Lower Expectations

[Harry]

I miss Mad TV. The above was one of my favorite bits. It applies here. When I picked the Cards to go 4-12, I didn’t get very much company. Now it turns out I may have been optimistic. Looking at the schedule it’s hard to pick out that elusive 4th victory.

All is not lost long term. Murray looks like the real deal despite some rookie moments. I know this won’t be popular, but I think this coaching staff has potential. The hardest part of that staff to evaluate is Joseph. He has little to work with but they’ve been in every game. I’d like to see what he could do with a few more winners. You’d just have to go on faith for the next couple of years. Considering how bad I think the personnel is, the O-Line coach should be coach of the year. Even the special teams look professional.

That brings us to the head coach. He’s solid when it comes to play design. He isn’t when it comes the play calling and game management. I’m confident he’ll get good enough at play calling despite the red zone failures and calling the worst 2 minute drill Sunday, that I’ve seen in years. If he fails it will be because of game management. Most coaches come to the NFL with a winning history. I’ve always believed a coach has to learn how to win. Just trying to continuously score tons of points has seldom proved sustainable. You don’t always get the last possession. You can’t just call a timeout to take away the other team’s best play. I could keep going but you’ve all lived the list. The problem is we’ll have to wait until the personnel improves before we can judge improvement in this aspect. It won’t happen quickly. The best test is, does KK repeat mistakes? If not, there’s reason for hope. I think you have to give him 2 more years. He’s shown enough to like to justify that.

I’ll get more into the personnel as the season unfolds. I’ve seen the O-line congratulation posts but when I see them against a good line, like Sunday, they get exposed. They opened no running lanes, had Murray running for his health and committed careless penalties. I still see little to generate confidence.

The real measure of this season will not be wins & losses. It will be solidifying elements of the team to provide a foundation to build upon.

 

[Broseph]

I think KK will get better over time. KM has shown he has the ability to be a franchise QB and will also get better over time. We need to build a defense, get KM another weapon on offense, and add 1-2 more O-lineman IMO. We have MASSIVE holes on defense.

 

[THESMEL]

We have ex personnel doing well all over the nfl - can’t believe only 8 players left from BAs team just 1 year removed. I think it could all be fixed with a real run game instead of a pseudo run game, Jimmy G looks like an all pro for the niners and Wilson May be the MVP - Goff is average as girly declined - what makes them better then KM - run game is a primary weapon not and afterthought! Helps every unit on the team and provides stability, continuity and consistency. Everything the cards are lacking. starts with the organization, we have a pass game coordinator - no offensive coordinator or running back coordinator - just shove that way down deep - ignore it at your own peril.

We have good backs, oline not coached to go forward and run block, they are coached to go backwards and pass block almost exclusively - resulting in run play penalties, d penetration and tackles for loss. When this changes we will progress gain time of possession and keep a sad tired defense off the field. Our most potent run attack is km surprising the defense, he’s pretty slick and evasive - but at high risk. Our run game looks more like a trick play than an offense, many times well behind the line of scrimmage.

When we do run we do good, until the defenses switch to a base nfl defense instead of a pass defense and stop us cold. We have no will to run, prefer 3 and outs or a big play. I never seen nothing like that 3rd down late in the 4th - Bowles lined his dline several yards away from our oline - for a running start aiming at one point in our oline- blame our oline all you want - asking the impossible. So that’s my take, you have heard it all a million times from me and coaches after another loss. But it remains true - fact - the run game is the engine of an nfl offense - it makes rpo and play action work, protects the defense and special teams and is imperative to even the the air red offense.

 

[THESMEL]

Oh forgot, we still got Fitzgerald, chandler jones, pp. DJ and KM is a franchise qbotf - a lot of young talent at skill positions, so I don’t think it’s all about personnel, we have players that any team would start as a core - KK May develop youth better than BA or whiz ever could, time will tell - but they are developing

 

[HGC]

Sorry Harry but plenty of people felt this team would struggle to win 5 games.

 

[cardpa]

I miss Mad TV. The above was one of my favorite bits. It applies here. When I picked the Cards to go 4-12, I didn’t get very much company. Now it turns out I may have been optimistic. Looking at the schedule it’s hard to pick out that elusive 4th victory.

All is not lost long term. Murray looks like the real deal despite some rookie moments. I know this won’t be popular, but I think this coaching staff has potential. The hardest part of that staff to evaluate is Joseph. He has little to work with but they’ve been in every game. I’d like to see what he could do with a few more winners. You’d just have to go on faith for the next couple of years. Considering how bad I think the personnel is, the O-Line coach should be coach of the year. Even the special teams look professional.

That brings us to the head coach. He’s solid when it comes to play design. He isn’t when it comes the play calling and game management. I’m confident he’ll get good enough at play calling despite the red zone failures and calling the worst 2 minute drill Sunday, that I’ve seen in years. If he fails it will be because of game management. Most coaches come to the NFL with a winning history. I’ve always believed a coach has to learn how to win. Just trying to continuously score tons of points has seldom proved sustainable. You don’t always get the last possession. You can’t just call a timeout to take away the other team’s best play. I could keep going but you’ve all lived the list. The problem is we’ll have to wait until the personnel improves before we can judge improvement in this aspect. It won’t happen quickly. The best test is, does KK repeat mistakes? If not, there’s reason for hope. I think you have to give him 2 more years. He’s shown enough to like to justify that.

I’ll get more into the personnel as the season unfolds. I’ve seen the O-line congratulation posts but when I see them against a good line, like Sunday, they get exposed. They opened no running lanes, had Murray running for his health and committed careless penalties. I still see little to generate confidence.

The real measure of this season will not be wins & losses. It will be solidifying elements of the team to provide a foundation to build upon.

Harry, I don't have the same degree of confidence you have when it pertains to KK and play calling. I go back and look at his record at Texas Tech and what I see is a head coach who always had his team hovering around a .500 level. If KK never got better at it in college I see little that would make me believe that he can do it at the pro level. This is just a gut feeling but I see KK as being one of those coaches that can take a team to a certain level but that level is not NFC champion or Super Bowl champion level. Klingsbury needs to prove me wrong.

 

[Arz101]

Cardinals QB is playing at a very very high level and this team is trending towards 4 or 5 wins. If you think 2020 is going to be better, prepare to be disappointed.

 

[overseascardfan]

Cardinals QB is playing at a very very high level and this team is trending towards 4 or 5 wins. If you think 2020 is going to be better, prepare to be disappointed.

I think this would be the case if we keep Keim but I think this is the year Michael makes a change.

 

[BigRedRage]

Cardinals QB is playing at a very very high level and this team is trending towards 4 or 5 wins. If you think 2020 is going to be better, prepare to be disappointed.

Because the QB is playing at a very high level 2020 will not be even better?

 

[az jam]

I think they will get antlers win but I'm to sure who they ill beat. they ae a much better team than last year even if they don't win any more games. The off season will be big as the have lots of cap room and should still be picking top 10 or lower in all the draft rounds. I would keep the entire coaching staff for next year and see what they can do defensively with some better players.

 

[Arz101]

Because the QB is playing at a very high level 2020 will not be even better?

There is more game tape on Murray. Even if Murray raises the play in his sophomore year, it may not be any better than 4200+ yards thrown this year. Even in a passing league, it is not easy to throw 4000+ yards in consecutive seasons

Even with a 40% more win percentage than this year, aren't the 2020 Cardinals looking at a likely 7-9 season at best?

 

[BigRedRage]

There is more game tape on Murray. Even if Murray raises the play in his sophomore year, it may not be any better than 4200+ yards thrown this year. Even in a passing league, it is not easy to throw 4000+ yards in consecutive seasons

Even with a 40% more win percentage than this year, aren't the 2020 Cardinals looking at a likely 7-9 season at best?

You can see it however you'd like I guess. I see a team that went from dead last to better than average on offense in one year and keeps improving every game. Those bombs to Kirk have been missing all year as one example.

Go in and get a good leap in production out of the defense next year and we could be a playoff team. Could also be 7-9. We'll see.

 

[blindseyed]

I'd love to beat the Browns just because lol

 

[DVontel]

Cardinals QB is playing at a very very high level and this team is trending towards 4 or 5 wins. If you think 2020 is going to be better, prepare to be disappointed.

Right because every other player is playing a high level as well.

 

[Arz101]

You can see it however you'd like I guess. I see a team that went from dead last to better than average on offense in one year and keeps improving every game. Those bombs to Kirk have been missing all year as one example.

Go in and get a good leap in production out of the defense next year and we could be a playoff team. Could also be 7-9. We'll see.

With Murray in the barn and playing like a top 15 QB in the league, it is time to make things happen in 2020 and 2021 before Murray's rookie compensation ends.

Do you trust Keim to make this happen?

 

[Arz101]

Right because every other player is playing a high level as well.

I don't get this comment. Care to re-phrase?

 

[unseenaz]

Harry, I don't have the same degree of confidence you have when it pertains to KK and play calling. I go back and look at his record at Texas Tech and what I see is a head coach who always had his team hovering around a .500 level. If KK never got better at it in college I see little that would make me believe that he can do it at the pro level. This is just a gut feeling but I see KK as being one of those coaches that can take a team to a certain level but that level is not NFC champion or Super Bowl champion level. Klingsbury needs to prove me wrong.

he was also in a tough division as the 4th or 5th fiddle in the state of texas. good luck recruiting to texas tech with the big dogs hovering down the road

 

[BigRedRage]

With Murray in the barn and playing like a top 15 QB in the league, it is time to make things happen in 2020 and 2021 before Murray's rookie compensation ends.

Do you trust Keim to make this happen?

Yep

I'm not much of a complainer. I trust the org to make the decision and I will sit on my couch and watch what happens.

 

[PACardsFan]

Those that think that Murray’s production might drop next year really don’t know this kid. No one will outwork him & he will continue to learn & get better. If we are successful in putting talent around him, he will be an MVP candidate year in and year our. He is SO PISSED when we lose.

 

[JeffGollin]

You can see it however you'd like I guess. I see a team that went from dead last to better than average on offense in one year and keeps improving every game. Those bombs to Kirk have been missing all year as one example.

Go in and get a good leap in production out of the defense next year and we could be a playoff team. Could also be 7-9. We'll see.

I see windows to future success with this team.

I saw nothing but a giant ball of "meh" under Wilks.

i.e. There still is hope.

 

[Chopper0080]

I believe we are closer to the Rams than many of us think we are. They have o-line issues and QB issues. And the 49ers look like they will be limited by Jimmy G.

We are one amazing offseason away from competing with the Seahawks for the top spot, and two decent offseasons.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I believe we are closer to the Rams than many of us think we are. They have o-line issues and QB issues. And the 49ers look like they will be limited by Jimmy G.

We are one amazing offseason away from competing with the Seahawks for the top spot, and two decent offseasons.

Despite a lot of my recent chattering, I agree with this. Though my concern is that Keim doesn’t have the ability to wrangle that amazing offseason.

 

[dscher]

Yep

I'm not much of a complainer. I trust the org to make the decision and I will sit on my couch and watch what happens.

....except for when you log into asfn.. . It's what we do here.. which is why its fun. We get to bitch and moan together about a sport. Lol.

 

[Chopper0080]

Despite a lot of my recent chattering, I agree with this. Though my concern is that Keim doesn’t have the ability to wrangle that amazing offseason.

I also have concerns about Keim's ability to be anything better than average when he is at his best.

 

[Chopper0080]

Despite a lot of my recent chattering, I agree with this. Though my concern is that Keim doesn’t have the ability to wrangle that amazing offseason.

Sometimes I think people forget how thin the margins are in the NFL. We lost a heart-breaker to Tampa on the road. Seattle won an over-time thriller where they gave up 30+ at home vs the same team. We have a rookie and they have one of the best QBs in the NFL. They are a potential division winner and we are likely to draft in the top 12.