Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
How DC Ray Horton Impacted This Game
His defense for the second straight road game in a highly hostile environment played inspired football to the tune of creating 9 turnovers in that span.
Daryl Washington was outstanding once again---all over the field making plays and tackling RBs the way MLBers are supposed to do---get underneath their pad level and take their legs out.
Kerry Rhodes played perhaps his best game as a Cardinal---he was the best safety on the field, which was nice retribution for him. Rhodes, who has been inconsistent in his tenure with the Cardinals, appears to be reinvented and rejuvenated by Ray Horton.
Patrick Peterson is starting to play the CB position with authority---his phenomenal acrobatic interception on the deep post should make every highlight reel of top plays for the year.
Dan Williams played his butt off.
Greg Toler and William Gay were excellent---Gay should have had the 4th interception as he had jumped his man's route perfectly.
The only real negative was Adrian Wilson's two off-sides penalties, the second of which came at the worst possible time and cost the team the chance to at least have the ball with the game on the line.
How STC Kevin Spencer Impacted This Game:
The kicking game was excellent. Feely and Zastudil did their jobs.
The 40 yard punt fake run by Rashad Johnson was the offensive play of the game for the Cardinals---and led to half of their points in the game. Even the FOX crew knew that Spencer's punting team is prepared to run that fake whenever they see a "bunch" formation.
How HC/OC Ken Whisenhunt Impacted This Game:
Take away Rashad Johnson's 40 yard run on the punt fake---
Total Offense: 97 yards. (That's less than 25 yards per quarter)
Rookie QB Ryan Lindley's line: 10/31, 72 yards, 0 TDs 1 int.
Veteran WR Larry Fitzgerald's line: 1/23/0
Veteran RB Beanie Wells' line: 15/22, including a -2 yard dive to the turf under pressure on a key 4th and inches.
Third Down Conversions: 0 for 15
How Ken Whisenhunt Has Impacted the Last 3 Games:
With his team playing inspired football at NFC best Atlanta and still in playoff contention at 4-5---with the Cardinals up 13 to 3---Whisenhunt benches John Skelton in favor of a rookie who has never taken a snap in the NFL. Here are the results:
0-3 record to fall to 4-8
Lindley's line: 50/103, 48.2%, 448 yards, 0 TD, 5 int.
Today's Stat of the Game Beside 0 for 15 Third Down Conversions---
The yards Kerry Rhodes and Rashad Johnson accumulated on their two runs off the interception and punt fake respectively were nearly as many yards as the Cardinals' offense scored all game.
Final Comment: At least Rex Ryan as stubborn as he has been about benching Mark Sanchez got to the point where he couldn't let his team or the Jets' fans suffer any longer.
We will never know whether John Skelton would have come to the rescue as he did last year---but for Whisenhunt to put the fate of the team that is fighting its tails off on defense and special teams stricly and solely in the hands of a clearly overwhelmed and ill-prepared rookie 6th rounder is reckless, pig-headed and utterly irresponsible.
If the Cardinals let Ray Horton get away in favor of retaining Whisenhunt this is going to be a travesty.
You hear of players quitting on the coach---well, what we are seeing is a head coach who has clearly quit on the players.
If he was trying everything in the book---there's integrity in that. But to sit there, do nothing and let everyone suffer---his defense---his offense---his special teams---and ironically the person who was suffering the most was Ryan Lindley himself---you could see it in his face---
Like I said---at least Rex Ryan had the mercy to try to stop his team and the fans from suffering any longer---
Not Whisenhunt....
And ironically the last time a Cardinal HC quit on the team it was Rex Ryan's father.
His defense for the second straight road game in a highly hostile environment played inspired football to the tune of creating 9 turnovers in that span.
Daryl Washington was outstanding once again---all over the field making plays and tackling RBs the way MLBers are supposed to do---get underneath their pad level and take their legs out.
Kerry Rhodes played perhaps his best game as a Cardinal---he was the best safety on the field, which was nice retribution for him. Rhodes, who has been inconsistent in his tenure with the Cardinals, appears to be reinvented and rejuvenated by Ray Horton.
Patrick Peterson is starting to play the CB position with authority---his phenomenal acrobatic interception on the deep post should make every highlight reel of top plays for the year.
Dan Williams played his butt off.
Greg Toler and William Gay were excellent---Gay should have had the 4th interception as he had jumped his man's route perfectly.
The only real negative was Adrian Wilson's two off-sides penalties, the second of which came at the worst possible time and cost the team the chance to at least have the ball with the game on the line.
How STC Kevin Spencer Impacted This Game:
The kicking game was excellent. Feely and Zastudil did their jobs.
The 40 yard punt fake run by Rashad Johnson was the offensive play of the game for the Cardinals---and led to half of their points in the game. Even the FOX crew knew that Spencer's punting team is prepared to run that fake whenever they see a "bunch" formation.
How HC/OC Ken Whisenhunt Impacted This Game:
Take away Rashad Johnson's 40 yard run on the punt fake---
Total Offense: 97 yards. (That's less than 25 yards per quarter)
Rookie QB Ryan Lindley's line: 10/31, 72 yards, 0 TDs 1 int.
Veteran WR Larry Fitzgerald's line: 1/23/0
Veteran RB Beanie Wells' line: 15/22, including a -2 yard dive to the turf under pressure on a key 4th and inches.
Third Down Conversions: 0 for 15
How Ken Whisenhunt Has Impacted the Last 3 Games:
With his team playing inspired football at NFC best Atlanta and still in playoff contention at 4-5---with the Cardinals up 13 to 3---Whisenhunt benches John Skelton in favor of a rookie who has never taken a snap in the NFL. Here are the results:
0-3 record to fall to 4-8
Lindley's line: 50/103, 48.2%, 448 yards, 0 TD, 5 int.
Today's Stat of the Game Beside 0 for 15 Third Down Conversions---
The yards Kerry Rhodes and Rashad Johnson accumulated on their two runs off the interception and punt fake respectively were nearly as many yards as the Cardinals' offense scored all game.
Final Comment: At least Rex Ryan as stubborn as he has been about benching Mark Sanchez got to the point where he couldn't let his team or the Jets' fans suffer any longer.
We will never know whether John Skelton would have come to the rescue as he did last year---but for Whisenhunt to put the fate of the team that is fighting its tails off on defense and special teams stricly and solely in the hands of a clearly overwhelmed and ill-prepared rookie 6th rounder is reckless, pig-headed and utterly irresponsible.
If the Cardinals let Ray Horton get away in favor of retaining Whisenhunt this is going to be a travesty.
You hear of players quitting on the coach---well, what we are seeing is a head coach who has clearly quit on the players.
If he was trying everything in the book---there's integrity in that. But to sit there, do nothing and let everyone suffer---his defense---his offense---his special teams---and ironically the person who was suffering the most was Ryan Lindley himself---you could see it in his face---
Like I said---at least Rex Ryan had the mercy to try to stop his team and the fans from suffering any longer---
Not Whisenhunt....
And ironically the last time a Cardinal HC quit on the team it was Rex Ryan's father.
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