If Cards Don't Chip John Abraham...

[Mitch]

They will lose this game. Period. Mike Gandy has been good...but to think he will handle Abraham on an island is foolish.

Line up the TE or slot WR wide and motion him toward Abraham once he's down in his three point stance and then chip down on him (taking away his first step burst to the outside) and then release into a pattern. Gandy can get square on him and slow him down from there.

The Cardinals absolutlely MUST protect Kurt Warner in this game and throughout the playoffs. Warner is the key.

 

[Redheart]

From your lips to coach's ears...

 

[82CardsGrad]

They will lose this game. Period. Mike Gandy has been good...but to think he will handle Abraham on an island is foolish.

Line up the TE or slot WR wide and motion him toward Abraham once he's down in his three point stance and then chip down on him (taking away his first step burst to the outside) and then release into a pattern. Gandy can get square on him and slow him down from there.

The Cardinals absolutlely MUST protect Kurt Warner in this game and throughout the playoffs. Warner is the key.

Totally agree Mitch... And, when they choose not to chip Abraham and allow him to get upfield, they better have a screen pass called!!!!!!

 

[Buckybird]

Totally agree Mitch... And, when they choose not to chip Abraham and allow him to get upfield, they better have a screen pass called!!!!!!

I have a question about a screen pass. I noticed last week that we tried one to JJ and he was being held and tackled all in one play. I know the rule is no contact after 5 yards. But how the NFL can justify tackling a guy before he gets to actually catch a pass is beyond me. Anyone have an answer to this?

 

[SuperSpck]

Totally agree Mitch... And, when they choose not to chip Abraham and allow him to get upfield, they better have a screen pass called!!!!!!

Yup. Get the man some help. Abraham deserves respect and another warm body, to slow him down, if only for a moment. The game is about inches after all.

 

[RonF]

It's tough protecting Warner from the pass rush beasties when he works out of shotgun most of the time. Hopefully, Edge will be able to establish the run allowing Kurt to work behind the center and use the play action past.

 

[Syracusecards]

That's one thing I noticed about the last game. Seems like they had a back sitting in for protection quite a bit and it helped dramatically. I don't know if it was JJ not running the right play or if Kurt made a check at the line, but I remember one time JJ was in the slot and Kurt called him to come back in for pass protection.

That's the thing that never makes sense to me. 3 WR's is all you need on the field for us. I don't care if Fitz is doubled, you can still throw it to him. Get max protection and this also helps our run game by having some bigger bodies in there.

 

[CardLogic]

Abraham has been pretty dinged up lately and the Falcon's defense overall has been less effective the last several games.

Falcons concerned about their ailing defense

By GEORGE HENRY
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FLOWERY BRANCH, GA.

• Atlanta coach Mike Smith can only hope John Abraham and Lawyer Milloy are quick healers.
With just four days to prepare for a wild-card game at Arizona, the Falcons aren’t the same aggressive defense without Abraham, one of the NFL’s elite pass rushers, and Milloy, their most experienced runstopper.
Even more disconcerting is Atlanta’s discrepancy in turnover margin since its Week 10 victory over New Orleans.
Despite winning five of their last seven games, the Falcons had just five takeaways during that span as quarterback Matt Ryan’s interceptions accounted for six of Atlanta’s 12 giveaways.
The Falcons, at minus-3 for the season, and Minnesota, at minus-6, are the only two teams in either conference to make the playoffs after ending the regular season under zero.
Abraham, whose 16 1/2 sacks were a career high and led all NFL defensive ends this season, didn’t play in the second half of a 31-27 victory over St. Louis because of shoulder, neck and thigh injuries that have bothered him the last seven weeks.
Though he made every start for the second straight year and earned his fourth Pro Bowl invitation, Abraham was held to low snap counts in games and a limited number of reps in practice since suffering a mild concussion in a Week 12 win over Carolina.
If the Falcons (11-5) had been fighting for a playoff spot instead of trying to earn a higher seed by beating the Rams and hoping Carolina would lose at New Orleans, Abraham insists he would’ve played in the second half.
Instead, with a postseason berth assured the previous week at Minnesota, Atlanta didn’t dress left end Jamaal Anderson (high ankle sprain) for the first time in his career and used Abraham sparingly.
A back injury sidelined Milloy for the first time in 94 games as the four-time Pro Bowl safety missed just the sixth game of his 13-year career.
Smith sidestepped whether Milloy, Abraham or Anderson will be ready against Arizona.
“As is always the case this time of year, there’s guys all across the league that are banged up,” he said.
“We’ll know a lot more in regards to our players on Tuesday.”

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

St.Louis hurt them quite a bit on swing passes to Steven Jackson last week and SJax ran all over them as well.

 

[Stout]

I have a question about a screen pass. I noticed last week that we tried one to JJ and he was being held and tackled all in one play. I know the rule is no contact after 5 yards. But how the NFL can justify tackling a guy before he gets to actually catch a pass is beyond me. Anyone have an answer to this?

Because there's usually a fake handoff, or at least the ghost of one, and so the defenders have a legit excuse for trying to tackle.

 

[Falcons365]

Abraham and Milloy will be ready to go.. If they arent, its going to be a totally different defense out there for Atlanta.

To be honest, St. Louis played very well against us. They didnt have mant penalties, and I dont think they turned the ball over much. They fed Steven Jackson and we didnt have a safety that could come down into the box like Milloy can.

We are an okay defense with very limited pass rushing options on the DLine outside of Abraham. Babineaux is a UT with good pass rush skills. The problem is our LDE. Right now we have a 2nd year guy Jamaal Anderson from Arkansas. Hes started 30+ games and only posted 2 sacks. 0 in his rookie season. Thats the problem.

And we only have 2 hard hitting LBs (Lofton and Wire), neither of which play in our nickel package. In the nickel, Brooking and Boley are out there. People have been going 3 wide and running against us right up the guy.

 

[joeshmo]

I think we will for the sole purpose that he is the only one worth worring about in pass protection. He has half of their sack total, and even the horrible Levi Brown can handle Anderson on the opposite side one on one.

They also play a cover two scheme which means mostly underneath quick hitters which should help out.

 

[Falcons 3652]

I think we will for the sole purpose that he is the only one worth worring about in pass protection. He has half of their sack total, and even the horrible Levi Brown can handle Anderson on the opposite side one on one.

They also play a cover two scheme which means mostly underneath quick hitters which should help out.

I will be surprised if Anderson starts.. look for Chauncey Davis to get the start. He has much better passing rushing skills and is an all around better player. He actually gets sacks and tackles for loss. Davis will win 1v1's with Levi Brown. Its just a matter of whether Warner gets rid of the ball or not.

 

[O]

I will be surprised if Anderson starts.. look for Chauncey Davis to get the start. He has much better passing rushing skills and is an all around better player. He actually gets sacks and tackles for loss. Davis will win 1v1's with Levi Brown. Its just a matter of whether Warner gets rid of the ball or not.

I love the people that come on here and no idea about our team.
You may know your team but you have no idea about ours, it's all preconceived notions.
Be ready for a rude awakening!