Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
In the pre-game yesterday, I noticed two things that concerned me: (1) in listening to BA's full presser this time I thought it was out of his character philosophically to say that even if the team lost to Denver it would still come home in first place---while that's true---and I understand that he was trying to downplay this game as a "must" win or even as a so-called "statement" game---it didn't sound like something he would say, especially when he had been warning that it's a "short elevator ride to the sh&^house."
Secondly, I could not believe my eyes when I saw that OLB Thomas Keiser was inactive for the game---Keiser is the only edge rusher I have seen even remotely get close to the QB since John Abraham was concussed. Last game he nearly had Kaepernick twice versus T Joe Staley. At least Keiser was getting some pressure.
Then the game started and I was impressed with Stanton and the way the offense ran the first drive---which even included a successful TE screen pass to John Carlson, even though neither Fanaika nor Massie laid the wood on anyone while blocking ahead of the play. At least they were in tandem and leading the convoy.
Fitz had a couple of nice catches and I thought this could be a big day for the offense. Plus---having expected Veldheer and Massie to struggle with Ware and Miller, they were actually having their way with them early on.
Then the tight red zone happened and the drive stalled...and just as BA had emphasized, in this game settling for three would not be enough. Just the same, the Cardinals were on the board as Catanzaro once again split the uprights.
Note: the tight red zone is tough, especially for an inexperienced QB. Even Kurt Warner struggled with it for a while in AZ before he started getting a clearer picture of how to attack it.
The ensuing Broncos' drive was very disconcerting---while Stanton was getting hurried on his end, Peyton Manning was not pressured---and basically for the whole game, the Cardinals allowed Manning to play in a tuxedo---and any time that happens the odds of beating the Broncos, especially in that altitude, diminish to practically zero percent.
The teams that have the best chance to beat Manning are the teams like the Seahawks who can generate decent pressure with a four man rush. In the Cardinals' case, even when they sent six after Manning, the Broncos' had it covered like a blanket, or I should say like a stone wall.
Note: one can assume Manning logged a fair degree of cellphone time with brother Eli, and having two weeks to study the Cardinals' blitz packages and incorporate Eli's notes, Manning had his offense very well prepared....which is what he was doing pointing to Cardinal defenders and calling out the protection scheme before snapping the ball on Omaha.
But---none of the Cardinals' front seven was able to win the one on one battles, and even when rushing six, nary a defender got a clean shot at Manning.
However, as Manning is prone to throwing to spots, the Cardinals made two nice first half interceptions by Jerraud Powers and Calais Campbell---the second of which set up Andre Ellington's nifty 5 yard TD run to make it 14-13.
The Cardinals had excellent momentum---the Cardinals' defense got yet another stop, but the offense failed to convert on a 3rd and short---which forced a punt down to the Broncos' 14 yard line with 1:37 in the half.
At this point there is no reason to press coverage---especially with no safety help over the top---which, combined with Cromnartie's very unathletic attempt to run stride for stride with D-Thomas, Manning delivered a fingertip strike up the sideline, and Thomas was off to the races untouched for a crushing momentum swinging 21-13 lead.
Then the Cardinals' offense sputtered---and gave the ball back with still enough time for Manning to score---which he did on a deep pass to Thomas again, only TE Julius Thomas decides to try to take Calais Campbell out with a cowardly, suckerpunch shot to the right knee. The NFL is calling it a chop block---which further proves the NFL can't call a spade a spade---it was a malicious hit by Thomas, anyone can see him going right for Campbell's knee, and in a league that does all it supposedly can to protect the so-called "defenseless" player---
Mind you, this was a PASS play---not a run play---a PASS play---Thomas could have easily done what TE's do on pass plays which is chip block in the shoulder pads---instead he took aim at campbell's knee. It was egregious and a disgrace to the game of football---and now a disgrace to the NFL for not having the stones to call it what it really was.
From that point on---it is actually amazing to think that despite Drew Stanton getting knocked out and having Logan Thomas in the game, when Thomas threaded the needle to Ellington on the 81 yard wheel route TD, it is still a game, 24-20 with 3:03 left in the 3rd quarter. it's even still a game with 13;48 in the 4th quarter when McManus boinks the FG off the upright no less to increase the Broncos' lead to 27-20.
But---as hard as Logan Thomas competed---and he made every effort to stay on his feet even when getting crushed from both sides by Ware and Miller who by now had worn down the OL and were licking their chops versus a rookie QB---he couldn't get anything going---most frustratingly when, for example, he threw a perfect pass to an open Ted Ginn Jr. that would have moved the chains in a key third down situation. Thomas got no help from the line and no help from anyone not named Ellington.
The threes and outs on offense exacerbated the depleted energies of the defense---and, curiously Todd Bowles did not change his matchups even when it was clear that Cromartie was no match on this day for D-Thomas---and that Jefferson was no match for J-Thomas. We have grown accustomed to seeing Bowles make the necessary adjustments---and yet in this game there was little he did to try to manufacture pressure and coverage confusions versus a first-ballot HOF QB---with TWO WEEKS to prepare for him. Weird.
Weird too that the best edge pass rusher on the roster was deemed inactive. Watch the Cardinals' edge rushing in this game---it's an embarrassment---against one on one blocking the whole afternoon. Not once to my recollection did any edge rusher get within 20 feet of Manning. Can you think of anyone?
Amazing that the Cardinals made a game of this for three quarters---but very disappointing that so many players, especially the cadre of WRs and two lethargic DBs, played soft in this game. One would think they would have been inspired to do everything they could to beat the Peyton Manning Show.
Lastly, as good as most of the coaching staff is---we really miss ST coach Kevin Spencer---our return teams are still not getting the job done this year---and it is hard to keep watching a STs approach where the punt returner plays scared and stupid...which is what Peterson was allowed to do all of last year and is exactly what Ted Ginn Jr. is doing this year. Ginn's body language says it all. When he was playing on the Panthers last year and playing for a contract, he was out there clapping his hands and wiping the droll off his mouth when he was lining up to field punts. he was running fast routes and catching the ball. This year he looks like a ghost. And---that is as much on the coaches as it is on Ginn, because they keep running him out there.
Secondly, I could not believe my eyes when I saw that OLB Thomas Keiser was inactive for the game---Keiser is the only edge rusher I have seen even remotely get close to the QB since John Abraham was concussed. Last game he nearly had Kaepernick twice versus T Joe Staley. At least Keiser was getting some pressure.
Then the game started and I was impressed with Stanton and the way the offense ran the first drive---which even included a successful TE screen pass to John Carlson, even though neither Fanaika nor Massie laid the wood on anyone while blocking ahead of the play. At least they were in tandem and leading the convoy.
Fitz had a couple of nice catches and I thought this could be a big day for the offense. Plus---having expected Veldheer and Massie to struggle with Ware and Miller, they were actually having their way with them early on.
Then the tight red zone happened and the drive stalled...and just as BA had emphasized, in this game settling for three would not be enough. Just the same, the Cardinals were on the board as Catanzaro once again split the uprights.
Note: the tight red zone is tough, especially for an inexperienced QB. Even Kurt Warner struggled with it for a while in AZ before he started getting a clearer picture of how to attack it.
The ensuing Broncos' drive was very disconcerting---while Stanton was getting hurried on his end, Peyton Manning was not pressured---and basically for the whole game, the Cardinals allowed Manning to play in a tuxedo---and any time that happens the odds of beating the Broncos, especially in that altitude, diminish to practically zero percent.
The teams that have the best chance to beat Manning are the teams like the Seahawks who can generate decent pressure with a four man rush. In the Cardinals' case, even when they sent six after Manning, the Broncos' had it covered like a blanket, or I should say like a stone wall.
Note: one can assume Manning logged a fair degree of cellphone time with brother Eli, and having two weeks to study the Cardinals' blitz packages and incorporate Eli's notes, Manning had his offense very well prepared....which is what he was doing pointing to Cardinal defenders and calling out the protection scheme before snapping the ball on Omaha.
But---none of the Cardinals' front seven was able to win the one on one battles, and even when rushing six, nary a defender got a clean shot at Manning.
However, as Manning is prone to throwing to spots, the Cardinals made two nice first half interceptions by Jerraud Powers and Calais Campbell---the second of which set up Andre Ellington's nifty 5 yard TD run to make it 14-13.
The Cardinals had excellent momentum---the Cardinals' defense got yet another stop, but the offense failed to convert on a 3rd and short---which forced a punt down to the Broncos' 14 yard line with 1:37 in the half.
At this point there is no reason to press coverage---especially with no safety help over the top---which, combined with Cromnartie's very unathletic attempt to run stride for stride with D-Thomas, Manning delivered a fingertip strike up the sideline, and Thomas was off to the races untouched for a crushing momentum swinging 21-13 lead.
Then the Cardinals' offense sputtered---and gave the ball back with still enough time for Manning to score---which he did on a deep pass to Thomas again, only TE Julius Thomas decides to try to take Calais Campbell out with a cowardly, suckerpunch shot to the right knee. The NFL is calling it a chop block---which further proves the NFL can't call a spade a spade---it was a malicious hit by Thomas, anyone can see him going right for Campbell's knee, and in a league that does all it supposedly can to protect the so-called "defenseless" player---
Mind you, this was a PASS play---not a run play---a PASS play---Thomas could have easily done what TE's do on pass plays which is chip block in the shoulder pads---instead he took aim at campbell's knee. It was egregious and a disgrace to the game of football---and now a disgrace to the NFL for not having the stones to call it what it really was.
From that point on---it is actually amazing to think that despite Drew Stanton getting knocked out and having Logan Thomas in the game, when Thomas threaded the needle to Ellington on the 81 yard wheel route TD, it is still a game, 24-20 with 3:03 left in the 3rd quarter. it's even still a game with 13;48 in the 4th quarter when McManus boinks the FG off the upright no less to increase the Broncos' lead to 27-20.
But---as hard as Logan Thomas competed---and he made every effort to stay on his feet even when getting crushed from both sides by Ware and Miller who by now had worn down the OL and were licking their chops versus a rookie QB---he couldn't get anything going---most frustratingly when, for example, he threw a perfect pass to an open Ted Ginn Jr. that would have moved the chains in a key third down situation. Thomas got no help from the line and no help from anyone not named Ellington.
The threes and outs on offense exacerbated the depleted energies of the defense---and, curiously Todd Bowles did not change his matchups even when it was clear that Cromartie was no match on this day for D-Thomas---and that Jefferson was no match for J-Thomas. We have grown accustomed to seeing Bowles make the necessary adjustments---and yet in this game there was little he did to try to manufacture pressure and coverage confusions versus a first-ballot HOF QB---with TWO WEEKS to prepare for him. Weird.
Weird too that the best edge pass rusher on the roster was deemed inactive. Watch the Cardinals' edge rushing in this game---it's an embarrassment---against one on one blocking the whole afternoon. Not once to my recollection did any edge rusher get within 20 feet of Manning. Can you think of anyone?
Amazing that the Cardinals made a game of this for three quarters---but very disappointing that so many players, especially the cadre of WRs and two lethargic DBs, played soft in this game. One would think they would have been inspired to do everything they could to beat the Peyton Manning Show.
Lastly, as good as most of the coaching staff is---we really miss ST coach Kevin Spencer---our return teams are still not getting the job done this year---and it is hard to keep watching a STs approach where the punt returner plays scared and stupid...which is what Peterson was allowed to do all of last year and is exactly what Ted Ginn Jr. is doing this year. Ginn's body language says it all. When he was playing on the Panthers last year and playing for a contract, he was out there clapping his hands and wiping the droll off his mouth when he was lining up to field punts. he was running fast routes and catching the ball. This year he looks like a ghost. And---that is as much on the coaches as it is on Ginn, because they keep running him out there.
Last edited:
