Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
1. Start Me Up.
Despite urging his offense for 10 days to get off the blocks in a hurry, the offense once again was flat as a flounder. Mistakes piled on top of mistakes, exacerbated to the hilt by Carson Palmer's interception.
Note: While Palmer should not have thrown that pass, obviously, you always teach your WRs that when your QB is scrambling that you come back hard to the ball---and if you are getting overplayed underneath, you break long. Andre Roberts stood in cement on the throw which made for easy pickings by Asante Samuel. Roberts remains an enigma this year---he's really not asserting himself and that is cause for concern.
2. Stand By Me.
Be honest. How many of you were begging for BA to take Palmer out after the interception? After the past couple of weeks I had already seen enough of Palmer. So when he threw up that interception, I was so irate that I couldn't stand the thought of Palmer playing another snap.
Whatever BA and Tom Moore said to Palmer---man, this time around their patience paid off big-time. BA and Moore aren't going to give Palmer the Whisenhunt/DA or the Whisenhunt/Skelton treatment---they just aren't wired that way---and I admire this to no end. BA and Moore have had the patience of Job the past month and a half---but they have never lost faith---and yesterday was their just reward.
Palmer not only started making good throws on time and on the money---one of the smartest things he did was take a sack here and there and not throw the ball into any more tight coverages. And with the way the Cardinals' defense is playing---the offense has to be smart.
3. Teddy or Not Here I Come.
One could make a good argument that Teddy Williams' 51 yard catch was the turning point in the game. First of all, it was so unexpected. Secondly, whenever you get a defense worrying about you beating them deep, it keeps the whole secondary honest. A couple play previously, the Falcons had to worry about speedy Patrick Peterson in the lineup---and he sucked the whole secondary up on the hitch screen to him---then BA rolled the dice on the go route to Williams. Credit the offensive line for blocking both of those plays to near perfection.
4. Whipping Post.
Larry Fitzgerald's skinny post behind the Falcon's goal line zone was a thing of beauty. That's a play that the Cardinals should have been running for Fitz on a regular basis in the red zone, as a counter for the corner fades they throw his way.
Then---on the other side of the ball---what a ferocious whipping the defense put on Matt Ryan, Stephen Jackson and the Falcon offense. You could see the ferocity in the players' eyes. Man, did they get after it---all 11 players virtually every snap.
5. Kind of a Drag.
The one weakness the Falcons exposed on the Cardinal defense was in defensing the short and medium drag passes. Drew Davis wasn't even covered on a number of plays. Not sure what was up there.
Todd Bowles got away too with playing Tony Gonzalez by committee---because Jeraud Powers should never, I repeat never be assigned to cover a TE like Tony Gonzalez. But what Bowles was counting on and what he was successful in doing was in assigning Patrick Peterson to cover Gonzalez n the first play and on several other plays, Bowles felt that Matt Ryan wouldn't look so often in Gonzalez's direction.
6. Sir Duke.
Andre Ellington turned in one of the smoothest and jazziest rushing performances in recent memory. The thing about him which is so uncanny for a diminutive rookie is his sheer combination of body control, vision, elusiveness and jack-rabbit speed. His poise, slipperiness and cannon-like burst on the botched up inside power play was textbook. Breathtakingly textbook.
Talk about quickness---this young man can turn out the light and be in bed before it's dark. How about on the one little fumble he had? Did you see how quick he was back to the ball?
Ellington's speed is exactly what this offense has needed---and what we are seeing is that it's one thing to be fast, but to know at his young age how to harness that speed until he turns it on is a rare and practically un-coachable ability.
Stepfan Taylor made his impact in an entirely different way. How about the lick he laid on safety William Moore? Moore is no slouch---and it was great to hear safety John Lynch rave about Taylor's toughness. Lynch knows how to appreciate such a quality in a RB, especially a young RB who is just trying to earn his stripes.
7. I Know Him So Well.
Bradley Sowell. What a game he had yesterday! What a game! How about the double blocks he threw springing Ellington around the corner? How about holding his own on the edge the entire afternoon---sometimes with a little help from the RB---but, even from Carson Palmer who is finally stepping sometimes inside the outside rush, as he did on a dart he threw to Michael Floyd for a nice first down.
Sowell is a physical player and he works tenaciously. This game was a very good step in the right direction for him. Who knows? What a boon it would be if he keeps playing like this!
His teammate at Ole Miss, Bobbie Massey, played well in his first action of the season. Credit Harold Goodwin and BA for platooning him in there. Eric Winston played hard as well. Osi got the better of him a couple of times---but fortunately got flagged for roughing on one of them. But, overall, the o-line had a very good game.
8. Crosstown Traffic.
As John Lynch so rightly pointed out, Fitz and Floyd the past couple of weeks have been making stellar blocks and sealing their men either inside or out of the play. That's the kind of leadership this offense has needed. The results yesterday were outstanding. Every block counts. Credit Darryl Drake for helping them hone their technique---best technique displayed in quite a while. You always try to teach blockers to sustain their blocks by riding the player the way his momentum is carrying him---and ride him out of the play, which is exactly what they are doing. With a good angle and riding technique you don't need to hold.
9. Southern Cross.
We got the Crosby (Carolina), Stills (Tampa Bay) and Nash (Atlanta)---but couldn't get the Neil Young (New Orleans)---and I must say, when I saw that we were playing all four NFC South teams in the first half of the season, I was hoping we could get a split. Going 3-1 versus those teams is a better feat than people think. Yes, the Bucs have struggled to win---but that is one talented football team---and the Falcons have been hurt at the WR position, but this a team that was in the NFC Championship game last year.
10. Celebrate Good Times Come On!
That was some kind of fun yesterday. Quite frankly, it would have been hard for any of us to expect to see what we saw in this game. I don't know about you, but I can't seem to wipe this wry little grin off my face today. That performance was some kind of impressive.
And let's not forget, the entire FOX crew (JB, Terry, Howie, Strahan and Jimmy) picked Atlanta. In your FACE FOX crew! Same way our boys were with Matt Ryan all afternoon! We put a "badgering" on those Falcons! And it is so SWEET---to quote the oldie goldie Herb Alpert song, like "A Taste of Honey!"
Just for Shiggs and Gittles---without Googling---how many of the bands/song artists of the following songs can you come up with?
1. Start Me Up
2. Stand By Me
3. Ready or Not Here I Come
4. Whipping Post
5. Kind of a Drag
6. Sir Duke
7. I Know Him So Well
8. Crosstown Traffic
9. Southern Cross---Crosby, Stills and Nash (gave it away)
10. Celebrate Good Times
11. A Taste of Honey---Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
Despite urging his offense for 10 days to get off the blocks in a hurry, the offense once again was flat as a flounder. Mistakes piled on top of mistakes, exacerbated to the hilt by Carson Palmer's interception.
Note: While Palmer should not have thrown that pass, obviously, you always teach your WRs that when your QB is scrambling that you come back hard to the ball---and if you are getting overplayed underneath, you break long. Andre Roberts stood in cement on the throw which made for easy pickings by Asante Samuel. Roberts remains an enigma this year---he's really not asserting himself and that is cause for concern.
2. Stand By Me.
Be honest. How many of you were begging for BA to take Palmer out after the interception? After the past couple of weeks I had already seen enough of Palmer. So when he threw up that interception, I was so irate that I couldn't stand the thought of Palmer playing another snap.
Whatever BA and Tom Moore said to Palmer---man, this time around their patience paid off big-time. BA and Moore aren't going to give Palmer the Whisenhunt/DA or the Whisenhunt/Skelton treatment---they just aren't wired that way---and I admire this to no end. BA and Moore have had the patience of Job the past month and a half---but they have never lost faith---and yesterday was their just reward.
Palmer not only started making good throws on time and on the money---one of the smartest things he did was take a sack here and there and not throw the ball into any more tight coverages. And with the way the Cardinals' defense is playing---the offense has to be smart.
3. Teddy or Not Here I Come.
One could make a good argument that Teddy Williams' 51 yard catch was the turning point in the game. First of all, it was so unexpected. Secondly, whenever you get a defense worrying about you beating them deep, it keeps the whole secondary honest. A couple play previously, the Falcons had to worry about speedy Patrick Peterson in the lineup---and he sucked the whole secondary up on the hitch screen to him---then BA rolled the dice on the go route to Williams. Credit the offensive line for blocking both of those plays to near perfection.
4. Whipping Post.
Larry Fitzgerald's skinny post behind the Falcon's goal line zone was a thing of beauty. That's a play that the Cardinals should have been running for Fitz on a regular basis in the red zone, as a counter for the corner fades they throw his way.
Then---on the other side of the ball---what a ferocious whipping the defense put on Matt Ryan, Stephen Jackson and the Falcon offense. You could see the ferocity in the players' eyes. Man, did they get after it---all 11 players virtually every snap.
5. Kind of a Drag.
The one weakness the Falcons exposed on the Cardinal defense was in defensing the short and medium drag passes. Drew Davis wasn't even covered on a number of plays. Not sure what was up there.
Todd Bowles got away too with playing Tony Gonzalez by committee---because Jeraud Powers should never, I repeat never be assigned to cover a TE like Tony Gonzalez. But what Bowles was counting on and what he was successful in doing was in assigning Patrick Peterson to cover Gonzalez n the first play and on several other plays, Bowles felt that Matt Ryan wouldn't look so often in Gonzalez's direction.
6. Sir Duke.
Andre Ellington turned in one of the smoothest and jazziest rushing performances in recent memory. The thing about him which is so uncanny for a diminutive rookie is his sheer combination of body control, vision, elusiveness and jack-rabbit speed. His poise, slipperiness and cannon-like burst on the botched up inside power play was textbook. Breathtakingly textbook.
Talk about quickness---this young man can turn out the light and be in bed before it's dark. How about on the one little fumble he had? Did you see how quick he was back to the ball?
Ellington's speed is exactly what this offense has needed---and what we are seeing is that it's one thing to be fast, but to know at his young age how to harness that speed until he turns it on is a rare and practically un-coachable ability.
Stepfan Taylor made his impact in an entirely different way. How about the lick he laid on safety William Moore? Moore is no slouch---and it was great to hear safety John Lynch rave about Taylor's toughness. Lynch knows how to appreciate such a quality in a RB, especially a young RB who is just trying to earn his stripes.
7. I Know Him So Well.
Bradley Sowell. What a game he had yesterday! What a game! How about the double blocks he threw springing Ellington around the corner? How about holding his own on the edge the entire afternoon---sometimes with a little help from the RB---but, even from Carson Palmer who is finally stepping sometimes inside the outside rush, as he did on a dart he threw to Michael Floyd for a nice first down.
Sowell is a physical player and he works tenaciously. This game was a very good step in the right direction for him. Who knows? What a boon it would be if he keeps playing like this!
His teammate at Ole Miss, Bobbie Massey, played well in his first action of the season. Credit Harold Goodwin and BA for platooning him in there. Eric Winston played hard as well. Osi got the better of him a couple of times---but fortunately got flagged for roughing on one of them. But, overall, the o-line had a very good game.
8. Crosstown Traffic.
As John Lynch so rightly pointed out, Fitz and Floyd the past couple of weeks have been making stellar blocks and sealing their men either inside or out of the play. That's the kind of leadership this offense has needed. The results yesterday were outstanding. Every block counts. Credit Darryl Drake for helping them hone their technique---best technique displayed in quite a while. You always try to teach blockers to sustain their blocks by riding the player the way his momentum is carrying him---and ride him out of the play, which is exactly what they are doing. With a good angle and riding technique you don't need to hold.
9. Southern Cross.
We got the Crosby (Carolina), Stills (Tampa Bay) and Nash (Atlanta)---but couldn't get the Neil Young (New Orleans)---and I must say, when I saw that we were playing all four NFC South teams in the first half of the season, I was hoping we could get a split. Going 3-1 versus those teams is a better feat than people think. Yes, the Bucs have struggled to win---but that is one talented football team---and the Falcons have been hurt at the WR position, but this a team that was in the NFC Championship game last year.
10. Celebrate Good Times Come On!
That was some kind of fun yesterday. Quite frankly, it would have been hard for any of us to expect to see what we saw in this game. I don't know about you, but I can't seem to wipe this wry little grin off my face today. That performance was some kind of impressive.
And let's not forget, the entire FOX crew (JB, Terry, Howie, Strahan and Jimmy) picked Atlanta. In your FACE FOX crew! Same way our boys were with Matt Ryan all afternoon! We put a "badgering" on those Falcons! And it is so SWEET---to quote the oldie goldie Herb Alpert song, like "A Taste of Honey!"
Just for Shiggs and Gittles---without Googling---how many of the bands/song artists of the following songs can you come up with?
1. Start Me Up
2. Stand By Me
3. Ready or Not Here I Come
4. Whipping Post
5. Kind of a Drag
6. Sir Duke
7. I Know Him So Well
8. Crosstown Traffic
9. Southern Cross---Crosby, Stills and Nash (gave it away)
10. Celebrate Good Times
11. A Taste of Honey---Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
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