Football Outsiders: Cards Defense Best in NFL

[kerouac9]

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/dvoa-ratings/2013/week-9-dvoa-ratings

I'll eat crow on this. I was wrong about Todd Bowles. Guys are playing up to their talent level under him, and he's putting people in the position to be successful.

Some credit has to go to defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. We thought that the Cardinals defense was going to be in trouble this year, with previous defensive coordinator Ray Horton leaving for Cleveland. Horton has made the Browns better, but his departure has not made the Cardinals worse. Bowles looked like a terrible hire as defensive coordinator when you considered the way the Eagles defense crashed and burned when he took over as interim coordinator halfway through the 2012 season, and Arizona was due for some regression on defense after improving from 20th in 2011 to sixth in 2012. There were plenty of reasons to expect this defense to have problems in 2013, but they've been outstanding. Tyrann Mathieu has been a Rookie of the Year candidate, John Abraham has been a strong addition to the pass rush, and Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell are both excellent on the defensive line. Patrick Peterson is now one of the league's top corners, and the Cardinals rank fourth in DVOA against No. 1 receivers and sixth against No. 2 recievers.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

I'll eat crow on this. I was wrong about Todd Bowles. Guys are playing up to their talent level under him, and he's putting people in the position to be successful.

+1

Make room at the table.

I will bring the blue-berry sauce.

Cannot believe how well the defense is playing.

It has been really fun to watch this defense.

The #1 biggest surprise ? John Abraham. I know Dansby has been playing well, but wholly moly, John Abraham is the real deal, and for his age it is just incredible.

 

[b8rtm8nn]

I thought Bowles would be solid, but not this good.

The grief he was given in Philadelphia irked me - when interviewed about their poor play, he would talk about calling a cover-3 and some of the players didn't know how to play that scheme. You can't teach what he considers fundamentals mid-way through a failing season.

Apparently he can coach well enough to get everyone playing solid and keep pressure on the entire game (which is the best part of his play calling so far, IMO).

 

[RugbyMuffin]

keep pressure on the entire game (which is the best part of his play calling so far, IMO).

No disrespect to Bowles, but Campbell, Dockett, and especially John Abraham has a lot to do with keeping the pressure on.

 

[Jay Cardinal]

Good to see the defense and Bowles getting credit for their hard work. They have kept us in nearly every game with their play. Also exciting that we have young players at all three levels, should be good for a long time.

 

[Totally_Red]

Love this tidbit:

So far the Cardinals have played the league's fourth hardest schedule of opposing offenses.

Todd Bowles has exceeded my expectations. He seems to be able to scheme with the best of them, and frequently makes half-time adjustments to correct any first-half deficiencies. Can't really blame him for coverage breakdowns which have frequently left receivers running free. That's on the players.

Now if the offense can get their act together.....

 

[Cheesebeef]

i'll take a heaping serving of crow as well. love, love, love what this defense has been able to do.

and in time, it can only get better. We have 4 GREAT building blocks at every level of the D with a super-young-stud on the D-Line with Campbell, at LBer with Washington, at CB with PP and at S with Matheiu.

that being said, I REALLY hope they don't let Dansby walk in the off-season. He's got at least two good years left in him and with the salary cap room they opened up in the Brown trade this year, I can't think of anyone else as deserving of an extension then him at this point.

 

[TJ]

No disrespect to Bowles, but Campbell, Dockett, and especially John Abraham has a lot to do with keeping the pressure on.

Dockett was virtually useless last season. I think, at the very least, the Bowels Movement should get credit for putting him in a position to succeed, which wasn't the case under Horton.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Dockett was virtually useless last season. I think, at the very least, the Bowels Movement should get credit for putting him in a position to succeed, which wasn't the case under Horton.

Sure.

No doubt.

But, John Abraham is the straw the stirs the drink. He creates so much pressure, and needs so much attention it opens everything up.

It causes the guards to chose who they are going to double team between Campbell and Dockett.

Just when the offensive line thinks they have it squared away, Dansby and Washington start blitzing the A gaps, and we have all seen the delicious sweet havoc the create in the backfield of opposing offenses.

So much fun to watch this defense.

 

[GatorAZ]

That's also without a SS, #2 CB and consistent pass-rush!

 

[SeattleCard]

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[Austin Zonie]

Sure.

Just when the offensive line thinks they have it squared away, Dansby and Washington start blitzing the A gaps, and we have all seen the delicious sweet havoc the create in the backfield of opposing offenses.

So much fun to watch this defense.

I love this. The A gap blitz has to be my favorite blitz. Second would be seeing Mathieu coming off the QBs blind side. This is a very fun D to watch.

 

[BigRedRage]

excited for some football, its been sooooo long.

 

[Cheesebeef]

excited for some football, its been sooooo long.

seriously...between the thursday night debacle, the Falcons game and the bye, I feel like i've been missing my usual dose of misery/elation for the last three weeks.

I'm jonesing big time and can't wait to fly in for the game this weekend!

 

[BigRedRage]

seriously...between the thursday night debacle, the Falcons game and the bye, I feel like i've been missing my usual dose of misery/elation for the last three weeks.

I'm jonesing big time and can't wait to fly in for the game this weekend!

yeah i didnt even really watch football on the bye week. I turned on the morning games but it was 2 games I had ZERO interest in and I went and did other stuff instead. It was a pleasant break but im ready to get back into it.

 

[Darkside]

I gotta fess up: I thought Bowles was an awful hire and expected our defense to suck. That is all.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 4

 

[TJ]

Sure.

No doubt.

But, John Abraham is the straw the stirs the drink. He creates so much pressure, and needs so much attention it opens everything up.

It causes the guards to chose who they are going to double team between Campbell and Dockett.

Just when the offensive line thinks they have it squared away, Dansby and Washington start blitzing the A gaps, and we have all seen the delicious sweet havoc the create in the backfield of opposing offenses.

So much fun to watch this defense.

There are two things I take away from this defense: more A gap pressure and Dockett playing a pivotal role once again. D-Wash and Dansby have to be accounted for at all times.

And you;re right. Even though Abraham isn't nearly the athlete he once was, his mind is still sharp as a tac and still needs to be recognized in the OC's game plan. If anything, he's a threat to strip sack at any given time.

 

[Mulli]

There are two things I take away from this defense: more A gap pressure and Dockett playing a pivotal role once again. D-Wash and Dansby have to be accounted for at all times.

And you;re right. Even though Abraham isn't nearly the athlete he once was, his mind is still sharp as a tac and still needs to be recognized in the OC's game plan. If anything, he's a threat to strip sack at any given time.

Really Old Abe's only sacks (3) occurred in the last 2 games. With his only FF against SEA.

 

[cardncubfan]

Dockett was virtually useless last season. I think, at the very least, the Bowels Movement should get credit for putting him in a position to succeed, which wasn't the case under Horton.

Maybe now Bucky will stop with his constant spelling of Bowles like above.

 

[TJ]

Maybe now Bucky will stop with his constant spelling of Bowles like above.

My juvenile sense of humor can't help it

 

[Cheesebeef]

Really Old Abe's only sacks (3) occurred in the last 2 games. With his only FF against SEA.

yeah...Abraham was a ghost the first six weeks of the season, but finally showed something against two horrific offensive lines. Hopefully that was just a matter of learning the scheme getting his feet under him, but he'll need to continue to show what he has for at least another couple games before I call him a difference maker like some are lauding him to be after only two good games.

 

[TJ]

Really Old Abe's only sacks (3) occurred in the last 2 games. With his only FF against SEA.

Watch his technique. Most LBs focus on wrapping the QB up and throwing him to the ground. Abraham gets his left arm around the QB while pulling for the ball from his right or tomahawking it.

He's also getting more playing time due to the injuries at OLB. He was supposed to be a situational player, not a starter.

 

[Shane]

That's also without a SS, #2 CB and consistent pass-rush!

I think we play a SS and a #2 CB every week.

 

[kerouac9]

Really Old Abe's only sacks (3) occurred in the last 2 games. With his only FF against SEA.

Yeah... Folk pimping John Abraham are suffering from (a) recency bias, (b) hope, or (c) a combination thereof.

They might be well-advised to remember that the Walking Joey Porter Dead slouched, shuffled, and stumbled himself to 4 sacks in Weeks 6-8 of the 2010 season, then managed 0 sacks the rest of the year and 1 sack the remainder of his career.

 

[Mulli]

yeah...Abraham was a ghost the first six weeks of the season, but finally showed something against two horrific offensive lines. Hopefully that was just a matter of learning the scheme getting his feet under him, but he'll need to continue to show what he has for at least another couple games before I call him a difference maker like some are lauding him to be after only two good games.

Ya, feel free to not go 6 games without a sack if that is your only job as a situational player.