Maybe this Sundays game isn't nearly as dreadful as people think it will be. I mean lets examine a big picture feature of this game against KC.
KC loses their starting QB and they are forced to start Damon Huard at QB, who I don't think is any better than Leinart skill-wise (his NFL experience though is of critical importance). The KC team seemed to rally a bit and crushed the Niners. One of the big question marks for the Chiefs was their OL, especially at OT and while they are not lighting it up on the ground, there seems to be some hope there.
I can see some similarities with the Cards. Cards bench their starting QB and I wonder if the team will rally around that a little bit and maybe the OL, out of a sense of pride, will actually just block some people knowing Matt is back there right now. I don't know if making OL personnel adjustments is the right move before your prized rookie QoF starts but I am not sure it can hurt very much...as long as the right moves are made.
Just a thought on how the new OL should look given what we know about players (stepping out on the limb a bit here).
Big, Wells, Leckey, Liewinski, Gorin
I know it is alot to change but here is why I do this. We have no real choice but to play Big at LT right now but that isn't Matt's blind side. Wells is probably the second best OL on the team right now (wow). Leinart has been taking alot of snaps with second teams all year and the second team C is Leckey who knows how Leinart likes the snap and who has prbably built up something of a repoire with Matt. Plus Leckey has a firmer grasp of line calls above Wells I would think. Milford Brown was involved in the fumble against the Rams, and hasn't played up to par. Liewinski can play there and can probably hold up at the point of attack better in pass protection. After watching Ross against ATL, I cannot fathom trusting Matt's blind side to him and Gorin is the best choice there.
I start out the game with a play action pass. Someone pointed out the Cards have run onb the first offensive play every single game so now is the time to spring that trap. Fake to Edge and try going deep. Have faith your new OL set will do it's job and let Matt air it out to get the jitters he will have (don't care about his college career, he will have some nerves on that first play). Likely, he overthrows it but that will immediately send a message to the Chiefs to loosen up the line of scrimmage.
Defense has got to D up and play like demons on Sunday. It is time for the talent on that side to really step up thier game to the level it should be at. Tackling is a must as the Cards cannot allow Johnson to run wild all day. If the Chiefs cram it down the Cards throats and force Rowen/Green to abandon the run like they so easily do, Leinart will be a sitting duck back there just like Warner was in ATL.
Some hurdles to overcome besides the new OL set:
1. Contain the Chiefs running attack and force Huard to beat you. If he does, then so be it but do not, under any circumstances, get pounded into the ground in your house.
2. Dante Hall returns. The Cards ST has been shaky it seems even though they purposely got ST players and a coach who has gotten rave reviews. Field position will be crucial and that means halting Hall's explosiveness.
3. Force KC out of selling out to stop Edge. This means noty cowtowing to Edge's fragile ego in getting him touches and opening it up. Don't coddle Leinart and let him throw the ball and do so downfield. The Cards have a formidable WR corp...USE IT. Do not allow another game go by where the RB has more catches than each of your top shelf WR's. Not acceptable anymore.
It will be tough but this game is winnable.
KC loses their starting QB and they are forced to start Damon Huard at QB, who I don't think is any better than Leinart skill-wise (his NFL experience though is of critical importance). The KC team seemed to rally a bit and crushed the Niners. One of the big question marks for the Chiefs was their OL, especially at OT and while they are not lighting it up on the ground, there seems to be some hope there.
I can see some similarities with the Cards. Cards bench their starting QB and I wonder if the team will rally around that a little bit and maybe the OL, out of a sense of pride, will actually just block some people knowing Matt is back there right now. I don't know if making OL personnel adjustments is the right move before your prized rookie QoF starts but I am not sure it can hurt very much...as long as the right moves are made.
Just a thought on how the new OL should look given what we know about players (stepping out on the limb a bit here).
Big, Wells, Leckey, Liewinski, Gorin
I know it is alot to change but here is why I do this. We have no real choice but to play Big at LT right now but that isn't Matt's blind side. Wells is probably the second best OL on the team right now (wow). Leinart has been taking alot of snaps with second teams all year and the second team C is Leckey who knows how Leinart likes the snap and who has prbably built up something of a repoire with Matt. Plus Leckey has a firmer grasp of line calls above Wells I would think. Milford Brown was involved in the fumble against the Rams, and hasn't played up to par. Liewinski can play there and can probably hold up at the point of attack better in pass protection. After watching Ross against ATL, I cannot fathom trusting Matt's blind side to him and Gorin is the best choice there.
I start out the game with a play action pass. Someone pointed out the Cards have run onb the first offensive play every single game so now is the time to spring that trap. Fake to Edge and try going deep. Have faith your new OL set will do it's job and let Matt air it out to get the jitters he will have (don't care about his college career, he will have some nerves on that first play). Likely, he overthrows it but that will immediately send a message to the Chiefs to loosen up the line of scrimmage.
Defense has got to D up and play like demons on Sunday. It is time for the talent on that side to really step up thier game to the level it should be at. Tackling is a must as the Cards cannot allow Johnson to run wild all day. If the Chiefs cram it down the Cards throats and force Rowen/Green to abandon the run like they so easily do, Leinart will be a sitting duck back there just like Warner was in ATL.
Some hurdles to overcome besides the new OL set:
1. Contain the Chiefs running attack and force Huard to beat you. If he does, then so be it but do not, under any circumstances, get pounded into the ground in your house.
2. Dante Hall returns. The Cards ST has been shaky it seems even though they purposely got ST players and a coach who has gotten rave reviews. Field position will be crucial and that means halting Hall's explosiveness.
3. Force KC out of selling out to stop Edge. This means noty cowtowing to Edge's fragile ego in getting him touches and opening it up. Don't coddle Leinart and let him throw the ball and do so downfield. The Cards have a formidable WR corp...USE IT. Do not allow another game go by where the RB has more catches than each of your top shelf WR's. Not acceptable anymore.
It will be tough but this game is winnable.
