Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
Someone on the board yesterday wrote that the Cardinals weren't losing for lack of effort.
I beg to disagree.
Effort manifests itself in three ways: (1) preparation; (2) physical effort; (3) mental sharpness.
The Cardinals for the past six weeks have failed in all three categories. I included the Miami game because the Cardinals were outplayed in that game and were fortunate to come away with the win. But that game in particular started a disturbing pattern---a pattern that I will discuss at the end of the post.
Preparation---
If you were watching the Seahawks' 28-7 victory over the Jets yesterday, you likely heard the NBC announcers allude to rookie QB Russell Wilson's exemplary game preparation, which begins immediately after each game on Sunday.
Wilson is handed a package of game tapes on the next opponent.
He studies them Sunday night and takes copious notes.
He looks for defensive trends---he examines the defensive personnel, their blitz packages and their cover schemes.
On Monday---he carefully examines the tapes of each of the opponents' last four games.
By Monday night he has written his own scouting report---which he shares and goes over with all of his offensive teammates---
By Wednesday he presents his teammates with a package of plays and audibles that he believes will work versus certain "looks" (formations and schemes).
This is exactly what Kurt Warner did when he took command of the Cardinals' offense.
The question is: is there evidence to suggest anyone in the Cardinals' facility has been doing the same since Warner retired?
The evidence suggests just the opposite.
At times it looks as if the Cardinals' coaches have just rolled out the exact same blueprint game after game.
If anything, it appears the opponents are so well versed and prepared for the Cardinals' offense that they know the plays before the ball is even snapped.
If we fans actually knew how little preparation Ken Whisenhunt and Mike Miller put into each game, I believe we would be outraged.
The tapes don't lie.
They tell you who is prepared and who is not.
What's even worse is that the Cardinals' lack of preparation has included not accounting for their greatest weaknesses---the inability of the offensive tackles to handle one on one assignments, and the tackle-guard tandem not being coached well enough to block a classic TEX stunt, where the DT steps hard to the outside to try to bring the guard with him, so that the DE can loop around to the inside and charge the vacated middle created when the guard chases the DT.
When the Cardinals are on offense---do you ever get the sense that they are consciously trying to exploit a weakness in the defense?
Or do you get the sense that the Cardinals just run their own stuff week after week, regardless of who the opponent is?
And finally, ever since Warner left the coaches have been lamenting "slow starts" on offense.
Why does this still remain the case, perhaps even worse now than ever?
For one, the head coach prefers to defer when winning the coin toss.
This strategy hasn't helped the offense one bit.
Then when the offense does get the ball---it's run left, run right and pass incomplete on 3rd and 9.
Running versus loaded boxes and passing versus loaded secondaries.
And when players go out and the personnel on the field changes---the same perfunctory play calls are made regardless of whatever the personnel is on the field---like trying to throw a flat pass to Reagan Maui'a on a critical 4th and 1...with the oppoenents' best CB covering, to boot.
Physical toughness---
It sure says something about the offense when the toughest player the past two games has been a a 5'7" 180 pound halfback.
It sure says something that safety Adrian Wilson who is supposed to be one of the team's toughest players merely throws a feeble shoulder toward Packers' WR Randall Cobb at the four yard line on a 4th and goal from the 14 yard line, which allowed Cobb to scamper into the endzone with ease.
Mental sharpness---
How can anyone explain Early Doucet dropping two perfectly thrown passes, both of which ended Cardinal drives.
How can anyone explain how a slow backup TE was able to run for a 75 yard TD untouched on a seam route up the middle. Just when the Cardinals had gotten within a TD, no less.
How can anyone explain how a punt goes right through both of Patrick Peterson's arms so badly that all the ball hit was his right thigh pad.
Slow starts?
When you watch the last six games---here's the pattern I alluded to in the beginning of the post---
The Cardinals are playing first half like it's the NBA.
You know, keep it slow and not turn the real burners on until the 4th quarter.
Well, in the NBA both teams tend to do it. They play 82 games after all.
But in the NFL? 16 games?
The Cardinals' offense just goes through the motions trying to feel the defense out and playing with no confidence or direction in the first half.
The Cardinals' defense was coming out stronger the first 3 games---but not anymore---they too a rolling through the motions---only in their case the DC makes adjustments at half-time and does his best to get the unit fired up.
The offense? Adjustments at half-time?
It took 8 1/4 games to just try another player at LT---how can one expect adjustments to be made at half-time?
This is the worst coached and most ill-prepared offense in the NFL.
And it's for lack of all three: preparation, physical toughness and mental sharpness.
And worse of all---the coaches take no blame whatsoever---it's always the players' fault for all the "missed opportunities."
I beg to disagree.
Effort manifests itself in three ways: (1) preparation; (2) physical effort; (3) mental sharpness.
The Cardinals for the past six weeks have failed in all three categories. I included the Miami game because the Cardinals were outplayed in that game and were fortunate to come away with the win. But that game in particular started a disturbing pattern---a pattern that I will discuss at the end of the post.
Preparation---
If you were watching the Seahawks' 28-7 victory over the Jets yesterday, you likely heard the NBC announcers allude to rookie QB Russell Wilson's exemplary game preparation, which begins immediately after each game on Sunday.
Wilson is handed a package of game tapes on the next opponent.
He studies them Sunday night and takes copious notes.
He looks for defensive trends---he examines the defensive personnel, their blitz packages and their cover schemes.
On Monday---he carefully examines the tapes of each of the opponents' last four games.
By Monday night he has written his own scouting report---which he shares and goes over with all of his offensive teammates---
By Wednesday he presents his teammates with a package of plays and audibles that he believes will work versus certain "looks" (formations and schemes).
This is exactly what Kurt Warner did when he took command of the Cardinals' offense.
The question is: is there evidence to suggest anyone in the Cardinals' facility has been doing the same since Warner retired?
The evidence suggests just the opposite.
At times it looks as if the Cardinals' coaches have just rolled out the exact same blueprint game after game.
If anything, it appears the opponents are so well versed and prepared for the Cardinals' offense that they know the plays before the ball is even snapped.
If we fans actually knew how little preparation Ken Whisenhunt and Mike Miller put into each game, I believe we would be outraged.
The tapes don't lie.
They tell you who is prepared and who is not.
What's even worse is that the Cardinals' lack of preparation has included not accounting for their greatest weaknesses---the inability of the offensive tackles to handle one on one assignments, and the tackle-guard tandem not being coached well enough to block a classic TEX stunt, where the DT steps hard to the outside to try to bring the guard with him, so that the DE can loop around to the inside and charge the vacated middle created when the guard chases the DT.
When the Cardinals are on offense---do you ever get the sense that they are consciously trying to exploit a weakness in the defense?
Or do you get the sense that the Cardinals just run their own stuff week after week, regardless of who the opponent is?
And finally, ever since Warner left the coaches have been lamenting "slow starts" on offense.
Why does this still remain the case, perhaps even worse now than ever?
For one, the head coach prefers to defer when winning the coin toss.
This strategy hasn't helped the offense one bit.
Then when the offense does get the ball---it's run left, run right and pass incomplete on 3rd and 9.
Running versus loaded boxes and passing versus loaded secondaries.
And when players go out and the personnel on the field changes---the same perfunctory play calls are made regardless of whatever the personnel is on the field---like trying to throw a flat pass to Reagan Maui'a on a critical 4th and 1...with the oppoenents' best CB covering, to boot.
Physical toughness---
It sure says something about the offense when the toughest player the past two games has been a a 5'7" 180 pound halfback.
It sure says something that safety Adrian Wilson who is supposed to be one of the team's toughest players merely throws a feeble shoulder toward Packers' WR Randall Cobb at the four yard line on a 4th and goal from the 14 yard line, which allowed Cobb to scamper into the endzone with ease.
Mental sharpness---
How can anyone explain Early Doucet dropping two perfectly thrown passes, both of which ended Cardinal drives.
How can anyone explain how a slow backup TE was able to run for a 75 yard TD untouched on a seam route up the middle. Just when the Cardinals had gotten within a TD, no less.
How can anyone explain how a punt goes right through both of Patrick Peterson's arms so badly that all the ball hit was his right thigh pad.
Slow starts?
When you watch the last six games---here's the pattern I alluded to in the beginning of the post---
The Cardinals are playing first half like it's the NBA.
You know, keep it slow and not turn the real burners on until the 4th quarter.
Well, in the NBA both teams tend to do it. They play 82 games after all.
But in the NFL? 16 games?
The Cardinals' offense just goes through the motions trying to feel the defense out and playing with no confidence or direction in the first half.
The Cardinals' defense was coming out stronger the first 3 games---but not anymore---they too a rolling through the motions---only in their case the DC makes adjustments at half-time and does his best to get the unit fired up.
The offense? Adjustments at half-time?
It took 8 1/4 games to just try another player at LT---how can one expect adjustments to be made at half-time?
This is the worst coached and most ill-prepared offense in the NFL.
And it's for lack of all three: preparation, physical toughness and mental sharpness.
And worse of all---the coaches take no blame whatsoever---it's always the players' fault for all the "missed opportunities."
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), I guess the Cards gives every team player/employee money (at the airport) when they are departing for away games.
