KC Game: Defense and Special Teams

Mitch

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NT

Bryan Robinson has been an excellent addition to this football team. He's a real pro and is doing his job. He made the first tackle on Larry Johnson and plugged up the middle well.

Alan Branch made some strides this week...he was more active and more alert...he had a nice deflection that nearly led to an interception, and he assisted on a couple of stops. During the game, I was wondering what Branch would look like at 3-4 DE...particluarly as a run stopper there. Dockett and Smith aren't great run stoppers and there may come a time when we need to play a jumbo inside package of let's say Campbell---Watson---Branch, particularly against a guy like LJ.

Keilen Dykes is a little too lean to play NT as of right now...but the athleticism is there. What I am worried about is that other teams know of our defensive line depth and may snag Dykes off waivers. If it were up to me, I'd find a way to keep him...especially with Smith in a contract year.

DE

Calais Campbell had a great game. He was strong and very athletic...and did a very good job of disprupting the pocket. He and Travis LaBoy make a very agile, strong and quick pass rushing tandem from the left side. I think the Cardinals found the right combo there for their nickel. Also, Campbell was very active on STs, which is what this team needs from its good young players.

Antonio Smith got good pressure on Brady Coyle early. One gets the sense that he's getting himself ready to make a huge splash this year. But, he needs to be more stout in stopping the run. He doesn't shed blocks and locate the ball fast enough...and with his strength and quickness, he should be able to do that.

Ken Iwebema had his ups and downs this week. He chased back to make some athletic tackles, but on several occasions allowed his blocker to ride him hard and wide, away from the hole. He's learning technique, and it will take him some time...but he has all the tools to be a real good one.

Bertand Berry had good speed going off the edge, but allowed himself to get swung too wide of the pocket on too many occasions. He needs to do what Joe Tafoya did on his good 4th quarter sack of Thigpen...keep the outside shoulder free, but then swim and rip back to the inside when the QB is stepping up into the pocket. Berry has done this well in the past, so one should expect he will again.

Speaking of Joe Tafoya...kinda felt a little sorry for him playing with the 3rd stringers late in the game. He is a good Joe. He plays hard and is steady, albeit unspectacular. The problem is, the Cards have such depth at his position now, and even though Tafoya has been a main cog on STs, the numbers may not be working in his favor. Just the same, he's out there busting his butt late in the game. This speaks well to his character.

LB

Travis LaBoy played like he wanted to earn his own Champion belt...man, is that a cool idea, or what? The thing is...not only was LaBoy the Cards' best pass rusher in the game, he was the best tackler on the defense, as he made numerous stops at the line of scrimmage. Thus, he's developed into a more complete player, rather than remaining just a situational rusher. This is very very encouraging.

Chike Okeafor and Karlos Dansby made their presence felt, but neither of them made the highlight reel this week. Now that the Cardinals found a super left side rushing combo in LaBoy and Campbell, the coaches should pair Okeafor with Dockett or Smith on the right side. When Berry was hurt two years ago and Okeafor was switched over to the right side, he was dynamite there.

Dansby made an interesting comment that he wasn't getting some of the defensive calls from Pendy because Pendy was forgetting to press the talk button on his transmitter. Just the same, Dansby managed to keep the players calm...and Dansby was more active and involved than in week one.

Gerald Hayes was the one to struggle this week. He seemed to be late or in the wrong spot on most of the plays.

Same for Matt Stewart, who was late getting to ballcarriers and, when he was there, went for arm tackles, in some cases, to little avail. He did have the nice tip that led to the pick six late, however.

Ali Highsmith has made this football team, my friends. He's got a sixth sense of where the ball is...and this week once again he was not only around the ball a lot on defense, he was around the ball almost every time on special teams...which is exactly what will earn him a roster spot for this year. Imagine what he will look like in a year after spending the summer with John Lott. When he learns to combine his instincts with NFL playing strength, look out! This game is all about playmakers...and this guy is just that.

Brandon Moore didn't play much...made one nice ST tackle with Michael Adams...but that was about it. More from Moore next week.

Clark Haggans looked a little out of sync this week. He never really got on track. Like most of the Cardinal LBers in this game, he was either out of position to make a play, or a step or two too slow reacting.

Chris Harrington was faster on the edge than advertised, but now needs to learn some moves and some techniques. And, better yet, he was very good on special teams.

The Cardinals need MUCH better filling, shedding and especially TACKLING from their linebackers.

CB

Rod Hood and Eric Green tackled much better in this game and it looked like this was stressed to them going in. Their coverage was good too. Green still can't seem to shed the brick hands label, as he had a sure interception balk off his hands, although he did have to react to the overthrown pass very quickly.

You know who else has made this team?...Michael Adams. First of all, he's a little demon as the team's best gunner on STs and he's one of the better tacklers. Secondly, he made a veteran move in the game that nearly gave him a pick six...he was covering the slot, and saw that Thigpen was going to throw the quick out to the WR--not to his man, so he went to jump the route and unfortunately dropped the pass. But, this type of savviness and aggressiveness in coverage is just what the Cardinals need, especailly now that they have the threat of a pass rush.

Ralph Brown is consistently average.

Travarous Bain is consistently tentative...as he was on the last TD toss. He had better start playing with more urgency or he may not even make the PS.

One who may make the PS is Marcus Brown...who held up fairly well on the right side this week.

S

Adrian Wilson is da bomb, isn't he? Man, what a difference he makes to this defense. He dominates in the box as well as any safety I've ever seen. In space, he struggles, and probably always will. But, give him a gap and a path to the ball and he is lights out.

Matt Ware played a solid game in Rolle's absence. The good thing is, both he and Aaron Francisco came up to make good open field tackles...something Terrence Holt, er, forgot to do for an entire season.

Aaron Francisco may have had the tackle of the game when he took out Larry Johnson on one of his big runs early. Had Francisco missed, LJ would have had an easy six...and the complexion of the game might have been quite different from that point on.

Oliver Celestin didn't do much, but wasn't run or thrown at much.

Dennis Keyes was Johnny on the Spot and has had a good first two games...like Highsmith he shows up live and on tape. Last week it was his tackling, this week it was his pick six. If he starts to stand out on STs the way Highsmith has recently, this kid could make the roster.

Coaching

What worries me again about the defensive philosophy is this "bend but don't break" mantra that Pendergast is selling the players. The announcers made a big deal out of the Cardinals not giving up TDs in this game...but, the reality is they did not tackle well and they did not stop the run well at all, and the coverage wasn't all that great either.

Giving up easy runs and passes, only to try to tighten up when the field gets smaller is bad in two senses: (1) it prolongs the time in which the offense can get the ball back---and with a potentially high scroing offense as ours, we want the ball back---and we don't want the offense sitting over there on the bench getting stiff; (2) when the other teams start having success on easy runs and passes, it build their confidence and makes them believe they will win---THIS is why the Cardinals lost to inferior teams like the Niners last year...they gave those teams confidence, by allowing them easy offense.

I will say this again...if you have a high scoring offense...if you can combine it with an opportunistic, highly agressive, create-havoc-and turnovers type of defense---you have a chance to win every game and go all the way to the Super Bowl. Heck, the Giants won it all with that type of defense and their offense wasn't what one would call high scoring.

The name of the game in today's NFL: sacks and turnovers. The numbers and percentages of how those two relate to wins are irrefutable.

STs

Neil Rackers did not instill confidence with his erratic play, nor did Dirk Johnson.

Whiz and the team lost a game last year because they had the punter holding...and yet, here they are again with the punter holding...and I'm sorry but this is IDIOTIC. Johnson was gracious in admitting he blew the hold...but no one should ever blow a hold on a snap that was spot on. EVER.

Raise your hand if you cringe when Rackers comes in to attempt a field goal?...regardless of who the holder is?

With Jay Feeley out there...WHAT ARE THE CARDINALS WAITING FOR? He could ensure three to four more wins this season.

It's like golf...straight and down the middle, beats long and wide every time.

Johnson's punts are about as unpredictable thus far as Rackers' field goals.

The only predicatble thing: Nathan Hodel's perfect snaps. The guy is worth his weight in gold.

Special teams kudos this week: J.J. Arrington, Steve Breaston, Chris Harrington, Michael Adams, Calais Campbell, Ken Iwebema, Lance Long.
 
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az jam

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Good analysis as usual. One of my biggest concerns has been the fact that the Cards did not bring in any extra kickers or punters to compete with Rackers and Johnson. Bottom line is that this hurt us last year and will do the same this year. It will costs us games once again.
 

cgolden

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Great wrap up.

Travis LaBoy really stood out to me and not just for his sacks. I didn't watch the game until yesterday so I was watching him closely when he was in there and he's better against the run that I thought. Berry will have to pick up his play or he'll be giving LaBoy a breather instead of the other way around.
 

redheat

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I like Laboy but his eagerness to get to the QB and sacks reminds me too much of berry. One play the RB blasted right by him as he was going for the QB.
 

Brewster10

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I thought Calais was tremendous, and the motor on Laboy was second to none last week..

The overpursuit and shoddy tackling at times is something that is common with this team, and bothersome..

I thought Gerald Hayes played a terrible game.. he was to slow to fill holes, and took bad angles..
 
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Mitch

Mitch

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I thought Calais was tremendous, and the motor on Laboy was second to none last week..

The overpursuit and shoddy tackling at times is something that is common with this team, and bothersome..

I thought Gerald Hayes played a terrible game.. he was to slow to fill holes, and took bad angles..

Perfectly said, Brewster.
 
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Coaching

What worries me again about the defensive philosophy is this "bend but don't break" mantra that Pendergast is selling the players. The announcers made a big deal out of the Cardinals not giving up TDs in this game...but, the reality is they did not tackle well and they did not stop the run well at all, and the coverage wasn't all that great either.

Giving up easy runs and passes, only to try to tighten up when the field gets smaller is bad in two senses: (1) it prolongs the time in which the offense can get the ball back---and with a potentially high scroing offense as ours, we want the ball back---and we don't want the offense sitting over there on the bench getting stiff; (2) when the other teams start having success on easy runs and passes, it build their confidence and makes them believe they will win---THIS is why the Cardinals lost to inferior teams like the Niners last year...they gave those teams confidence, by allowing them easy offense.

I will say this again...if you have a high scoring offense...if you can combine it with an opportunistic, highly agressive, create-havoc-and turnovers type of defense---you have a chance to win every game and go all the way to the Super Bowl. Heck, the Giants won it all with that type of defense and their offense wasn't what one would call high scoring.

The name of the game in today's NFL: sacks and turnovers. The numbers and percentages of how those two relate to wins are irrefutable.
Good point, Mitch. Somehow it seems at though Pendy is still structuring his defense in the same fashion he did when the Cardinals did not have near as much talent on the defensive side of the ball as they do this season.

But, it is still pre-season. At camp I noticed a lot of work on blitz packages. Let's hope that once the season begins that we will see more aggressive defensive signal calling.
 
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