my delusions are over

[D-Dogg]

We are what I thought we were...


A bad football team with a really good defense.



I got confused after our strong start but yesterday snapped me back to reality.

We will be no better than 6-6 very soon.

Sigh.

 

[BigRedFan]

We are an average team at best, a pretty good defense with a below average offense. We won one easily, and lost one easily, the rest were close games that could have gone either way. A missed FG at New England, missed field goal versus Buffalo and others could have gone either way. Winning those types of games was unsustainable given the O-line and mediocre offense. Now the odds are starting to shift back, and soon we will be about what we are, a .500 team.

 

[BigRedFan]

An interesting stat that continues to hold, is that in all Cardinal games this season, the winning team had fewer yards on offense. Only on a team like the Cardinals could something like this happen.

 

[D-Dogg]

Regression to the mean.

 

[WildBB]

It's luck finally ran out. That eight game home winning streak could have easily ended last season. Too many tight contests when we should be WINNING games.

On the bright side, Kolb has separated himself from Skelton a bit in showing good grit and patience behind a BELOW average OL. The interior has also underachieved alot. I thought the throw Kolb didn't make lofting one up to Fitzgerald single covered in the end zone was a mistake. He should have gone for it, instead rolling out to that side he simply tossed it out of bounds.

William Powell ran with some good abandon. He could make some strides getting more touches in the coming weeks. LSH had a miserable game. That screen drop was critical just before the INT.

 

[AzStevenCal]

We have a very good defense (when healthy), a slightly below average special teams and an incredibly bad offense. Put that mix together in the 90's and you have an 8 or 9 win Cards team. But, today, in a passing/scoring league and against a very tough schedule, that mix will get you a 1 or 2 win season. We're going to finish with 4 or 5 wins because our offensive line was allowed to hold without penalty for the first quarter of the season. Those replacement refs cost us the number one pick this season.

Steve

 

[Chopper0080]

Still plenty of seasn to go.

A couple positives to bouey your spirits.

1-William Powell looked like he brought the semplence of a running game. While this was happening, we looked like a servicable offensive line.

2-Our defense is legit. They have been put into tough spots all year and they continue to give the offense chances to win games.

3-While we struggle on offense, our team has proven it can win games without great offensive production.

I am not trying to say I'm not concerned with our offense, but I feel like this is the most talented TEAM I have ever seen in Arizona. Has the shine come off a bit? Meh, it is hard to believe the team will have long term, consistent success with their offensive struggles. In close games, you win some and you lose some. Our team has shown the ability to win more than we lose in these types of games.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

Man, you guys are jumping ship way too early...we have a great defense and that alone will give team a great chance to win almost every week. Relax...

 

[MadCardDisease]

We are what I thought we were...


A bad football team with a really good defense.



I got confused after our strong start but yesterday snapped me back to reality.

We will be no better than 6-6 very soon.

Sigh.

We are an average team not a bad team. Bad teams have really bad offenses and defenses.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

If Denver wins tonight there will be only two teams in the AFC over 500. Just a way of saying, that there are fans from coast to coast lamenting the state of their team or, in some cases, dreaming of a Super Bowl. It's all delusion and illusion at this point.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

We have a very good defense (when healthy), a slightly below average special teams and an incredibly bad offense. Put that mix together in the 90's and you have an 8 or 9 win Cards team. But, today, in a passing/scoring league and against a very tough schedule, that mix will get you a 1 or 2 win season. We're going to finish with 4 or 5 wins because our offensive line was allowed to hold without penalty for the first quarter of the season. Those replacement refs cost us the number one pick this season.

Steve

So 5 and 11 is your prediction?

 

[82CardsGrad]

I think we can all admit that, 4 & 0 record notwithstanding, we all felt an uneasy twinge in our bellies about this team. I mean, we've all been football fans and Cards fans long enough to see a charade when it's being played out before our very eyes, right?

By most standards, the Cards are not just an average team, but a sub-par team...And when I say "team", I mean TEAM in the broadest sense - which means that with a few too many exceptions, I toss the coaching into this mix.

From a player perspective, we have starters across the field who are simply not good enough - mainly on offense.
And our coaching - again, mainly on offense, is pathetic...

It took a guy like Kurt Warner to lift this team above mediocrity, if not putridness altogether. Warner himself overcame poor talent, poor coaching and poor play-calling...
Without a QB even half as capable as Kurt, well... as Donald says, we "regress to the mean"... if not worse...

Life as a Cardinal fan... uggghhhhh......

 

[Skumbag]

Still plenty of seasn to go.

A couple positives to bouey your spirits.

1-William Powell looked like he brought the semplence of a running game. While this was happening, we looked like a servicable offensive line.

Man, does it help that he runs more outside than straight up the middle. Our OL can't produce any holes so we really should be utilizing sweeps and letting out big WR/TE help block. I thought for sure we were going to keep running it up the middle every time... doesnt make any sense when they're packing the box.

 

[AzStevenCal]

So 5 and 11 is your prediction?

No, 2 - 14 was my prediction but I'm pretty sure I'm going to be proved wrong there.

Seriously, I don't know what we're going to do the rest of the season. I do know that on paper our schedule just gets tougher. Last season, our defense tolerated the ineptness of our offense but I don't know if we can count on that happening again. They know they carried the day and it has to be frustrating going out there and giving it your all when you know management/coaching has failed once again to put together an offensive unit that can carry it's share of the load. If the D stays reasonably healthy and mostly engaged, we could still win another 4 or 5 games but I really don't think it will happen. I think we probably finish with no more than 6 wins.

Steve

 

[Crazy Canuck]

No, 2 - 14 was my prediction but I'm pretty sure I'm going to be proved wrong there.

Seriously, I don't know what we're going to do the rest of the season. I do know that on paper our schedule just gets tougher. Last season, our defense tolerated the ineptness of our offense but I don't know if we can count on that happening again. They know they carried the day and it has to be frustrating going out there and giving it your all when you know management/coaching has failed once again to put together an offensive unit that can carry it's share of the load. If the D stays reasonably healthy and mostly engaged, we could still win another 4 or 5 games but I really don't think it will happen. I think we probably finish with no more than 6 wins.

Steve

If this "D" didn't give up at 1-6 last season, can't see why it would now. As I said in a previous thread... if Denver wins tonight there'll be only two teams over 500 in the AFC... it's all delusions and illusions at this point.

 

[conraddobler]

Reality folks is that you could be rooting for the Cheifs, the team is in almost every game.

It's exciting to watch, we are not a dominant team but we're not chopped liver either.

The 49ers are going to beat the crap out of us.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Reality folks is that you could be rooting for the Cheifs, the team is in almost every game.

It's exciting to watch, we are not a dominant team but we're not chopped liver either.

The 49ers are going to beat the crap out of us.[/QUOTE]

Not the team that played against Minny and the Giants (IMO)

 

[AzStevenCal]

If this "D" didn't give up at 1-6 last season, can't see why it would now. As I said in a previous thread... if Denver wins tonight there'll be only two teams over 500 in the AFC... it's all delusions and illusions at this point.

You could be right, they had every reason to pack it in last year and didn't. I'm just concerned that playing a much tougher schedule and once again having to overcome a really bad offense might eventually take it's toll on them.

Steve

 

[SissyBoyFloyd]

Well there is a difference between those teams who are pretty good playing a bad game every other week and a team that has definite weaknesses that can be exploited week after week. We are in the latter group and that is not good.

I felt going into this season, and felt even stronger about it after our first 4 games, that our great record over those 13 games was an anomaly in the sense that the odds were skewed. I felt that sooner or later this year it would have to swing back against us. Just the fact that any team would win so many OT games in a row was weird, along with the fact that we were getting refs calls going in our favor after all these years.

I thought as soon as Feely missed the last FG that our run was over. That was the play that woke us up from our dream and snapped us back to the reality of percentages. It will be a rough ride the rest of the year. With luck turning against us to even the odds, we might win 5 games this year.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Well there is a difference between those teams who are pretty good playing a bad game every other week and a team that has definite weaknesses that can be exploited week after week. We are in the latter group and that is not good.

I felt going into this season, and felt even stronger about it after our first 4 games, that our great record over those 13 games was an anomaly in the sense that the odds were skewed. I felt that sooner or later this year it would have to swing back against us. Just the fact that any team would win so many OT games in a row was weird, along with the fact that we were getting refs calls going in our favor after all these years.

I thought as soon as Feely missed the last FG that our run was over. That was the play that woke us up from our dream and snapped us back to the reality of percentages. It will be a rough ride the rest of the year. With luck turning against us to even the odds, we might win 5 games this year.

Every game starts with an even shot a winning and it's been that way since the dawn of competitive sport.

 

[Darkside]

I never give up, that's why I still watch every Sunday.

I'll tell you something. This team is the same team we thought had an inept line after the draft and during the preseason. My God, our QB's got destroyed in preseason, even with our starters.

We then lose both tackles and both running backs. Pretty much half our offensive unit gone. Not having our RB's hurts more in pass-blocking than people realize, rendering it either ineffective or non-existent. Couple that with losing both starting Tackles and you're going to give up a lot of sacks.

Let's not forget Dockett being out and probably only at 80% right now. Yet we sit at 4-2. I'm overjoyed, considering those injuries. Especially since I didn't think we'd be at 4-2 even with our starters.

It's only because we were 4-0 and everyone bought into the dreams of greatness and Superbowls that we're even slightly upset about being 4-2. Never give up dudes. Our 9-7 team went to the SB. Anything can happen.

 

[52brandon]

I never give up, that's why I still watch every Sunday.

I'll tell you something. This team is the same team we thought had an inept line after the draft and during the preseason. My God, our QB's got destroyed in preseason, even with our starters.

We then lose both tackles and both running backs. Pretty much half our offensive unit gone. Not having our RB's hurts more in pass-blocking than people realize, rendering it either ineffective or non-existent. Couple that with losing both starting Tackles and you're going to give up a lot of sacks.

Let's not forget Dockett being out and probably only at 80% right now. Yet we sit at 4-2. I'm overjoyed, considering those injuries. Especially since I didn't think we'd be at 4-2 even with our starters.

It's only because we were 4-0 and everyone bought into the dreams of greatness and Superbowls that we're even slightly upset about being 4-2. Never give up dudes. Our 9-7 team went to the SB. Anything can happen.

great points. Especially when you look at our schedule. The sad part is the losses are against 2 of the easier games. Yet we were able to win against some very tough teams. There's no logic to it which is the hardest part for people to accept

 

[AzStevenCal]

great points. Especially when you look at our schedule. The sad part is the losses are against 2 of the easier games. Yet we were able to win against some very tough teams. There's no logic to it which is the hardest part for people to accept

Actually, I think there is a logical explanation for it and that's what has so many of us concerned. It's quite possible that our first 3 foes were fooled into thinking we had solved our preseason protection problems. Once Miami demonstrated that wasn't so, the floodgates were opened. Of course, that's just one reasonable explanation for what's going on, I'm sure there are others.

Steve

 

[moosehead]

I felt going into this season, and felt even stronger about it after our first 4 games, that our great record over those 13 games was an anomaly in the sense that the odds were skewed. I felt that sooner or later this year it would have to swing back against us. Just the fact that any team would win so many OT games in a row was weird, along with the fact that we were getting refs calls going in our favor after all these years.

and

I think there is a logical explanation for it and that's what has so many of us concerned. It's quite possible that our first 3 foes were fooled into thinking we had solved our preseason protection problems. Once Miami demonstrated that wasn't so, the floodgates were opened.

Most of you guys know a ton more than I do about football. That's why I read more than I post - I'm still learning. I want to root for these guys, I want us to have a winning season, I want us to go to the Superbowl.

But I don't think we're a very good football team. I think we have a defense that wavers between good and great, but that's about it. Regarding our ailments, I think you're all right. Some drafting, some coaching, some front office, some o-line. The perfect storm of limited, aggravating success.

Coach Graham was talking on the radio the other day about playing Oregon. He said they are practicing hard to win the next game by executing their system. And he added, it was a system built specifically for his current players. That really struck a chord for me. (I'm not an ASU fan, btw). Seems like the coaching staff is trying to make players fit the system, instead of the system fit the players.

We seem to win games we shouldn't, and lose games we should win. We astound unexpectedly, and make us want to claw our own eyes out with some degree of regularity. Frequently, even when we win, it's not entertaining, it's ugly.

Anyway, I'm not a hater. Not a stats guy. Don't care whether it's Kolb or Skelton. It would just be nice to have a season where we really corrected our mistakes, and our play looked sharp, even when we lost to a better team.

 

[MrYeahBut]

.

Don't care whether it's Kolb or Skelton. It would just be nice to have a season where we really corrected our mistakes, and our play looked sharp, even when we lost to a better team.

Agree, I think that's what most fans not only want, but expect from their team.


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