Game 1 standouts...

[Goldfield]

NT -Gabe Watson & Langston Moore, Keep rotating those two.
DE -Antonio Smith, I would play him at UT at times.
FS -Aaron Francisco! Gunna push Griffith
MLB - Gerald Hayes, (Starter IMO)

G -Milford Brown, solid.
QB -Kurt Warner, Very sharp was impressed.
RB -J.J. Arrington, What a diff a year makes. Also good on KO's.
RB -Diamond Ferri, I was joking about his name till I saw him run. I think he takes Andersons job.
FB - John Bronson, raw but destroys guys.
PR -Troy Walters, great pickup.

(Side note)
Alex Stepanovich SUCKS... Plz start Lecky.

 

[Ryanwb]

Langston Moore is friggen quick.... he may even be quicker than Berry. Antonio Smith is also very solid.

I'm not too concerned about the DE's this season for once in my life

 

[Shane]

NT -Gabe Watson & Langston Moore, Keep rotating those two.
DE -Antonio Smith, I would play him at UT at times.
FS -Aaron Francisco! Gunna push Griffith
MLB - Gerald Hayes, (Starter IMO)

G -Milford Brown, solid.
QB -Kurt Warner, Very sharp was impressed.
RB -J.J. Arrington, What a diff a year makes. Also good on KO's.
RB -Diamond Ferri, I was joking about his name till I saw him run. I think he takes Andersons job.
FB - John Bronson, raw but destroys guys.
PR -Troy Walters, great pickup.

(Side note)
Alex Stepanovich SUCKS... Plz start Lecky.

How was JJ Arrington a standout? He had two ok runs. Other than that he averaged 1.9 yards per carry

 

[POISON]

Antonio Smith was really applying a lot of pressure consistently, reminds me of his college days!! Saw Lawrence Pinson play during garbage time, hope he could make it on the Practice Squad. OSU in AZ!!!

 

[Mitch]

Beerz: I like your thought of Antonio Smith playing some at UT...very intriguing, especially in the pass rush.

 

[Mitch]

Beerz: Go back and check the tape more closely...I thought Step played poorly too at first, but upon further review, he actually played pretty well, all things considered.

 

[Shane]

Beerz: Go back and check the tape more closely...I thought Step played poorly too at first, but upon further review, he actually played pretty well, all things considered.

Mith you have now stated that every player on the line played pretty well. Do you only consider pass protection a s a barometer for good line play?

 

[DakotaCardsFan]

How about Special Teams?

One thing that didn't stand out to me until near the end of the game was our kick coverage. Last season, I remember watching every kickoff and hoping Rackers put it out of the back of the endzone. Whenever someone started running it out, I'd get that "impending doom" feeling. During this game, we were actually making ST tackles. In fact, I think one was run out of the endzone and stopped at like the 16. I don't think that ever happened last year.

While not league leading, still a heck of a lot better than where we left off last year.

 

[spanky1]

NT -Gabe Watson & Langston Moore, Keep rotating those two.
DE -Antonio Smith, I would play him at UT at times.
FS -Aaron Francisco! Gunna push Griffith
MLB - Gerald Hayes, (Starter IMO)

G -Milford Brown, solid.
QB -Kurt Warner, Very sharp was impressed.
RB -J.J. Arrington, What a diff a year makes. Also good on KO's.
RB -Diamond Ferri, I was joking about his name till I saw him run. I think he takes Andersons job.
FB - John Bronson, raw but destroys guys.
PR -Troy Walters, great pickup.

(Side note)
Alex Stepanovich SUCKS... Plz start Lecky.

Step will be soild.....man this was the 1st PRESEASON GAME....rest and breath deep

 

[spanky1]

Beerz: I like your thought of Antonio Smith playing some at UT...very intriguing, especially in the pass rush.

Mitch,

I normally love your assessments...but Antonio Smith at UT is dumb.

 

[Mitch]

Mith you have now stated that every player on the line played pretty well. Do you only consider pass protection a s a barometer for good line play?

You know, Shane, the Cards were taking what the Steelers were giving them. The once FG happy Cardinal offense scored 2 TDs in the first half against a pretty darn good defense. Yeah, it wasn't perfect...but when you watch the tape play after play, the offensive line played with cohesiveness and intensity...and they didn't stall out drives like they used to last year. More than enough good play to give them credit for, IMO.

 

[Cardiac]

Mitch,

I normally love your assessments...but Antonio Smith at UT is dumb.

I am not on board with AS at UT since out DT rotation looks outstanding without him. Keep Berry & Okeafor fresh and AS is proving he does a very good job at DE.

If none of current DT's show they can pressure the QB during the season then I would like to see if AS can have an impact.

 

[BleedRed]

I agree with Aaron Francisco. The dude was flying around. He really impressed me. Seemed to have alot of range too. Ernest Shazor also looked good. There was one play in I believe the 4th quarter where he came off the edge on a blitz and the guard from the other side was pulling and Shazor blew him up BIG TIME!! For those of you who have the game recorded check it out.

 

[joeshmo]

Beerz: I like your thought of Antonio Smith playing some at UT...very intriguing, especially in the pass rush.

He was playing DT in a Nickel pass rush scheme. Smith was a DT when Berry got his sack. Although i think Smith should have at the least been given half a sack on tht play.

 

[joeshmo]

Mitch,

I normally love your assessments...but Antonio Smith at UT is dumb.

Tell that to Pendy becuase Smith was a DT on some pass rush schemes. Including the one were berry got his sack.

Who still has it recorded?

 

[Russ Smith]

You know, Shane, the Cards were taking what the Steelers were giving them. The once FG happy Cardinal offense scored 2 TDs in the first half against a pretty darn good defense. Yeah, it wasn't perfect...but when you watch the tape play after play, the offensive line played with cohesiveness and intensity...and they didn't stall out drives like they used to last year. More than enough good play to give them credit for, IMO.

Let's not forget Pittsburgh was playing vanilla. If you saw the transition at halftime on NFL Network from Cards announcers, to Steelers, you saw them talk to Rooney. He quite clearly said that the Cards played their starters quite a bit longer than the Steelers did, and "we expected that, with the new stadium they wanted to give their fans something to cheer about."

I thought we played well but I can't say the same for the run blocking, pass blocking was solid, run blocking stunk.

 

[joeshmo]

He quite clearly said that the Cards played their starters quite a bit longer than the Steelers did, and "we expected that, with the new stadium they wanted to give their fans something to cheer about."

We didnt do the starters that long becuase of the new stadium. Thats just Greens style. We did it last year and the year before that to.

 

[Russ Smith]

We didnt do the starters that long becuase of the new stadium. Thats just Greens style. We did it last year and the year before that to.

Just quoting Rooney, but from the way he said it, it almost seemed as if the Cards had told the steelers before the game they were going to do it and why so that they wouldn't tick anybody off?

It wasn't like we had our starters in there in the 4th quarter or anything.

 

[Assface]

Last night Jacksonville left their starting offense in untill they scored. If your starters aren't clicking it doesn't make a lot of sense to pull them early. With the change in OL coach and philosophy plus the trouble we had running the ball I'm not surprised to see the starters in for a while.

 

[ajcardfan]

Last night Jacksonville left their starting offense in untill they scored. If your starters aren't clicking it doesn't make a lot of sense to pull them early. With the change in OL coach and philosophy plus the trouble we had running the ball I'm not surprised to see the starters in for a while.

I was surprised that they left Kurt in as long as they did. It was nice that he got a 2nd TD drive, but I would've sat him after the first drive. I can understand the oline playing most of the first half though. They need the work.

 

[Big Deal]

Leonard Pope

What are your thoughts on Pope. I watched him and he seemed to make every block that was asked of him. He was finishing on blocks and even though it was against 3rd string D, I was impressed with the push he was getting.

 

[Goldfield]

How was JJ Arrington a standout? He had two ok runs. Other than that he averaged 1.9 yards per carry

Just the way he ran hard. He was getting all the yards the blocking allowed. He looked 100% better than his rookie year.

 

[Goldfield]

Step will be soild.....man this was the 1st PRESEASON GAME....rest and breath deep

My scouting of Step goes alot farther back then this game he flat out sucks. If you watch him closely he allmost NEVER blocks his guy in the running game.

Not saying Lecky is allpro or anything but he is alot better than Step.

 

[RedRob]

I thought Shipp looked better than Arrington.

Bronson looks like a bruiser.

Special teams play much improved. Walters at punt returner looked better than anything we've had in a looonnnngg time.

 

[Crimson Warrior]

One thing that didn't stand out to me until near the end of the game was our kick coverage. Last season, I remember watching every kickoff and hoping Rackers put it out of the back of the endzone. Whenever someone started running it out, I'd get that "impending doom" feeling. During this game, we were actually making ST tackles. In fact, I think one was run out of the endzone and stopped at like the 16. I don't think that ever happened last year.

While not league leading, still a heck of a lot better than where we left off last year.

I could be wrong, but I get the feeling that the big crowd will help our special teams play, (at least at home).

Also, I think walters is about 5x as good as swinton ever thought about being.