Mitch said it best-----

[Catfish]

With the exception of the QB position, this is the most talented 53 man roster this organization has fielded here in Arizona. It is not only talented, but the with few exceptions, the talent runs deep.

That being said-----I am amazed at the misuse, and abuse heaped upon this roster by the coaching staff.

1. The almost complete inability to put players into a situation that plays to their strengths is abhoring. What kind of mentality builds a run-first O-line, then almost exclusively uses it to pass-protect?

2. Why does the HC insist on being his own offensive coordinator. Is that the only way he feels comfortable on this team? If so, then why are we keeping him as a HC? Sadly, the very best head-coaching performance he has made, was back in '08, when he told the players to bring their 'big boy pads to practice' on the way home from the debacle in the snow in NE. Whiz's play calling at the beginning of games is so very predictable, that I have been able to call each play of the first series in advance for the last three games. Sadly, our best offensive coordinator is now the head coach in KC, and I predict a terrible beating waiting for us in KC next Sunday.

3. Why does this coaching staff allow the same horrible play, and the same horrible mistakes to occur from the same players week after week after week? I am talking about the obvious continuous goofs, and failures by out team leaders, not the occasional blown assignment by a rookie or a youngster. How can Bryan Robinson, and Adrian Wilson, be allowed to start, (and fail), game after game, while we bench or inactivate young, hardworking and successful players like Gabe Watson, Daryl Washington, Tim Hightower, Beanie Wells, Alan Branch, etc. for the least little infraction?

4. How can a head coach, (who himself was a TE in this league), fail so miserably year after year at the TE position? We totally waste 4 positions on the 53 man roster with inept TE's. We seldom utilize them in the passing game, and almost never use them to block or help out our O-line.

5. When we have an opponent in third and long, (and desparately need to get our defense off the field), why do we almost exclusively play soft zone coverage with our corners, when their strengths are to play tight man, stride for stride.

6. Why do we continue to utilize, (and wear down), our already old and tired starting OLB's on obvious running plays, when we have fresh young talent on the roster who could be performing those tasks?

7. And maybe the most damning of all, why would we run the PROVEN best QB on the roster out of town two weeks before the start of the new season schedule. He may not have been the second coming of Kurt Warner, BUT he was so far and away the best talent on this roster that the decision to do so is absolutely mind boggling.

All this would not be so hard to take, IF our front office had not done such a remarkable job of reloading our roster after the huge losses sufferred immediately after the end of last season and the beginning of free agency this year. That is truly the saddest part of this whole mess. Mitch got it right when he said that this is the most talented 53 man roster we have had here in Arizona. Not only did we reload with an obvious plan, but we cleared vast amounts of money from the payroll as well. We are truly set to be able to go into the future after they fix the collective bargaining situation, (with the exception of QB of course), and we have the money to fix that too, SO, why is this staff being allowed to totally ignore that plan, and misuse the talent we have accumulated?

 

[kerouac9]

This is not the most talented 53-man roster this team has fielded. Last year's 53 was better than this one. It looked like we got better at OLB adding Joey Porter, but he hasn't been any better or worse than Bertrand Berry. As a 3rd OLB, Chike Okeafor is superior to Davis, who is a young player that I like. Dansby is better than Lenon/Washington right now. The depth in our cornerback corps is worse (somehow). Our offensive line is worse across the board (Alan Faneca has not been an upgrade over Reggie Wells). Jerheme Urban is light years ahead of where either of our UDFAs are right now (they're both terrible).

I think you can make an argument that we're marginally better at DE this year than we were last year as Alan Branch has continued to improve/entered a contract year. But this is not a more talented roster than the one that won 10 games last season. If you disagree, take a look at the product on the field.

 

[mrbyte]

This is not the most talented 53-man roster this team has fielded. Last year's 53 was better than this one. It looked like we got better at OLB adding Joey Porter, but he hasn't been any better or worse than Bertrand Berry. As a 3rd OLB, Chike Okeafor is superior to Davis, who is a young player that I like. Dansby is better than Lenon/Washington right now. The depth in our cornerback corps is worse (somehow). Our offensive line is worse across the board (Alan Faneca has not been an upgrade over Reggie Wells). Jerheme Urban is light years ahead of where either of our UDFAs are right now (they're both terrible).

I think you can make an argument that we're marginally better at DE this year than we were last year as Alan Branch has continued to improve/entered a contract year. But this is not a more talented roster than the one that won 10 games last season. If you disagree, take a look at the product on the field.

You might be right this isn't the MOST talented roster we have had, We could argue the toss forever about whats areas better and so on, but I get Cats sentiment this is a pretty good roster and should be a whole lot better than it is.
you just get the feeling its a good engine but no one knows how to get it started, it splutters every now and again then stalls.

 

[82CardsGrad]

This is not the most talented 53-man roster this team has fielded. Last year's 53 was better than this one. It looked like we got better at OLB adding Joey Porter, but he hasn't been any better or worse than Bertrand Berry. As a 3rd OLB, Chike Okeafor is superior to Davis, who is a young player that I like. Dansby is better than Lenon/Washington right now. The depth in our cornerback corps is worse (somehow). Our offensive line is worse across the board (Alan Faneca has not been an upgrade over Reggie Wells). Jerheme Urban is light years ahead of where either of our UDFAs are right now (they're both terrible).

I think you can make an argument that we're marginally better at DE this year than we were last year as Alan Branch has continued to improve/entered a contract year. But this is not a more talented roster than the one that won 10 games last season. If you disagree, take a look at the product on the field.

Totally agree... with the one exception being your "like" for Davis... I'm seeing "it" with him. Yes, he's still young, but other than the one sack he made in the Bucs game I believe it was, he's shown nothing...
IMHO, we are far less talented than we were last year.
Who replaced Q, Warner, Berry, Okeafor, Wells, Urban?? It's not even close...And, are we now finding out that Campbell isn't what we thought he was? Have we already seen his best, as well as that of Toler? Is Hayes anywhere close to where he was last season now a year older and coming off of surgery?

 

[Catfish]

This is not the most talented 53-man roster this team has fielded. Last year's 53 was better than this one. It looked like we got better at OLB adding Joey Porter, but he hasn't been any better or worse than Bertrand Berry. As a 3rd OLB, Chike Okeafor is superior to Davis, who is a young player that I like. Dansby is better than Lenon/Washington right now. The depth in our cornerback corps is worse (somehow). Our offensive line is worse across the board (Alan Faneca has not been an upgrade over Reggie Wells). Jerheme Urban is light years ahead of where either of our UDFAs are right now (they're both terrible).

I think you can make an argument that we're marginally better at DE this year than we were last year as Alan Branch has continued to improve/entered a contract year. But this is not a more talented roster than the one that won 10 games last season. If you disagree, take a look at the product on the field.

I am looking at the product on the field. B-Rob starting at Nose, A-Dub starting at SS, Porter starting at Rush OLB, DRC & Toler playing 7 yards off in zone pass-pro. O-line playing pass first. All this is in conflict with each of these players strentgths. With the exception of the corners, these guys are back-ups, not starters. They are really good and knowlegable depth.

B-Rob should be mentoring Williams from the bench, and Williams should be backing up GAbe Watson.

Schoefield should be starting in Porter's slot. Porter should be brought in as an additional edge rusher ONLY on third and long.

Rashad Johnson should be starting at SS with Wilson being played up in the box on passing downs.

We should be utilizing a run tandem of Wells-Hightower at least half the plays called, 60% would be even better. Take advantage of our O-line instead of playing to their weakness. Hand the ball off a lot, and roll DA out more to give the receivers more time to get into their routes. Establish the run THEN use play action.

Watson, Branch, and DD make a formidable D-line. Campbell could replace Branch on passing downs. As Williams gains knowlege and strength, he could replace Watson at the nose, meanwhile he is great depth.

Before this defense was blamed for everything wrong on this entire team, they, (combined with some great ST's play), created some fantastic Turn Overs and scores for this team.

Because the offense was used improperly, the defense was left to hang out to dry at the end of games alone. Don't blame mismanagement on the talent. To have talent is one thing. To use it properly is something else.

 

[BigRedMO]

"With the exception of the QB position"

That would be like saying this airline crew is the best in the world except for the pilots who never went to flight school.

The question that comes to my mind is how many players is Kurt Warner worth. On Fox pregame Sunday Strahan commented about Warner being one of the two players that were unbelievable in ability to change a game or something to that effect. I started drinking Sunday afternoon and most of the day and night is hard to remember now.

 

[kerouac9]

I am looking at the product on the field. B-Rob starting at Nose, A-Dub starting at SS, Porter starting at Rush OLB, DRC & Toler playing 7 yards off in zone pass-pro. O-line playing pass first. All this is in conflict with each of these players strentgths. With the exception of the corners, these guys are back-ups, not starters. They are really good and knowlegable depth.

B-Rob should be mentoring Williams from the bench, and Williams should be backing up GAbe Watson.

Schoefield should be starting in Porter's slot. Porter should be brought in as an additional edge rusher ONLY on third and long.

Rashad Johnson should be starting at SS with Wilson being played up in the box on passing downs.

We should be utilizing a run tandem of Wells-Hightower at least half the plays called, 60% would be even better. Take advantage of our O-line instead of playing to their weakness. Hand the ball off a lot, and roll DA out more to give the receivers more time to get into their routes. Establish the run THEN use play action.

Watson, Branch, and DD make a formidable D-line. Campbell could replace Branch on passing downs. As Williams gains knowlege and strength, he could replace Watson at the nose, meanwhile he is great depth.

Before this defense was blamed for everything wrong on this entire team, they, (combined with some great ST's play), created some fantastic Turn Overs and scores for this team.

Because the offense was used improperly, the defense was left to hang out to dry at the end of games alone. Don't blame mismanagement on the talent. To have talent is one thing. To use it properly is something else.

I'm not saying that these players are being put in a position to succeed. Quite the opposite; I think they're being put in a position on both sides of the ball where it becomes even more difficult for them to succeed.

But the factual evaluation that this roster is more talented than last year's is just false. Last year's #5 WR was Early Doucet. This year's is Max Komar. Last year's #3 OLB was Chike Okeafor. This year's is Will Davis (who can become a poor man's Clark Haggans, but isn't there yet).

This offensive system was misconceived from jump street, and it doesn't gel with the defensive style that we've been playing from the beginning of the year. There's a reason that the secondary is apparently being given a whole different playbook mid-year. But the talent level just isn't there--at pretty much every level except defensive line.

 

[Cards_Campos]

It all starts with Whiz. He has really messed this team up. You can have a Porsche go against a Volkswagon...and if the guy driving the Porsche grinds the gears and cant get out of park the volkswagon will win every time. That is our issue. Warner definitely made us better...but WHiz's game plan and offensive calling ability is horrendous. DA is a avergae QB at best and you can win with a Average QB.....Detroit, Buffalo, Cleveland they move the ball with avg if not bad QB's....We put our defense in horrible positions and they lose cofidence and falter. But our team is talented enough to win the West...come on....our schedule alone is never going to be this easy ever!!!

 

[Mulli]

It all starts with Whiz. He has really messed this team up. You can have a Porsche go against a Volkswagon...and if the guy driving the Porsche grinds the gears and cant get out of park the volkswagon will win every time. That is our issue. Warner definitely made us better...but WHiz's game plan and offensive calling ability is horrendous. DA is a avergae QB at best and you can win with a Average QB.....Detroit, Buffalo, Cleveland they move the ball with avg if not bad QB's....We put our defense in horrible positions and they lose cofidence and falter. But our team is talented enough to win the West...come on....our schedule alone is never going to be this easy ever!!!

Paging Dukjake.

 

[Black Jesus]

Close, but no.

 

[Catfish]

I'm not saying that these players are being put in a position to succeed. Quite the opposite; I think they're being put in a position on both sides of the ball where it becomes even more difficult for them to succeed.

But the factual evaluation that this roster is more talented than last year's is just false. Last year's #5 WR was Early Doucet. This year's is Max Komar. Last year's #3 OLB was Chike Okeafor. This year's is Will Davis (who can become a poor man's Clark Haggans, but isn't there yet).

This offensive system was misconceived from jump street, and it doesn't gel with the defensive style that we've been playing from the beginning of the year. There's a reason that the secondary is apparently being given a whole different playbook mid-year. But the talent level just isn't there--at pretty much every level except defensive line.

You make a good argument K-9, but let's see if we can't rebut it a little.

To start with, I really believe that Will Davis has more in the tank this year than Chike did last year.

This year's defense-----when it has played together and with energy, has accomplished things that last year's version just could not duplicate. I don't recall any defense, (coupled with ST's), creating more scoring in 8 games than ours has this year. I am saying that these players have been totally demoralized by Whiz and company.

I disagree with the corners being worse than last year. They just aren't being used where they can succeed. Neither is our strong safety.

Offensively, I agree that our run-first O-line is misplaced, as Whiz is still trying to be a pass first OC. Maybe we would be better off, if Whiz simply used DA in a run first offense and took the pressure off DA to excell. Who knows what we could accomplish if we ever established a meaningful running attack that had to be respected.

So far as counting our former QB as being worth many players, you just can't do that. It is just one roster spot, and is either better or worse than last year's version. So far as receivers go, Q last year was no better as our #2 than Breaston is this year. The only reason he is better this year is because of where he is playing. He would be woefully worse here this year, just like Larry is. That is because of the QB situation brought on by Whiz.

I would also argue that we are better off at SILB than last year. Hayes with a good back is better than Hayes with a bad one, and D-Wash is a huge plus. Lenon is not what Dansby was, but is far better than we assumed he would be, so we don't lose all that much at WILL

A healthy Watson is better than the version we had last year at nose, despite the fact that Whiz keeps inactivating him, and Williams is a big plus over nothing. We were only two deep there last year. Robinson is just as inept as he was last year.

Rhodes is an upgrade over Rolle at the FS spot, despite that poor tackling example he gave us Sunday. Everybody else was on that page too apparently. I don't think you can judge our defense against Seattle as being the talent level of this team. Our defense, if used and motivated, and rested, is capable of games like we had against New Orleans and St Louis, where they carried this team to a win.

 

[kerouac9]

Catfish--2009's defense ended up ranked 20th in yardage, 23rd against the pass, 17th against the run, and T14th in scoring.

2010's defense ranks 30th in yardage, 27th against the pass, 28th against the run, and 32nd in scoring.

So your thesis is that the personnel is better across the board on defense, and somehow has gotten much, much worse in every single category. And this is only due to coaching, even though the coaching staff on the defensive side of the ball has not changed at all?

Good luck with that one.

 

[Bobcat]

With the exception of the QB position, this is the most talented 53 man roster this organization has fielded here in Arizona. It is not only talented, but the with few exceptions, the talent runs deep.

That being said-----I am amazed at the misuse, and abuse heaped upon this roster by the coaching staff.

1. The almost complete inability to put players into a situation that plays to their strengths is abhoring. What kind of mentality builds a run-first O-line, then almost exclusively uses it to pass-protect?

2. Why does the HC insist on being his own offensive coordinator. Is that the only way he feels comfortable on this team? If so, then why are we keeping him as a HC? Sadly, the very best head-coaching performance he has made, was back in '08, when he told the players to bring their 'big boy pads to practice' on the way home from the debacle in the snow in NE. Whiz's play calling at the beginning of games is so very predictable, that I have been able to call each play of the first series in advance for the last three games. Sadly, our best offensive coordinator is now the head coach in KC, and I predict a terrible beating waiting for us in KC next Sunday.

3. Why does this coaching staff allow the same horrible play, and the same horrible mistakes to occur from the same players week after week after week? I am talking about the obvious continuous goofs, and failures by out team leaders, not the occasional blown assignment by a rookie or a youngster. How can Bryan Robinson, and Adrian Wilson, be allowed to start, (and fail), game after game, while we bench or inactivate young, hardworking and successful players like Gabe Watson, Daryl Washington, Tim Hightower, Beanie Wells, Alan Branch, etc. for the least little infraction?

4. How can a head coach, (who himself was a TE in this league), fail so miserably year after year at the TE position? We totally waste 4 positions on the 53 man roster with inept TE's. We seldom utilize them in the passing game, and almost never use them to block or help out our O-line.

5. When we have an opponent in third and long, (and desparately need to get our defense off the field), why do we almost exclusively play soft zone coverage with our corners, when their strengths are to play tight man, stride for stride.

6. Why do we continue to utilize, (and wear down), our already old and tired starting OLB's on obvious running plays, when we have fresh young talent on the roster who could be performing those tasks?

7. And maybe the most damning of all, why would we run the PROVEN best QB on the roster out of town two weeks before the start of the new season schedule. He may not have been the second coming of Kurt Warner, BUT he was so far and away the best talent on this roster that the decision to do so is absolutely mind boggling.

All this would not be so hard to take, IF our front office had not done such a remarkable job of reloading our roster after the huge losses sufferred immediately after the end of last season and the beginning of free agency this year. That is truly the saddest part of this whole mess. Mitch got it right when he said that this is the most talented 53 man roster we have had here in Arizona. Not only did we reload with an obvious plan, but we cleared vast amounts of money from the payroll as well. We are truly set to be able to go into the future after they fix the collective bargaining situation, (with the exception of QB of course), and we have the money to fix that too, SO, why is this staff being allowed to totally ignore that plan, and misuse the talent we have accumulated?

Because he sucked as a TE...!!!

 

[PaulW]

I believe that with Grimm the Offense Running Coordinator, it becomes a problem to use a "run" first, as his line cannot block in a run offense.

 

[Duckjake]

K9 is right. This year's team is no where near as talented as either the 2008 or 2009 team. You can just start with one guy, Anquan Boldin.

There is no depth on the team so no one has to worry about losing their starting position other than QB and RB because the coaches have no replacements.

So we see a bunch of prima donnas who run their mouths on Saturday and Monday and are quiet as a church mouse on Sunday.

This is what happens when you get rid of 5 first or second round draft picks and lose 3 more key veterans in one off season.

 

[Seandonic]

Catfish--2009's defense ended up ranked 20th in yardage, 23rd against the pass, 17th against the run, and T14th in scoring.

2010's defense ranks 30th in yardage, 27th against the pass, 28th against the run, and 32nd in scoring.

So your thesis is that the personnel is better across the board on defense, and somehow has gotten much, much worse in every single category. And this is only due to coaching, even though the coaching staff on the defensive side of the ball has not changed at all?

Good luck with that one.

I was waiting for someone to bring up these stats and effectively put an end to this debate. Thanks K9.
I know, I know, sometimes stats don't tell the whole story and that's right about these as well. BUT, the degree in which they are off is usually a few notches up or down. Even going up a few places still leaves them in the NFL cellar.
I cut them a break due to the fact that they are on the field for long stretches thanks to the worst offense in the league, but they still are an average defense on their best day.
They are HORRIBLE at the most important position on a 3/4 defense...linebacker (especially OLB). Until they fix this fact they will remain in the cellar where we Cardinal fans are used to seeing them.

 

[john h]

With the exception of the QB position, this is the most talented 53 man roster this organization has fielded here in Arizona. It is not only talented, but the with few exceptions, the talent runs deep.

That being said-----I am amazed at the misuse, and abuse heaped upon this roster by the coaching staff.

1. The almost complete inability to put players into a situation that plays to their strengths is abhoring. What kind of mentality builds a run-first O-line, then almost exclusively uses it to pass-protect?

2. Why does the HC insist on being his own offensive coordinator. Is that the only way he feels comfortable on this team? If so, then why are we keeping him as a HC? Sadly, the very best head-coaching performance he has made, was back in '08, when he told the players to bring their 'big boy pads to practice' on the way home from the debacle in the snow in NE. Whiz's play calling at the beginning of games is so very predictable, that I have been able to call each play of the first series in advance for the last three games. Sadly, our best offensive coordinator is now the head coach in KC, and I predict a terrible beating waiting for us in KC next Sunday.

3. Why does this coaching staff allow the same horrible play, and the same horrible mistakes to occur from the same players week after week after week? I am talking about the obvious continuous goofs, and failures by out team leaders, not the occasional blown assignment by a rookie or a youngster. How can Bryan Robinson, and Adrian Wilson, be allowed to start, (and fail), game after game, while we bench or inactivate young, hardworking and successful players like Gabe Watson, Daryl Washington, Tim Hightower, Beanie Wells, Alan Branch, etc. for the least little infraction?

4. How can a head coach, (who himself was a TE in this league), fail so miserably year after year at the TE position? We totally waste 4 positions on the 53 man roster with inept TE's. We seldom utilize them in the passing game, and almost never use them to block or help out our O-line.

5. When we have an opponent in third and long, (and desparately need to get our defense off the field), why do we almost exclusively play soft zone coverage with our corners, when their strengths are to play tight man, stride for stride.

6. Why do we continue to utilize, (and wear down), our already old and tired starting OLB's on obvious running plays, when we have fresh young talent on the roster who could be performing those tasks?

7. And maybe the most damning of all, why would we run the PROVEN best QB on the roster out of town two weeks before the start of the new season schedule. He may not have been the second coming of Kurt Warner, BUT he was so far and away the best talent on this roster that the decision to do so is absolutely mind boggling.

All this would not be so hard to take, IF our front office had not done such a remarkable job of reloading our roster after the huge losses sufferred immediately after the end of last season and the beginning of free agency this year. That is truly the saddest part of this whole mess. Mitch got it right when he said that this is the most talented 53 man roster we have had here in Arizona. Not only did we reload with an obvious plan, but we cleared vast amounts of money from the payroll as well. We are truly set to be able to go into the future after they fix the collective bargaining situation, (with the exception of QB of course), and we have the money to fix that too, SO, why is this staff being allowed to totally ignore that plan, and misuse the talent we have accumulated?

Many of these questions have been posed in years past. Many years past like more than 50. The one constant on this team is ownership. They hire and select the Coach and the GM. If they cannot see what is going on Mitch then we are like a ship without a rudder. I would at the end of the season tell Whiz you either hire an OC or you are fired. I would also call Graves into the front office and read the riot act to him. Who ever is responsible for the QB situation we find ourself in I would fire on the spot if he is not family. I think there is a UTube movie entitled something like "The fans go crazy about the head coach in Airizona?. It was not pulling up when I tried to access it a few moment ago. If nearly all the fans are not happy with Whiz one has to conclude something must be wrong because all the people cannot be that far off base. I have been a big Whiz supporter but I think I have been wrong. The Chicago Cubs were miserable all year long. Lou Pinella quits with about 1/3rd of season left. The assistant coach Mike Quade is appointed the temporary coach and proceeds to have either the best or second best record in the NL the last 1/3rd of the season. He had the same players as Lou. The coach put the players in positions to win and changed where he thought changes should occur. The new coach made all the difference. So much so that he is now the full time head coach. Coaches do make a difference even with the same group of players. It may be that Whiz needs to walk the plank even if he is not responsible as once you lose support of the fans and players you no longer are the leader. Is Russ Grimm a possible candidate? I really do not know? I see a number of teams going with guys in their 30's as coaches. Even one head coach. Whiz learned all he knew at Pittsburgh and as most coaches would is trying to duplicate what he did at Pittsburgh. Including calling the plays. He forgot that he also had a head coach and never has felt the kind of heat he is now getting from the fans and perhaps even the players.

 

[Catfish]

Many of these questions have been posed in years past. Many years past like more than 50. The one constant on this team is ownership. They hire and select the Coach and the GM. If they cannot see what is going on Mitch then we are like a ship without a rudder. I would at the end of the season tell Whiz you either hire an OC or you are fired. I would also call Graves into the front office and read the riot act to him. Who ever is responsible for the QB situation we find ourself in I would fire on the spot if he is not family. I think there is a UTube movie entitled something like "The fans go crazy about the head coach in Airizona?. It was not pulling up when I tried to access it a few moment ago. If nearly all the fans are not happy with Whiz one has to conclude something must be wrong because all the people cannot be that far off base. I have been a big Whiz supporter but I think I have been wrong. The Chicago Cubs were miserable all year long. Lou Pinella quits with about 1/3rd of season left. The assistant coach Mike Quade is appointed the temporary coach and proceeds to have either the best or second best record in the NL the last 1/3rd of the season. He had the same players as Lou. The coach put the players in positions to win and changed where he thought changes should occur. The new coach made all the difference. So much so that he is now the full time head coach. Coaches do make a difference even with the same group of players. It may be that Whiz needs to walk the plank even if he is not responsible as once you lose support of the fans and players you no longer are the leader. Is Russ Grimm a possible candidate? I really do not know? I see a number of teams going with guys in their 30's as coaches. Even one head coach. Whiz learned all he knew at Pittsburgh and as most coaches would is trying to duplicate what he did at Pittsburgh. Including calling the plays. He forgot that he also had a head coach and never has felt the kind of heat he is now getting from the fans and perhaps even the players.

With this team it is ALL about the QB, and Whiz is completely responsible for our QB predicament. If he was down on Leinart enough to dis him for 3 straight years, why in hell would he wait until the very end of the off season to jettison him. By doing so, he cost the team horribly. We got screwed by his opting for DA as a fix for Leinart, AND we got nothing for Leinart. We should have at least been able to use him in a trade.

The failure of the defense is on Whiz too-----if you can't stop the run up the middle, you have NO defense. Bryan Robinson is a turnstile in the middle of our D-Line, yet he has continued to start every game at nose. Until we fix that, we have no hope of producing any kind of defense.

Whiz's DC is playing our corners 7 yards off in zone coverage, yet they are best suited to playing man coverage. Whiz, apparently knows nothing about defense, because he has never called the DC on any of its shortcomings. Look at Adrian Wilson as an example. Still the starter at SS, yet failing every game to be either a cover safety deep, or a run and QB buster in the box. Rashod Johnson is ready to play SS, but never gets to see the field unless we are in dime coverage.

Basically Whiz has allowed his coaches to do things exactly the way we did them when we had completely different players. THAT is why we stink now. We had a pass-first O-line and we passed first. Now we have a run-first O-line and we pass first. What is wrong with that picture?

This off-season we had a huge turnover in players, and ended up with more than adequate replacements, (with the exception of QB), but they are different players who do not have the same skills that we had before. Yet we try to play them exactly as we did last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.

Coaching IS the biggest problem on this team. We have some talent on both sides of the ball, BUT we do not utilize it to its strengths. On both sides of the ball we seem to play to our weakness, yet we will not change. No one was happy with our Defense last year or the year before. Go back and look at the posts if you don't believe me. Everyone was railing about giving games away at the end, AND we are still lamenting that same thing. Our Defense is worse, not because of the players we have, but because we are trying to do the same things that failed when we had players who were different. You should know that 'doing the same thing over and over, but expecting different results' is one definition of insanity. How can anyone not get that we got different players with different talents, but are trying to use them exactly like we did the ones we had before. No wonder we are performing worse.

NO Sir, I won't put this on the players, any more than I put it on them last year, or the year before. This IS on the coaching staff, not the players. The problem with that is, most head coaches are subserviant to the GM. Ours seems to trump the GM, so the only way we can hope for change is if Michael forces it upon Whiz, because Whiz cannot see the need for ANY change in the way we do things.

Our staff seems to concentrate on two areas. Putting the player with the most knowlege in the lineup, OR putting the best physical speciman in the lineup. It seems to matter not, that the most knowlegable players has ablsolutely NO athleticism to do what he knows to do. It also seems to matter not, if the player with all the athleticism is so dumb that he can't learn from his past mistakes. Right now, we are playing like we are being coached, PISS POOR.

 

[Big Deal]

Coaching lost us the Bucks and Vikes games no question. Play calling is absurd. When I watch the games I feel like Whiz is trying to outsmart the other coach, but ends up outsmarting himself. We should be able to run a ton of different sets with the running backs we have. When it has been used and they sub LSH, THT, and Wells in the same series, the opposing defense is on it's heels. The problem is they have only done that about three times this season. They choose instead to pass on run downs, pass on pass downs and run on third an longs??? I knew that when Haley left it was going to set this team back, I just didn't know it was going to be this bad.

 

[Duckjake]

Coaching lost us the Bucks and Vikes games no question. Play calling is absurd. When I watch the games I feel like Whiz is trying to outsmart the other coach, but ends up outsmarting himself. We should be able to run a ton of different sets with the running backs we have. When it has been used and they sub LSH, THT, and Wells in the same series, the opposing defense is on it's heels. The problem is they have only done that about three times this season. They choose instead to pass on run downs, pass on pass downs and run on third an longs??? I knew that when Haley left it was going to set this team back, I just didn't know it was going to be this bad.

I don't think it was Haley leaving that set this team back. It was Warner leaving and the idiotic decision to completely remake the offensive line.
After years of shuffling the oline resulting in offensive failures we finally get some continuity and the resulting offensive success and they go and mix it all up.

I mean how many teams could move Leonard Davis from his better positions at either Right Tackle or Guard to Left Tackle, then let him leave via FA only to draft Leonard Davis AGAIN and then as soon as he starts to show signs of being a solid offensive lineman at Right Tackle move him to Left Tackle?

 

[kerouac9]

I don't think it was Haley leaving that set this team back. It was Warner leaving and the idiotic decision to completely remake the offensive line.
After years of shuffling the oline resulting in offensive failures we finally get some continuity and the resulting offensive success and they go and mix it all up.

I mean how many teams could move Leonard Davis from his better positions at either Right Tackle or Guard to Left Tackle, then let him leave via FA only to draft Leonard Davis AGAIN and then as soon as he starts to show signs of being a solid offensive lineman at Right Tackle move him to Left Tackle?

I think Haley set the offense back a little bit, but you're right that Warner really put us in a hole. Deciding at the last minute that #7 wasn't going to be able to play for this team put us back into expansion mode. I don't honestly think that we're that much further along than an expansion team right now.

I think that this "Levi Brown is really a guard" is hokum. Leonard Davis is 6'6", 355, and it was considered from the beginning that he'd be a better guard than tackle (that he was an above-average tackle when moved to the left side is frequently overlooked). Levi Brown is 30 lbs lighter than Leonard Davis at the same height, and there was never a question that the guy was a tackle. And a left tackle.

Levi Brown certainly hasn't played up to his draft status, and he's regressed the last couple of games, but it's not like we're looking at a Pro Bowl guard when we look at Levi Brown. We're looking at a below-average tackle and maybe an average left guard.

First with Brown, then with Charlie Whitehurst, I think it's time to stop listening to Russ Grimm when it comes to talent evaluation.

 

[Duckjake]

I hear you, the Leonard Davis comparison comes from the fact that they look alike, block alike, and both were at least somewhat successful at Right Tackle and then moved to Left Tackle for no apparent reason other than money and struggled at that position.

Although I don't think BIG really struggled at LT. That was just another Cardinal myth. Opposing defenses simply lined guys up way outside and ran around him. Something opposing defenses continue to do to this day to Levi and Keith.

Every once in a while Green would run a play through the gap the defense left. We see the same thing now when TH gets loose once every 10 games for a 50 or 80 yard TD run. Unfortunately the Cards don't take advantage of that spread often enough.