn't Dwash have the HUGE sack/FF against the Dolphins when we were down three late in the game and he got us the ball back which led to the tying FG?

to say he piled up stats in garbage time doesn't Wash with me. Kid's an impact player IMO and was a big reason we were making any noise the first half of the season on D.

 

[kerouac9]

Didn't Dwash have the HUGE sack/FF against the Dolphins when we were down three late in the game and he got us the ball back which led to the tying FG?

to say he piled up stats in garbage time doesn't Wash with me. Kid's an impact player IMO and was a big reason we were making any noise the first half of the season on D.

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/20120...enu=highlights&tab=analyze&analyze=playbyplay

We were down 7 at the 3:00 mark in the fourth quarter, Washington has a sack-fumble at midfield.

Fair enough.

To me, right now, Daryl Washington is more Lance Briggs than Brian Urlacher. Washington has elite physical skills, but doesn't have leadership ability or necessarily the sense of moment that his predecessor did.

Maybe that's in part because Washington hasn't had those chances, because the team has been so bad. I hope that he does step his game up to the next level. The only thing that's holding him back is his head and heart.

 

[TJ]

Two years ago, the 49ers entered the season ranked #26 per ESPN and went on to finish with a 13-3 record. Last season, the Seahawks were ranked #22 during preseason per ESPN and went on to finish with an 11-5 record.

Conversely, the Lions were ranked #9 going into last season and finished #28 with a 4-12 record.

Bottom line: the rankings today mean nothing and shouldn't be construed as anything more than a national person's opinion. Granted, most national folks don't devote much time doing qualitative analysis on the Cardinals, their gut reaction is they have seen the past three seasons of offensive ineptitude with a coaching and FO overhaul, and see no reason to give the team any benefit of the doubt.

Personally, I think if our talent and coaching is as good as many of us believe it to be, the team might be able to surprise a few opponents to begin the season. I also believe this is one of the most dificult seasons in memory to make an accurate prediction on how successful this team will truly be because of the turnover almost everywhere on the roster, coaching staff, and front office; even though it appears we accumulated a lot of good talent in the draft, FA, and via trade.

From my perspective, the ceiling is very high, but the floor is also very deep.

 

[TJ]

Andre Roberts, Rashard Mendenhall, Dockett, Dan Williams, Jerraud Powers, Darryl Friggin Washington, Carson Palmer.

???

Didn't Dwash have the HUGE sack/FF against the Dolphins when we were down three late in the game and he got us the ball back which led to the tying FG?

to say he piled up stats in garbage time doesn't Wash with me. Kid's an impact player IMO and was a big reason we were making any noise the first half of the season on D.

Why are people still arguing over Daryl Washington? You'd have an easier time arguing that water is dry and sandpaper is soft than saying D-Wash is a terrible linebacker.

 

[Catfish]

Not to quibble too much, but after Fitz, Peterson, Campbell, and arguably Dansby, what talent are you talking about that is proven league-average or better?

This----not to quibble too much K-9, but on the outside chance that this Cardinals team does ANYTHING more than tank this upcoming season, I certainly hope that you are as prepared to eat crow, (at least to the extent that you have dished out the negative on this bunch during what, to most, seems to be a very promising off-season). After putting up with all your negativity, I have a hunch that there are a number of posters who are going to be dishing it back to you if that happens.

 

[kerouac9]

This----not to quibble too much K-9, but on the outside chance that this Cardinals team does ANYTHING more than tank this upcoming season, I certainly hope that you are as prepared to eat crow, (at least to the extent that you have dished out the negative on this bunch during what, to most, seems to be a very promising off-season). After putting up with all your negativity, I have a hunch that there are a number of posters who are going to be dishing it back to you if that happens.

And that's fine. No one will be more thrilled than I if the Cards finish 8-8 or better this season. I don't begrudgingly accept success; I celebrate it.

But when you walk back through my posts, I know that you in particular rarely see me "dish[ing] out the negative on this bunch" as much as you see healthy skepticism and a realistic counter-balance to a view that apparently this team was a 10-6 roster that finished 5-11 and 1-11 over the final three-quarters of the season because Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm were terrible.

We've replaced seven-twelfths of our starting defense, which was a top 10 unit last year. We've made comparatively few changes to our offense, which was cover-your-eyes awful, except for a quarterback who was at best league-average last year in most relevant categories.

Yes, sometimes you throw a Yahtzee on the first roll, but most of the time you wind up with two or three of a kind and build up to something.

 

[MadCardDisease]

We've replaced seven-twelfths of our starting defense.

When did they replace the 12th man? Did I get kicked out of my seats?

 

[kerouac9]

When did they replace the 12th man? Did I get kicked out of my seats?

I was counting nickel corner, but you could alternatively count Ray Horton, or count half of each as one starter.

 

[Duckjake]

Bottom line: the rankings today mean nothing and shouldn't be construed as anything more than a national person's opinion. Granted, most national folks don't devote much time doing qualitative analysis on the Cardinals, their gut reaction is they have seen the past three seasons of offensive ineptitude with a coaching and FO overhaul, and see no reason to give the team any benefit of the doubt.

True, because in most early rankings the writers just take last years' finish and predict the same for the coming year. About the only time they change anything is if a team picks up a big name QB. Like Manning in Denver and Luck in Indy.

I do think ranking the team 3 slots lower than where they were last season is odd since the #1 problem with the team was QB play and Palmer should be recognized by the national media as better than the 3 stooges.

 

[kerouac9]

True, because in most early rankings the writers just take last years' finish and predict the same for the coming year. About the only time they change anything is if a team picks up a big name QB. Like Manning in Denver and Luck in Indy.

I do think ranking the team 3 slots lower than where they were last season is odd since the #1 problem with the team was QB play and Palmer should be recognized by the national media as better than the 3 stooges.

Not so, my friend:

http://espn.go.com/nfl/powerrankings/_/year/2012/week/0

Like many of us, we thought the 2012 Colts would be a work in progress.

 

[Mulli]

And that's fine. No one will be more thrilled than I if the Cards finish 8-8 or better this season. I don't begrudgingly accept success; I celebrate it.

But when you walk back through my posts, I know that you in particular rarely see me "dish[ing] out the negative on this bunch" as much as you see healthy skepticism and a realistic counter-balance to a view that apparently this team was a 10-6 roster that finished 5-11 and 1-11 over the final three-quarters of the season because Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm were terrible.

We've replaced seven-twelfths of our starting defense, which was a top 10 unit last year. We've made comparatively few changes to our offense, which was cover-your-eyes awful, except for a quarterback who was at best league-average last year in most relevant categories.

Yes, sometimes you throw a Yahtzee on the first roll, but most of the time you wind up with two or three of a kind and build up to something.

Word.

 

[MadCardDisease]

I was counting nickel corner, but you could alternatively count Ray Horton, or count half of each as one starter.

Yeah I was just playing with you.

Still don't see how you get to only 5 starters returning:

I've got at least 6 and if you include Schofield that's 7 starters from last year still on the team.

DD
CC
Dan Williams
Sam Acho
DWash
PP

Schofield

The ways I see it we lost Lenon, Rhodes, Toler, Gay and Wilson out of the 12 starters. That would be five-twelveths. Plus Wilson was loosing playing time towards the end of the season to R Johnson. So you could consider that a half right there to ballance out the half for Horton.

 

[kerouac9]

Yeah I was just playing with you.

Still don't see how you get to only 5 starters returning:

I've got at least 6 and if you include Schofield that's 7 starters from last year still on the team.

DD
CC
Dan Williams
Sam Acho
DWash
PP

Schofield

The ways I see it we lost Lenon, Rhodes, Toler, Gay and Wilson out of the 12 starters. That would be five-twelveths. Plus Wilson was loosing playing time towards the end of the season to R Johnson. So you could consider that a half right there to ballance out the half for Horton.

I'm not counting Washington, because he's not going to be available to start the season, and there's a (slim, IMO) chance that he gets additional time off for bad behavior.

Again, go and check the facts on Wilson. It's little bit of a pain to go through FootballOutsiders' Snap Counts, but he was playing more than 85% of the defensive snaps at the end of the year. The story of Wilson ceding time to Rashard Johnson at the end of 2012 is really massively exaggerated.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Again, go and check the facts on Wilson. It's little bit of a pain to go through FootballOutsiders' Snap Counts, but he was playing more than 85% of the defensive snaps at the end of the year. The story of Wilson ceding time to Rashard Johnson at the end of 2012 is really massively exaggerated.

+1


Personally I have no idea how people think the current safety situation is not a very big step back in talent and skill.

Adrian Wilson and Kerry Rhodes made a lot of plays for this team last year, and the years before them.

When the Cardinals let those players go, they let go of two of their better play makers, and overall players.

.........and all the press on Yeremiah Bell is not going to change that.

 

[kerouac9]

+1


Personally I have no idea how people think the current safety situation is not a very big step back in talent and skill.

Adrian Wilson and Kerry Rhodes made a lot of plays for this team last year, and the years before them.

When the Cardinals let those players go, they let go of two of their better play makers, and overall players.

.........and all the press on Yeremiah Bell is not going to change that.

But he's got big biceps!

And... the secret in the Rashad Johnson story is that he was still splitting snaps at the end of the year. Rashad Johnson didn't "win" anything like a competition for even the #2 FS job.