Game One in Retrospect

[Catfish]

1. BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER-----(to me, this was a positively beautiful game). We won a division game, on the road, in hostile territory, on a day when nearly everybody's divisional darlings lost big to the Sea Hags. We did this DESPITE having to overcome nearly every possible obstacle that we could face in order to record a WIN !!! It might have been brutal, and brutally ugly, but it translates to a huge 'W' on a day when SOOOOOOO much went SOOOOOOO wrong.

2. CREDIT THE RAMS WHO-----apparently have found their QBOF in Bradford, and who, (after taking a physical licking much of the day, suddenly stood up and dedided that they 'weren't going to take it any more', and who then grew some as a team.

3. CREDIT THE CARDINALS WHO-----despite having to overcome enormous difficulties, simply refused to lay down and accept a loss on a day when nearly everything that could go wrong ----- DID !!!!!

4. THANK GOD FOR KERRY RHODES ----- who'se acquisition made it possible for A-Dub to once again become A-Dub, and thank you A-Dub for a MONSTER performance just when we needed it the most. You put this team on your back and carried them to a huge WIN on a day when that seemed to be such a remote possibility. Fans of the BIG RED, WITNESS THE BIRTH OF ONE OF THE BEST SAFETY TANDEMS IN THE LEAGUE.

5. CREDIT GREG TOLER, who withstood the onslaught that was hurled at him all day as Bradford and company steered away from DRC. Can you imagine what this game might have become with Bryant (backwards facing) McFadden playing opposite DRC today. As with the safeties, witness the birth of a new and VERY GOOD corner back tandem in DRC and Toler.

6. BRYAN ROBINSON is not the answer to stopping the run up the middle. How is it possible that Watson is inactivated on a day when the Rams needed Steven Jackson to carry a load up the middle in order to loosen up our secondary so that Bradford could get a passing attack going? Thank God that Alan Branch was avialable to press into emergency service at the nose, just enough to plug the huge hole in our middle.

7. HOW CAN CLARK HAGGANS, jump offside late in the first half at a critical juncture in the game, then manage to get back before the ball is snapped, ONLY TO JUMP YET AGAIN before the same play is done, causing a critical penalty to be incurred by our defense when they needed a rest-----AND HOW IN HELL CAN HE MANAGE TO REPEAT THE EXACT SAME SCENARIO IN THE THIRD QUARTER UNDER ALMOST IDENTICAL CIRCUMSTANCES ???????
8. FINALLY ----- credit the entire team, for REFUSING to give up when it would have been so very easy to do so, and who managed to salvage a truly BEAUTIFUL WIN from such an UGLY AND IMPROBABLE series of circumstances.

 

[Perfectionist]

2nd

Nice way to look at this game Catfish.

 

[Garthshort]

To his credit, Hagans has a non-stop motor. Unfortunately, this will hurt us from time to time. Just hope it's not too often.

 

[Cardsfanstl]

Good way to look at it.

 

[Pariah]

I thought haggans just timed that snap in the second half perfectly. He wasn't offsides. I almost threw a beer can through my tv.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

Every time is hear, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." I think of the old Twighlight Zone with the people with the pig faces.

 

[seesred]

I vote Catfish the after game post of the day.

GBR
40

 

[mrbyte]

A nice positive spin on the game Catfish though I really think the post should be called 'The bullet we dodged'

Two players IMO carried the team to victory Stevie Breaston for his receiving and his two stops on the fumbles and forced fumble that basically saved us from a major mishap!!

and obviously A-Dub

 

[chickenhead]

I'm not saying there aren't concerns, but if we were a team in the AFC North or NFC East we'd be getting credit for winning ugly on the road, "which is what you have to do in the NFL." Week one is very unpredictable: the Cards *should* have won in that they were favored, and they did. I'll take it.

 

[Doug]

FISH.......You Sir are undoubtably the most realistic and yet positive poster anywhere.If people TRULY understood what it takes to win a First week NFL game in Division on the Road and the weeks spent in preperation for that game as no other game in the season is prepared for,"Its just crazy" to come home with a "W".

Did everyone see the Lions lose? Did you see the Cowpies lose? Both away games against Divisional teams that will change a whole season.Just as the 9ers got it handed to them by the new Seahawks.A nasty spanking and not the wars the other two games I mentioned.

I loved all the new players on our team that showed up to play.Feel bad for Tim Hightower not having a better camera angle that showed that he was down first before the ball came out.

We struggled out the gate with Kurt Warner before out of sync with his wide recievers as we always play vanilla so much in Whiz' preseasons.

Can't believe I'm gonna give Kudo's to an old vet I thought was toast from everything I saw in pre-season,yet when gametime came he made some really good plays as our new offensive guard who still lacks in passing situations.

I saw a guy drafted NO.1 at my position on my team from FSU who from day one I met him always played with an I deserve attitude and never showed it on the field EVER!.Last night traded and starting for the cowboys he made the game losing holding call.(Alex Barron)not traded but given away for an old OHIO STATE LB Carpenter who never transfered his College talent to the NFL.

So many positives the Cardinals have yet to see and have on our team.Its a growing process and atlanta is gonna really test Toler,DRC& McBride next week with their wide recievers as it took Troy Palamaulo's game winning interception for the steelers to escape a Home Overtime game with the Falcons.Plus the falcons have their bowling ball rb in form again early.
I personally want to see our stud Washington to help cover Gonzalez as we seem to struggle in recent history against stud Tight Ends.I think a healthy Beanie Wells could have or will have a big game along with the Howler who needs more playing time in the NFL.

I'm expecting a win in Atlanta as we play well inside with our group and expect a great offensive and defensive game.

Cheer up fans we have a chance to win every week we compete and our coaches make great plans for our team who is very rich in players this year.The LB position still scares me but Lenon played very well yeasterday as did Washington.Health will be our Key as it always is every year.

Thanks coach Lott for what you've done for this team.Lets get more Positive around here.We have a lot to be looking forward too with a very tough schedule this year.May be my last year but I struggled yesterday watching my old & New team.I wore a giant red Cardinals shirt watching the game.Don't sleep on the Cardinals this year as everyone else has decided to do in a very nasty attitude all offseason I avoided.

Listen to the FISH!!!!!

 

[MadCardDisease]

Great post Fish. I totally agree.

 

[crisper57]

Is it not better to get and ugly win (Cards) than be on the receiving end of a pretty loss (Rams)?

I think our defense was gritty and pretty damn impressive for most of the game. They carried out team yesterday.

 

[CardLogic]

In their first full game together the Cardinals DB's; Wilson, Rhodes, Toler and Rodgers-Cromartie; were outstanding!

 

[RonF]

Well done, well said.

 

[Catfish]

FISH.......You Sir are undoubtably the most realistic and yet positive poster anywhere.If people TRULY understood what it takes to win a First week NFL game in Division on the Road and the weeks spent in preperation for that game as no other game in the season is prepared for,"Its just crazy" to come home with a "W".

Did everyone see the Lions lose? Did you see the Cowpies lose? Both away games against Divisional teams that will change a whole season.Just as the 9ers got it handed to them by the new Seahawks.A nasty spanking and not the wars the other two games I mentioned.

I loved all the new players on our team that showed up to play.Feel bad for Tim Hightower not having a better camera angle that showed that he was down first before the ball came out.

We struggled out the gate with Kurt Warner before out of sync with his wide recievers as we always play vanilla so much in Whiz' preseasons.

Can't believe I'm gonna give Kudo's to an old vet I thought was toast from everything I saw in pre-season,yet when gametime came he made some really good plays as our new offensive guard who still lacks in passing situations.

I saw a guy drafted NO.1 at my position on my team from FSU who from day one I met him always played with an I deserve attitude and never showed it on the field EVER!.Last night traded and starting for the cowboys he made the game losing holding call.(Alex Barron)not traded but given away for an old OHIO STATE LB Carpenter who never transfered his College talent to the NFL.

So many positives the Cardinals have yet to see and have on our team.Its a growing process and atlanta is gonna really test Toler,DRC& McBride next week with their wide recievers as it took Troy Palamaulo's game winning interception for the steelers to escape a Home Overtime game with the Falcons.Plus the falcons have their bowling ball rb in form again early.
I personally want to see our stud Washington to help cover Gonzalez as we seem to struggle in recent history against stud Tight Ends.I think a healthy Beanie Wells could have or will have a big game along with the Howler who needs more playing time in the NFL.

I'm expecting a win in Atlanta as we play well inside with our group and expect a great offensive and defensive game.

Cheer up fans we have a chance to win every week we compete and our coaches make great plans for our team who is very rich in players this year.The LB position still scares me but Lenon played very well yeasterday as did Washington.Health will be our Key as it always is every year.

Thanks coach Lott for what you've done for this team.Lets get more Positive around here.We have a lot to be looking forward too with a very tough schedule this year.May be my last year but I struggled yesterday watching my old & New team.I wore a giant red Cardinals shirt watching the game.Don't sleep on the Cardinals this year as everyone else has decided to do in a very nasty attitude all offseason I avoided.

Listen to the FISH!!!!!

Thanks for your support Doug-----I believe that the coaches will be far less critical of yesterdays performances than the fans are. While there is a dearth of things that need to be improved, at least they will acknowlege those things that we did well. During the off-season I praised the selection of Donnie Henderson for DB coach. In my opinion, yesterday's performance of our starting corners and starting safeties justifies that praise. We have truly witnessed the birth of two great player tandems at each of those positions-----AMONG THE VERY BEST IN THE LEAGUE. Time and time again, our defesive secondary came up with the stops and turnovers necessary to cement this win.

Lets face it. Our defense was blown up early this off-season with the departure of so much talent, yet they have reloaded very well thank you. The proof is out there on the field.

Our offense, unfortunately was blown up far later in the off-season, putting a tremendous load on our newly selected QB to carry early this season. He was not without fault in yesterday's game, but lets keep it in perspective. He managed enough success to eke out a WIN on a day where this team almost certainly wouldn't have in the past.

FOR ANY OF YOU BELIEVING THAT THE RAMS WILL BE ONE GAME WINNERS THIS YEAR, YOU HAD BETTER THINK AGAIN. That team has found the right pieces to build its offense and defense around, and I submit that they will have far more than the one win of last year. This is becoming a very solid looking bunch of youngsters who came together at some point in yesterday's game, and decided that they weren't going to take it anymore. Yes, they lost, but they lost fighting to the very last second. I admire that in a team, and this one deserves that admiration. These Rams will acquit themsesves very well, I believe, this year.

Meanwhile, out offense has gained some time to work out the kinks and gain some cohesiveness together. This next week of practice is going to be critical in preparing to go on to another east coast road game at !0:00 in the A.M. I am more than sure that the coaches will have found a few things to work on, as they should.

Meanwhile we, as fans, should at least be thankful for what he DID ACCOMPLISH THIS WEEK. WE GOT A HUGE WIN, (UGLY), BUT HUGE.