How important is our first game?

[slanidrac16]

I know we will have a better grasp of how this team is shaping up by the time we get thru pre-season, but how big is our first game?
Do we or can we expect to go into St. Louis and steal a victory on opening day? Will a loss be very detrimental to this team?
Personally, I think an opening day win would be HUGE and would set the tone for the entire season for the team and fans alike. I don't think it's an impossible task. We had the Rams last year and let them off the hook.
Would a loss be the end of the world? Of coarse not. Naturally we can't go in there and get blown out 40-3 or anything like that. A well played, well fought game could still be turned into a positive thing.

But how sweet would a 1-0 record look? Another plus, 1-0 in the division...huge.

Any thoughts?

 

[TigToad]

Opening Day

I think the first game is critical to our season. We have a very tough schedule, especially the first half of the year. Of the 7 or so games I think we can/should win, 5 of them are in the last half of the year. To stay competitive and keep morale up we need to win all of the close ones in the front half. I think opening day in St. Louis will be key to a play off run late in the year.

 

[seesred]

If we are to see progress every game is important as in how the team is perseved by the fans that are dying to jump on board and pay for some tickets.If we would win the first game..No let me correct when we win the first game we could have a huge crowd for New England. Look bad and we still will have a decent crowd, but mostly us type of fans.

First game.. Cards 24 Rams 20

GBR
40

 

[imaCafan]

IF the Cards win in SL, I would not be suprised to see a 10-6 record. If we loose a close one, 10-6 is still a possibility. But, if we suffer a blow-out loss, I think it would be devistating and 4-12 would probably be the result.

 

[Second Deck]

Have we ever won an opening season game?The most dissappointing I remember was when we opened with the Bengals were in complete control of the game but Centers fumbled when all we had to do was hold onto the ball. I cannot imagine us being able to beat the Rams on their opener but will always hope.

 

[vince56]

Have we ever won an opening season game?The most dissappointing I remember was when we opened with the Bengals were in complete control of the game but Centers fumbled when all we had to do was hold onto the ball. I cannot imagine us being able to beat the Rams on their opener but will always hope.

1999 in Philly. Down 21-0 or 21-3 or something in the 2nd quarter. Plummer and Moore over and over again to come back...lots of diving catches... great game, clinched with a Jacke field goal.

That season could've really meant something if we had Larry, Lomas, and Jamir.

 

[Skkorpion]

The first game means nothing to the rest of the season beyond it being a W or an L. Don't fall into that trap.

Unlike McGinnis, Green will make personnel changes in timely fashion.

 

[PACardsFan]

There's no way that the Cardinals will get blown out by the Rams!!! The Rams will struggle early on as they have to figure out how to play D without Wistrom & Little. They will eventually recover, but I'll be shocked if the Rams have it together for the opener. It's always been Wistrom & Little that have reaped havoc on us. Wistrom is gone & Little is suspended. Mark my words, Green will have his team SKY HIGH for this one. The biggest improvement this team will make is that they will play MUCH, MUCH better on the road. I know most of you will think I'm nuts. but I'm predicting that the Cardinals win this game by 10 pts maybe MORE!!

 

[jerryp]

The first game is very important because all division games are important. We're not going to be a winning organization until we treat every single division game like it's life or death, regardless of our overall record. If you don't understand the importance of a week one division matchup, play Madden or ESPN Football franchises until you do.

Plus, if we win, it equals our division record from a year ago and puts us half way to eclipsing that mark. It also obliterates last years road win percentage.

Our goal should be to improve upon, in this order;

Division record
Away record
Home record

We do all three of those things in each of the next two years, we're in the playoffs in the second year.

Finally, a week one loss to the Cardinals will spark an immediate "Should they have dealt Warner and signed Bulger to a huge deal" controversy amongst the media which will affect the Rams team, and by extension help us.

So yes, that game is important.

 

[Skkorpion]

The first game is very important because all division games are important. We're not going to be a winning organization until we treat every single division game like it's life or death, regardless of our overall record. If you don't understand the importance of a week one division matchup, play Madden or ESPN Football franchises until you do.

Plus, if we win, it equals our division record from a year ago and puts us half way to eclipsing that mark. It also obliterates last years road win percentage.

Our goal should be to improve upon, in this order;

Division record
Away record
Home record

We do all three of those things in each of the next two years, we're in the playoffs in the second year.

Finally, a week one loss to the Cardinals will spark an immediate "Should they have dealt Warner and signed Bulger to a huge deal" controversy amongst the media which will affect the Rams team, and by extension help us.

So yes, that game is important.

Nice post. Logical. But not quite right for here, now.

1. Away games are the only ones on TV in AZ. We must play better and win some. First step in getting people to pay for tickets.
2. Home games. The stadium seating and amenities are awful. Reward people for buying tickets.
3. Win 8 games. That will sell 10,000 more season tickets for next year.
4. Division games. Split. That would help but frankly, nobody out here is really accustomed to despising Seattle or St. Louis yet. We already hate the 49ers.

In the long run, your list is exactly right. In the short run, we've got to get people in the seats. Winning does that and it doesn't matter if they are division wins or not.

 

[Chopper0080]

I'll say that the first game is important because it is a winnable game. In order put fans in the stands and become a successful team we have to start winning the winnable games.

Is it more important than when we play Detroit at the end of the year? Maybe slightly, but for the here and now I will say that any game that we can possibly win is important be it at the beginning or end of the year.

 

[earthsci]

Two ways to look at it.

One, I believe that Skkorp is absolutely correct in his statement that Denny will adjust. No one will be afraid of us at the beginning of the season. They will be in December.

Two, how huge would it be to beat the Rams, especially in their house? We would be jacked and so would the team. That would get the momentum started early.

 

[slanidrac16]

The biggest thing I think an opening day win does is that it immediately starts to erase the "here we go again" syndrome. A victory over the Rams would assure Greens hopes of 55,000 fans for the home opener.
September 19th, 1-0, Pat Tillman Day and the Super bowl Champs....ya gotta love it.

 

[Crimson Warrior]

IF the Cards win in SL, I would not be suprised to see a 10-6 record. If we loose a close one, 10-6 is still a possibility. But, if we suffer a blow-out loss, I think it would be devistating and 4-12 would probably be the result.

Skkorp is mostly right in that game one will not be any more "critical" than game four, or game six. The Cards went 4-2 in their first six in 02' and then, for whatever reason you want to choose, they lost 9 of their last ten. So, the early season success meant nothing in the later games.

You could turn that scenario around. The cards could go 2-4 in their first six in 04', but win 9 our of their last 10.

I do agree, however, that winning in week one would probably put more Cards fans for at SDS for week two. Also, since it is a divisional game, it probably is slightly more important than the week two match up vs. the pats.

Finally, its easier to spot a "dog" than a playoff team by week 4. I knew, in 2003, by week four, that the cards would be watching at home in January. Same thing applies to this year. A blow out loss to the rams in week one would put us on alert for another 4-12 season.

 

[Crimson Warrior]

There's no way that the Cardinals will get blown out by the Rams!!! The Rams will struggle early on as they have to figure out how to play D without Wistrom & Little. They will eventually recover, but I'll be shocked if the Rams have it together for the opener. It's always been Wistrom & Little that have reaped havoc on us. Wistrom is gone & Little is suspended. Mark my words, Green will have his team SKY HIGH for this one. The biggest improvement this team will make is that they will play MUCH, MUCH better on the road. I know most of you will think I'm nuts. but I'm predicting that the Cardinals win this game by 10 pts maybe MORE!!

So, the cards go from the worst road team in the nfl to "road warriors"?

Take the cards and lay 10 in week one? Thats so crazy, it just might work!

 

[RedStorm]

I know we will have a better grasp of how this team is shaping up by the time we get thru pre-season, but how big is our first game?
Do we or can we expect to go into St. Louis and steal a victory on opening day? Will a loss be very detrimental to this team?
Personally, I think an opening day win would be HUGE and would set the tone for the entire season for the team and fans alike. I don't think it's an impossible task. We had the Rams last year and let them off the hook.
Would a loss be the end of the world? Of coarse not. Naturally we can't go in there and get blown out 40-3 or anything like that. A well played, well fought game could still be turned into a positive thing.

But how sweet would a 1-0 record look? Another plus, 1-0 in the division...huge.

Any thoughts?

You can't win them all if you don't win the first one.

 

[slanidrac16]

You can't win them all if you don't win the first one.

 

[gamebird98]

Guess that makes betting the Cards +9 1/2 pts. a lock.

There's no way that the Cardinals will get blown out by the Rams!!! The Rams will struggle early on as they have to figure out how to play D without Wistrom & Little. They will eventually recover, but I'll be shocked if the Rams have it together for the opener. It's always been Wistrom & Little that have reaped havoc on us. Wistrom is gone & Little is suspended. Mark my words, Green will have his team SKY HIGH for this one. The biggest improvement this team will make is that they will play MUCH, MUCH better on the road. I know most of you will think I'm nuts. but I'm predicting that the Cardinals win this game by 10 pts maybe MORE!!

 

[jerryp]

Nice post. Logical. But not quite right for here, now.

1. Away games are the only ones on TV in AZ. We must play better and win some. First step in getting people to pay for tickets.
2. Home games. The stadium seating and amenities are awful. Reward people for buying tickets.
3. Win 8 games. That will sell 10,000 more season tickets for next year.
4. Division games. Split. That would help but frankly, nobody out here is really accustomed to despising Seattle or St. Louis yet. We already hate the 49ers.

In the long run, your list is exactly right. In the short run, we've got to get people in the seats. Winning does that and it doesn't matter if they are division wins or not.

Thanks Skkorp,

I made the mistake of making that post without even thinking of it from the Arizonian(?) point of view. So yes, home games are what's important first and foremost. I still think that division games are very important though. The reason being is that by winning a division game you are also winning a home or away game. And even more importantly it gives you a buffer to work with. If you go a game up on a division opponent (by beating them) and then lose to a non-division opponent while they beat one, you're not tied. You have the tie breaker. The week one game against the Rams is the perfect example of that.

I just think over the next 2-3 seasons, we're not going to have a wildcard team in our division. The division record is going to send one 10-6 team to the playoffs and make another one cry into their Mountain Dew. So I guess it's that thinking, that the division is going to be a free for all in a few years, is what's governing my thinking and I'm not really thinking about this year.

Edit: Two k's in Skkorp, one r...two k's in Skkorp, one r...two k's in Skkorp, one r...

 

[Twist18]

Anyone else going to this game? I will be there with my Wadsworth jersey. Hopefully it will bring the Cards better luck than it did Wads.

 

[nidan]

frankly, nobody out here is really accustomed to despising Seattle or St. Louis yet. We already hate the 49ers.

Not sure I agree Skorp, I despise the Rams almost as bad as I despise the Cowboys.

 

[CaptTurbo]

The first game means nothing to the rest of the season beyond it being a W or an L. Don't fall into that trap.

Unlike McGinnis, Green will make personnel changes in timely fashion.

The reason football is the greatest sport on earth is that there are ONLY 16 games making every single one of them important.

 

[seesred]

I hated the Cowboys forever. Now they are not the boys I came to hate. So I'm gonna hate the Seabirds, Rammys and last but not least the 9rs.We are starting to think and talk like anything can happen this year.

GBR
40